Conference misery::feline

    I don't think you said where you live.  Does your town have any animal laws.
    My town doesn't have a leash law but dog owners have to be responsible
    for their pets.  
    
    If the young man leaves and does not provide supervision for his
    animals and the dogs are running lose over other people's yards then 
    in most towns an animal officer can pick them up and inpound them as 
    strays.
    
    I live in Massachusetts, USA.  In this state, towns are being extra
    careful of stray animals as we have an outbreak of Rabies.  Your stray
    dogs could pose a similar health hazard.  
    
    I hope you are able to resolve this without any harm to you or your cats.  
    We lost three of our cats before we realized we had a problem.
                                                   

    
    My personal advice would be to call the local animal officer and/or
    the SPCA.  Don't feel like you're doing a bad thing - the animals
    are obviously not being well cared for (except for your valiant
    efforts :-) and would be far better served by you're getting them 
    help.  I don't know what kind of area you live in but if they're
    running free, it only takes one car and there'll be no more debate. 
    It's horrible that any human being can leave an animal uncared for
    like that - maybe it was unintentional (?) - I feel so bad for the 
    poor peacock!
    
    Adrienne
    

    
    I agree with .2.  If it wasn't for you providing them with food the
    poor things would be starving.  I would call both the dog offiicer and
    the SPCA.  Something should be done to people that treat animals like
    that.....
    
    
    Best of luck!!!!!11
    
    *joyce
    

    I strongly urge you to call the SPCA.  All you need is for someone to
    get hurt on your property, by these dogs, whether they are yours or
    not... you have been caring for them (otherwise they would starve, or
    worse.. start killing the littler animals in the neighborhood, for
    food), so they are going to stick around your house.  They would be
    much better off in the pound where it is warm and they don't have to
    worry about where their next meal is coming from (probably you) or if
    it will be coming at all!  Most areas have laws about abandoning
    animals, so the authorities "should" go after this guy!  You will be
    doing everyone a favor, the dogs, your cats and yourself!

    M-L

    What's gonna happen to the peacock?  Can you keep Bob?
    Karen

    You said you haven't seen the man since friday.  Is his vehicle still
    at the house?  Maybe go and check at the house to see if he's ok (or
    have someone he knows check for you).  There may be something wrong.
    
    Holly
    

    
    No his truck hasn't been around either - that's usually the only way to
    know if he's home unless he is outside.  He doesn't have a phone yet.
    I walked around and around, knocked on the door and peeked in the windows
    before I made my first trek over with the food.  Adam is definately not 
    home.  Something must have happended to this man.  This is just to
    strange.
    
    My husband went home for lunch and still no sign of Adam.  He is
    calling a real estate agent who is a good friend of the man who 
    owns the house, trying to find out if there is anyone we can
    contact.  We have decided if that gets us no where, we will call
    the Humane Society in a town near us in the morning.  The local 
    sheriff gave us a number.  We will also call the owner of the house
    in Costa Rica.
    
    We live in a really rural area and have no city services or local 
    animal laws per se.  At least the only law in regards to animals 
    is a limit on the number of roosters you can have per acre.   
    (thank goodness - another story in that one!!)
    
    My husband did see something lying in the road. He thought is was
    something dead, but it turned out to be a stuffed toy rabbit that
    apparently belongs to the puppy - whew!!
    
    Bob is in good shape.  He has chosen our hill as his territory and 
    seems to have no plans on leaving.  He gets food and water every day, 
    along with the other birds in the area (lots of quail, humming birds etc.)
    He gets along great with our cats.  They sit and sun together.  He is
    really a beautiful animal (bright blue and green).  His favorite foods
    are clover sprouts, pecans and grapes... but that's for the bird note
    I guess.   My husband said he has been sitting on our back step most of
    the day - out of sight of any dogs.  He roosts way up in the trees at
    night so I know he's safe then.  He's our warning bell.  Once screamed
    for an hour.  We checked, but didn't see a thing.  The next morning, we 
    found some evidence some deer had come through the property and eaten 
    all my husband's antique roses.  Never doubt him again!
       
    Well, I will be going home in an hour to check on the menagerie.  
    Thanks all for listening - or should I say reading?!  
    
    Becky
    

    Hi Becky,
    
         I agree with everyone here, the SPCA or Humane Society is probably
    your best route.  Perhaps this person had to leave the area in a hurry
    ...
    
         Anyway, as for your peacock, may I suggest getting some Blue Seal
    Game Bird Pellets for him?  That's what we feed our turkeys and
    pheasants and peacocks, along with what they forage.  Good, balanced
    nutrition.  Our turkeys also eat (white) bread; Bob probably will too.
    They're pretty good at defending themselves unless they are startled,
    which isn't easy to do as you know - they're excellent "watch-birds".
    
         Can you touch Bob?  Pet him?  I ask because the only real time
    they can get in trouble is if it ices - the tail can become covered
    with ice and freeze, and then they can't fly too well, if at all - too
    heavy.  Perhaps if you had a small shed or coop that you could lure him
    into during the icy weather, or some big trees he can hide under during
    this time.
    
         But I'm getting off the track ;^) ...
    
    					- Andrea & her cats, rabbits,
    					  chickens and assorted "game" birds
    
    					- Andrea

    Well, here's the latest.  About 9:00 last night Adam came home.  It was 
    raining so the puppy was sitting under the covered area on our porch.  
    We went and stood outside when we heard Adam whistling for the dogs.
    The pup sure didn't go running home to master... He had to come over 
    and talk to us.
    
    He said he got a construction job in San Francisco (about 100 miles 
    from here) and had been staying up there for the past few days.  He said 
    the son of one of his friends was supposed to be coming over to feed 
    the dogs.  Well, he claims the kid let the dogs out on Friday and then 
    could not get them back in the house.  Well, what could I say.
    Someone is lying, cause there sure wasn't anyone coming over on 
    Saturday, Sunday or Monday to feed the dogs.  I also don't believe that 
    these dogs would not go in the house.  Gee if I open the door they come 
    right in here in a flash!  
    
    We told him we had been feeding the dogs and they were a couple hours 
    short of going to the Humane Society.  He thanked us but that was about 
    it.  He didn't seem to concerned or even offer to pay for the food.  I 
    had to go in the house and slam the door this ticked me off so much.  I 
    just don't buy it.  I wish he had stayed gone just for one more night 
    and then dogs would be gone.  My husband spoke to him some more but I
    don't know what he said.  I did notice they are locked in the house 
    this morning, so maybe he got part of our message.  Something tells 
    me there will be future opportunities and future problems.  It's not 
    a beautiful day in the neighborhood!!!   
    
    
    Becky
    
    P.S. Andrea - yes Bob also eats turkey scratch I get at the feed store.  
    He also loves bread of any kind.  He will take it from my hand, but he 
    won't let me touch him - yet :^).  We do have a couple sheds but I
    don't think he will go in.  If it rains or is cold he sits under our 
    deck.  Since we live in California, we don't really have icy weather so 
    I guess he'll be OK.
    
    
    

    
    Becky, 
      I don't envy your situation but you might want to consider alerting
    the authorities as to what has happened.  Chances are Adam knows you
    were upset about his leaving the dogs out.  He may decide to leave them
    locked in the house while he is away, alot worse as they will have no
    food or water and will know doubt make a mess of the house, making
    matters worse.  As you can see it can become a viscious circle and I'm
    sorry I can't  offer any help.  Difficult as it may be, the SPCA and
    the local shelters are best able to deal with these types of problems.
    
    Best of luck to you and please keep us informed.
    
    MaryAnne
    

Becky,

It also may be true that the kid who was coming over to feed the dogs couldn't
get them back in the house.  Are you sure they weren't fed?  Maybe he came at
an odd time of night and all the food was gone when you went looking.  It would
have been nice if Adam had let you know ahead of time.

When I went to Florida for two weeks, a friend of mine was coming over to feed
my cats.  When I got home, the cats were fine, and alot of food was gone.  My
neighbor came over and told me no one *ever* came over to feed them, that she 
was on her front porch the whole time I was gone. (Doesn't she ever sleep, cook,
bathe, etc?)!!  She told me Buki was looking outside all day long (I think it
was my kitty pillow outline she saw that never moved), and that she felt so
sorry for them that she almost broke into the house to feed them.  I thanked
her for her concern, and next time I went away had her take care of them!

My mom feed the cat from across the street, and when those neighbors went away,
the woman came over and told mom they were leaving for a week and that mom may
have to put out more food than usual.  Mom has been feeding their cat for
about 5 years now, and they have never offered to give her any cat food.  
Unbelievable, the nerve of some people!

I hope the situation that happened there is not as it appears!!

Good luck,
Laura

         Weirdness around Adam.  I don't know if I believe him or not,
    though it could be.  But gosh you'd think he's say something, as you're
    neighbors, at least you'd be keeping an eye on the place while he was
    gone. Sheesh!
    
         I guess my Massachusetts-ism is showing; we had a little ice last
    night, and our peacocks are inside.  I was kind of wondering how a
    "wild" peacock could survive the winter ... guess if it's a California
    winter it's not so bad ;^) !
    
    					- Andrea

    Becky,
    
    Adam's story doesn't sound to true to me either.  Keep an eye on the
    dogs and if you think they are not being fed (for at least two
    consective days) let the SPCA know about it.  It could be that there is
    more business going on in that house than renovations.  
    
    Here in Massachusetts one of our neighbors was distributing drugs to
    drug dealers.  These people often use dogs to keep people away from the
    property while they are away, and they are not dog lovers either.  They
    abandon their dogs at a drop of a hat, they are just "business equipment"
    to them.  
    
    Anyway, thank goodness those dogs have you to look out for them.  I
    hope the problem resolves its self soon, for your sake.  Best of luck.
    

    Well as much as I want to believe someone was coming over, I just 
    can't. Our houses are at the top of a hill and the only way to get to 
    them is up a small road.  The road passes another neighbor's house at 
    the bottom of the hill.  They also have 2 dogs, which go absolutely 
    nuts barking and jumping around when anyone - including their owners, 
    come up the road.  We call them psycho dogs!  They are basically our 
    door bell.  If you hear them bark, someone or something is coming. 
    
    I was only out of the house for about 30 minutes the whole weekend, so 
    unless this kid showed up just then, or snuck in in the middle of the 
    night, without any dogs hearing them, he couldn't have been there.  
    Besides if he was, I would have seen some sign when I was walking 
    around.  Like even a bowl for water!  I am guessing Adam may have left 
    them out with food the first day, assuming they would not eat it all at 
    once.  Ha- fool - they're dogs!  We did call the SPCA but they can't 
    really do anything at this point.  At least if anything else happens 
    they already have heard of this guy.
     
    Oh well, all has been quiet, and Adam has been home.  I haven't seen 
    either dogs, but I heard him talking to them last night and I did see  
    small, puppy size dogs prints on the porch this morning.  We will keep 
    a real close watch on the situation.  My cats are not very happy about 
    not getting to go outside anymore.  I got a second cat box and they 
    give me this look like "what! a box, I haven't done this in years".   
    My two older ones are out of practice.  They are used to really digging 
    in dirt and so now the litter just flies everywhere!  :^)  Wow, Mom
    I didn't mean to fling that hard!
    
    I also think they must be getting bored.  Last night I took the kitten, 
    Sophie, and my youngest boy Stingo in the bedroom with me.  I had been 
    wrapping Christmas packages and felt it was not safe to leave the young 
    kids lose with all that shiny paper.  Well this morning I found my 
    oldest cat sitting in the middle of the packages, chewing a bow.  About
    half of the bows from the packages were all around the room.  WHO ME?!
    She has really been acting like a kitten the past few days.  Or else 
    she has a secret stash of catnip somewhere!
    
    Becky