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elau · #1 05-01-2002, 01:16 AM

I did not know that it is against the law to allow your cat to run free in the neighborhood, at least in Maryland.

I was out walking the yard this evening and noticed my neighbor's cat was acting funny. He kept trying to go near a bush that I planted next to my house. I went over and see what interested the cat so much, and to my surprise a nest of baby rabbits was there. The cat was trying to get to them.

I gathered up all eight of them in a box and called Novah's Ark (animal rescue) explaining to them what happened. They told me they will accept the bunnies and nurse them back to health.

When I got there, the guy told me a couple of them was wounded by the cat already and may not survive. They are only couple days old and the eyes are not even opened. The guy told me it is illegal to allow any cat to run free, and proceed to give me literature about it. He told me to call Animal Control on my neighbor's cats. I am at a lost as what to do. Me and my neighbor are friends and do not want to make enemy out of this incident (although he told me all the time how his cats will bring home all sorts of injured little animals). My wife is really upset over this because she wants to see bunnies to running around in our land, but now we moved eight of them out of here.

I really don't know what to do.

DALE DORIA · #2 05-01-2002, 07:06 AM

Perhaps you could visit your neighbor, explain that you had to remove the rabbits, and then hand him the literature.....this would not be confrontitive......you would be letting him know what the proper thing is to do, and that you are aware of what action you can take!

Lebenz · #3 05-01-2002, 10:09 AM

I think Dale has it pretty well stated, but would add that around here, city ordinances permit cats to run free, but not dogs. As a result there are a lot of wild cats in and around every wooded area. Also, bunnies are cool to have around the house. But they do attract predators of every type and they multiply like lightning (both the bunnies and the predators). What you are seeing is completely natural and assuming the bunnies are in an unprotected area, if a cat didn’t get some or all of them, something else will. The other issue is that there was a mama bunny that gave birth to these little ones, and has probably done so many times before.

As an aside, we have cats but keep them inside as we don’t want them to become victims of other predators – especially the worst predator of the ‘burbs -- automobile tires.

MineMapper · #4 05-01-2002, 10:13 AM

Try telling my pair of 18# ferocious felines and their merry band of buddies that.......

It may be against the law, but I think this is an example of how silly laws can be.

Sheesh, next you'll be telling me I shouldn't let the dog chase the postman down the driveway. Thats the best part of his day!

elau · #5 05-01-2002, 10:29 AM

I know........I am a cat lover as well. I also am friend of the cats and baby sit them all the time while my neighbor is out of town. I do not blame the cats at all. It is their nature and they are just doing what's entertaining to them. Just the sight of seeing those helpless baby bunnies just broke my heart. As a matter of fact, the mama bunny was in the yard when we got home last night after dropping the babies off Novah Ark. She was looking for her babies where I dump the nest from which I used to carry the babies. I can tell she was digging around in the old nest this morning. Just imagine what's going through her mind!! Guess this still beats finding a bunch of chewed up dead babies.

ymsin · #6 05-02-2002, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by elau

I really don't know what to do.

Dial 911 and ask for ALF.