Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Pet Policy - Can you share yours?

[Joanie Connors (jvcphd]

I am a total cat nut, and have volunteered for cat and animal causes
for many years.

It is nuts to let cats be outdoors! Besides killing large numbers of
birds and reptiles, it is bad for the cats! There are lots of hostile
predators and sick humans who will harm them. The statistics I've seen
indicate that outdoor cats have half the lifespan of indoor cats,
while unneutered outdoor males have an average life of 4 years. Add to
this the complaints of neighbors who don't like cats using their
gardens for their catbox (an acquaintance has had the police called
many times)!

There is no reason to allow outdoor cats in your bylaws, to not
prohibit this is to condone negligence and breaking the law (in many
towns).

The problem comes in enforcing it because you can't stop people from
letting them out. But Sharon is right, put it in writing!


On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 10:41 AM, Sharon Villines
<sharon [at] sharonvillines.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Oct 27, 2009, at 11:48 AM, Judith Bush wrote:
>
>> We
>> wonder, among other things, what other communities say to
>> prospective buyers
>> of a house being sold if the number of cats (or dogs) in residence
>> is at or
>> beyond the new limit.
>
> When we moved in we had great discussions about outdoor cats. Huge. We
> finally agreed, I believe, that we would grandfather the current
> outdoor cats but no others would be allowed to move in. Dogs would be
> on leashes outdoors.
>
> But we didn't write it down.
>
> After about 6 years more outdoor cats moved in. People said we never
> wrote it down so it wasn't binding. They couldn't say anything.
>
> After 9 years, dogs are at holiday celebrations and outdoor gatherings
> being allowed to run free.
>
> One the owner was allowed to move in with a dog she can't take down
> the fire stairs to walk. So we have an animal going in and out of the
> CH and in the Elevator. He is incontinent.
>
> Both outdoor cats and dogs without leashes are illegal in DC. And our
> bylaws say we are law abiding. But who polices?
>
> Whatever you decide, write it down. Verbal agreements drift and new
> people move in who have no knowledge of the heat in those early
> discussions.
>
> Sharon
> ----
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> http://www.takomavillage.org
>
>
>
>
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