The Neighbours Cat.

[MountainPeaks]

Looking for some humane suggestions to keep the neighbours cat out of our property. I have a allergy to cats so I can't pick it up and take it back to them (DP has done this a couple of times).

We brought a "doer upper" and we've been living in it, in various states of disarray for the last few months. We can't have any of the windows open without us physically being in the room because without fail that neighbours cat comes in and pees, or poops, in our house. We had just redone a bedroom floor sanded, walls replastered, electrics all fixed up and as we had repainted we had the windows open. Went for lunch and the cat came in a peed on the sanded floors. Just one example to highlight the frustration.

We have a trampoline in the garden which was originally uncovered. Cat pooped on it regularly. We've now brought a cover - cat still poops on it regularly.

Most nights it starts fighting and it goes on for several hours - like 2 or 3. It sits on the wall at the end of our back garden. Sounds like someone is being murdered.

It's regularly decimating our bird feeders, it leaves dead things, semi-dead things, partially injured things all around our back patio.

The neighbours don't have a cat flap because "if the cat comes in it just pees on the floor". They feed the cat outside. The cat stays out the entire time. We've tried to talk to them and their attitude is along the lines of "well the cat was hear before you were and your house has been empty for years".

What's the best way to deal with it (the cat and the owners)? I don't want anything that will harm the cat - even though I don't like them. DP has taken the cat around to owners when we've caught it in the house. We've suggested a cat flap to them and litter tray. We've asked that they put a bell collar on it to give warning to the birds. We don't want to fall out with the neighbours but we are fed up with it. Also TTC and I don't want to be cleaning up anymore pet poop than I need to (ie. my dog).

[mummymeister]

I am not a cat fan personally and cant really see what talking to the owner is going to do to be honest. owners only control over their cats is to keep them in, they cant be trained not to go into next door or to roam because that is what they do. your only options are to keep the cat out of your house. I would use a water pistol and squirt it everytime it came in. I would also be making a lot of noise to scare it away. cat lovers will say how horrible that is to frighten it but honestly it coming into your house and shits everywhere then something has to be done. as for the owners - not sure why they have a pet if they keep it outside all the time it doesn't sound well loved to me.

[dudsville]

You have my sympathies and I admire you for looking for considerate ways of dealing with it.

[Ilovecaindingle]

Hose pipe.
Pure and simple.
Stake out and aim and fire!!
Shouldn't take long for it to get the message.
From a cat lover!!

[witwootoodleoo]

What are your fences like? Could you cat proof to keep it out? Seems a bit extreme but if it's causing you so much stress it might be worth it.

You could also try one of those sonic cat scarers.

You could put nets on your windows but that won't help with the garden.

[SVJAA]

The cat is never allowed inside their house? Ever? Call the RSPCA, or SSPCA if you're in Scotland. My cats are outdoor cats, but they come in and out of the house when they want. Leaving them outside permanently is just cruel.

[witwootoodleoo]

Should have clarified I meant insect screen type nets, not net curtains

[MountainPeaks]

Just one more thing - a friend told us this - but is the cat wailing due to it not being spayed? We have a lot of feral cats around but they don't seem to come in our garden / house.

Hadn't thought of the hose pipe / water pistol ideas - thanks.

[Cataline]

Another cat lover here - that sounds awful for you though. Water pistol and a loud noise every time you see it anywhere near your property or boundary. Definitely not a hosepipe though as it won't be able to get dry or warm if it's an outside cat.

[Boundaries]

Get a lion.... 🦁

[Vinorosso74]

Cats can have a litter tray and still poo outdoors. Bells on collars don't work. Is it definitely cat poo on trampoline? Foxes are good at leaving deposits.
I would get some nets/ screens at the windows so it can't get in; water pistol to squirt it, try the sonic repeller but if it's foxes in the garden they don't tend to work for them.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

catch it and take it to the pound as stray?

I feel for you one of neighbours cats comes in through the tilted windows... we have put netting on a few of them, that helps. in the garden if I do new planting I put down chili & garlic powder and protect young plants from being sat on with netting.

[Sparklingbrook]

What does your dog make of all this?

Water pistol is the way to go.

[JigglyTuff]

You would know if it hadn't been spayed because its pee would absolutely stink - unneutered male cat pee smells awful. Keeping cat outside with no shelter is really mean though - I'd speak to the RSPCA as someone else said.

Cats don't like the smell of lemons so you could cut up a load of them and chuck them on top of the trampoline cover and spray it with a water spray every time you see it anywhere near your house.

[MountainPeaks]

vinorosso and witwootoodleoo I'm don't really want to have to put screens on windows as they are our fire escapes on the upper floors. It's definitely the cat and not a fox. We haven't had a fox in the back garden yet.

The adjoining wall to the neighbours is 8 ft high brick wall which extends to the back of the garden - with an outbuilding against it. We have a three feet wall around the side and front which now has thick vertical wooden fencing up to 5ft (we have a dog so we put this up before we moved in).

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

catch it as a stray and take it to the Cats Protection....they will neuter and rehome.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

[LikeTheShoes]

You need a super soaker. Our cats come in soaked occasionally, I assume it's because they are being pesty somewhere. it doesn't hurt them but they presumably will learn not to go back there!
Apparently cats don't like apple flavoured cleaners or citronella so you could try liberally spraying that sort of thing (obviously not at the cat as you don't want kill it!)

The owners aren't being very helpful, but I'm not sure what they can do, as long as the cat has somewhere sheltered to sleep and access to food and water -which it sounds like it does, I can't imagine the RSPCA will do anything. You could call them to come and get it every time you see it?

[Sparklingbrook]

Unless you are up watching the garden all night you can't be certain there are no foxes.....

Isn't your dog going nuts though? With all the car activity?

[MountainPeaks]

Sparkling We've actively discouraged our dog from responding to cats because he's large. He'd probably never be able to catch up as his acceleration speeds are not that great, but if he did start reacting / chasing them, he would be able to pull me over if he was on the lead. Worry about him running in front of cars etc.

Also, don't feel it's too humane for the cats either!

Jiggly The pee stinks - I don't know cat pee to compare it to though - but the smell lingers even after it's been washed.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Are you saying it is an un-neutered Tom? They are a nightmare and not really suitable pets.

Why isn't it neutered? If they aren't co-operative with you, how about seeking advice from a local rescue charity, who may be able to persuade your neighbours to have the cat neutered. They may be able to offer assistance if there is either a financial difficulty or the cat cannot be caught easily - such as loan of a trap.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

I agree with Tondelaya. Poor you and, to be honest, poor cat - it doesn't sound as though the owners are particularly bothered about it. In the meantime a hose or super soaker. I've got a cat who rarely leaves the garden but I wouldn't be upset if someone sprayed him if he was causing problems.

[Sparklingbrook]

I just think it's odd for a cat to even enter a garden/house where a large dog lives really. Just the sight/smell of it would be something of a deterrent.

[GreenTureen]

I have no suggestions as to the dead things and poo outside - but i've had the problem of cats coming into our house quite a few times, through the catflap. I came home one day and there were two random cats sleeping on our bed! And they kept coming in.

I did the nice thing of picking them up and putting them out for weeks. I got slightly more forceful and started shooing them out. It did bugger all.

So the next time I caught one coming in the cat flap I jumped up and ran at it, shouting like a banshee and waving my arms...basically scared the shit out of it...never seen a cat scarper so quickly (and looked like a madwoman). I had to do that a couple of times, and I felt mean but it does work and we haven't seen it since. They won't keep coming into a place that they view as scary/dangerous IME.

[AnneElliott]

I love cars and that situation is terrible.

I agree a super soaker is the way to go, but if I caught it peeing on my carpet it would get a smack. Not hard enough to hurt it, but it needs to learn not to do that.

I think I would also try and catch it and take it to a rescue. Can't believe they don't allow it inside! It must be freezing.

[witwootoodleoo]

Sounds like you could feasibly cat-proof your garden based on your fences. Not suggesting it's fair that you would have to do so, but it is an option