Cats are adventurous animals that care little about the laws of man. They go where they please, when they please, but their habits can have very expensive consequences for their owners. Case in point, a cat owner named Dominique from France’s Hérault region was shocked to learn of a complaint filed by her neighbors about her cat’s frequent comings and goings on their property. In their complaint, the neighbors, whose names have not been disclosed, mentioned paw prints on the stucco, urine on a duvet, and feces in the garden as damage caused by the ginger cat named Rémi. The court sided with the plaintiff and fined Dominique, €1,250 ($1,101.58), with additional penalties should the cat cross the fence again. “Since the verdict, I’ve kept Rémi at home. He’s gained weight and become aggressive. I can’t even put him in my garden for fear he’ll jump the fence. It’s as if he’s been sentenced to house arrest, a kind of imprisonment and a double punishment,” said Dominique. The 70-year-old points out that her neighbors couldn’t prove that Rémi was guilty of trespassing, simply because there are other cats in the neighborhood, as well as feral cats that come around. The judge didn’t seem to care about that and fined her anyway. Unfortunately, the story is far from over, as Dominique has been summoned to court again this coming December. Apparently, Rémi crossed the infamous fence again, and this time it could cost Dominique an extra €2,000 ($2,300) fine and a daily penalty of €150 ($172). The unusual legal battle attracted the attention of French animal rights groups, many of which believe that the court’s decision infringes on the rights of cats, because they have a natural instinct to explore their surroundings.
