Off topic, but I need some help regarding my rights.

[FreeBirdTim]

I know you guys are big on personal rights, so I thought you might be able to help on this one. It's a simple question, but I can't find the answer online. Can an animal control officer show up at my home when he's off duty? We're dealing with feral cat problem on my property and in the nearby woods, so I agreed to set up traps to catch them. We've caught around 20 so far in the daytime, but the issue is he wants them set up 24/7 and I told him no way. I'm not leaving a cat stuck in a trap for up to 20 hours waiting for this idiot to show up and take him away. He only works from 7 AM to 3 PM, so that's why they might be stuck in a trap for a long period of time.

Fast foward to last week, when he showed up at 9 PM in street clothes and in his own vehicle. He pounded on my door and scared the heck out of my elderly friend who lives with me. He was mad that the traps weren't set up. I again told him that I'm not leaving cats in traps for 20 hours. Does he have the right to pull this nonsense while off the clock? Doesn't seem legal to me. I don't want anyone on my property in the middle of the night anyway (for liability issues). What if he steps in a hole in my backyard and breaks his ankle? Any advice on this one would be appreciated.

P.S. Let me also add that all these cats are healthy and well fed, so he's not trying to protect them from abuse. Can't use that as an excuse.

 

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[SeabeeRon]

I think you are within your rights! Let's see what others say?

 

[newnan man]

What happens to the cats after he takes them? I don't get why he thinks it's something that needs to be 24-7. Why he would show up that late is a red flag.

 

[robertk]

Unless you are contracting with the city or something, I don't see how it's any of his business whether you trap the cats or not, or how often, or for how long, or anything else about it. The caveat would be if they are his traps (or the city's). If so then he probably does have some right to come check on them. But you also have the right to tell him to take them and leave. Assuming they're your traps, he is there by your invitation only, and that includes whether he can be there after hours. If he is there off duty without an invite, he's trespassing, just like anyone else would be. Unless they're his traps.

 

[releventchair]

You seem the type I'd collect my traps and depart in a hurry.
And from what you write neither of you seem to live by any degree of compromise!

IF the "control" officer is showing after hours , celebrate the passion of the work.


Well done on the daytime catches.
If night time catches are desired by the officer , what is the latest you could arm traps for the officer to collect no later than say 9:00 A.M.?
Trapping law varies but checking sets once per 24 hrs. has been in given instance declared a requirement. Not as humane enough. Or often enough. Rather it simply means not leaving sets unchecked for longer.
And as you demonstrate that doesn't suit everyone's idea of trapping.

Why you didn't have a clear plan up front when the officer already did hints of self imposed conflict if acceptable feline in trap wait time becoming an entire operational conflict.

I'm not your officer. You have cats waiting in traps and progress is being made in my opinion.
Your objecting to officer stopping at varied hours as if it is a right or not of either party is a red flag. Why your officer remains involved is a better question! But then hours of officer visitation would have been established on my property before a trap was set.
(My states D.N.R. can trespass with reasonable cause.) Your participation with an animal control agency likely voids your right to complain about hours of operation. But did you fill out any forms? Or sign an agreement?

Had you had cats waiting in traps when post dark officer visit / door knock occurred they would have sat for a less amount of time than 20 hours wouldn't they have?
How should a determined cat collecting person interpret your objection then? Thier work should be more convenient for both you and the cats?

 

[FreeBirdTim]

What happens to the cats after he takes them?

If he caught one at night, he'd probably leave it in the trap until morning. He takes them to our shelter, which is a no kill shelter. It's pretty much filled up with these feral cats now, so why try to catch more and jam them in cages? What's the hurry? None of the cats left are pregnant or sick, so no need to beat a dead horse right now.

I don't get why he thinks it's something that needs to be 24-7. Why he would show up that late is a red flag.

Exactly. I already told him no traps after dark, so he shouldn't be checking them. Just wants to try and bully me into trapping them 24/7 and that's not happening. I used to leave them set up after dark, but got tired of releasing possums every night! Never got a cat anyway, just possums.

I don't want the cats stuck in traps for more than a few hours, especially when it's been so hot and humid around here this summer. I want them gone as much as he does, but it's going to be done in a humane way. I've fed some of these cats for years, so I do have feelings for them.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

The caveat would be if they are his traps (or the city's). If so then he probably does have some right to come check on them.

One trap is mine and two are the town's traps. Buy since I already told him no traps set up after dark, there's no reason for him to show up and harass me. I get up around 5 AM every morning and set the traps. Setting them up 10 hours a day is good enough, in my opinion.

But you also have the right to tell him to take them and leave.

The problem is he's threatening to fine us $75 per cat if we don't cooperate with him. I was very cooperative with him for six weeks, but we haven't caught any in two weeks now. So now he wants me to stop feeding them altogether until they're starved enough to go into the traps. I have stopped feeding them for up to two days, but they still don't go in the traps.

I suggested catching them in a net, shooting them with a dart gun or drugging their food. He said he's too slow and fat to chase them with a net and dart guns and drugging them isn't legal in this state. So we're at an impass right now.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

You seem the type I'd collect my traps and depart in a hurry.
And from what you write neither of you seem to live by any degree of compromise

I have bent over backwards on this deal. I spent $75 on a trap so I didn't tie up the town's traps. I get up at 5 AM to set the traps and check them every two hours. If there's a cat in the trap, I either call him to get it or go to the shelter with the cat. I also rebait the traps if they get grungy from flies or ants. Last week, I ripped the boards off the eaves of my garage to get six kittens that were born up there! How is that not cooperating?

I just feel like it's time for a break. He's beating a dead horse. The five or so left are too sharp to go anywhere near the traps. Come back in a few weeks and try again.

 

[robertk]

Well at the risk of asking a dumb question, if you want them gone, why are you feeding them? That's only going to encourage them to hang around.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Why you didn't have a clear plan up front when the officer already did hints of self imposed conflict if acceptable feline in trap wait time becoming an entire operational conflict.

He didn't object to the no nighttime trapping when we were catching cats every day. But now that's he's not making progress, he wants to change the deal. He's either too stubborn or too stupid to realize that the remaining cats have figured it out and avoid the traps like the plague.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Well at the risk of asking a dumb question, if you want them gone, why are you feeding them? That's only going to encourage them to hang around.

Because I've fed some of them for years and I want them to have a better life. Not feeding them might get them to move on and get out of my hair, but that's a cowardly thing to do. I'm trying to do the right thing here. Starving them out or dumping them off on a neighbor isn't the right thing to do.

 

[pepperj]

One trap is mine and two are the town's traps. Buy since I already told him no traps set up after dark, there's no reason for him to show up and harass me. I get up around 5 AM every morning and set the traps. Setting them up 10 hours a day is good enough, in my opinion.



The problem is he's threatening to fine us $75 per cat if we don't cooperate with him. I was very cooperative with him for six weeks, but we haven't caught any in two weeks now. So now he wants me to stop feeding them altogether until they're starved enough to go into the traps. I have stopped feeding them for up to two days, but they still don't go in the traps.

I suggested catching them in a net, shooting them with a dart gun or drugging their food. He said he's too slow and fat to chase them with a net and dart guns and drugging them isn't legal in this state. So we're at an impass right now.

So for years you facilitate this process in feeding the feral cats.
Then you trap 2 dozen cats.
If you have a cat problem build a fence. (You seem to be strong on that suggestion with others)

The way I see it is cut off the food supply, the problem goes away soon enough.
Animals are smart that way, looking for a free lunch always.
If your place is a no food source, they will go elsewhere.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

So for years you facilitate this process in feeding the feral cats.
Then you trap 2 dozen cats.
If you have a cat problem build a fence. (You seem to be strong on that suggestion with others)

The way I see it is cut off the food supply, the problem goes away soon enough.
Animals are smart that way, looking for a free lunch always.
If your place is a no food source, they will go elsewhere.

I wasn't the one who started feeding them. My late mother and my girlfriend started feeding them many years ago.

I want to resolve the problem, not dump them off on someone else. As far as a fence, you've got to the kidding! Cats can jump over or scale any fence.

 

[releventchair]

I have bent over backwards on this deal. I spent $75 on a trap so I didn't tie up the town's traps. I get up at 5 AM to set the traps and check them every two hours. If there's a cat in the trap, I either call him to get it or go to the shelter with the cat. I also rebait the traps if they get grungy from flies or ants. Last week, I ripped the boards off the eaves of my garage to get six kittens that were born up there! How is that not cooperating?

I just feel like it's time for a break. He's beating a dead horse. The five or so left are too sharp to go anywhere near the traps. Come back in a few weeks and try again.

You're right. So why are you still dealing with the situation?

Meanwhile tell your trapper he's fired and to not set foot on your property after collecting his traps a your doorstep.
Yes you can deliver catches just fine without his help..

Rig your trap open but not set to trap. Add bait. Dried kibble in a shallow tuna can or similar should be enough for bait. Saving the cost and labor and stench of mixing P.B. with sardines for bait. Besides, that's also a lure and will draw cats (and other critters) from a greater distance and compound your issue. (You want local cats to scent your sets.)

You caught the less suspicious cats. The others caught on, as they should.

Scent is more human than cat on your sets.
As cats and possums hit your bait in your single unset trap scent will get added again.
If you haven't found out yet , one good working (targeted critter lured into range and then locating bait and then getting too near bait and hindered by trap in the process) set can beat a dozen.

You're already watching cats.
Add a feather as a lure. Twirling in the slightest breeze near a set.
How about a round egg shaped stone near the traps entrance?
A couple pieces of kibble near such isn't a crime. When more kibble is detected from there a determined cat might pursue the matter.

 

[pepperj]

I guess the no kill shelter is privately owned.
Because if it was a public owned system it's on the taxpayer's dollars.

 

[pepperj]

I wasn't the one who started feeding them. My late mother and my girlfriend started feeding them many years ago.

I want to resolve the problem, not dump them off on someone else. As far as a fence, you've got to the kidding! Cats can jump over or scale any fence.

Electric fencing
You have many times slammed the members to be more responsible and to protect their property with fencing.
Yet you are the problem in continuing this process it seems.

 

[releventchair]

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Electric fencing
You have many times slammed the members to be more responsible and to protect their property with fencing.
Yet you are the problem in continuing this process it seems.

Still trying to stir the pot? Let it go. Let's agree that I'm not fond of you and you're not fond of me...

 

[FreeBirdTim]

You're right. So why are you still dealing with the situation?

Meanwhile tell your trapper he's fired and to not set foot on your property after collecting his traps a your doorstep.
Yes you can deliver catches just fine without his help..

I'd love to do that, but the state has a three cats maximum per household law. We have three indoor cats and at least five that are outside. So he keeps threatening to fine us $75 per cat, even though they're not really our pets, since they're feral cats. I've tried to catch them, but have been unsuccessful. The ACO refuses to try catching them with a net and won't dart or drug them, so what more can I do? Keep setting up traps for months? I've had enough of this deal. Tired of getting up at dawn and checking traps all the time. It's no longer working, so I say give it a rest for awhile.

 

[pepperj]

Still trying to stir the pot? Let it go. Let's agree that I'm not fond of you and you're not fond of me...

Just pointing out that you're always shooting off about how "we" should be doing the fencing.

Yet folks like your family cause these over populations of feral cats. Which are a blight on the bird life.

But just keep on-keep on.
Everyone should be doing this or that.

Yet you're tired and can't catch the puddy cat.🤣
You reap what you sow.