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Widow in battle to keep her 27 pet cats
Monday 8th November 2010, 11:30AM GMT.
They have been her life since her husband died. But the 27 cats owned by Jane Bood have prompted a campaign by residents fed up with their mess.
The 63-year-old widow dotes on her pets, especially since the death of her husband David five years ago.
She knows them all by name from the eldest, a 13-year-old tomcat called Felix, down to the youngest, one-year-old tortoiseshell Fluff.
But her neighbours in Lower Prestwood Road, Wood End, do not share her obsession with the cat world and have set up a 50-name petition complaining that the animals leave unwelcome ‘calling cards’ in their back gardens and on the public footpath.
They are concerned about a health risk and are calling on the council to impose a limit on the number of pets their neighbour is allowed to keep
Petition organiser Shiv Parmar, who lives next door, said: “The cats defecate over our properties, we are fed up with it.”
Mrs Bood, who spends £30 a week on food for them, had just five cats when her husband died.
The school cleaner says they are company for her and she could not bear to part with them.
The 12 tomcats and 15 females include Tigger, Midnight, Brutus, Sooty, Ryan, Whiskers, Cindy, Cadbury, Garfield, Ginger, Morgan and Marmalade.
She has had to compile a list detailing their names, birth dates and characteristics for Wolverhampton Council who have demanded proof that she is not running a cat’s home.
Enforcement officers from Wolverhampton CIty Council have also described her back garden as an “unacceptable” health risk and have put down an order demanding she clean it up.
But Mrs Bood said today: “I would be devastated of I had to get rid of any of the cats. They are my family.
“I look after them well, there are plenty of cat litter trays around.
“The petition isn’t fair — some of the people on it live in Banbury and Stafford. Only about a third of those who signed are affected.”
The grandmother of one, who works at Wolverhampton Girls High School, has offered to patrol the street and clean up any mess left in her neighbours’ gardens. The petition states:
“We the local residents petition the council to effectively limit the number of cats owned by our neighbour in Lower Prestwood Road.”
It claims Mrs Bood owns “in excess of 30″ cats.
The document says: “We the undersigned are increasingly concerned about the heightened level of cat faeces in residential gardens, walkways and public footpaths.”
It continues: “We urgently call on the council to act as our families’ health in the area is potentially at risk from a neighbour that fails to listen to reason,” the petition concludes.
Before the petition was handed in by residents, Wolverhampton City Council had received a number of complaints about the state of Mrs Bood’s the rear garden and “nuisance” arising from the cats kept at her home. Council officers are due to revisit the house next month to check if the garden has been tidied up.
Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 the council is entitled to serve a legal notice.
It can serve it if it appears that an area is affected by the condition of land.
The notice requires the steps to be taken to remedy the condition of the land within a specified time period.
Mrs Bood has also been advised that under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 proceedings could be brought when a statutory nuisance is being caused by “an animal kept in such a place or manner as to be prejudicial to health”.
Mrs Bood, whose three-bedroom semi detached home is decorated with embroideries of cats, said she has had 21 of her cats neutered or spayed but that it was an “expensive business”.
She said she had stopped until she finds out what the council decides what its next step will be following its inquiry.
“The PDSA has been out to inspect the cats.
“They said that they were all well looked after,” she added.
“I have three cat litter trays and they are all kept very clean.”
She added: “I am terrified of what will happen.
“They are like humans to me.
“I have watched them give birth and they behave very much like a human does.
“I am frightened they are going to come and take them away from me.”
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If true,i find it distrurbing that names far from the area are being used on the petition.It makes it seem like the claims are being trumped up to bully a lonely old lady.If she has offered to patrol the area and clean up any mess,what`s the problem?.If her garden is a mess why not do the neighbourly thing and offer to help her tidy it up instead of persecuting her?
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I think the same as you, Bill. It sounds like the protestors have dragged in all their friends and family to bolster their numbers.
She sounds like a very nice lady who would be amenable to not adding to the numbers as they die off.
I hope she can get this resolved amicably, the neighbours don’t sound very nice, waiting for her husband to die before starting this worthless petition.
It would be nice to think the council and maybe someone from Help The Aged and her neighbours can help her maintain her garden.
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i agree Bill , if thats whats making her happy and they are looked after leave her be !!
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What is it with older ladies and cats?
However, as long as all the cats are neutered or spayed and she agrees to have no more, then live and let live if they give her comfort.
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Live and let live. I doubt she owns a dog that barks all day, fixes and “revs” cars outside next door, does noisy DIY projects on Sunday afternoon, comes in late drunk making a noise and slamming doors, has noisy arguments, or dumps rubbish – how many people would have to be crossed off that petition if their selfish acts were taken into consideration?
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I have 6 cats of my own and have also had problems with a neighbour who has installed 1″ spikes on his back fence to prevent my cats from walking along it. They have a small dog that constantly barks day & night but I have never had a problem with them over it. Some people just don’t like or understand cats. Surely this lady should be offered help to tidy up her property and possibly add fencing to prevent the cats from leaving her garden then the will not cause any further problems for the other residents. I also do not believe the cats mess on the pavement as this is not in there nature. She clearly loves her cats and cares for them very well and they make her happy.
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27 cats in one house? Come on folks that is hardly a reasonable or proportionate number to own. It sounds to me like Mrs Bood has got her priorities a bit mixed up. It also sounds to me like the neighbours could do with befriending her. Then perhaps she would not need to keep so many substitute friends.
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I say these neighbours deserve to have the cats removed, and then hopefully they will get infested with rats and mice, see how they like that!
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Leave this poor woman alone?! She has offered to make amends! I think anyonw who looks at the petition would ignore any names from out of area anyway if they have any sense. I feel ever so sorry for Jane as her neighbours seem totally insensitive and seem to be acting like bullies. Surely if the cats are all healthy and things get cleaned up then there is no problem? I live in the country and a lot of my neighbours have cats and every now and then we have to clean up the mess but its a minor problem!? Whatever is next? People petioning for birds to be shot down so they don’t leave droppings on the garden furniture and cars in the area?
I think these ‘neighbours’ should be ashamed of themselves for worrying this lady and wasting valuable resources of the council. Maybe they should use their time in something that actually needs to have petitions like the raise in uni fees, lack of money in childrens wards and for medical research etc. and start focusing on the important things in life!!!!
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Reading the above comments, it gladdens me that the vast majority of E&S readers are blessed with both hearts and common sense. Good on you all.
We should never forget that cats have lived around humans for tens of thousands of years, protecting grain stores in times of famine and supposedly saving humanity from the bubonic plague on more than one occasion. This in addition to providing company to the lonely and vulnerable.
We owe cats a great deal of respect. In any case, they are notoriously clean and intelligent animals who both bury their faeces and wash constantly.
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How on earth do these people know if it is her cats pooping in their garden? Are they leaving calling cards along with their number two’s? Leave the poor woman alone, if they make her happy and are looked after and cared for why should you care.
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If this lady needs a petition signed to keep her cats then I would be the first to sign it. Why does anyone feel that they have the right to interfere in someone elses life? I have just had to have my dog put to sleep and find my cat a great comfort. Perhaps if these so called ‘do gooders’ did as much for animals as this lady has then there wouldn’t be the cruelty that is in this world
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I find it very unlikely that the cats are pooping on the pavements. Anyone who has ever had a cat, or even knows anything about cats knows they never do this. They always bury it somewhere. Sounds to me like the neighbours just have a grump on them and are trying any means possible to break and old womans heart.
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leave the woman alone like she said this is her family live and let live how would you like it if someone came and took away one of yur family members leave her in peace at least shes taking care of these animals and stopping rats from invading your home…….. she feeds them looks after them what next what more do you selfish no compassionate folk want learn to love animals instead of trying to cause someones death!!!!!! LIVE AND LET LIVE this poor woman lost her husband remmber KARMA
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MISS LADY YOUR CATS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND SO ARE YOU FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF THEM GOD BLESS YOU!!!
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No 8 so you think its a bad thing to have field mice robins and tits in your garden, good i think I’ll get 30 or 40 cats they will kill them for me, plus I will get 10 kgs of poo a day to put on my flowers beds ,thanks for your help.
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Its all very well to castigate the neighbours. there are children playing in gardens that have been fouled by these creatures, god knows what diseases they could pick up. 27 cats isn’t just stupid, it’s downright irresponsible. The state of the garden could probably be avoided if she didn’t have all those animals to care for.
You can bleat all you want about fairs fair and poor lady, the neighbours are beasts…. you dont have to put up with it !!!!
If you are so public spirited, go round yourself and clean up the garden. when you come home stinking of faeces you can be proud of being part of camerons big society
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The only thing children or anyone is likely to pick up from cats faeces is toxoplasmosis. This is most dangerous to pregnant women but is rarely seen now due to the fact that most people are exposed to toxoplasmosis through the earth in their childhood.
I am sure I was exposed when playing’ mud pies’ when I was a child.
Seeing as it sounds like you are a neighbour, Paul I wonder if you have spent any time with this lady or even spent any time with her.
This type of spat is so reflective of the lack of community spirit nowadays and people not even knowing their neighbours.
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i think the people who signed the petition just dont have a life,how do they know who,s messing in their garden unless sitting and watching all day,leave the lady alone thank god to someone like her we not over run with stray cats!!!! x
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with 27 cats next door its not bloomin rocket science is it
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Leave the lady alone,those “people”who put the petition together,should maybe look at themselves! Nobody’s perfect-perhaps they think they are!!
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In my opinion, it’s the neighbours who are the bad people here, I mean I could understand if the cats we’re not being properly looked after, but from what the article says they are in perfect health. Sure 27 seems a little excessive, but they are well looked after, the council should focus it’s attention on people who are mistreating animals instead of causing a nuicence for a woman who is doing her best to care for them. If the neighbours want to help, they should look into supporting her to tidy the garden and get the remaining cats neutered, it is expensive. If only more people were as caring as the lady.
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It really is lovely to see so many of the comments left back this kind lady. I am a ‘cat’ lady myself, have 4 of them right now, I had 6 at one time, all of them taken in, all moggies. They are very loving and unlike dogs do not keep the neighbours awake at night,do not need as much looking after, very independent and definitely do not ‘mess’ on paths or pavements. If Mrs Bood’s neighbours are finding ‘animal mess’ on their paths then something else is leaving it there definitely not her gorgeous cats. Leave this lady alone and if there is a petition to back her then I’ll be next on the list after Terry.
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The state that country is in and all everyone is concerned with is an old lady with cats !!
May I suggest you have more important things to worry about.
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I totally agree with the majority, leave the poor woman alone, you can see her pets are all looked after. I have 11 cats, a dog & 2 guinea pigs. I too have just lost my husband 3 months ago & find my animals a much greater comfort than any human being has been to me. I walk my dog around Fallings Park and have lost count how many people allow their dogs to foul the pavement & just walk away, I’m sick of outside my house all the time. I am responsible & pick up after my dog, so why can’t everyone else be made to do so too.
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so the council dont have a problem with all these immagrants having god knows how many children and not paying a cent for them but a poor lady who looks after her lovely cats has all this bloody rubbish thrown at her. what a joke!! there are some very sad people in this world!! i wish I had a big enough house to have 30 cats :) respect to her thats shes offerd to clean any mess up
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I agree with the earlier post that cats do not do thier business on pavements. As soon as I read the claim by the neighbour that the cats were doing this, I knew that the claims were floored.
I really hope that the signatures contained addresses to validate the petition. Otherwise they might have well been pulled from a phonebook.
I urge the neighbour to re-think their actions in light of the recent events in Coventry where the UK public showed their love of cats and animals in general by voiceing their opinions of those who try to harm or disrupt them. I am sure from reading this that more than 50 good people would be willing to help Mrs Bood tidy her garden. I am one of those good people and will be contacting her to offer my help.
Whos with me?
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If these neighbours are so concerned about health risks, then they’d better keep the cats! I’d give them six months after killing those cats, before they’re complaining about rat infestations. The fact of the matter is that, despite some neurotic fools thinking that they can have a hygenic environment outside of their freshly bleached homes, the world is full of dirty, but ecologically sound, creatures that do all sorts of do-do droppings all over the place.
Rather than nimbying on about the lady with the cats, they ought to be welcoming her initiative, and offering to place cat litter trays in their back gardens, to help her with her costs, and for the convenience of the cats, who probably each do more for the local environment than they ever did!
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16) field mice, in Wolverhampton? as for the birds, I suppose you put nuts out for them in cages to stop the squirrels getting them, do squirrels not deserve a break?, see, where do you draw the line?
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I have been a cat owner for many years and cats do not deficate on public footpaths, its dogs that do that. Cats will deficate on soil so they can cover their mess up. I hope she gets the support she needs.
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Well said Sam :o)
Leave the poor woman alone, she’s lonely and now, maybe, feels vulnerable. Her cats look well fed and watered and look in good health. If she wasn’t looking after them, then I could understand why some people would feel the need to complain. Unfortunately cats will roam, but will not do their business on the pavement, this is probably down to irresponsible dog owners not cleaning up after their dog(s)!!!
I hope this has a purrrfect ending and Mrs Bood keeps her gorgeous cats.
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If my neighbour had 27 cats all allowed to be outdoor cats and they pooed and sprayed in my garden I too wouldn’t be very happy, She can’t possibly go round cleaning up after them all in neighbours gardens!
Unless she is extremely well off she can’t possibly care for them all properly. She said she has 3 litter trays?!!! She needs much more than that for so many cats.
No I’m sorry, in my mind there are two lots of people…cat lovers and cat collectors where an obsession takes over, this is being obsessive. Cats are expensive, depending on where you live vaccinations are £30 per cat, if they are unwell and need an anti biotic injection and tablets it can be £50,flea and worming treatments don’t come cheap either, I pay £10 every 3 weekly for cats toothpaste…yes they need their teeth looking after. I spend £55 per month on cat food.
I have six cats which are all indoor cats, for one reason to keep them safe and free from the risk of accidents. Another reason so they don’t dig my neighbours gardens up…I love them but I don’t expect everyone else to put up with them in their gardens.Maybe this lady should have a rethink and let some of her cats be rehomed where they would still be loved but have more opportunity to get one to one time.
Yes this lady I am sure loves them all in her own way but she is clearly devastated at losing her husband and has found comfort in her cats, maybe she should get help in rehoming at least half of them, have councilling to help her to get over the death of her husband and maybe join a group, an interest in a hobby such as art, cake decorating, dancing you name it there will be something out there.
Just my oppinion…we all have different views.
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Well done Sharon, at last a sensible answer from someone owned by cats! 27 is too many for a happy home and the urge will always be there to adopt more. I know; I’d be just like her if I had room to take them in. >^..^<
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CATS DO NOT POO ON PAVEMENTS! They are very clean-possibly a local dog thats making a mess, unless all the cats actually leave a special literal calling card with a paw siganture at the bottom how on earth can you say its the cats!!!! And as for Paul Colemans comments- if you are worried about small children going into back gardens and ‘catching all sorts of diseases’ off the apparent ‘cat poo’- surely small children with a tendancy to eat things or put things in their mouths shouldnt be in back gardens unsupervised- there are many dangerous plants, insects and dont forget the bird poo……
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Too many cats or, if fewer, mice infestations, who cares. What these awful neighbours have done is to put fear into this poor lady.
Cats won’t poo on pavements, her garden might be an awful mess, but who cares, all that is needed is a way of keeping the cats out of everyone else’s garden.
Why can’t they come up with a compromise instaed of raising petitions and bringing in the council.
These people on the petition then, do they not have any anti-social habits themselves?
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