Still No Inky

[jefferd18]

As some of you may know my cat Inky disappeared a month ago. There has been no sightings of him in the neighborhood. Just the occasional spotting of another black cat, a more aggressive one who terrorizes other cats. I feel strongly that my next door neighbor is the suspect here. When she complained of my cat getting into a cat fight with another and waking her up, my cat was gone the next day. Weird thing is, he wasn't even the cat involved because he was sound asleep in my house when it happened. My one black and white cat, Figaro will occasionally go out and usually fall asleep on the top of my car. Everyone knows him. Well, three days ago she informed me that Figaro was going to the bathroom in her flowers. I asked her how she knew it was him and she said "who else would it be?" I hate to think what Inky got blamed for.

Here is a rough draft of the poster I made up for him. I know its too late for Inky, but maybe I can rattle her enough to save another cat's life down the line.
Please tell me what you think.

 

[nurseangel]

Hi, I am so sorry to hear about Inky. My neighbor was always a prime suspect when someone's dog disappeared. I am not a dog person, but can't stand to see any animal mistreated.

Your poster is not showing up for me. Please repost and I would be glad to give an opinion.

 

[fionasmom]

I like it, but am sorry that you are faced with this person in the first place.

Is animal dumping illegal as well in your state? Out here it is. If it is illegal I would change the word immoral to illegal or add to it. Someone who is taking cats and hurting or dumping them has no moral compass anyway and may even figure that they are doing the neighborhood a service.

 

[jefferd18]

Hi, I am so sorry to hear about Inky. My neighbor was always a prime suspect when someone's dog disappeared. I am not a dog person, but can't stand to see any animal mistreated.

Your poster is not showing up for me. Please repost and I would be glad to give an opinion.

I just did. I had a heck of time getting it to post. Thank you.

 

[jefferd18]

I like it, but am sorry that you are faced with this person in the first place.

Is animal dumping illegal as well in your state? Out here it is. If it is illegal I would change the word immoral to illegal or add to it. Someone who is taking cats and hurting or dumping them has no moral compass anyway and may even figure that they are doing the neighborhood a service.

She feels as though she is doing herself and her property a service. I wanted to make the word lost bigger and I will tweak a few other things. The word illegal is added but mostly it is connection with trapping- I will do as you suggested and put in a line about how it is also illegal to dump cats. Can you think of anything that might make the poster stand out more- make it pop?

Thank you.

 

[nurseangel]

I like it and agree with fionasmom . If there is anything else you can add that is illegal, I would do so. I would also recommend getting some cheap deer cameras to set up around your house. DH and I did this when Elsie went missing. DH's hunter friend was going to process the info since we didn't know how, but thankfully Elsie showed up on our land across the street three weeks after she had escaped the house.

I think the entire reward sentence could be made bigger. I, too, regret that you have to deal with one of "those" neighbors. We just trapped some stray kittens and a feral cat. We are keeping four kittens (plus the feral was released back to our house today). The traps are small and I was shocked that I was able to trap a total of six or seven kittens on my own. It's very easy and we did it right on our carport. (They rest are going to a no-kill shelter and we told them if there was a problem, we would adopt.)

Also, I would recommend you cover your personal contact information in the image of the poster you put up here. None of our members would harass you, but we get the occasional troll. I hate for you to have to take down the picture and repost, but one of our mods could help you if needed, I'm sure.

 

[fionasmom]

It is quite colorful and eye catching. Even around here, most missing posters are a white paper with a picture and a phone number and you are way beyond that.

 

[bear]

Not sure where you live.
Yet your definitions don't fit my locale's definitions of legal/illegal.

Legally here, you need to contain your animals on your property, unless you are walking them on public property.

 

[jefferd18]

Not sure where you live.
Yet your definitions don't fit my locale's definitions of legal/illegal.

Legally here, you need to contain your animals on your property, unless you are walking them on public property.

Missouri does not have a leash law.

I asked my local animal shelter and the information that is in my poster was given to me by him. It is also illegal to dump cats and can cost 250.00 dollars per cat.

This is Missouri's take on it. 570.033. Any person who, without lawful authority, willfully takes another's animal with the intent to deprive him of his property is guilty of a class D felony.

 

[jefferd18]

It is quite colorful and eye catching. Even around here, most missing posters are a white paper with a picture and a phone number and you are way beyond that.

Thank you very much! Someone was telling me that around where he lives a cat came back home to her owner after missing for more than three weeks. That's so encouraging to hear.

 

[bear]

I am definitely not encouraging your neighbor.
Yet, I know that laws in differing states are complex and change.

In your exmaple:
=-=-= Section 570.033 - [Repealed], Mo. Rev. Stat. § 570.033 | Casetext Search + Citator
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 570.033
Download
PDF
Current with changes from the 2021 Legislative Session through 6/10/2021
Section 570.033 - [Repealed] <======================= emphasis added
§ 570.033, RSMo
Repealed by 2014 Mo. Laws, SB 491,s A, eff. 1/1/2017.L. 1987 H.B. 368 § 1

• Section 570.030 - Stealing - penalties
• Section 570.040 - [Repealed]

 

[IndyJones]

One small change I would make is the photo should be in portrait not landscape. It looks quite distorted and squished.

The text looks a bit small but it may be because I'm on a phone.

 

[IndyJones]

I also don't know the size of your poster but it should be about the size of a for sale or garage sale sign at minimum.

If you have access to a laminator that would protect it from the elements. As soon as paper gets wet it smears and becomes illegible.

 

[bear]

Since the section you referred to was repealed in 2017, this June 2021 link should help.
Section 570.030 - Stealing - penalties, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 570.030 | Casetext Search + Citator

Find this text, yet read the whole thing would be best.
===
6. The offense of stealing is a class E felony if:(1) The property appropriated is an animal; or

 

[jefferd18]

Since the section you referred to was repealed in 2017, this June 2021 link should help.
Section 570.030 - Stealing - penalties, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 570.030 | Casetext Search + Citator

Find this text, yet read the whole thing would be best.
===
6. The offense of stealing is a class E felony if:(1) The property appropriated is an animal; or

Thank you for looking it up.
So its the least severe of the felonies. That explains why it is only a thousand dollars and only one year of prison. I remember a time not too long ago when they didn't do diddly when it came to animals. I'll take what I can get.
There is still no leash law in this state, so therefore she doesn't have a leg to stand on when it comes to my cat wandering around in her yard. As scared as Inky is of people, I would say that amounted to all of ten seconds.

 

[jefferd18]

I also don't know the size of your poster but it should be about the size of a for sale or garage sale sign at minimum.

If you have access to a laminator that would protect it from the elements. As soon as paper gets wet it smears and becomes illegible.

Thank you! Right now its on publisher, which is way more stable than Word. I will be taking it to a print shop tomorrow and will tell them to make it like a laminated garage sale sign. Thank you. I switched his image over to portrait and it does make a difference. The font runs 28-30 with my contact info being 18.

I am also going to take out the dollar amount and just say reward because I am reading on the internet that putting in a specific amount is not a wise thing to do.

 

[bear]

There may not be what you call a leash law, yet the free range law was revoked in 1969.
The safest thing for our domestic pets is to keep them on your property. Actually for cats, it is to keep them inside.
===
Farmers' Liability for Their Animals, G453 | MU Extension (missouri.edu)

Under present Missouri law, there is no longer any open range; you must fence in your domestic animals. If they escape through your negligence, you are liable for the damages they inflict. If the animals of another invade your property, you may drive them off your property and back to theirs, if you do so in a reasonable manner. If they do damage, you may impound, or distrain, them and hold them until the owner pays for the damage.

 

[jefferd18]

There may not be what you call a leash law, yet the free range law was revoked in 1969.
The safest thing for our domestic pets is to keep them on your property. Actually for cats, it is to keep them inside.
===
Farmers' Liability for Their Animals, G453 | MU Extension (missouri.edu)

Under present Missouri law, there is no longer any open range; you must fence in your domestic animals. If they escape through your negligence, you are liable for the damages they inflict. If the animals of another invade your property, you may drive them off your property and back to theirs, if you do so in a reasonable manner. If they do damage, you may impound, or distrain, them and hold them until the owner pays for the damage.

I'm not a farmer and I don't fall under their liability. I would imagine they are refering to livestock that gets lose and causes damage to another person's property. And yes, cattle can cause a lot of damage.

Of course the safest thing for a cat is to keep him or her in. But Inky would periodically win at the game of front door bolter, especially if I had groceries in my hands. Now somebody has told me that a jar of pennies will help in that situation but I didn't know that at the time.

I rescued Inky from a bad situation four years ago. Inky was very wild and aggressive when I got him, so much to the point that my vet did not even want to deal with him. After six weeks of trying they gave him back to me. I place him alone in one of my bathrooms to start the taming process. It took three months before he would stop hissing and lunging at me and another two before I could pet and give him tummy rubs. He became a great companion after that.

I was trying to help a cat that was set on being outdoors. Converting them over takes a lot of time and patience and even then, there are no guarantees. It's their instinct. This is completely different than someone who puts out an indoor only cat to fend for themselves

 

[bear]

The article above from the University covers domestic animals too.

I have rescued from feral colonies, with mixed results. I understand they are individuals.

 

[jefferd18]

The article above from the University covers domestic animals too.

I have rescued from feral colonies, with mixed results. I understand they are individuals.

It does, cattle and dogs.

Thank you for rescuing kitty cats. I personally think cats have a hard time in life, whether they're domesticated or feral.