'Interested in the chickens': Victoria cat owner fined for trespassing feline
A Victoria cat owner is facing a $150 fine since their curious cat keeps scoping out their neighbour's chicken coop.
Victoria senior animal control officer Ian Fraser says the issue has been ongoing for a few months.
"According to the complainant, there's a cat that's visiting their property on a fairly regular basis that seems to be interested in the chickens they have in their chicken coop," he said.
"Of course, the complainant is concerned for the safety of their chickens and called us as a result."
Fraser says the cat has been reported near the chicken coop three times. After the first time, the cat was picked up by animal control and brought to the pound before it was collected by its owner.
After the third time, the owner received a $150 fine for the trespassing cat.
Fraser says while the situation can appear harmless, Victoria Animal Control gets weekly calls about wayward cats causing a disturbance.
"It's not just necessarily chickens," he said. "Cats come on to other properties and fight with [other] cats, they'll go into somebody's kitchen through a cat door and chow down on somebody else's cat food right out of their bowl."
"So there's lots of issues that trespassing cats do create," he said.
Fraser noted that on Thursday morning he received a call about cats entering someone's yard and attacking birds at their birdfeeder.
The animal control officer says if this cat keeps entering its neighbour's backyard, its owner could face more fines or a cat trap could be placed and the cat would need to be collected from the pound for a fee.
Fines for trespassing cats do not increase with each offence, Fraser says.
He adds that Victoria animal control only seeks out cats if there is a complaint.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.