'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
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.