so my neighbor brian has this whole feral colony behind his barn. like 6 cats. he feeds them but won't let anyone spay them. i see newborn kittens all the time. what's his actual legal standing here? can i just go in and trap them or is that trespassing?
I had a similar issue with cats on the school grounds. Check out this thread can i force my neighbor to spay their cats from earlier this year. It goes into detail about why you generally can't mandate spaying on private property unless there is a specific local ordinance against feral cats, which is rare.
busy here but quick thought. if they are feral they aren't technically 'his' in the legal sense. they are wild animals on his land. see feral cat colony on private property for how to handle that distinction.
The distinction between 'owned' and 'feral' is crucial. If Brian claims ownership, he has rights to protect them from being trapped without consent. If they are truly feral, he is just feeding them. The legal gray area is often where the conflict lies.
yo slane. did you check if your city has a nuisance law? nuisance laws for animal care might apply if the kittens are causing a health hazard. otherwise its a civil dispute.
I think the best move is to contact a local TNR group. They often have legal backing for trapping in certain jurisdictions if the cats are not pets. tncat resources for feral colonies has a list of resources that might help clarify your specific county's stance.
thanks. i'll look into the tnr groups. brian is being really stubborn about it. says they are 'his' cats even though they run wild.
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