Problem with my neighbour - time to confront?

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Liza1948

Liza1948

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Hi,
I'm on my way back from a vacation in England and am arriving home tomorrow after a lay-over in Chicago.

I live on a rather large property in a semi-rural part of Iowa. My closest neighbor is on an acre adjacent to my property. She's very quite, and substantially older than me (I think she is pushing 90). Her son comes around maybe twice a week to check on her but other than that she is pretty much alone most of the time.

Except, her cats. She's always had three or four but during the outbreak of the pandemic almost twe years ago the number has spiked to (last I checked) at least 25. I don't think they are entirely kittens or cats that are breeding but it could be case since it is not like I ever go over there.

I know it is not really much of my business but at the beginning of summer last year I started noticing my flowers being dug up and random dead sparrows in the yard. Also, there used to be a den of rabbits living in the brush on the edge of the trees behind my property and I haven't seen them in I don't know how long.

Suffice to say, I'm starting to get a little annoyed and am very apprehensive that things have gotten worse since my month long trip. But I am apprehensive about approaching her because I don't know what the reaction would be. I *could* start putting rat poison in lumps of tuna around the yard and see if that has any results. Or, I guess I could buy a sight hound since I know they hate small furry things (including the rabbits, so that may not work). Or, I could make an anonymmous, if unsubstantied, call to local animal control. Those are options but I don't know how bad her hoarding problem is or whether that would push her over the edge and just go full "crazy cat-lady".

Anyhow, thoughts are welcome.
 

Trust me, you are not going to like a lot of the thoughts that will be coming your way.

Rat poison in tuna to kill cats will get your arrested and jailed, if not put in prison. Not to mention what a horrific thing to do. It will also kill any wildlife in the area including birds, squirrels, possibly rabbits, etc.

The cats might be a feral colony, in which case, they have more rights to live in this neighborhood and world than you do. Feral cats are protected in many areas. I have no love of cats. I am a dog person. But, seriously, even considering killing cats or any animals in the method you have described means, to me, you need a therapist-quickly.

Killing animals is an indication that killing humans will be next-you know, like the old annoying lady “pushing 90” that loves next door.

Call animal control. Immediately find mental health intervention for yourself. Never, ever, talk about doing such a thing to anyone except a therapist.
 
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Just call me curious but how is it that you are able to confront your neighbors about taking your gazebo this past Tuesday in Suburban Iowa and now today, your closest neighbor is an elderly woman, living on an acre in semi-rural Iowa? Plus, you say that you have been traveling yet you also said that you had taken your morning tea to your gazebo which you found to be gone earlier this week. You seem to live an interesting if controversy filled life. Maybe there’s a rat somewhere there in Iowa that those cats might catch?

The gazeebo (sic) thread
 
If I lived next door to her, I'd go introduce myself and offer to help her with the cats. Some rescues will come pick up the cats and neuter and spade them, give them shots and whatever they need and then either rehome them or bring them back to their home area. They are increasing due to reproducing. So they will keep increasing unless something is done. Offering to help is better than murdering a bunch of helpless animals who have no one to care for them properly.
 
Chris P Bacon said:
Just call me curious but how is it that you are able to confront your neighbors about taking your gazebo this past Tuesday in Suburban Iowa and now today, your closest neighbor is an elderly woman, living on an acre in semi-rural Iowa? Plus, you say that you have been traveling yet you also said that you had taken your morning tea to your gazebo which you found to be gone earlier this week. You seem to live an interesting if controversy filled life. Maybe there’s a rat somewhere there in Iowa that those cats might catch?

The gazeebo (sic) thread
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I had not read the gazebo thread, thanks. It states @Liza1948 live on 3/4 an acre with a dog. Hmm, in this post she says she might need to buy a dog. Gosh, although no one could replace Deb with her stories, we might have a lot of stories forthcoming from Liza. 😊
 
Chris P Bacon said:
Just call me curious but how is it that you are able to confront your neighbors about taking your gazebo this past Tuesday in Suburban Iowa and now today, your closest neighbor is an elderly woman, living on an acre in semi-rural Iowa? Plus, you say that you have been traveling yet you also said that you had taken your morning tea to your gazebo which you found to be gone earlier this week. You seem to live an interesting if controversy filled life. Maybe there’s a rat somewhere there in Iowa that those cats might catch?

The gazeebo (sic) thread
Click to expand...
Ha. Maybe she could say she is asking for a friend.
 
In our paper a few years back there was an old farmer about 10 miles from me that had over 60 cats living in his barns. Some neighbor about a mile away started seeing a lot of cats. He called Animal control. They came & surveyed the situation.

They had a mobile vet semi come & neuter/spay all the big cats. They ask the farmer if he wanted all these cats? He said he would like to keep only about 10 that were taken care of to keep in his barns for mice. So the animal control took the rest to different no-kill shelters to be adopted. So it ended in a friendly way & now no more cats since the ones there are fixed.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I'm beginning to experience some feelings of empathy towards your children.
Click to expand...
That's why I went through a whole thing about threatening your own children to be cut out of your will. I'd like to hear her kids' side of the story about their home life with Liza as a mother---taking at face value that the story even has any merit. Was the artwork of the Boston Strangler or Richard Speck adorning the walls?

Anyway, we were once somebody's children, and as such, should have memories relating to that experience---lessons learned about what Not to do with our own young. Bad relationships don't suddenly happen, takes years to evolve.
 
Pepper said:
That's why I went through a whole thing about threatening your own children to be cut out of your will. I'd like to hear her kids' side of the story about their home life with Liza as a mother---taking at face value that the story even has any merit. Was the artwork of the Boston Strangler or Richard Speck adorning the walls?

Anyway, we were once somebody's children, and as such, should have memories relating to that experience---lessons learned about what Not to do with our own young. Bad relationships don't suddenly happen, takes years to evolve.
Click to expand...
Do you suppose that it could be, she hired Pogo The Clown to perform at her children's birthday parties? Hmm, I wonder. 🤔
 
Chris P Bacon said:
Just call me curious but how is it that you are able to confront your neighbors about taking your gazebo this past Tuesday in Suburban Iowa and now today, your closest neighbor is an elderly woman, living on an acre in semi-rural Iowa? Plus, you say that you have been traveling yet you also said that you had taken your morning tea to your gazebo which you found to be gone earlier this week. You seem to live an interesting if controversy filled life. Maybe there’s a rat somewhere there in Iowa that those cats might catch?

The gazeebo (sic) thread
Click to expand...


Someone enjoys toying around with us Chris ..;) ... Silly ... wonder what's next⁉️
 
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