Being a Good Cat Neighbour

Many cat owners feel very strongly about their pets and lavish a great deal of affection on them, expecting everyone else to share their feelings.  They simply cannot understand why the people down the street, who seem quite nice otherwise, get so upset over the neighbour's cats running through their yard.

Unfortunately, cats are all too frequently a source of neighbourhood squabbles.  Police Departments, Radio and T.V. stations and newspapers are burdened with steady complaints about cats.  Some of these neighbourhood squabbles even end up in court.

The fault does not lie with the cats, for they cannot be expected to have a sense of civic responsibility.  In any case, their standards are not human ones.

According to City of Winnipeg By-laws, cats are to be kept indoors at all times or supervised on a leash, or in a cat enclosure.

There are many cat owners who are not good cat neighbours simply because they do not know their responsibilities.  All too many people think that cats need to roam if they are to be happy.  They don't, and it's while roaming that they get into trouble.

Cats don't need a lot of exercise.  They like to loaf, or to sleep, or to just be with people.  Cats don't need to be outdoors all day, nor do they want to be.  When cats are ignored by their owners they get bored and begin to roam.  Unspayed or unneutered cats roam to look for a mate.  Once the habit is formed, it is hard to break so don't let your cat start.

Many people do not want to build permanent runs for their cats.  Others are prohibited from doing so by local ordinances.

Be a good cat neighbour, and respect your neighbours' rights for a no-cat environment according to City of Winnipeg By-laws.