Conference misery::feline

    If no one answers the note, my guess would be that he's a wild cat. 
    Having him altered would help reduce his aggression;  (it takes awhile
    for the altering to take effect, as there are still hormones for some
    time afterwards.)
    

    no, i highly doubt the cat is homeless.  an unaltered, outdoor, male cat 
    has a tendency to have that nappy look due to the fights and the substances
    it catches and eats.  this cat is far from homeless since a new flea/tick 
    collar was just put on him a few days ago.
    
    should i bother with an ad in the paper informing the anonymous owner
    that i'm fed up with both him/her and the cat?  i already had a vet
    bill of well over 100 dollars, and still growing, because my george had a
    cat bite above his paw.  i'm not a dec employee so i lost time from
    work and that means money.  granted it wasn't a whole day but enough.
    
    /g.

    I'd put a note on his collar.  The owner would see that;  there's no
    reason for them to be looking at newspaper ads.
    
    As long as you're careful not to hurt the cat, you might consider
    trying to make your yard unpleasant for him -- clapping your hands when
    he comes into it, or using a water squirt bottle.
    

    or neutering him yourself...... (FOA $25)
    
    

    spraying water at a cat does not work UNLESS you hide the water bottle. 
    when the hand goes away cats *know* the water goes away so it's
    basically nothing more than a scare tactic to a cat and even less to an
    unaltered, outdoors, male cat.  as a matter of fact, using continously
    can actually make your cat afraid of you.  i studied animal training
    and my dad didn't believe me.  now, one of his cats still will not come
    near him.  you should hide the bottloe under your armpit that way the
    cat won't know where it's coming from.
    
    as for the note?  i'll simply inform the owner that i have had enough
    with his/her lack of responsibility.  if he/she does not alter the cat then
    i have no other choice but to neuter the cat, paying for the procedure 
    myself, then find a loving, caring home for it.  i will also include my
    phone number.  there's nothing the owner can do, legally, since cats
    are not required to be registered with the city hall and this one
    definitely isn't.
    

    I can understand your anger;  I'd be furious if my cats were being hurt
    also.  But I'd suggest that if you get to the point of altering the
    cat, that you not consider catnapping it until you further see if it then
    leaves your cats alone, and give it several weeks after the altering to
    determine this.  It might be owned by someone who loves it dearly, and
    either doesn't know about the need for or can't afford the altering.
    

    then i guess i'll be less harsh in the letter.  on the other hand i do
    want a response.  i don't want to get *too* harsh but this has been
    going on for months, and i do mean months.  snow, rain, sleet - it
    doesn't matter that cat is on the deck.  
    
    i just hope the person responds.  i'm kind to animals .... it's being
    kind to ignorant homo sapiens i have a hard time swallowing.  i don't
    think it's a real keen idea to catnap somebody's cat and not inform 
    the owner.  i have EVERY intention of telling the owner about low cost 
    altering through certain vets and, if need be, i'll pay for it.  
    
    i'm going to have to put a stop to this soon.

Honestly, I would be a bit harsh in the letter.  Basically because this
person may just see it as a "free way to get the cat neutered".  If you're
a bit harsh and the owner truely loves the cat and is "ignorant" of what a
whole male can do, then they will most likely respond to you.

Holly

    that was my first thought!  i guess i should always go with my instinct!