Cat and Mouse

[XLFD]

Last summer, it took a while, but the Ludington City Council finally passed an ordinance to address a 'cat problem' we had in Ludington.  I had done my research and found no formal complaints placed with the City (via a FOIA), two cat problems that had nothing to do with stray cats in the prior two years, and the people that came to speak at the City Council about a problem in the downtown area got plenty of time to make their case using anecdotal evidence only, no physical evidence.  Here Jon Cade drones on for seven minutes and 24 seconds at the 11:28 mark, until 18:52 back on July 25, 2012.

John Henderson who helped spearhead that anecdotal cat problem, did not interrupt Jon once during that monotonous presentation, but diligently maintains the 5 minute limit for someone who does not pat his back, and tells him what the problems really are in Ludington.  Here he speaks from the 4:52 mark to about the 10:00 mark with an interruption.  "I try to follow the five minute rule.", was what John Henderson told this person when he reminded the mayor of Jon Cade's uninterrupted 7 min. 24 sec.

Ironically, John helped usher in the Downtown Ludington dog bowl initiative that left bowls of water out throughout the downtown area all year, where the 'problem' was noted.  Night prowling cats therefore had one necessity covered for themselves to grow in population.  Here is more on that.

The final ordinance that was crafted looked like this:

(e)  Feeding of cats. No person shall intentionally feed, make available, nor assist another person to make available, food or water for any cat (whether domesticated or wild) on public property or private premises other than the residence of that person. This prohibition excludes the following:

(1)  Food placed for purposes of live trapping.

(2)  The short-term feeding of cats owned by another on private residential property wherein specific permission was given to them by the owner of said property.

Ludington City Code: Cat Ordinance

I have a guilty admission.  I recently grabbed a slice of bologna, went outside my house with a cat I have been kitten-sittin' for another young lady.  I ripped it into strips and fed it to little Oreo Cookie.

That's the kitten's name.  You can tell how recent it is in that my street and sidewalk are freshly minted, from the City's work on this year's constructions on Dowland Street.  Here are the particular elements this picture and my words illustrate:

1)  I have intentionally made available food for a domesticated cat (I do that all the time inside).

2)  I am outside my residence on private property (though the City claims to own the property rights to the property's right-of-way for everyone, at least those that display my election signs).

3)  I am not live-trapping (that would be mean), nor did I get permission from the owner of said property (that would just be ridiculous, to feed a kitten I'm sitting).

Thus I have violated the City of Ludington's cat-feeding law, and am guilty of a municipal civil infraction.  As a law-abiding citizen, I have notified the Ludington Chief of Police Mark Barnett that I am a lawbreaker and deserve to have the book thrown at me.  Or pay the requisite fine.  I'll keep you posted on how this develops, if I am not incarcerated for this gross misconduct against our City's laws.  Chief Barnett, as everyone knows, is a stickler for the rules.

[Willy]

Watch out. For you, the City may turn this into a capital offense and make your permanent home the City jail. I can see them making you sit  behind bars until you qualify for Medicare. It is ridiculous that such a law was passed without any complaints about a cat problem.

[XLFD]

Willy, if the City of Ludington decides to throw me into jail for violating a municipal civil infraction, then they will have made history once again.  As noted in this link  MML: MCIs  these are truly 'civil' infractions in that only money damages will result in their violation. 

They are just like traffic civil infractions, they can be denied and fought in court, and that's my goal, to get a citation for this and try the constitutionality of this ordinance in court before honorable Judge Wadel, or whoever else wants to sift through the litter. 

BTW, I believe the City of Ludington, in creating a new form of trespassing (a misdemeanor) with the passage of the Workplace Safety Policy, went beyond its powers as an incorporated city.

[snide]

GM Chrysler ! If you want to end any kind of cat "problem" simply take them to China Buffet and get two free meals.............

[AQUAMAN]

I love your special comedic take on this thread, funny....lol, snide. Thanks.

[AQUAMAN]

And again, we should thank our lovely/honorable Mayor for distracting and interrupting Mr. Rotta at exactly the 4 minute mark, on his speech about corruption and ill-gotten gains in ordinances recently passed and so forth. A great input for future respective on what local government should address and be concerned about, as well as what is suspect! Is this the Kind of Democracy we want in the City of Ludington? I ask all Ludingtonians, are we now just sheeple, ready for slaughter? And to be taken lightly, esp. if some people hoard the positions they were elected to serve the people and the city? This tape bespeaks of HUSH! Shut up people! We DON'T want to hear anything you have to say, get it? We can take care of business without your input, so just STFU! We know better, and you'll just have to take it, we are the "brown shirts of Hitler Today"!

[Dave]

Meow that was funny!

[CLFD]

That looks exactly like the cat that ran out in front of me a couple weeks ago while I was traveling east on Dowland Street after coming away from the Car ferry parking lot. It ran out in front of me from the South side of Dowland and ran up into a yard on the corner at the far east side of the same block as McDonald's bakery. Lucky thing I was going slow enough that it was an easy miss but I still had to hit my brakes.

[XLFD]

If there was a little girl around, it likely was that kitty.  If it was, sorry for the inconvenience.

[CLFD]

XLFD

It was no inconvenience at all. I did not see a little girl anywhere because I was driving east and primarily looking out front. I mentioned it here to let you know I saw it crossing the road in front of me so you would be aware. Some drivers might not be as cautious when driving as I am.

[Lauren]

If there are stray cat problems they would need to remove them from the city.  It wont matter if people feed them or not. Cats will find food on there own. The ordinance is stupid.

[XLFD]

True, and the mosy ironic thing is, the City of Ludington's Downtown Development Authority may have been the most responsible party to the reported overabundance of cats in that area last year as explained here: downtown-delinquents-that-cater-to-cats