AR-News: (US TX) Outdoor cats pose indoor-cat problems

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

By DR. MICHAEL FOX
United Feature Syndicate 
Q: In the year 2000, we had some new neighbors move in across the street with 
a male cat that they neutered and declawed. They kept him outside most of the 
time. I had a female cat that was spayed and kept indoors at all times. Our 
city animal control requires cats to be kept inside or on the owner's property. 
In 2001, the male cat started coming around and spraying all around my house, 
including my porches. 
My cat started hissing, growling, throwing up and most of her hair fell out. 
My cat was put on amitriptyline. After several tests it was determined that 
nothing was wrong with her. Her thyroid was tested three times, and all tests 
were normal. 
After asking the owners several times to contain their cat and being told, 
"Hell, no, we won't," animal control was then called out twice, but the 
neighbors chose to ignore the warnings from the officers, too. I tried to run the male 
cat off with water guns and by throwing cans at him. In 2003, my cat had gone 
from 14 pounds to 7.4 pounds.




full story:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/features/2450490 
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