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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To tell her to get lost?

459 replies

Sportycustard · 01/04/2024 16:34

Just got home to find a note from my neighbour.

"Hi Sporty, just wanted to let you know that we're rehoming a couple of cats in the next week or two. I can see from our upstairs windows that you have some plants in your garden that are poisonous to cats so I will pop round in the next day or so and point them out so you can remove them in good time for our new arrivals"

I've just done a quick Google and it looks like she is referring to a rhododendron that was a gift from a friend who has now passed away and an azaelia that was a 50th birthday gift. Both are established shrubs and mean a lot to me.

AIBU to tell her my garden will be staying as it is?

OP posts:
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TheFormidableMrsC · 03/04/2024 22:53

Lulu49 · 03/04/2024 13:34

Luckily I checked the date before getting invested in this post 🤣🤣🤣🤣 good one, am sure lots of people enjoyed it lol

What? I can think of far better jokes than a cunty neighbour.

Teenagehorrorbag · 03/04/2024 22:50

Honestly, most animals (apart from dogs) are sensible enough not to eat poisonous stuff (in nature anyway, antifreeze is a different ballgame).

Her cats wont eat anything you describe. Lilies are a risk if they brush past, get pollen on their fur and then later lick it off when washing. But most lilies are quite tall so the risk must be low.

Tell her to calm down, they'll be fine!

Blythe1973 · 03/04/2024 21:59

RavenhairedRachel · 03/04/2024 11:57

Tell her you're allergic to cats and could she refrain from letting them onto your property.

This!

Blythe1973 · 03/04/2024 21:58

As if she thinks you would say 'Yeah sure! Hack away!'

BMW6 · 03/04/2024 21:32

Lulu49 · 03/04/2024 13:34

Luckily I checked the date before getting invested in this post 🤣🤣🤣🤣 good one, am sure lots of people enjoyed it lol

Shouldn't be an April Fool as it was created after midday.

Harrysmummy246 · 03/04/2024 13:38

T1Dmama · 03/04/2024 10:32

And we have 2 dogs…. Cats just don’t visit our garden…. Ever! It’s great because I don’t like them pooping everywhere!

Wish that was true for us. Our Dogs don't seem to deter them from coming a great distance, hunting and sh**ing

It's no one cat's territory so several use it

Lulu49 · 03/04/2024 13:34

Luckily I checked the date before getting invested in this post 🤣🤣🤣🤣 good one, am sure lots of people enjoyed it lol

canyouseemyhousefromhere · 03/04/2024 12:10

RavenhairedRachel · 03/04/2024 11:57

Tell her you're allergic to cats and could she refrain from letting them onto your property.

I like this one! 😂

Rosings25 · 03/04/2024 11:59

I would not grow lilies as the pollen is both toxic and would stick to fur and stain him and where the cat goes. In a small garden they would be hard for a cat to miss brushing against lilies. OH brought some home a fortnight ago and they went in the upstairs loo behind two always closed doors, I can still smell them there 4 days after they went to the closed compost heap. Roger cat sleeps under the rhododendron

RavenhairedRachel · 03/04/2024 11:57

Tell her you're allergic to cats and could she refrain from letting them onto your property.

RandomButtons · 03/04/2024 11:53

Ponoka7 · 01/04/2024 16:43

Like a pp, I've got those shrubs and always had cats. I had a cat that ate tulips, which are supposed to be poisonous. Do you have lavender? Again my garden is full of it and it's doing the cats no harm.

Vast majority of cats are far too sensible to eat random plants. I wouldn’t remove any plants for my own pets unless they show they have a habit of eating plants. Like my idiot dog with a death wish. I’ve had to fence off all my daffodils and tulips as she kept digging them up and chewing the bulbs. Moron.

hatehavingacold · 03/04/2024 11:49

Tell her they're a good deterrent for keeping unwanted cat poo out of your garden.

Poodles23 · 03/04/2024 11:40

I’ve always had cats and both these plants, never had a problem so she’s being OTT.

katebushh · 03/04/2024 11:39

Gotta be April fool! That's mental otherwise.

DerekFaker · 03/04/2024 11:25

This reply has been deleted

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PenelopeTitsdrop1990 · 03/04/2024 11:23

Tell her she needs to teach her cats not to go in neighbours gardens. How entitled is she?!

astarsheis · 03/04/2024 10:57

I've always had cats and have never given poisonous plants a second thought.
In fact I buy lilies all the time and have them in the garden too and they have never shown any interest in them. Both cats are 16 and going strong.

T1Dmama · 03/04/2024 10:32

And we have 2 dogs…. Cats just don’t visit our garden…. Ever! It’s great because I don’t like them pooping everywhere!

T1Dmama · 03/04/2024 10:31

Wow. I’d pop a letter through her door saying that cats Rome…. They are known to travel streets away from their house… she can’t possibly think everyone should amend their gardens and keep their dogs tied up to suit her new purchase?! If she deems the neighbourhood she lives in to be unsafe for a cat then she shouldn’t get them!!!!

Goodtogossip · 03/04/2024 10:21

Let her knock & when she does just say 'Sorry, I won't be taking anything out of my garden'. Then say 'You're in for a busy day if you're going round the neighbourhood digging up everyone's dangerous plants & shrubs as I'm sure your cat will wander in to not just my garden. Also, good luck asking the neighbours not to drive in the street in case your new kitties decide to cross over the road as that's VERY dangerous' The entitlement of some people baffles me.

GoldEagle · 03/04/2024 10:20

DerekFaker · 03/04/2024 00:23

How inconvenient that the plants in question have special sentimental value. What are the chances!

You point is what exactly? I wouldn't be digging up any of my plants, sentimental value or not, just because a neighbour is getting cats.

pollymere · 03/04/2024 10:06

I have a three-legged tabby! Who apart from me being mindful of what cut flowers I get has never shown the slightest interest in eating poisonous plants. Or any plants.

ememem84 · 03/04/2024 08:58

M1Holly · 02/04/2024 17:05

Sorry but this made me laugh! What on earth?!! How do you reason with someone like that?!

We just ignore him. He’s informed me a few times I owe him for his couch. I say no. I’ve suggested he take it up with DH. Who he’s a bit afraid of.

GoldEagle · 03/04/2024 07:48

Sportycustard · 02/04/2024 12:32

Update

She has contacted at least 4 other neighbours and made similar requests. She's even asked our neighbour with a rescue greyhound to only let it in the garden on a lead. He told her to f* off in no uncertain terms.

She's clearly just mad and entitled. I've never known anything like this.

You should tell her to keep her cats in the house as you don't want themselves using your garden as a toilet or killing the birds who come into your garden feeder. My neighbour has 3 and all 3 kill birds.

Jumpers4goalposts · 03/04/2024 07:02

She sounds nuts. I have cats and dogs and the only thing I have ever asked my neighbours is if they’d let me know if they are putting poison down, we live rurally and only have two neighbours. Which I think is reasonable. I’d never even look in my neighbours garden to see what they have planted.