French pet owner fined whenever cat goes onto neighbour’s property

A pet owner in Hérault is facing repeat fines every time her cat puts a paw next door – having already been brought before the courts for its previous misdemeanors. 

Rémi, a ginger tom, is accused by a neighbour of trespassing and causing damage.

His owner Dominique Valdès was taken to court in Béziers in January, when she was ordered to pay €450 in damages and €800 in legal costs. 

She was also told that a €30 penalty would be triggered every time Rémi steps onto the neighbour’s land. 

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Now, further accusations mean that Ms Valdès must return to court this month. She faces another fine of €2,000 and the risk that the penalties could increase to €150.

“It all began in 2022,” Ms Valdès told The Connexion. “My neighbour was doing building work in his garden and found traces of paw prints in some wet cement.”

This led to a series of complaints, including claims that Rémi had pooped in the garden and urinated on a duvet.

“This has consumed my life for years,” said Ms Valdès, who adopted Rémi in 2019 when he was nine. “He [the neighbour] has taken photos and installed surveillance cameras in the street to monitor my home and my cat.”

The neighbour has since created an evidence file containing some 70 images.

However Ms Valdès claims there are several cats in the neighbourhood who pass through the gardens, at least two of which are also ginger. 

“There is no real proof that it was my cat who caused the problems,” she said, adding that the situation has left her anxious, caused her to put on weight, and led her to seek therapy. 

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Rémi is now kept indoors, where he has since become aggressive, she says. Locals have offered to build a large cage in Ms Valdès’s back garden. 

“Under no circumstances will I be moving house, and I will certainly not be getting rid of my cat. He is like a child to me. There is no question of abandoning him,” said Ms Valdès.

“I am persisting and standing my ground on behalf of all cats and owners because this reaction is completely disproportionate.” 

Animal welfare organisation Société protectrice des animaux (SPA) has also been quoted by several French media outlets, fearing the case could set a legal precedent.

It is widely accepted that cats have the freedom to explore the area around their home without being accompanied by an owner.

However it is hard to pin down any official rules on this tolerance. Article L211-22 of the rural code reads: “Mayors shall take all necessary measures to prevent dogs and cats from roaming freely. They may order that these animals be kept on a leash and that dogs be muzzled.” 

It also states that the animals may be seized by a law enforcement officer and taken to the pound. 

“I just want some peace, and to know that my cat can go outside again,” said Ms Valdès.