Damn Cats

I've written about my problems with irresponsible pet owners a couple of times. Usually it's about a dog owner who thinks it's fine to leave dog poop wherever it may fall. I get mad just thinking about it but have to say my yard has been pile-free since my first entry on the subject. Maybe writing about the problem puts out a vibe. Or maybe it was me standing in the yard with my arms folded across my chest glaring at any and all dog walkers in the vicinity.

Today my beef is with cats. Cats are actually a bigger problem than dogs. A dog will just poop in your yard. Some do that scratching thing after a good poop, which mostly flings grass everywhere (or mulch in some cases) but otherwise does no harm. Cats prefer soft dirt, and in my yard that means planting beds--especially after they've just been seeded. So much for nice, straight rows.

I like to grow a few vegetables. Or I did. Between the damn cats and the deer I have given up. I don't know about you, but a few piles of cat shit in the lettuce bed takes a big bite out of my desire for a fresh green salad. I've tried growing lettuce in pots, but that just makes it easier for the deer to reach.

Today when I got home from work there was a cat frolicking in my yard with what appeared to be a chipmunk. I'm guessing this is the same cat responsible for the pile of mockingbird feathers I found in the yard a few days ago. How cute!

My neighbors that own cats are oblivious to the damage their cats do. I've had outside cats, so I know it's impossible to keep them out of other people's yards. The good news is that outside cats don't live very long. Between cat fights, run ins with cars and other issues, the average outdoor cat lives about five years. I finally got tired of scraping my loved ones off the street and opted to keep my cat inside. Did you know that an inside-only cat can live 20 years or longer? By the time my two reached ten, I was ready to throw them under a bus or something. In the end, I took them to a shelter because I couldn't handle the ongoing damage to my house.

Yeah...it's true. Just another reason I am...

The Crotchety Old Man