Neighbor demands that the next-door dog-owning resident keep their pups inside because the neighbor's cat likes to wander into their yard: ‘I would not comply… my dogs are in their own yard’

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  • a husky dog standing in a backyard near a porch next to the house
  • "Neighbors demand I keep my dogs inside"

    My next door neighbors moved in about a year ago. We both have front yards, theirs being a bit bigger than mine.
  • Both yards are fenced and when weather permits, I work on my porch and my dogs laze
  • around (ie sleep and play but not being disruptive to the peace). That s something we ve been doing ever since we came here 4 years ago.
  • Now my neighbors got a cat about 6 months ago and decided that this cat would be left to come and go. Their
  • cat has made it a habit to get into the pots in my yard. I ve spent a great deal of time making that yard mine and my
  • dogs so the pots contain plants that are dog safe (even comestible actually).
  • My dogs will usually stare at the cat and get near it (no chasing, they ve been trained not to do that) and the cat
  • will automatically retreat to their own yard. If it s in my yard when we come out, it will run away as well.
  • I ve never chased the cat, nor do I let my dogs out to chase it or do anything to it. Earlier
  • today, when I came back fron our morning walk, i found a note in from my neigbors
  • demanding I keep my dogs inside because their cat doesn t like them and likes to be in my
  • yard. I went to see them and told them in no uncertain terms that I would not comply to their
  • demands and that my dogs are in their own yardand are not attaccking nor chasing their cat.
  • Their response? I m taking my dogs on walks / for training 2 times a day minimum, they know
  • I take them for hikes during the weekend so they dont need to be out otherwise.
  • Their cat is mostly outdoors and it s cruel of me to deprive it from going in my yard especially
  • sonce it likes lying down in some of my plants... I told them to start taking care of their yard and add
  • the plants their cat likes. In return I got a door slammed in my face with a threat to call animal
  • control on me next time their cat runs from my yard to their...
  • a cat walking across a lush green yard, looking warily into the distance
  • Now I m trying to figure out my next move while wondering where in h I does the entitlement potion
  • they seem to be drinking comes from and who produces it
  • update First of all, Thank you everyone for your comments, advice and sharing some of your encounters with the
  • entiltled kind. After getting through all the comments, I ve decided to go with quite a few of your suggestions Messages
  • 1 - I ve changed the angle of one of my cameras but also have ordered an additionnal one that will be positioned to track all of the front yard
  • 2 - I ll be upping my lavender, rosemary and geranium game as well as keep on researching other plants. Also, as
  • suggesting by many, I ll sprinlke / throw catmint seed on their lawn when they re not looking and get my other neighbors in on that as well.
  • 3 - today I m definitely getting oranges and using peels as repellent. I
  • m definitely grabbing pinecones too on our next hike to add to the arsenal. I ve started
  • researching safe use of essential oils as well. I ve also started with the fork suggestion.
  • 4 - I ve re-checked the local bylaws. There may not be any leash laws for cats, but its actually
  • stated that cats are to be contained on their owner s property. So I ll give
  • a call to animal control to start a documentation trail and ask them if they could issue a warning to the
  • neighbors along with a "kind" reminder of the law.
  • I also want to adress a question / comment that has been made a few times: "How come your dogs don t go
  • after the cats but one of them will hunt birds and you re having trouble stopping that?" My
  • dogs have been around my friend s cats since they were puppies and were righfully taught that cats are not prey or toys. It s ok to be
  • around the cats, cuddle or play but not with the mouth. Not easy to teach but feasible. As for the second part,
  • anyone who s had or has Huskies/ Alaskans or a stubborn dog in general knows that some battles are
  • longer to win especially when prey drive is involved. In any case, me and the puppers are going to enjoy our
  • yard together knowing I ve covered all bases regaring Mr fluffy s home invasions.

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