My cat is an indoor cat. He does not know it, of course, but life is much easier on him (and no vet bills). My other reason for keeping him inside is no dead song birds, he gets to watch them from the porch and I get to watch them as well. I read somewhere, probably here in the Globe, that our domestic cats are a huge factor in the serious decline of our song birds.

I have two cats and I love them so they are not let out to roam around and get into trouble. So it's a good idea but what about the seagulls dumping on my car and stealing the hotdog right out of the bun from my grandaughter and wolfing it down. Some birds could use leashes also.

If Ms. Lodynsky's neighbors did not take responsibility for their cats' destructive behavior towards her birds, then she could go the forum where responsibility is determined: the court. That would be a good use of her energy.

MEOW!

I'm with this woman. Someone's animal does not belong on your property without your consent. Also, any cat adopted from a shelter comes with a contract, signed by you, that it will not be let outdoors. That's because it's known there is nothing but injuries and sickness in the outdoors for a cat. Cats also use vegetable gardens for litter boxes. If you are pregnant, you run the the risk of birth defects from cat scratch fever.

What loser...get a life lady...

Somebody needs to assure that Lynda takes her meds. You can bet that while she wants cats leashed to protect her favorite grackles, she also wants tolerance for free range coyotes, skunks, coons, rats and tarantulas. Does anybody want to know what she demands as rules for giving a cat a bath so it won't dirty up her favorite pigeons and seagulls?

I just spent two weeks walking my car on leash as he recovered from getting his tail caught in a door; hope we never have to do that again. He belongs outdoors and free in our natural landscape yard, where all our cats have lived happy, relatively long lives. It's different if you live in an apartment or on a busy street,then you at least give them a better life than a shelter; but I've never signed an agreement. We have birdfeeders as well as natural brush, and while the cat occasionally kills a bird, he's more interested in bird-watching; it's the hawk that eats one bird a day. Suggestion: if a neighbor cat is a problem in your yard, spray him in the face with a squirt-gun (water only); if that's doesn't work, spray him with the hose. He'll soon probably find another place to hang out.

Whoops, that would be walking my CAT, not my car, on a leash. But you knew that, right?

If there are unwanted cats in your yard, shoot them. They'll stay away after that.

Ah, it looks like Barbara beat me to that strategy. A shot with the garden hose is a great deterrent.

As a cat owner, I'm fine with this regulation. Cats are not natural to the environment and kill for fun. Even a well fed cat will kill every day and spraying with water is a ridiculous non-solution. You can't be out with the hose all day and especially in the early morning hours when cats naturally hunt. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service domestic and feral cats kill HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS birds in America every year. http://www.fws.gov/birds/mortality-fact-sheet.pdf Housecats should be kept in the house. They live longer lives, and don't need as many trips to the vet for infections, worms and the like. If you are too lazy to clean the kittybox then don't own a cat. Cats actually do OK out on a line if you watch them every few minutes and don't leave them in direct sunlight. This lady should not be insulted or ridiculed. She's trying to do something here using the law and common sense. It's a problem.

I don't own any cats (allergies) but I know someone who lost one cat to a fisher-cat (nasty animal), and I am surprised that some of the other cats in the neighborhood have not been eaten by foxes or coyotes. One neighbor had fleas, courtesy of a cat who is allowed to roam. So there are lots of reasons to keep a cat as a house-cat, for the cat's own safety (not to mention that getting rid of fleas is a pain!). I also think that it is not unreasonable for someone who does not like having a neighbor's pets in their yard to ask the neighbor to prevent the pets from coming into her yard. I don't care if my neighbors' cats roam my (unfenced) yard, but if I did care I would hope that my neighbors would respect that. I think it is sad when we have to resort to legislation to resolve issues that should be determined through common courtesy and mutual respect

Barbara as a cat owner I respectively reject your claim that you have any clue as to how many birds your cat(s) kill. They don't always bring them home. If the hawk is killing birds, he/she is doing it to survive. Your cats kill for fun; and (again I'm assuming) you're a good mommy to them - they're well fed with kitty food. Since you have bird-feeders I'm assuming you like and enjoy birds (which are wild animals, many under Federal protection). Read this please: http://www.fws.gov/birds/mortality-fact-sheet.pdf You might be surprised to know how many birds are killed by cats, among a myriad of other ways they're killed. The cats you have that have lived their lives outdoors would be miserable if you kept them in. I'm not suggesting that you do so. Consider though, for your next kitten, keeping it in the house. When cats live their whole lives indoors they won't drive you crazy trying to get out. They will be healthier. Engage them in play and don't feed them too much. Cats do need stimulation. Don't take my word for it. Ask a vet. Ask any vet about outdoor cats. You'll hear the same story.

Nothing better to do with her time?

No, JL, you can't shoot the cat with a gun. Glad I convinced you to switch your plan to my suggested garden hose. This is such an interesting discussion. I really didn't know one could get fleas if a neighbor's cat entered your yard.I think you have to sleep with it to get fleas, or at least invite it in the house. Giermond writes that "Cats are not natural to the environment and kill for fun". I'm not sure the word "fun" applies here; fun is playing with a catnip mouse. Chasing birds is part of a cat's nature, to keep in shape in case no one feeds him, though some cats have lost interest in this. Some humans still kill for fun, though. Love the point about feeding birds not being natural. And let's talk about who and what is native. Both us and the cats would be back in Africa; nothing in North America but buffalo. LOTS of buffalo.

I have two beautiful cats who never go outside. I signed a contract when I got them promising I would keep them indoors. They are very happy and fit. This comes from Angell Memorial, an organization I think most of us agree are experts in keeping pets healthy. http://www.mspca.org/programs/cat-campaign/feral-cats.html "Why are free-roaming cats a problem? Why should I keep my cat indoors? Risks to outdoor cats include traffic, predation from larger animals, and altercations with other cats and wildlife which can cause serious injury, disease, or parasitic infection...In addition, cats that are permitted to roam outdoors unsupervised can have a negative effect on local wildlife populations; as natural predators, even the common housecat can do an incredibly effective job killing local bird, rodent, and reptiles. This can cause serious environmental problems, especially if there are endangered species present... While some people believe that their cats 'like' to go outside, it's important that we, as human beings, not transfer our emotions and desires to our pets, and recognize that there are ample opportunities for stimulation and enrichment...safely indoors. These also help to foster the human-animal bond you share with your cat. Even if you have a cat that is already accustomed to going outside, it's possible to make the transition to life indoors with just a little patience and your feline friend will thank you with many more years of health and happiness."

What would Thoreau think? That Concordians are just as idiotic as they were when he was alive.

No cats on leashes, but cats shouldn't be roaming free either. The same for dogs. It's safer for wildlife, safer for people, and safer for the pets. On average, indoor cats live many years longer than those that are allowed to roam. Indoors there are no vehicles to run them down, no dogs or coyotes to attack them, no disease-carrying animals (especially other cats) to infect them. If you really love your pet, keep it safely indoors -- unless your walking your dog.

If fencing is topped with a barrier coming out at a 45 degree angle toward the outside, cats will not climb over it. This woman should install her own fencing all around rather than expecting everyone else to accommodate her.