Cat at Large: Cruel Neighbors with Cat Traps

For safety's sake, I never let my cats outside all night. When I do let them outside, it is only during slow times with few cars, people, and foxes. My older cat, Dapheny, has only goes on the yard and roof occasionally, but Minee, the younger cat, loves the outdoors. I try my best to communicate with him to be careful while outside and he has behaved mostly.

One night Minee got outside and I figured he'd come back in an hour like usual. Morning came and my boyfriend and I still could not find Minee. I am a worried wart, but this time I had anxiety oozing out of my pores. My boyfriend was no different. Finally the afternoon came and an Aurora Animal Care guy asked if we were the owners of a big orange cat. "Yes! That's my baby!" I said. He took us to the van where Minee was in a tiny cage. He was sunburned under his ears and had something queer in his eye. He meowed sadly, yet he seemed glad to see me and my boyfriend.

The Animal Care guy told us about the laws with cats. "Cat at Large" is a ticket for letting your cat outside beyond your property. He said the ticket is about $25, but the way he was acting and talking to us I wrongfully did not think he was giving us a ticket, just a warning. He also mentioned that if we were not home, it'd be about $50 to bail him out of jail...I mean, the shelter. I asked how long "Cat at Large" had been a law in Aurora, Colorado, and he said since about 1990. It isn't a new law, but it sounded crazy to me! Cats are meant to be independent creatures who do as they please except when their safety is at stake. Humans are their servants! Not their owners!

So I gave him my license and we let Minee in the house. What a gloomy sight it was to see my 14lb cat turn around and exit an 8 inch wide trap. Nonetheless, he managed. As we walked back to his van, a neighbor came walking by. A conservative type with a tiny female offspring in her arm. The Animal Care guy gave her the cage and showed her how to use it. I was surprised she allowed herself to be seen by me.

I asked completely unthreateningly, but quite sadly, "You had the cage?" She did not look me in the eye and she seemed offended. Offended? If it new the cat was ours, it could have just came to our door with Minee. Offended? More like offensive if you ask me. To the question she didn't say yes, but spouted some broken story about her husband being bitten by a cat with a broken leg. (Well, of course an animal will bite a stranger if he or she is injured.) Whether it was good intentions to help the hurt cat or a malicious vendetta to get the cat who bit the man, I do not know, but I'd put my money on the latter.

The female and her single spawn left and the Animal Care guy wrote the ticket. I asked him a few questions about microchips and animal cruelty. He was happy to answer my questions and even showed me his microchip scanner. He also mentioned that the neighbors only get traps for a week or so, and that I should not be too worried about a second incident from the same people. To my gay surprise he did not ticket us for not having his rabies license. A feline like Minee looses his collars and, incidentally, his licenses (one of the collars was returned to us in our mailbox a few months ago with a nasty note telling us to tie Minee up...from who? I wonder). My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to have a nice man give us our cat back even though he gave us a ticket. He must have felt obligated to write the ticket after the cat trapper came. I decided to have Minee microchipped if, the deities forbid, something like this happens again. I highly recommend getting microchips for all of your pets. Our vet gave him the Avid Microchip. My dogs are next in line.

Although I disagree with "Cat at Large" being a law, I understand that it is safer for our animal companions to be indoors. According to the Animal Care guy, the law specifically states that cats can be outside only if on their owner's property. This law doesn't make sense because cats are either indoors or outdoors with a roaming area beyond the so-called owner's property. However, I will obey the law which I am no longer ignorant and keep my cats inside. The veterinarian who gave Minee the microchip said to keep him happy and occupied indoors to ease his depression which I hope is temporary.

Thankfully our cat was returned to us with only a sunburn and messy eye (the vet said he will be fine). As unpleasant as tickets are, at least with "Cat at Large" the money goes to those who deal with animal cruelty, an unfortunate societal problem. In Aurora, CO, Aurora Animal Care deals with animal related situations. It is important for all animal lovers to learn the pet related laws in their city before something like this happens. It is also important to know where all the Animal Care or SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) facilities are. It may also be good to get to know your neighbors and exchange phone numbers so you may call around if your furry (or scaly) baby is missing. This is also helpful so that neighbors know who pets belong to and how significant your pets are to you. If your animal is lost for a whole night, please call the animal shelter in your area before you loose your friend.