L.K. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
I live in a condo association. I have a cat that goes outside. One day my cat killed a bird and one of the neighbors in the condo association came to me and was very upset about it, asking if I could rehome my pet, which I promptly told her I was not going to do that. She then demanded that I keep my cat indoors, which I told her I would try to do, but couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t get out from time to time. She then threatened to write a complaint to the board if I couldn’t keep the cat indoors. Our bylaws state that we can have two pets, and that you must clean up after them and keep them if they are dogs leashed. Does this neighbor have a case against us?
Mister Condo replies:
L.K., without seeing your physical condo documents and reading what they say about pet ownership, it is impossible for me to offer you an opinion. Typically, pets are not allowed to free roam on condo grounds. There are usually leash rules in addition to clean-up rules and noise rules as well. If your association has no such rule about having the pet leashed, your neighbor may not have a case. However, allowing a pet to roam free over condo grounds can have other consequences for the association, most notably liability for damage or injury caused by the pet. For that reason alone, pets (dogs, cats, or other) are typically required to be leashed and under the unit owner’s control and supervision. My friendly advice to you is to not let your pet roam freely. It is safer for you, your neighbors, and your association, not to mention the occasional bird you kitty might decide to feast on. Good luck!