Meow thats not funny meow, are you calling me a small furry animal meow??

[Peaches O Malley]

JEANNETTE, Pa. -- Meow. A Pennsylvania judge is being asked to decide whether that word is a harmless taunt or grounds for misdemeanor harassment.
Police have charged a 14-year-old boy with that crime. Michael Loughner is accused of meowing whenever he sees his 78-year-old neighbor, Alexandria Carasia.

The boy's family got rid of their cat after Carasia complained that it was using her flower garden as a litter box. Now, she said, the boy makes meowing sounds every time he sees her.


He said he's only meowed at her twice.
"I've had to put up with this for three years," Carasia said. "As I walk by, I see Michael and his mother. He got on the porch and hid behind the bamboo screen and starts meowing. If I don't make this stop now, they're going to keep doing this to me. I shouldn't have to worry about walking out of the house and being harassed by this young kid."
Loughner said that on July 23 he went out to hold his dog so it wouldn't leave the yard as Carasia walked by.
"She was walking through and she kept looking at us," he testified. "I grabbed the dog so it wouldn't leave the yard. When I put my head down, I meowed."
He said that was one of the two times he's ever meowed at the woman, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported.
"As she walked in front of the house, nothing was said," the boy's mother, Sally Loughner, told the court. "He stepped off the porch to make sure the dog didn't get out. As he reached down and got the dog, he said, 'Meow.' ... She said, 'Do you want me to call the cops again?' I said, 'Go ahead, he hasn't done anything wrong.'"
There is a history of disputes between the neighbors, according to the paper.
Sally Loughner told the court that she ended up sending her cat to live with family members so that she could "keep peace in the neighborhood."
Defense attorney David Martin Jr. asked that the case be dropped.
"This should never have been filed," Martin said. "This is not something that police should be wasting their time with or wasting the court's time."
The judge heard from both parties Tuesday. He decided to wait 90 days before ruling, saying he'll decide what to do after seeing how the boy and his neighbor get along in the meantime.

"Supertroopers" anyone??*rotfl* *rotfl* *rotfl*

[Magdalene]

Oh good Lord.....while this is silly, note to the mom and her son: Had you kept your cat INDOORS in the first place, she wouldn't have had to complain about it using her flowers for its litter box, and maybe this current bit of nonsense wouldn't be happening.

[Lady Laurel]

Sorry I would have meowed at her to. The old bitty making the family get rid or thier cat. Some people just want to make other peoples lives as misrable as possible.

[Lady Litania]

OK, I am probably going to get blasted for this, but I agree with Magdalene on this one. If they had just kept their cat indoors, there would be no reason for the old lady to complain in the first place. I can see her point of view on this, she goes through all the trouble of keeping her garden nice (we can only assume) & the fact that her neighbor's cat has chosen her garden as it's personal outhouse can be maddening. Even if it is only a flower garden & not a vegetable garden. This lady may not want *ahem* "natrual fertalizer" in there in the first place. Now, it could very well be that she is the type who will complain about anything at all, but we don't know that. As far as the kid meowing at her all the time, well, she is what, 78 years old? She can't just ignore it? This whole thing really is not something the police & judge should have to waste their time with. Not when there are folks out there committing real crimes avery second. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Lady Laurel]

I guess we are always delighted to see our neighbors cats when they come over and visit. My cats have never been outside but it does not bother me at all to have neighbors cats to visit, we even have this funny one named killer when my hubby is outside he is always around helping. I just think its kinda strange people complain about cats like that when we have never had a negative thing with other people cats. Now dogs is a different story. Especially dogs that get out and are mean that chase children. I have seen that alot.
I think its just the neighbors attitude if they don't like the neighbor in the first place they will complain about anything. Also some cats will not stay inside they like to prowl.

[Selena]

This is so silly. He's just a kid. It's not like as if he's doing any damage. Old bitty can ignore it.

[WenchLadyKate]

Mothballs. No, not the testes of moths, but those stinky little white spheres that keep moth larvae off your woolens. If she had put mothballs around her garden (the perimeter, not in the garden) it would have kept the cat away.

One of the neiborhood cats was using my side yard, underneath my bedroom window, as it's own personal litter box. 10 minutes of internet research told me that I should scatter mothballs around the area where the cat was "going". As soon as I did that, the cat stayed away. Away from the whole area. Would have solved both household's problems.

People are stupid.

[Apropos]

He's not just a kid. He's 14. Old enough to know better, old enough to respect his elders and old enough to have some common sense, since it seems, his mother has none. IF I heard my children, openly mocking a 78 year old (man or woman), while I was around, they would be pulled by an ear to grovel and apologize. Whether or not it was three years or twice, it's still ONCE too often. Whatever happened with the cat, wrong or right, there should not be any type of attitude by the child. The ADULTS should be the responsible party to handle it. Now since the mother seems to lack that gene, the law is the next best answer.

[Buxom Wench]

Man, I would be in soooooo much trouble!

I meow ALL THE TIME!! Seriously! I have cats that have been hanging around for up to 4 years and I "talk" to them all the time. (not to mention my own fur babies I have had thru the years)

Not a day goes by that I don't meow, mrow or do the trilling mrrrrrowwwwww.
Even in ordinary conversations with people. (ok, so I'm weird, tell me something we didn't know)

[Magdalene]

Apropos has it on the nose--the kid's old enough to know better. Why should the elderly neighbor have to 'put up' with some smart-assed kid's 'meows'? I'm willing to bet if this kid was doing it to somebody here, fur would be flying. (Pun intended.)

The mother's attitude when the neighbor complained kinda shows where the big problem is. Didn't want to take resposibility for her animal, doesn't want to take responsibility for her kid. Like Apropos, had I done that, my parents would have jumped my ass.

I've got two cats and three dogs living in my house right now. The cats stay indoors, and when the dogs go for walks, I carry plastic bags. I don't want it in my yard, I presume my neighbors don't want it in theirs.

While it's still a silly lawsuit, again--had the mother taken some responsibility in the first place, none of it would be happening.

[Peaches O Malley]

Man, I would be in soooooo much trouble!

I meow ALL THE TIME!! Seriously! I have cats that have been hanging around for up to 4 years and I "talk" to them all the time. (not to mention my own fur babies I have had thru the years)

Not a day goes by that I don't meow, mrow or do the trilling mrrrrrowwwwww.
Even in ordinary conversations with people. (ok, so I'm weird, tell me something we didn't know)

Freak:wink:

[Buxom Wench]

Freak:wink:
mmewww, wrong thread! MROW!!

[WenchLadyKate]

Man, I would be in soooooo much trouble!

I meow ALL THE TIME!! Seriously! I have cats that have been hanging around for up to 4 years and I "talk" to them all the time. (not to mention my own fur babies I have had thru the years)

Not a day goes by that I don't meow, mrow or do the trilling mrrrrrowwwwww.
Even in ordinary conversations with people. (ok, so I'm weird, tell me something we didn't know)

It's alright... I meow at everything also. Not just cats... Dogs, gerbils, hamsters, hermit crabs... But don't worry, I don't think it's weird at all! :-)

[Buxom Wench]

It's alright... I meow at everything also. Not just cats... Dogs, gerbils, hamsters, hermit crabs... But don't worry, I don't think it's weird at all! :-)

mmewww, someone who *finally* understands! mrow, mrow, mmmrrrowwww. :meow:

[Selena]

mmewww, someone who *finally* understands! mrow, mrow, mmmrrrowwww. :meow:

I understand, too. I'm constantly talking "cat" to mine! And to others pets, too!

[crimsonpirate78]

grow the fuck already hes 14 your 78 get a life :meow:MEOW

[Gemdrite]

I agree with Apropos and Magdalene. That kid knew better and was being a smartass, and the mother let him. I would have gotten smacked at least once for that.

While the suggestion about mothballs is good, I don't really honestly expect the 78 year old lady to go searching on the internet for a solution to her problem. Most (not all, I understand) people at that age, due to not growing up with internet, do not understand how to use it, and avoid it. Heck, my grandmother is in her early 70's and still can't figure out how to program the VCR, much less do anything on the internet. She has to be shown how to find the things she wants, and can only do that. To us, searching the internet seems the logical and first choice. To them, not so much.

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

I agree with Apropos and Magdalene. That kid knew better and was being a smartass, and the mother let him. I would have gotten smacked at least once for that.
Yeah, he's a smart ass, but not a criminal. Filing criminal charges is stupid.

Anyway, if I were in the situation, I wouldn't meow at her, I'd just take a HUGE dump in her garden. :lol:

[Vixynne Rose]

Yeah, he's a smart ass, but not a criminal. Filing criminal charges is stupid.

Anyway, if I were in the situation, I wouldn't meow at her, I'd just take a HUGE dump in her garden. :lol:

::pours bleach into ears to try to stop braincells from committing that mental image to permanence::

[Jamianne]

Why should the neighbor have to put up with the cat using her garden as its litter box? Or have to look up a way to prevent it? Or spend money ( any money) on preventing it? It's not her cat. Maybe filing a lawsiut is excessive, but seeing how the kid's parents apparently didn't see anything wrong with allowing their cat to use the neighbors' yard as it's dumping ground and with the kid's attitude, she may have felt that it's her only recourse. My in-laws had a neighbor whose cats used their garden and window-wells as a litter box and I can see what the lady's upset about -- it's disgusting. I love cats. I have a cat. And she's always been kept indoors because no one else should have to clean up after her -- she's my pet, not the neighborhood's.

[Lady Litania]

Originally Posted by WenchLadyKate
It's alright... I meow at everything also. Not just cats... Dogs, gerbils, hamsters, hermit crabs... But don't worry, I don't think it's weird at all! :smile:


mmewww, someone who *finally* understands! mrow, mrow, mmmrrrowwww. :meow:

I do it all the time too. I am constantly mewing at the fubabies. I've actually carried on for 5 minutes going back & forth mewing with the female cat. She loves it when I answer her & she continues mewing back until she either grows tired of the game, or, I've said something wrong. (haven't mastered the language just yet.)

[Buxom Wench]

I not only 'talk' to my Duchess, I have conversations with her and 4 other kitties that visit often.

We've had conversations last up to a half hour; some nice, some bitching, and not often but, some growling too.

Its kind of funny to think we each know what the other is saying.
(hmm... maybe I *have* mastered the language and just don't realize it)

[Mighty Rontor]

It would have been a non-issue if the family kept the cat inside.

[Ysobelle]

It seems to me that the bottom line here is the neighbor woman-- depending on whom you believe-- is letting the court be parent and disciplinarian to her kid. And her cat.

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine went to see "The Lion King." The kid behind her chattered through the entire first act, while his mother did nothing-- even when other people asked her to shut him up. During intermission, my friend and her own mother discussed getting an usher to take care of the child. That finally got through to the mother. But when the kid started up again in the second act, and my friend whipped her head around to say, "Shh!", how did the mother handle it? "Be quiet, or that lady will get the usher to make us leave!"

In other words, no "Be quiet because it's the right thing to do." Not even a "Be quiet because I said so." No parental discipline at all. It's the whole, "Hey, if it were up to me, you could do whatever you wanted, darling, but other people are being mean and nasty, so you'd better watch out."

I despise that.

[Pathos]

I come from that generation (last generation I think) where this would all be settled very quickly with a light slap. No permanent damage, no mark, no real pain, mainly just embarrassment.

But it would'a made me sit down and be quiet. Real fast. End of story.

[renren]

Good thing we don't live there, my 5 yr. old meows constantly!*rotfl*

[Rhonda_Melones]

I come from that generation (last generation I think) where this would all be settled very quickly with a light slap. No permanent damage, no mark, no real pain, mainly just embarrassment.

But it would'a made me sit down and be quiet. Real fast. End of story.

LOL Pathos:bow: It wouldn't have even gotten that far with my mother. If we even dared to act up in public all mom had to do was give us that certain look and we sat still and piped down. I don't know many dads who can master it as it's definitely a mom look;) But then again that was when more parents actually disciplined their children and got respect. I have to say it's more and more of a rarity and I find myself actually being surprised when I see or hear a parent pull their kid to one side and actually discipline them. I get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that there are still people out there who would rather be a parent than a "cool friend".

[Apropos]

OK, meowing in general, at play, in fun, or communicating with cats, kittens or other fur bearing creatures is FINE. Meowing AT an elderly lady because you blame her for your lack of pet control and your mother made the choice to remove the pet from your home IS NOT!


Kudos to Pathos.

[Lady Sarah]

y'know, I'm kinda torn about this...

Being that neighbor who's plunked time, blood (yes, blood... thorny bushes? Bougainvillea, roses, etc), sweat (texas summers y'all) and tears (litter boxed, again) into the garden spots around the house, I can sympathize with the elderly neighbor. We've tried white pepper around the roses - the offending cats ROLLED in the shit like it was weed and got sniffle highs off of it. We tried the aforementione thorny bushes, damed if the cats didn't crouch on the driveway and inch their butts up to the edge of the dirt and projectile pee into the garden.

We pleaded with the neighbors, we asked them nicely, we did everything down to and including calling animal services (who said they couldn't do anything as the cats were collared and when they came, there were naturally no cats around)... we were met with the neighbor reminding her dear sweet innocent child in a syrupy voice, "Now honey, you've got to keep a better eye on your kittens, otherwise the neighbor will call the animal control and they'll take away your pets - and kill them."

:stunned: I shit you not folks - she said that to her 8 year old daughter. Wanna know who the REAL culprit was in the Cat-scapades? The mother. We watched her one weekend. SHE was the one opening the door and letting the cats out. Cats. Multiple cats, all crapping and peeing in our window flower beds, killing our impatiens with feline glee.

And here my parents and I are, terrified when the dog got out, so much so that mom has no qualms what-so-ever about getting either dad or I up out of bed at 530 in the morning to go get the dog who happens to be sleeping on the front porch (unbeknownst to us) after he got out of the backyard because the gate wasn't closed completely.

We policed our animals and it was OUR responsibility. Key word was responsibility. The mother should have taken responsibility for the corraling of said cat.

What I'm torn about on this, also, is the kid. Is 14 an age where you're beyond spite and hateful feelings? Hell no. Put yourself, for a moment, in the kid's shoes. His pet, his cat (no idea how much he loved the pet) is now gone because of the Old Biddy next door. If it were me, there'd be a huge grudge there and I'd do what I could to make her life miserable and show my dislike for her. But, me, I'm hindered by the fact that if my parents had ever found out just how lippy I could be, would have yanked me backwards through my butthole so fast I would have seen the past in slow motion.

Most of us come from a different time and parenting style than the kids we're seeing in the news these days. We were taught to respect our elders (for the most part... I know I was taught to respect my betters, not necessarily my elders) and to take responsibility of what was OURS and that if we didn't take care of it, we lost the priveliedge of having that possession. And, as much as we love them and consider them family, pets are a possession. We have the priveledge of keeping them in our home and we owe it to them to take care of them - just as much as we owe our neighbors the same courtesy of keeping them out of the neighboring properties.

Bottom line is, while the kid isn't blameless, neither is the old lady. The mother should have put an end to this like a responsible adult and disciplined the kid upon the first complaint, at the very least the second complaint. The kid and his mother should have taken better responsibility for their pet. The old lady needs to remember what it was like to be a kid and she shouldn't have used the courts to settle this situation.

my $.02

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

I come from that generation (last generation I think) where this would all be settled very quickly with a light slap. No permanent damage, no mark, no real pain, mainly just embarrassment.

But it would'a made me sit down and be quiet. Real fast. End of story.

I agree... that old bitty could use a slap.

[Gellis Indigo]

I come from that generation (last generation I think) where this would all be settled very quickly with a light slap. No permanent damage, no mark, no real pain, mainly just embarrassment.

But it would'a made me sit down and be quiet. Real fast. End of story.

Dear Pathos,
I luv you even more with time.