Am I being unreasonable?
 

***Sorry this is long*****

So this week my husband and I and Pasquale are down in Florida. We bought a condo last year so we could come down and relax a few times a year. We have always gotten along with everyone in our complex. Well the neighbor to the right of us has been feeding feral cats for the last year in the back yard. It is now up to 5 cats! I dont mind cats at all...but they stay up all night meowing and fighting and waking us up. There has been many times where i've had to get up in the middle of the night (3am) to go out on the lanai and make my own loud hissing noises to get them away from my property.
Well today i called the management company and told them what has been going on..how she feeds the cats and how i'm afraid to even take Pasquale out back cause god knows what diseases these cats are carrying. Well apparently someone from the wildlife society came out today and spoke with her, cause when we got home from the beach....she "tried" explaining to me how she was certified with the humane society and how she's trying to help these cats since noone wants them.
I then kindly explained to her that this wasnt the humane society and while i respect her kind-doing, I fear what diseases these cats are carrying. She then went back to her condo and the next thing i know..her boyfriend comes over screaming at me that i made his gf cry?? Uhhh what?! Well at that point my husband jumped in and started saying how noone will be screaming at me. The bf then backed down and we explained what was said...he couldnt understand why she was crying either then.:rolleyes:
I dont know...am i being unreasonable? :confused:

No, I do not think you are being unreasonable. I would not want wild cats around either. If she is really "certified" by the humane society don't they advocate getting them vaccinated and vetted? If she wants to feed them and attract them to your property then she should go by the same rules as any pet owner. Get them to the vet, checked out, free from parasites, vaccinated, and licensed. Then she should also have to abide by the rules of your condo. Most have a limit on the number of pets.

They are a menace, but worse, they are a danger to your little Yorkie and possibly you too. Not sure what you can do about them if she doesn't change. We don't even have a no-kill humane society near where I live in FL. So, if you call, they will probably be PTS.

Nope not at all!! I have taken and put a live trap in my yard caught the cats and have taken them to the aspca myself. I am not going to have stray cats going to the bathroom in my yard for my family to get sick from. If they are strays there is nothing she can do about it. I feel if you are going to live with neighbors then you should live your life to not bother others. I dont like for my dogs to bark to much. I have a fence around my whole yard to where nothing can come in and nothing can get out. I try not to bother my neighbors and I expect the same from them!!

There are programs that are funded specifically for feral cats. They are trapped, vetted and spayed/nuetered and released back to the "wild". There are even grants available to fund this type of program. By feeding these cats she is just adding to a growing problem. Maybe you can do a little online search for a feral cat program in your area that can help her make a real difference for their stray animals. I'm sure she is just upset thinking they will be PTS if the animal control gets involved.

I have to say, I side with you on this one. She is not being responsible in her actions and she needs to be put on the proper path.

I don't think your being unreasonable at all. I love cats too but I don't think I would like to have stray cats running around at my condo...pooping everywhere.. no thanks!

Thanks everyone for your responses. The management company did send someone from wildlife to talk to them about the catch, neuter/spay, and release program. She "said" she knew about it...but its obvious she didnt do it since the cats were reproducing.

Yesterday she starting catching them and i think she took them all down to wildlife to be neutered/spayed and hopefully THEY will release them somewhere else so she doesnt continue to feed them. Happily i havent seen or heard another feral cat since the incident. BUT, hubby and I are now a little worried about our lanai/condo when we're not here. Not so much the condo cause that is securely locked up, but we're afraid they might break the lanai . I have my other neighbors keeping an extra eye out for us. If something does happen i'm pretty sure i know who did it. :rolleyes:

No I think your right.
I think this woman is trying to do the right thing, but she is creating more problems in the process/
You weren't rude :confused: so let it be..
You did the right thing :D

You were in the right......... I think it was more of an uneducated issue than an "evil" one. Maybe you can find out more about organization that she works with and give her some neighborly ideas........ she may just need someone else who cares about animals to give her some guidance!....... and of course you should introduce her to your Yorkie! ;)