Lodi Cat Controversy Brews - Neighbor Posts Sign: Hit A Cat I'll Hit Your Kid

[Kadie]

Lodi Cat Controversy Brews
Neighbor Posts Sign: Hit A Cat I'll Hit Your Kid

POSTED: 9:53 am PDT May 24, 2009
UPDATED: 10:22 am PDT May 24, 2009

snip...
A neighbor posted a sign with the words, "Hit a cat, I'll hit your kid." Some neighbors said they are concerned their children's lives are being threatened.

snip...
"You don't want me to hit your kid so don't hit mine. You hurt mine, that is just like if I went over and ran over your kid. Basically, that is what I was intending," said Teixeira.

Teixeira said she decided to take action after a driver ran over and killed her cat on the bike lane on Friday.

snip...
Teixeira said she knows her sign would upset people but she put it up because she is tired of people driving 65 mph on a 35 mph zone.

She said she noticed some cars slowing down and reading her sign so she wrote a new sign.

snip...
The revised sign reads: I watch for your kids, so please watch out for mine.

more...
http://www.kcra.com/news/19553177/detail.html

[Quantess]

1. At first, I was going to side with her, until I read this:

Teixeira said some of her feral cats don't like to stay indoors

Doesn't her town have an ordinance about keeping feral cats?

[angstlessk]

2. firstly if they are feral they are not 'hers'..and secondly...

I would not compare children to cats..even though I am a cat person..I am a mother and a grandmother first and foremost!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

45. If she's part of a neuter and release program

they probably approve of what she is doing.

[hyphenate]

66. Many towns and small cities

have an active "Catch, spay or neuter and release" type of program. Many vets work with the programs in order to cut down on the overpopulation. It's an admirable program and really does work.

[frogcycle]

70. that's insane!

They are still feral animals prowling around catching songbirds and getting into garbage, and people are still buying more of them in droves from pet stores and turning them loose.

Catch, hold, and euthanize is more effective and cheaper.

[havocmom]

3. Small town in SE Montana had problem with speeding cars & even semi trucks on dirt road

One resident got a backhoe out and trenched across the road in two places. Truckers squealed like little girls about it, so sheriff came and told the guy to fill the trench. He asked sheriff to set a speed trap if he did.

Guy filled the trenches, but sheriff didn't set for speeders. Guy topped trenches with rocks and told the sheriff to do his job.

Sometimes, one has to take a stand with the authorities that aren't doing their jobs. Making veiled threats to children is not the better way of dealing with the situation. Somebody is bound to give kitties some poison.

[msongs]

sick in the head...ugly nt

[mamaleah]

4. We keep ours indoors

The cats, not the kids.

But we do it because one of our cats one day felt the need to stop in the middle of the road to clean himself. I knew that nothing good could come of such behavior (except for a clean bum for him). Since then they have adjusted to be indoor cats.

BTW, I also teach my kids to stay out of the road too.

[Kadie]

42. Welcome to DU mamaleah!

:hi:

[eilen]

5. why doesn't she put up a freaking fence already?

self-righteous irresponsible pet owners are almost as bad as irresponsible parents.

[EFerrari]

9. Because fences don't keep cats in?

[KittyWampus]

26. May I interject here, there are now fences that DO keep cats in. They have to be at least 4' high

And what you have to do is attach what are essentially brackets to the tops of the wood fence and then run netting. Cats can't run or jump deep.

If anyone needs the info, please post here and I'll dig through bookmarks...

okay, here is a photo of one type of bracket. You can buy brackets that attach to your basic wooden picket-type fence.

I did a lot of research cause if I move, my one cat would be a terror if kept indoors so he'll have to be contained in the yard.

[Cleita]

35. Yours must be docile because mine would find a way out of that in no

time using whatever props are handy for him including digging under it. I do have a fence and gates though to keep the neighborhood dogs and coyotes out.

[KittyWampus]

43. Hey Cleita, the idea is to have a wooden picket type fence and brackets as shown along top. Cats

can not get over the bracket that folds INTO the yard as shown.

They can climb up the fence but not back and over the bracket.

[a la izquierda]

58. I've seen those...they work with cats

Now, I have a 60 pound Hungarian Vizsla that would leap that thing without even giving it a second thought. Damn dog. We have to have at least a 6ft stockade, because he's like a deer-leaps without even a running start. And he loves to chase the neighborhood wildlife if he gets out.

[EFerrari]

80. My rescue buddy attached that kind of netting to her side yard fence

to give her more options. The fence she had might as well not have been there for all the good it would have done.

[Cleita]

11. Fences do not contain cats.

However, in my experience cats are smart and do know how to cross a road. When they run into the road is because something frightened them like a dog chasing them. I'm having "discussions" right now with irresponsible dog owners in my neighborhood who let their dogs run amok. There is no leash law because we are in the the county, but not only can the dogs be run over because they are chasing cars but other people's pets can be hurt by normally docile pets who start to pack if there are enough of them running lose. However, these neighbors are a hard sell. They are the same ones whom I believe post at "Free Republic".

[ProgressiveProfessor]

51. Then shoot the dog when its on your property and a threat to you or your pets

BTDT and it was quite legal. Got the neighbors in a huff, but they refused to deal with the problem so my wife did it for them.

[Cleita]

52. My son-in-law goes after them with a pellet gun sometimes but

he's dog lover and doesn't really want to hurt them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

55. So was my wife, but once the pack forms, your choices are limited

[eilen]

63. My neighbor's fence manage to keep my cats out.

It is about 5 - 6 foot high chain link fence. Even when they put their birds outside in their cages. Especially when their rott is wandering the yard. It keeps out all the other neighborhood cats too.

If I enclosed my yard similarly, I believe my cats would remain in the yard. It is safer. My white cat got lost once and almost died and we hardly ever let her out, she's finally putting on some weight. Every now and again, we let her out on the deck but she is definitely a within the property limits cat. The other one does not wander far either, particularly as there are a few more local cats wandering about. She likes to keep an eye on her territory. The rescue we got them from kept them inside and asked that we do the same and they were fine for a while but eventually wanted to lie in the sun on the warm deck.

We live in the suburbs.

[Cleita]

73. Since we live on acreage, fencing other than corral fencing is impractical

for us. Mostly, the family tries to keep the neighbors dogs out by keeping the gates shut. It also keeps our dogs in on the property. That provides a safe place for our cats to run to if the neighbors' dogs are loose. Our dogs and cats all know each other so there isn't a problem.

[NeedleCast]

13. A fence...for cats?

[pansypoo53219]

6. so far my cats don''t look both ways

which is why they are HOSTAGES and stay INSIDE. no cars to worry about. and now they have stockhol's and like it that way.

[Stellabella]

12. Yep, indoor cats here too. Always. They NEVER get out.

We designed the house so every door that leads outside has an 'air lock'; another door we can shut to make the area cat free before the outside door is opened.

I've seen too many dead cats by the side of the road to ever let ours out.

Plus, indoor cats live 18 years; outdoor cats live about 3-4 years.

[cwydro]

30. I agree it is safer for cats to be indoors,

but I have 3 outdoor/indoor cats - ages 15, 11, and 8. They are very healthy, all of them.

[SPedigrees]

41. cat ages

----Plus, indoor cats live 18 years; outdoor cats live about 3-4 years.

Must be no one told my 4 indoor outdoor cats that. They lived to be 17, 23, 21 and 22... and my current kitty is doing well and still hunting at 16.

To be honest I did have one who died at the young age of 10 after being injured by a horse, so that does bring the average down a little bit. But you have to figure in that if I'd had the extra work of continual kitty litter changing I could not have adopted so many cats during my lifetime, and some might have died at young ages in a shelter.

[Stellabella]

83. Ancecdotal evidence means nothing.

These statistics are collected by animal rights groups and the Humane Society and they are accurate, whereas your FOUR cats do not constitute a statistically significant sample.

[northernlights]

46. you're confusin feral cats with outdoor cats

outdoor cats live normal lives. Cripes, my barn cat is ancient.

Feral cats, without regular food and vaccinations, exposed to the elements and often targets of coyotes, generally live very short lives.

[Stellabella]

84. No, I'm not.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-pets.htm

[konnichi wa]

49. I think confining a cat to a house is borderline animal abuse.

Our kitty is free to go out and come in as he pleases...he is not de-clawed and so can climb up most any tree and get on top of the house, the shop or whatever. He is 12 and going strong.

[kiva]

65. No, it's reality. For many of us who live in cities, on busy streets,

or near predators it's either don't have a cat or keep it inside. Are some cats able to survive these risks? Sure, but many don't and I'm not willing to see if mine fall into that lucky minority.

[konnichi wa]

75. I still don't think that confining a predator feline to a human domicile is a humane thing to do.

Sure there are dangers outside...but not exclusively. My neighbor Evelyn was away and her house caught fire...her 3 cats burned to death.
:cry:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

71. Three of my ex's outdoor cats were mowed down by vehicles.

That's animal abuse. And one of the reasons why he's an ex.

[konnichi wa]

76. No, it isn't animal abuse, it's accident. Our previous kitty was run down

and killed but he was free to be a cat up until that time. I have come very close to running over cats myself, only managed not to do it because I'm a very good and careful driver.

[Stellabella]

82. You're not a good and careful pet owner.

Looks like your previous 'free range' cat didn't fare so well outside. Color me not surprised.

[Stellabella]

81. Yeah, right. Tell that to my cats lounging on their cozies

while the door is opened to the screened-in porch.

Just because your cat has been lucky doesn't mean all cats are. The average lifespan for outside cats is 3 years. The average lifespan for indoor cats is 18 years.

Letting cats outside is animal abuse. They get into fights, are easily injured, can inject poisons, and there are too many people out there who are willing to hurt or kill them. And they are killed by cars and pick up diseases outside.

Grow up.

[hyphenate]

67. My mom's "grand dame" was an indoor

and outdoor cat. She lived to be twenty four years old. At the end, she just disappeared and never came home.

My indoor cats live to their mid-teens. I will likely, during the summer, put together the large cage I have and let the two remaining kits enjoy some time out in that for awhile.

[blogslut]

7. My old landlord tried desperately to get a speed bump for our block

No luck.

I've seen more cat corpses in front of my house than I care to recall. People speed up and down my street all the time and the worst offender drives a big-ass truck that reads: SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

[imdjh]

14. Sorry about the car, but I really hate speed bumps

Speed bumps aren't designed to make sure that you go 25 MPH, they require you to slow to a crawl in a 25 MPH zone. They are truly the grease for the squeeky wheel, because they only go where people complain loudly and often.

A speed bump is a hazard placed deliberately in the roadway, one which can damage a vehicle.

[blogslut]

19. It wouldn't be so bad, except

There are no sidewalks on my street. The old landlord begged the city to let him pour sidewalks for the block he owned - no go. One day, one of these damned idiots is going to hit a person. I'm no fan of speed bumps either but something's got to be done and the city isn't making the effort. It's the poor side of town and despite the fact that we've got a buttload of police officers, they never drive around here unless they're called.

[gula]

64. Not if you slow down to the proper speed. n/t

[hyphenate]

69. But isn't that the plan?

for those who want to avoid damaging their cars, trucks or whatever, they WILL go slower on a street with a few speed bumps.

I'm on a dead end and some people think it's some sort of speedway. My kits don'e go out, but I can feel afraid for those kits that are indoor/outdoor animals and are on the streets with these speedsters. If it takes some damage to cars who ignore signs about speed bumps and the speed bumps themselves, then that is what it will take.

Here in Massachusetts, they have declared it illegal to text while someone is driving, but texting is only one of the many things done by drivers that result in injuries, deaths and property damage. If drivers once again had to concentrate on their driving rather than the many distractions, the world would be a wee bit safer in general.

[L0oniX]

8. Hmmm ...it's against city ordinance to allow your pets to rome off of your property.

...they call it a leash law ...not that a pets life is not worth protecting but that's just it ...keeping them confined or on a leash is protecting them.

[EFerrari]

10. Not too many leash laws for cats.

But why this woman is letting her cats out is beyond me. Especially a feral cat. That's just asking for it.

[imdjh]

16. We have some cat collectors around here.

They feed the feral cats. Some of them have a dozen or more cats who call their back porch home at feeding time.

On the bright side- we have no rats or mice, ever.

[L0oniX]

22. Every year it seems they find some old lady in a trailer with dozens of cats...

but that's Florida for ya.

[janx]

33. The same thing goes on here, and I am amazed at their ignorance.

I've seen dead kittens flattened on the side of the road.

[madmom]

15. Hell, I live a few doors from an elementary school, signs

posted every where. It doesn't help. Some of the biggest offenders are the parents taking their kids to school. When my kids where small, I walked them to school and recognized the repeat offenders.

[imdjh]

17. I hate school zones.

When I was a kid, we didn't have school zones, and we liked it. We walked home with cars going as fast as 35 MPH, and we liked it. We didn't have 15MPH zones, and we liked it.


Seriously- I hate school zones. I had one of the crossing guards yell at me because I didn't stop on my bicycle.

[madmom]

18. We have no side walks so the kids pretty much have to walk in the road in winter, so

you would think that the cars passing by would see and understand this, but I guess that's asking to much.:shrug:

[imdjh]

27. I see. We have a law about pedestrians and bikes

Cars have to pass no closer than three feet. This law generally encourages people to slow down. And yes, you will get a ticket for passing too closely to a bike or person.

Of course, it would help if bikes and people were on the proper side of the road. The laws regarding this, seem to have passed from public awareness.

[blogslut]

32. Except that

around here, people park their big-ass trucks on the street (legal) thus creating a visual block for automobiles. I walk everywhere now and often have to wait behind a street-parked truck while the cars go zipping by. In other words, drivers can't see pedestrians because of the parked cars.

Just the same, I have been a bad pedestrian and will from now on, walk on the right side of the street. When I rode my bike, I always rode on the right side of the street - despite the fact that our bike laws allow us to ride in the middle of the lane.

[imdjh]

38. I"m just being a pain.

I'm actually the traffic Nazi in my area, for cars. I really don't think that bikes should have to stop at stop signs, that they just need to be careful. But cars are a different story and if you didn't have 15MPH zones for schools, then cars would go through at 40, where the issue becomes the physical impossibility of stopping before a kid can run in front of your car.

[blogslut]

44. I understand

I built up quite the resentment towards drivers when I was a biker. People literally trying to run me off the road, tailgating me...you name it.

But the bike/stop sign thing, I just won't budge on. There are too many nuts in vehicles that would flatten me if I rode through a stop sign. While I endured more driver hostility on main streets, the neighborhood streets are where fools don't pay attention. Ultimately, I was/am a defensive biker. I'd rather be alive than right.

[LeftyMom]

50. Part of the problem is that schools that don't need them have school zones.

Preschools, elementary schools? Those kids are liable to run in the road, so a school zone is fine.

But the junior high and high schools have them too, and those kids should know to keep out of the street. Additionally, those schools are often on major roads where slowing down to 15 is actually quite dangerous. Rather than improving safety those school zones are just speed traps serving no useful function.

[MrsMatt]

74. I have to pass a small private K-12 school on my way to drop my daughter

off at her elementary school. The older students who drive to school routinely jaywalk and are always popping out from between parked cars on the streets.

They don't look because they are either talking or texting on cell phones. So I'd argue that school zones are probably a good thing.

[madmom]

36. We have a few around here that believe the laws are for others. They

ride their bikes down the middle of a country road and cars have to stop for them, and they never stop at a stop sign or light. We have one female that comes directly at a car (head on)in the middle of the lane and refuses to move over. We think she wants to be hit so she can sue.

[csziggy]

47. Last week several dozen bicyclists were training on our country highway

At least thirty of them cruising along at 20 mph or so in a large bunch. What got me was at the one place to legally pass when the car between me and the cyclists tried to pass, several of them pulled over into the oncoming lane, blocking the car from passing - more than one.

At the next intersection, both that car and I were watching to see which way the cyclists turned so we could get away from them. They split into three groups, each group going a different way. Two of the ways, there are no passing zones for miles, the other was not the way I needed to go so I was stuck going 15-20 mph for ten miles. Finally the car in front of me tried to pass, this time in a no passing zone and again the cyclists pulled to the left into the oncoming lane.

This is extremely dangerous for the cyclists, and any cars on the road. There was no visibility, if a car had come from the other direction, the cyclists would have been penned in between the cars by a head-on collision. And it seemed to me that the cyclists were deliberately creating a situation that was dangerous.

Under Florida law, cyclists must obey the laws of the road, including staying in their lane, and if they are going much slower than the general traffic, pulling over occasionally to allow faster traffic to pass if there are no convenient passing zones.

When I got to my destination, I called the Sheriff's Office non-emergency number and put in a complaint. I don't think there is much they can do unless they actually see the situation in person but maybe the traffic division that works with some of the local bicycle groups can put out the word for them to be more courteous.

I give bicyclists that follow the rules every consideration, pass them with plenty of room, stay back when I cannot pass, and watch out for them at intersections. But when they pack up and block the roads like this group of jerk-offs did, they are dangerous for everyone.

[blogslut]

21. Why didn't you stop?

I rode a bike for years and had no trouble observing traffic laws.

[imdjh]

23. Because there was no one in my way.

I rode a bike for years and had no trouble observing traffic laws.

If I stopped at every stop sign on my route, I'd hang it up.

[blogslut]

25. Well, that's just silly

and wrong.

Just because you're on a bike, that doesn't mean you own the road.

[imdjh]

29. You and I really differ on this one. I am a guerilla cyclist.

[blogslut]

34. Let me guess

Fixed gear?

[imdjh]

40. No, Fuji hybrid. I like the height and proportions.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

57. I have high decibel horns for cyclists like you

I ride motorcycles and bicycles. I obey all the traffic laws and even yield when its prudent, even if I have right of way. All of my motorized vehicles have 118db or better dual horns to remind those who need it of the rules of the road. They have caused more than one cell phone to be dropped or cup of coffee spilled. Blown over a few cyclists as well.

[XemaSab]

60. In half of all bike-car interactions where the person on the bike gets killed

it's their own damn fault.

[blogslut]

20. Oh! Tell me about it!

Parents driving in school zones are the worst! They're fine until their precious babies get out of the car and then vroom vroom!

[Withywindle]

56. Possibly an evolutionary strategy.

An unconscious desire to kill off the offspring of others so one's own children will face less competition for resources.

[parasim]

24. So she equates her love for her cats with others' love for their kids...

Fine, but most people don't allow their kids to go feral.

My 17 year old cat has never been outside and so there is no problem. As far as I am concerned, if you let a cat roam outside, you're just asking to shorten the cat's life.

If you think your cat is like your child, then protect it as you would your child.

[davidinalameda]

28. I've seen a lot of kids out there who don't belong with the rest of us civilized people

little monsters and no, I'm not being nasty

[parasim]

39. Sure, so have I.

But I have yet to see a feral child. Oh, I suppose they exist, but I have yet to see one myself.

[davidinalameda]

48. I've seen kids who have basically been abandoned by their parents

and they do resort to what I would consider feral behavior

[Dappleganger]

31. If your cats are outside they are fair game.

Can you teach a cat to stop, look both ways before crossing the street?

If she didn't want them hit she'd either keep them inside or find another way to contain them. As much as I love cats and animals, it's not up to everyone else to keep your unleashed cat safe.
That part is on the irresponsible owner.

[TexasObserver]

37. Crazy Cat Lady may find herself arrested.

And her comments won't likely do her cats any good.

Has she considered being a responsible pet owner? That might help her situation. When cats cross roads, sometimes they get hit by cars.

[book_worm]

53. If she wants to make sure her cats don't get hit then make them indoor cats

[DatManFromNawlins]

54. This dumb woman has it backwards

A cat has the same basic awareness of its surroundings when it comes to the dangers of wandering the road as a toddler. If a car hits your cat, YOU are primarily responsible for letting the dumb animal wander around. Allowing them to wander around outside is irresponsible.

"But cats are outside animals!"

Yeah, they are. So either purchase a large area of land for them to wander around on, and if that's beyond your means, then perhaps you should reconsider whether you can properly tend to a cat's needs. That might not jive with your sense of social justice ("but then only the rich or country bumpkins can enjoy the companionship of cats"... whatever), but it is what it is.

[TexasObserver]

72. Yes, and it is an annoying practice.

People who wouldn't dream of allowing a dog to roam the neighborhood have no problem letting their cat do so. They trespass, they chase birds and squirrels in the yards of others, they climb on cars and leave their paw prints all over them.

This lady's cat is dead because she was a bad, irresponsible owner.

[Berry Cool]

77. Cats are not "outside animals." They don't have to be.

My cats are indoor animals and always have been. (At least since I adopted the older one, who I got from a shelter, but I understand she was a feral kitten. The other was born to a pregnant stray who had been taken in by someone who found her.) They are not suffering because they live their lives indoors. I never have to worry about getting them inside when it's cold, or about them getting lost or hit by cars, I never have to worry about what will happen if they encounter a predator, I never have to worry about fleas and ticks coming home, I never have to worry about rabies, leukemia, feline AIDS or feline distemper; I never have to worry about them being poisoned by eating something they should not have eaten that they found in someone's trash (or a poison a neighbor put out to kill pests). If they went out for longer than a few hours, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves anyway.

[hardtravelin]

59. If you don't keep your pet inside, or on your property, you don't care...

if it dies. That's the way I see it.

[seabeyond]

61. it would be a good thing for cat owners to take responsibility. we have a cat that sits

on the corner roof of neighbors house taunting dog at 2, 3 in morning. barking all night long. i am responsible with my dog, in my yard and have to deal with others cats.... i was never a cat lover, but now their owners just piss me off.

[Doremus]

62. Keep your cats inside where they belong.

Parents don't let their young kids run around all over creation. There are many other hazards waiting for outdoor cats besides cars: dogs, coyotes, alligators (in some locales), hawks, rabid animals of any species, angry/psycho neighbors, illnesses, etc., etc.

Cars are just ONE of of a long list of potentially lethal consequences of letting cats roam outdoors.

[tj2001]

68. This woman HATES kids; complained to school "about children's noise level at recess":

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2009/05/23/news/2_sign_090523.txt

Some parents were not surprised about the sign because they have had previous run-ins with Teixeira. Five parents said that while waiting for their children after school, they have had Teixeira yell at them about parking on the street or at their children for stepping on her lawn. They all declined to give their names for publication because they were worried about future run-ins with her.

"I saw that dead cat this morning, and I thought, 'What is she going to be doing after school?'" one of the women said.

Children and parents also stopped to read Teixeira's sign posted in the yard. Dan Sroufe waited for his daughter in his SUV at the corner. "I can understand living close to the school and having a lot of traffic," Sroufe said. "But it seems a little over the top."

Traffic is always an issue, said Kathleen Hambrick Whisler, vice-principal at Millswood... While Whisler had not seen the sign, she said the school has received complaints from Teixeira about the children's noise level at recess. ...

[Berry Cool]

78. If she expects kids at recess to be quiet and controlled, she's barking up the wrong tree.

Maybe this is not the best person to be living near a achool. I mean, no need for kids to be little hellions, but how are you going to stop them from just being kids?

[Vickers]

79. Cat owners who let their cats wander all over the place can fuck off.

About a year ago, I hit a cat on the way home from work, a little after midnight. I stopped to see if he was OK, but he was dead. A collar but no tags (rabies OR the owner's contact info).

There was a wooded lot nearby, so I buried him as best I could.

Very traumatic.

Think about this when you let your precious kitty run wild.

[oldlib]

85. Cat Control

Foxes control stray cats in this town. I live in Lancaster
California. A few years past, in the early morning hours, I
was driving down Challenger Way, when a red fox crossed in
front of me with a cat in its jaws. A few months later, a
distressful neighbor came to my door searching for her cat. I
observed a trail of blood, across her lawn, across my driveway
and down the street to an open desert area. I suspect that a
fox had found the cat and returned to its home.