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The town of Dudley, Mass., made it illegal this week to own more than three cats without getting a $50 residential kennel license. One resident of Dudley – Mary Ellen Richards, who works to control the local feral cat population – has been fined $100 a day for keeping 15 cats at her home. What do you think of the town’s fines and new license requirement?
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Results
Total of 2,680 votes
21.2%
Hooray for this town! It’s about time that a local government crack down on people who own too many cats.
569 votes
74.7%
Shame on this town! The fines in Richards’ case are excessive, and the new license requirement is costly and unreasonable.
2,002 votes
4.1%
I’m not sure what to think about this.
109 votes
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License the cats and keep 'em on a leash. Sick to death of them running wild, killing my birds and pooping in my yard. What's good for dogs is good for cats.
yeah, I never understood why there was no law against cats roaming free. I think the license should only be applied to cat owners who let their cats out though, since how is keeping the more than 3 cats in the house going to bother the neighbors.
To me, as long as all the cats are spayed/nuetered and up to date on their vaccines and properly fed then that's fine. It's a bit excessive to me to have any more than three cats. I have a freind who has 8, too me, that's too much! That's 8 times the vet bills and food,litter,etc. Spaying/nuetering really helps in curbing the roaming thing, especially in males. I think this fine is too excessive. It sounds like she is taking proper care of the cats she has. It would be different if she was a hoarder that collected cats and didn't spay/nueter them.
I agree. Obviously. I could care less about cats but, the truth remains that we all are attached to our pets. That being said, fair is fair, what applies to a dog should go for a cat. If you ask me, she should just pay the $50 and keep her house and cats. Maybe she should get a fence so her cats are disturbing the neighborhood.
they taste like chicken good in stir flied
I have to say I find poop in my front yard on a regular basis and it is not from the neighborhood cats...its from leashed dogs that owners walk to my property and can't be bothered to clean up. The problem is not the animals, its the owners.
In this case, since she was fostering feral cats, getting rid of her likely to mean more cats roaming the yards of town, not less. Oh well, be careful what you ask for .....
That is über ridiculous! I can see getting a licence for like more than 5, but this... this is just stupid!
I completely agree with this new law. I wish we had it in our town! I, too, am tired of cats using my yard as a litter box. I have spent well over $2000 in the past 10 years trying everything under the sun to keep them out. My dog recently got ringworm. He is an indoor dog, licensed, trained, all shots always up-to-date. The vet said the most likely culprit was the cats that s*** in my yard. Why is it that cats can roam free, wreak havoc and be nuisances to your neighbors, and nothing will be done about it? Cat pee on my windows, doors, bbq, patio furniture...making my dog ill...stinky holes in my flower beds...dead birds in my yard...bird nests raided and baby birds eaten...I'm tired of it! All cats should be licensed and if neighbors report that they are being a nuisance and destroying property, the owners should pay!
Cats can't kill someone when they attack, dogs can and do.
Amazing--I just looked up that disease that the man's daughter supposedly got from cat feces. It doesn't come from cats. It comes from human poop! Usually poor handwashing during diaper change, after pooping, etc. That is listed as a preventative measure. Here's the definition:
Coxsackieviruses are part of the enterovirus family of viruses (which also includes polioviruses and hepatitis A virus) that live in the human digestive tract. They can spread from person to person, usually on unwashed hands and surfaces contaminated by feces, where they can live for several days.
In cooler climates, outbreaks of
coxsackievirus infections most often occur in the summer and fall, though they cause infections year-round in tropical parts of the world.
I went too several other websites and they all say the same thing. It is a virus that lives in all children. Most never have symptoms if they contact it, and most just have symptoms like a mild flu. Some do have more serious problems though.
Killing your birds? Keep you birds inside like I do.... oh you mean the outside birds. They aren't yours and they are a dime a dozen. The cats need to eat species appropriate food and since people don't feed properly they need to supplement outside!
Have you ever tried to leash a cat, the idea is absolutely stupid. Even keeping a collar on them is difficult as heck! All cats should be indoor animals then the problem with poop and pee in yards (and/or sandboxes) would be eliminated. Every time the back door (or front but not so much) is opened we have one cat (not quite 2) who is Hoodini when it comes to escaping. This is easily taken care of as he never goes beyond the back of our house, sits down and waits to be picked up.
you are a sick individual, very sick, you need psychological help and fast you sick sick person
shellycat, your comment may be accurate but it highlights a different issue. Some people simply aren't cat-people. Some people prefer to enjoy the presence of wild birds in their backyards and feed them to attract them accordingly.
Yet somewhere along the way it has become socially acceptable to allow cats to roam in a neighbor's yard against their wishes. Would you be agreeable if my dog decided to come defecate in your yard and chase and kill squirrels? I fully understand that cats are still more accepted to be permitted to roam, yet anyone who has ever suffered the discomfort of a cat bite will know how painfull that can be. And the added problem is that too many people feed feral cats which then perpetuates a problem.
I do really like cats, but sometimes the arguments people use to defend their ownership of them becomes annoying and inconsiderate of those who may not like them.
I have 8 beautiful cats, all shots, rabies utd, inside, well taken care of and each one loved unconditionally. Another lousy law in Massachusetts, between high cost of living, taxes, etc., how can anyone live there? Plus, so many cats w/o homes and people like this wonderful lady helping to save them, as I do. I am a past foster parent who "cares" for these animals and will continue to do what I can. There are good people out there who will continue to take in more than 3 cats, I for one. Yes, some folks are crazy & cannot take care of the ones they have, but most, like me, just want to give them a good, safe, loving home.
Dudley MA stinks & another reason never to visit MA.
Not from MA, thank God.
I support the city's decision. I just moved into a house next door to a lady who has 12 cats. The cats use my yard as a litter box constantly and make the neighborhood reek. You can literally smell the putrid stench four houses away in each direction. I've tried using: cat-away (motion detection sound device), critter something or other ( powdered anti-animal product), and spraying the cats with my garden house. All to no avail, the cats keep coming back and the owner does nothing to control them. Don't get me wrong I love animals...I just don't like contantly having to clean up after someone elses.
We use a pump up BB gun. They learn to avoid the yard in a hurry
I live 2 doors down from a lovely woman who also rescues cats the last she told me she has 20! and most of them are too feral to live indoors. I maintain a 'bird friendly' yard and I am forced to place those devices that send out an ultrasonic noise to drive them away when they attempt to enter, however, they are CATS and they figure out angles to come in around the monitors. It's an absolute slaughter during baby bird time but of course the cats don't eat them, just play with them until they are dead or until they are so near death they can't be saved and leave them where I inevitably find them. I've spoken with this woman and she's apalled and devastated at the news of any creature being tortured but maintains that HER cats can't, don't, won't do that because she provides them with enough nourishment and toys that they won't be interested. I've owned cats but kept them indoors or in an outside kennel to keep them healthy, safe from traffic and away from the yards of other neighbors. It just seems to be the responsibe thing to do and a fee such as this would discourage people from hoarding cats and/or inflicting a large number of them on the neighborhood.
Why 3? And why just cats? I agree we need to curb collectors but this seems a bit draconian.
The town should NOT be allowed to make the law retroacative. IF an existing use of a building is different than a new law, they grandfather it in. Anyway, having 4 cats is not a problem, let alone just 3. I keep mine indoors.
Yes, these seem to be befriended feral cats, of which this kind lady is helping. The town got feral cats because of the TOWN's citizens who were irresponsible. Some town folks let their UNspayed/UNneutered kitten run or just let it go because they were no longer interested in the cute kitten. It created kitten batches without humane contact. Trap/neuter/release and manage the colonys until they cease is a better option.
I'm glad someone in that town has compassion, but it is too bad she plans on moving.
I totally agree with breezegirl's comment. I own 4 cats, all indoors, all vetted, microchipped, spayed/neutered and even have health insurance for them I pay monthly. I have no kids so these are my kids!!!! I also work with a non-profit cat rescue that rescues cats off the streets from abuse because half the world's population finds it necessary to not spay/ neuter thier cats, are uneducated on owning pets or toss thier pets out like trash. People like myself, like Breezegirl and Mrs. Richards are the best type of people out there for these cats!!! We are helping them. One in a hundred you may find a hoarder or someone who thinks they can afford/ manage many cats but really is a little out of control and really needs help, but for the most part, most of us are wonderful pet owners and take care of our pets. And regarding the little kid that got sick from a ball that touched cat poop.......please, get a life. I see people walking thier dogs all the time that poop here and there (not just in thier yards) and don't clean it up. And duh, cats will try to kill birds. It's part of nature. Get over it. As if birds are going extinct. Crap like that happens in nature all the time. Just so I can complain....I'm tired of all the stupid people who abuse animals, tired of all the messed up childred that act ignorant because thier parents can't raise them right, I'm tired of the low class idiots working at McDonalds, I'm tired of high gas prices, I'm tired of smelling stinking ass cigarette smoke everywhere and seeing cigarettes all over the ground, I'm tired of alot of @!$%# in this world but get a life, things happen everyday. Obviously you don't have a life if you are going to make a big deal about a lady having 15 cats. And by the way, I foster and have more than 4 in my house at one time. It's one more good deed being done in this world. Something we don't have enough of. So for all of you complainers out there, find something else to do with your lives and get off this poor lady's case!!!! And leave the cats alone!! They deserve to live more then the pieces of scum like all you complainers. I'm on your side Mrs. Richards!!! Good luck and please, move somewhere out of that state!! There are many rescues you can help work with other places and alot more friendlier cat communities!!!!
-from a state 100 times better than MASS!!
Seriously, if you think you are helping the world by saving cats, you need to open your eyes. Help people! And who do you think you are to degrade someone based on where they work? Aand what did that have to do with cats? Anyway, having 15 cats in YOUR house is excessive and if you can't keep 15 cats from bothering the neighbors then maybe you shouldn't have them. No one wants to keep finding dead birds in their yard because of cats they never asked for. What if I lived next to you with 8 dogs and let them out whenever and one of them killed a cat of yours? You would expect me to accept responsibility for that and I would.
A lot of people hate animals, specifically cats, out of ignorance. After all, all hatred comes from ignorance. Yet, some of them claim to love dogs, which is impossible. You cannot love one animal and not another. It has been my experience in the rescue business that the ones who claim to love dogs and not cats really do not love their dogs as family either and are willing to place material things above the animals.
Why kiind of selfish,greedy person puts property and material goods above the value of lives? Is this a Christian thing to do? Does the Bible teach that? We have just seen what the excessive greed of some in our society leads to. We have had a major recession due to the lack of moral values and greed of some people. Have we learned nothing? Are we going to continue along the path of greed, corruption, excessive consumption and showing off our riches and trying to kill poor innocent animals and the homeless or sick people in our society so that we can consume more and more and impress others with our wealth? What direction is this country headed in? Everything I hear and see on the news is more and more about greed. We need a return to old-fashioned values of neighbors helping neighbors (and animals)!
Also, the virus mentioned by one person on this site is NOT transmittted by cats ! As I said, people live in ignornace and choose to remain in ignorance. I have found that to be a common lie told by people who hate cats. It is always one disease or another that they claim is transmitted by cats. Rabies is a common refrain among theose people. (Rabies has not been transmitted by a cat to a human since 1960 and there were few cases prior to that even. Most rabies are transmitted by bats but, I don't want to get people started on bats because there is a lot of ignorance about bats also.)
The city of Dudley has exhibited a total lack of knowledge and obviously did not bother to educate themselves on cats, instead giving in to the demands of some ignorant, greedy and obviously well-connected individuals who hate cats! Perhaps some of the city council are among the cat haters as well. Limiting the number of cats that can be owned will do nothing to address the overpopulation problem. Nor will euthaniasia. The only menthod which works over a period of time is spay/neutering (Trap/Neuter/Return), which is exactly what Ms. Richards was doing.
Have we as a society really sank so low that we are going to kill every homeless animal and person so that we don't have to acknowledge problems created by society as a whole? You are either part of the problem or you are part of the solution. If you do nothing, you are part of the problem, also. Stand up against this invasion of freedom and stand up for the rights of animals! God created animals as well as people! People are supposed to be the caretakers of animals, not the killers! Fiinally, that property that the neighbors are complaining about does not truly belong to them. GOD OWNS EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD, INCLUDING THE PROPERTY THAT PEOPLE TAKE SUCH PRIDE IN AND COMMIT SINS OVER!!!!!! ANIMALS HAVE AS MUCH RIGHT TO THE LAND AS PEOPLE DO, YET PEOPLE ARE PUSHING THE WILD ANIMALS OUT OF THEIR HABITATS WITH UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT! THIS PLANET, IT' S GREENSPACE, ENVIRONMENT, ANIMALS, PLANTS, TREES AND HUMANS ARE BEING DESTROYED BY GREED!!!!!!!!
Did no one catch that the Coxsackie virus mentioned in this article is a VIRUS? By definition they are species specific, meaning no cat gave the disease to a child! It is spread from person to person, usually by lack of hand-washing.
Lydia, So many ignorant people in the world and very little time to educate them.....
You are correct, but the story and blame is on one thing and that is the 'nasty little cats'. There is no story if it is just an ugly dirty child spreading disease.
People need to get a real life. This woman is fostering these cats so that they can have homes. It is the people in the town that cause the feral problem. Sapy or neuter your cat! DO NOT let it go outside. This is not the jungles and these are domesticated animals. If you cannot afford to keep an animal then DO NOT get one. People stink!
People are allowed to breed like rabbits like the Duggar family without any government control, but they worry about cats. Homo sapiens does more damage to the environment and spreads more disease than any cat!
I strongly support fining anyone who has more that one child per parent. Two parents? Two children. How about making people get a license that proves that they can support children and/or pets financially, for that matter...?? For all the parents out there that will freak out on these comments, harken back to the many years you tossed @!$%#ty diapers into the garbage can on your street. Cat crap in your yard? Plant some grass. Cats only crap in a medium in which they can dig.
What would we do with all of our hard earned money if the people having numerous children could not count on us for welfare? Welfare children and their parents cause more harm to the country than any animal (wild or companion). But, it is inhumane to require a license to breed humans.
Can't remember which country had the brains to do it, but i always thought they were ahead of their time.
Personally...I hate cats (I have allergies)... That being said....This is ridiculous...the town along with the citizens who voted should be ashamed of themselves for doing this... Do they realize that by banning people who are talking care of their animals, having clean houses and taking the animals to the vets from having more than a certain amount they are just asking for a boatload of trouble??? Do they not realize with limits will come abandonment? And what about when a cat has kittens??? Do they have to immediately run out and get a permit???And that is when there are going to be problems not because of someone who cares for their pets! It used to be the only thing we'd have to @!$%# about in the state was being taxed to death a.k.a... Taxachusetts...now we have to deal with these idiots too! And correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a grandfather clause somewhere that would protect people? That's like arresting someone for a crime that they commited before it became a crime to do it. Ridiculous! And I can quarantee you that if I move I certainly won't be looking to move to a town that puts limits on everything no matter how nice the town. There are enough problems out there in the world without borrowing more. Dudley, Mass??? More like Dopey, Mass!
My thing is you can't put a limit on love but, if it's only $50 to own as many cats as you want, why not pay the fee and keep everyone happy. It's not about how well you SAY you care for your cats because not everyone cares for their pets. That being said, I don't believe that this new law will significantly increase the amount of feral cats in the area because they still have an animal control unit. I'm just saying, if you really love the cats, just get the license and move one because if it's not this, there is always a law to offend someone.
When it's indoor cats and everything is kept clean I don't see the big deal. Until my two eldest died of old age I had 5. All indoor and well cared for. We cleaned the litter boxes (2) every day to keep them from going potty anywhere else. Unlike dogs, who have to go outside, there was no chance my cats were going to bother anyone. On the other hand, my neighbor has two outdoor cats and they bug the hell out of us. They harass our cats at the windows, leave paws prints on our vehicles, and rip up our plants. And that's just 2! There was a lady here in central TX who lost her house last week because she had 60 cats and didn't clean properly. Her neighbors could smell her house from their own house. Authorities found feces under throw rugs in the house. Her house was condemed and is going to be torn down. Do I feel bad for her? Not really. Rescuing is all fine and well, all our animals were rescued from the streets (including our one dog), but no one person can save them all and she should have either stopped or gotten help with them. Our city has a limit of 4 on outdoor animals without a special license. That I can understand. They make exceptions such as if your dog just had a litter, in which case (if I remember right) you have until the puppies are 4 months old to find new homes for them and get to or below the limit. I think they should have left it case-by-case. The woman in this story had the cats in and outside, which I don't agree with. If my neighbor's 2 drive me nuts I can only imagine how her neighbors feel.
I have 4 cats, all live inside & very well taken care of. Two are from the Humane Society that I got after Hurricane Rita & the other two are strays. All have been spayed & neutered & have very good lives considering what they have been thru. I do not plan on getting any more & would not want or think I should have to pay to have these cats living in my home. THEY NEVER GO OUT...
Outdoor cats can be a nuisance so I agree on a limitation in situation where cats are allowed to freely roam a neighborhood. That being said, I have five strictly-indoor and full-vetted house cats. This rule/ordinance is ridiculous if applied across the board!
i live in this crap hole town. i own 7 cats 4 indoors 3 go out. the 3 that go out were abandoned by a neighbor. i plan on getting another, there is no way i will be paying for this license. i own my house. i pay my taxes. (even though the town raises the value of my house everytime they need money and the residents vote down raising taxes) if the town wants the money, why dont they go after the people he who own thousands in property tax, or get rid of the selectman who do not know how to manage the money. as for the woman who complained and started this, do i need to complain so you will have to pay a fee so you will need to get a kennel license for your kids. so next time they are yelling around the neighborhood should i call the police because they are screaming to loud . serious lady get a life,. they are cats. they are going to hunt and kill birds and mice. thats their nature, its what they do. the dog officer here refuses to take in cats. if he does they are euthanized within a couple of days. you can ask any vet in the area. all i can say for this town is bite me , you can fine me all you want you will not see a dime. you should be ashamed of yourselves this woman is taking in strays that were abandoned by people who say they once loved them they are taken care of, up todate on their shots and are fixed . she has done more for them than any of their past owners did . if anyone wants to write or call the board of selectman and tell them what a bunch of idiots they are... i suggest they do . all the info is on www.mass.gov find dudleys name and email them. shame shame on them
What a shame that one of the first american colonies to take up arms against the repressive regime in england has become just like it.Laws to tell people how to live,talk ,own and act. Mass should be ashamed
I live next to a woman that has about 30 cats. none of them are spayed or nutered. They don't have rabies shots and are allowed to reproduce at will. We have no laws against too many cats so the only alternitive we have is to shoot them. Thats legal as without shots cats are considered fereal cats here. I don't like to shoot any animal but they get under our house and yell all nite long, they have torn the nests out of my bird houses, crap in my garden, and tear up my garbage in the garbage bin before it's picked up. I used to have chickens but they have killed them all so I have to agree with the 3 cat law.
Talk to your local humane society or animal control and see if they cannot enforce something on this person. She is totally irresponsible and her cats can be taken away, fixed, and adopted out. Also check with your local feral cat rescue organization. They can also provide reduced or free spay/neuter services. Check with Alley Cat Allies www.alleycatallies.com for feral organizations in your state. Also Humane Society has feral cat org links
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/feral_cats/feral_cat_organizations.html
We have 4 cats, so I dont agree with the 3 cat law, but our cats are fixed, microchipped and up to date on their shots and only go outdoors in a yard that is surrounded by an 8 ft high cat proof fence. Free roaming unfixed cats are a total nuisance to birds, gardens and are victims of disease, poisoning, cruelty, cars and many groups are working to decrease their population.
I feel for you texas-girl. We bought a house where unknowing to us the lady who owned the house opposite had 130+ cats roaming inside while she lived elsewhere. It took 2 years to get the humane society to come in to capture them. The stench was beyond belief. The house ended up being condemned.
People pay license fees for a dog, so why not for a cat? Go to any animal shelter and there are usually at least as many stray cats there as dogs. If people truly love cats, they would have no problems paying fees to support sustaining cats in a shelter.
I fully agree with the law, the Chinese also have the right idea with one child only! anymore than that most be aborted! and of course Hitler was right about Gypsies and Jews, they were troublesome! and Virginia used to sterilize people that were deficiently intelligent and also runaways, they were also considered troublesome! ahhh the good ole days. And what about all those damn people out there that have multiple kids, they walk through my yard, breath more air than they should be allotted and...... wait I am starting to sound rediculous here, well anyway, I still agree with the law, the Government should always step in to make decisions for us, they are after all smarter than us and always have our best interests in mind! Don't they?
Many people have more than 3 cats and keep them indoors. Why should these people be punished? I think there are far more important things to worry about than regulating how many cats someone has. Can't we concentrate on real problems? If everyone was just a little more respectful (i.e. not letting your cats run all around the neighborhood onto someone else's yard) than everything would be fine. Those few people who could care less about everyone else ruin it for the rest of us. My heart goes out to those animals that will suffer because of this new law.