At its meeting in Thompson Falls on Monday, the city council defeated a proposed ordinance to start licensing cats. The ordinance was proposed after increased complaints of nuisance cats. The council also voted on an ordinance addressing recreational vehicles used as residences.

While these ordinances may seem nuisances to some extent, the intention is positive. They are efforts to clean up the city. However, we shouldn’t need ordinances to help us be good neighbors. If you’re a cat person, or a dog person for that matter, you make a choice to have the pets and to take care of them. That also means being a responsible pet owner and being respectful of your neighbor’s property.

Sanders County has small towns, and neighbors are close. But if everyone does a little to keep their areas beautiful, even out in the country, everyone will be happier.