[Summit] Cats

[Samantha Morse]

I can certainly understand the frustration of the homeowner who threatened
to call animal control.  A couple moved in next door to us with their two
outdoor cats.  The cats began using our yard as their litter box, killing
the birds in our yard, climbing on our cars, and sneaking into our house
when I left our backdoor open.  Because I had two newly crawling toddlers,
I could not let them into our yard to play because of the potential
exposure to toxoplasmosis from the cat feces.  Our neighbors were totally
unresponsive after many polite and friendly requests and it infuriated us--
we felt like these cats were holding us hostage!

It is important to care for your pets but it is also important to respect
your neighbors.  I think Julie (Chumley's owner) put it best.  You can have
an outdoor pet but you must be willing to clean-up after it, put a bell on
its collar so it can hunt without hurting any birds, and respect the fact
that not everyone finds your pet as charming as you do.  (Yet, they may
still be really nice people!)
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