ArcaMax

Dear Cathy,

What do you do when you have a neighbor who allows their dog to pee in the same spot on the street in front of your house all the time? Couldn't they change the location sometimes?

The dog's urine has a terrible odor, and because it's going in the same spot repeatedly, it accumulates, and the smell intensifies, especially on hot days. I am not on speaking terms with this neighbor, so I hope they see this column and fix the problem. My dog goes in my own yard. If she does her business in the street, I always pick it up. Any advice on how this problem can be rectified.

— Susan, East Northport, New York

Dear Susan,

Your neighbor may be trying to keep their dog off everyone's lawns. What that means, though, is that if her dog must relieve himself, it will be in the street, and dogs often pick the same spot. Since the neighbor can't "pick up" urine, they could sprinkle baking soda to absorb and reduce the odor. You also can take the initiative and sprinkle baking soda over the area yourself, which, in turn, may make the dog choose another location to pee the next day. Since they are not on your property, however, that is probably the most you can do.

Dear Cathy,

I read with interest your advice to the woman who was having a feral cat problem in East Islip, New York. I understand her frustration, but I advise some caution on how zealous she gets in getting rid of the feral cats.

She states that she lives on the edge of a wooded area. My guess is she has little or no problem with other wild animals right now. Even though she probably doesn't realize it, the feral cats have been controlling other pests. If she manages to eliminate the feral cats on her property, it won't take long before there's an upsurge of animals like mice, rats, squirrels, opossums, and raccoons. These animals are adept enough to circumvent any fence she may have installed, and they can be highly destructive and multiply very quickly.

My husband and I had a similar situation in our neighborhood several years ago. We live in a dead-end subdivision in a town of 20,000 people in a rural farming county. We had a woman in the neighborhood who declared war on the local feral cat population because they would get into her flower beds and use them as a litterbox. She convinced local authorities to trap and remove all feral cats.

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