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TheUninvitedCatTheUninvitedCat
 
HowtoDeal withUnwelcome CatsonYourProperty
HETHER OR NOT YOU HAVEcats yourself, odds are thatpeople in your neighborhood do.And odds are that at least a few of these cats venture into your yard from timeto time. Whether you’re a bird lover, a catlover, or both (or neither!), here’s advice fromThe Humane Society of the United States(HSUS) to keep your premises feline-free—and help those cats at the same time.
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Figure Out What Categoryof Cat(s) You’re Dealing With
Different types of cats require different approaches.All cats who come onto your property areby definition “free roaming.” But as you mayalready know, not all free-roaming cats arethe same. The cat who“visits”you may be:
q
AN OWNED CAT(your neighbor’s) whois allowed outdoors unsupervised—probablythe most common scenario in suburbanneighborhoods
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AN OWNED CATwho has become lost
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A PREVIOUSLY OWNED CATwho hasbeen abandoned and no longer has a home
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A “NEIGHBORHOOD” CAT,one fedby several residents in the area buttruly cared for by none of them
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A FERAL CAT—anunsocialized (almost wild)cat who may be one or moregenerations removed froma home environment and maysubsist in a colony of similar catsYour approach to preventingunwelcome feline visitors dependson the category of cat(s) you aredealing with.
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Learn the Laws
It’s also important to know which state and locallaws protect both you and the cats who comecalling. Laws about cats vary quite a bit fromstate to state and community tocommunity. For example, yourcity or county may require thatcats be registered with it and/ or always wear a collar andidentification. Or it maybe illegal for a cat who isunsterilized (one who hasn’tbeen spayed or neutered)to roam outdoors in yourcommunity. In many cases,unwelcome cats are coveredunder your community’snuisance abatement ordinance.It’s usually easy to find out about laws in yourarea by contacting your local animal shelter,humane society, or animal control agency.
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Take Action
After you’ve identified the category of cat(s)you’re dealing with and learned more aboutyour local laws, follow these recommendations:
If the cat is owned by a neighbor butallowed outside, then ...
... your best approach is one that seeks topersuade that neighbor to keep his cat indoorsor otherwise safely confined. To succeed at this,the key is to avoid being combative and to builda good relationship with your neighbor.Gather information to pass to your neighborabout the many benefits to cats if they are keptindoors or only allowed outdoors when supervised.Include tips on how to keep cats happy as indoorpets. (All the information your neighbor needscan be found in two HSUS publications,
 A SafeCat Is a Happy Cat 
and
Cat Care Basics
. Youcan order both together for $3*, postage paid.See the order box.)
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