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cats on cars

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I'm not positive but I think cats are free to roam the neighborhood and the owner is not responsible for damages. It may depend on your state
 
Cats are outdoor animals and are not harmful to humans. I don't think there are any rules about keeping them indoors, which is cruel anyway. If memory serves, the law doesn't view them being outdoors any differntly than pet rabbits or turtles. No waste problems either because a cat will always bury its waste.

It really sucks when you get cat scratches on a car of course. Reminds me of when my neighbor got mad at us and made some idle threats against our cat for tearing his car cover and scratching the roof of his car. I told him it wasn't our cat that did it but he didn't believe me. Two days later I got video footage of two crows pecking and tearing at the top of his car cover and carrying away strands for their nest. We didn't see him for a while after that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
There should be laws against cats roaming around, even if there aren't any right now, because they do damage cars. When was the last time a neighbor's turtle or rabbit scratched your car? I don't like cats crapping in my yard when I have to do gardening either. Seems to me that if a person has videotape of a neighbor's cat crawling all over his car and scratching it, then the owner of the cat should be liable for all damages. That should be a no brainer.
 
Well let me tell you a story about a guy that had his TR6 repainted, and the bumpers rechromed, and the neighbors cat crawled up on it and did over $1000 in damages. That person was me, and I think it should be real obvious why I don't like cats. They're very destructive. Owners who want to let the cats outside should at least have the courtesy to have them declawed. Other than that, they should respect other people's property, and other people enough to keep ANY of their animals from destroying property that belongs to someone else. It's all a matter of respect. Allowing pets to run wild, and damage other people's stuff is totally irresponsible, and the worst kind of disrespect. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif
 
Just as an FYI, an outdoor cat without claws is a dead cat. Claws are required to climb trees to outrun predators such as dogs and coyotes. They also need them to defend themselves against other cats and the predetors they can't outrun.

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with the Triumph. Personally I've never had a neighbor's cat scratch my car although once my own cat got up on my car in the garage and foolish me, I scared him off. When cats get startled, claws come out by instinct. Should have just picked him up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Oh yeah, rabbits and turtles chew people's gardens to pieces! My wife had a fit once when a neighborhood rabbit went to town on hundreds of dollars of plants. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif
 
Steven, I agree one hundred percent - In all the time we've had our dog past and present they have been confined to the fenced in yard - Not only to limit liability for any unpleasant accidents, bites, poop, etc. but to keep the animals safe themselves. Unfortunately cats are not as easy to corral as a dog - they're natural born escape artists.

In a perfect world owners could be held responsible for damages incurred by their pets, just like if their minor children perpertrated it - Unfortunately most owners will just blow you off without so much as a by-your-leave.

And it really is rather uncivilized to harm or destroy animal who really has no concept of how we cherish our automobiles -

My suggestion for any who encounter this problem is to document the offender, talk reasonably with the owners and if that doesn't work maybe pursue a nuisance complaint with the authorities - maybe even the animal control people eh?
Here in Kernersville, NC cats can be picked up by animal control if certain things occur - Say, somebody is bitten or scratched while trying to shoo a cat off their car - By law they have to quarantine the cat for 6 weeks to see if it developes symtoms of rabies, and the storage and upkeep is charged to the owner - Doesn't take many trips to the pound before the owner will decide to cut their loss and perhaps control their animals a bit more carefully.

Certainly not a solution, but a starting point eh? call your animal control board and see what their regs are in your area.

By the way, I've suffered catprints and scratches on my LBC's - I don't care for cats all that much myself - Just for the record..

Bob M.
 
I've already gone through the procedure you outlined, and it is a viable option. Outside of that, it certainly is the pet owner's responsibility for damages done by their pets, and pursuing it in small claims court is what I would certainly do AFTER what you described. The critical issue is that some pet owners just don't get it, and they probably never will, until it starts biting them in the pocketbook. By the way, I like all animals, but I don't like irresponsible owners who continue to let their animals wander around despite repeated warnings.
 
I like the 9MM and the cat-nip ideas the best... but then I live in Texas. We had the same problem and added a dog to the back yard who loves cats (the other white meat). Haven't seen but one cat in the last year. I don't park any car in the street, EVER... so the driveway next to the dogs fence has worked.
 
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I like the 9MM and the cat-nip ideas the best... but then I live in Texas. We had the same problem and added a dog to the back yard who loves cats (the other white meat). Haven't seen but one cat in the last year. I don't park any car in the street, EVER... so the driveway next to the dogs fence has worked.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought tuna was the other white meat! Target practice with a 9mm would suit me fine, but there's always some animal rights wacko out there who might take issue with it. Seems to me, the only way people learn to be responsible these days is when being stupid costs them money out of their pocket. Small claims court with pictures or videotape would be my option. Make em pay for their irresponsible behaviour.
 
"I like the 9MM and the cat-nip ideas the best"

Come on guys, don't blame an animal for lacking human intelligence. They only do what nature hsa bred them to do. Blame the owners and make them pay. If my cat scratched a neighbor's car (which he never has) I would pay the damages. Seems it's usually one problem cat, not all cats in a neighborhood. We have many cats on our street and noone has suffered any scratches.
 
Well it really is an owner problem. I'd make them pay for damages and the cost of video equipment to prove it. Other than that.....i still stand by the 9mm. You wouldn't have any repeat offenders.
 
Are you sure they are cats? In South Fla. we have frogs that leave sandy deposits while hopping/walking across the car. The "hops" look like foot prints from a cat while the frog "walk" looks like something slithering across the car.
 
Holding a pet owner financially responsible for damages is all well and good. But what about the countless cats, dogs and other pets we as car owners have killed by spilling anti-freeze? Cats love it, lap it up and die.
Do we really want to start a war we can't win?
Just a thought... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/square.gif
 
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Well it really is an owner problem. I'd make them pay for damages and the cost of video equipment to prove it. Other than that.....i still stand by the 9mm. You wouldn't have any repeat offenders.

[/ QUOTE ]

One assumes the 9mm is for the owner since animals do not have the ability to reason in such situations and they have no common sense. On second thought an awful lot of people no longer have common sense.
 
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... On second thought an awful lot of people no longer have common sense.

[/ QUOTE ]
In all fairness to modern humankind I don’t believe good sense was ever common.

It doesn’t take too much study of history to find that what is, was and likely always will be truly common;


“The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.”

- Harlan Ellison




PC.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Holding a pet owner financially responsible for damages is all well and good. But what about the countless cats, dogs and other pets we as car owners have killed by spilling anti-freeze? Cats love it, lap it up and die.
Do we really want to start a war we can't win?
Just a thought... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/square.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmmmm...thanks for the idea. I never leave any coolant laying around, but if they love it so much...perhaps I should start doing just that......here Kitty, Kitty......LOLOLOLOLOL /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
Just Remember... CAT, The Other White Meat. Tastes just like Chicken.
 
Okay, enough cat bashing!! Maybe it's squirrels?? Very destructive critters, they could easily scratch the heck out of your paint job.

Use a car cover, that would solve the cat problem immediately and protect your paint job as well!

Back to my hole now . . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just Remember... CAT, The Other White Meat. Tastes just like Chicken.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you been eating in Chinese Restaurants?????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/pukeface.gif
 
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