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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
EatCrow · 02/04/2024 03:43

Please tell her you have a camera fixed on your garden birds too…….

EatCrow · 02/04/2024 03:42

KateCrusader · 02/04/2024 02:53

A few years ago a new neighbour with four cats moved in next door. You can only imagine the cat shit-turd-storm that was unleashed on my garden. I can’t even bring myself to remember the cat pee smell (waaay worse than the poo!) that was permanently infused in my gravel borders. I ended up replacing the gravel, got a dog and then trained it to chase cats.

I’d have happily removed any poisonous plants in exchange for the right to catapult cat poo back over the fence in return. Why is it that if you own a dog, you’re (quite rightfully) obliged to clean up the mess, but cat owners get to look the other way?

I adore animals, but their owners can be awful!

got a dog and then trained it to chase cats.

I’m thinking of the all kinds of ways you helped with this! 😁

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 02/04/2024 03:35

April Fool

KateCrusader · 02/04/2024 02:53

A few years ago a new neighbour with four cats moved in next door. You can only imagine the cat shit-turd-storm that was unleashed on my garden. I can’t even bring myself to remember the cat pee smell (waaay worse than the poo!) that was permanently infused in my gravel borders. I ended up replacing the gravel, got a dog and then trained it to chase cats.

I’d have happily removed any poisonous plants in exchange for the right to catapult cat poo back over the fence in return. Why is it that if you own a dog, you’re (quite rightfully) obliged to clean up the mess, but cat owners get to look the other way?

I adore animals, but their owners can be awful!

FangsForTheMemory · 02/04/2024 02:20

Good grief. My moggy eats grass occasionally but I’ve never seen him chew any other plants. All bulbs are poisonous in some degree and I’ve got masses of tulips and daffs. Never gave it a thought.

Runnerinthenight · 02/04/2024 01:54

I have an azalea and a lavender. I've also an English Yew, an Irish Yew and various euonymus. AFAIK I haven't poisoned any cats yet. And I love cats and have three of my own. They are indoor though. However many of my neighbours have at least one cat.

meegsmalone · 02/04/2024 01:08

meegsmalone · 02/04/2024 01:03

YANBU, she's a CF 😂

OP, please update us on how the interaction goes when she does pop round!!

Apologies, ignore me. Just seen you already update us.

Good for you, she's a right entitled lady!! I can't believe she thought you would just uproot your plants for her 😂

meegsmalone · 02/04/2024 01:03

YANBU, she's a CF 😂

OP, please update us on how the interaction goes when she does pop round!!

Agapornis · 02/04/2024 00:59

If she's planning on letting her new cats out straight after they arrive, they won't stay with her for very long...

I have 2 cats and peace lilies, spider plants, lavender, and god knows what else. Also a mystery little plant that one of them gets high from. Thankfully they're smart cats and know not to eat random plants. I imagine she's never had a cat before, and/or she's a fool.

viques · 02/04/2024 00:41

samarrange · 02/04/2024 00:30

Great minds...

Show quote history

I am in admiration that you can spell anaphylactic at this time of the night. I stuck with toxic.

0sm0nthus · 02/04/2024 00:37

OMG
fer REAL?!?🙀😹

Mirabai · 02/04/2024 00:34

Solmum1964 · 01/04/2024 16:39

We have azaleas and rhododendrons in our garden.
Had cats for many years and many others visit the garden.
I've not heard of any issues so I'd ignore this!

Ditto.

StaunchMomma · 02/04/2024 00:31

She's bonkers if she thinks the cats are just going to visit her neighbours. Some wander quite far.

Ours got injured by some chemicals on a nearby farm.

I don't get to march in there and tell them to change their working practices!

Well done fore saying no.

slore · 02/04/2024 00:31

It's kind of sweet how she's trying to get off to a good start as a responsible cat owner, but she's going way over the top and acting entitled.

Many plants are poisonous to cats, but most cats aren't stupid enough to eat them. Most cats coexist happily with poisonous plants all around them.

The only issue is lilies, which have a lot of pollen that gets onto cats' fur, which they then ingest when they groom themselves, destroying their delicate kidneys. They only have to go near them to contaminate themselves.

Though neighbours of cats are not obliged to avoid lilies, I personally would as I love having furry visitors. Rhododendrons and azealias are fine though.

samarrange · 02/04/2024 00:30

viques · 02/04/2024 00:28

Waves to @samarrange

Great minds...

viques · 02/04/2024 00:28

Waves to @samarrange

Fullfatandfortyplus · 02/04/2024 00:27

Bonkers I’ve had cats all my life and never checked my own garden for poisonous plants never mind my neighbours.

viques · 02/04/2024 00:27

Don’t forget to remind her that a friend of a friend who sometimes comes to your house without warning has an allergy to cat dander that causes severe toxic shock so you hope they will be mindful,of this and not allow their cats to wander beyond their boundary.

samarrange · 02/04/2024 00:24

"Dear neighbour, I am allergic to cat hairs. If I come within 10 feet of one I am likely to go into anaphylactic shock and die. I trust you will take all necessary precautions to ensure that not a single cat hair enters my garden, and that you are suitably insured to cover your liability now that you have been warned about this situation. £10 million ought to cover it."

2under4 · 02/04/2024 00:22

HotChocolateNotCocoa · 01/04/2024 23:51

Tell her it’s your house and that if she wants her cats to stay away from your garden, SHE can invest in a better fence on HER side.

Then tell her to go fuck herself with the fat end of a pineapple.

😲

ZetuianRose · 02/04/2024 00:22

Why are cat owners so fucking lazy and irresponsible?? If you want a pet then you take responsibility for its safety and it’s actions!

YANBU!

2under4 · 02/04/2024 00:21

Do cats eat flowers?? I thought they at mice and Go-Cat?! Presumably most of them manage to avoid poisoning themselves, as otherwise there would be no baby cats? Seeing as literally no-one has policed this previously, since cats were invented...

SwordToFlamethrower · 02/04/2024 00:20

Dear neighbour

Your cats are not welcome in my garden, keep them indoors.

SwordToFlamethrower · 02/04/2024 00:18

Tell her to fuck off!!

Fraaahnces · 02/04/2024 00:17

I would also point out that any new cat turds found in your garden will be boxed and returned to their owners. Your plants are established bird nesting shrubs and perhaps she should keep her cats as indoor pets so that they don’t become “those sort of neighbours” themselves…