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AIBU?

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Ask neighbour to relocate cat scarer as the noise is so annoying?

37 replies

CableCar · 31/07/2024 15:22

Our neighbours dislike it when our cat goes into their garden, because it's infringing on their own cats territory. Fair enough. They've never addressed this with us, but have put an electronic cat scarer in their garden to deter our cat from going in their garden, but the problem is that it goes off ALL THE TIME as it's obviously motion activated, so beeps the entire time plants move in the wind. They hardly ever use their garden, but we do as the kids are young, so hear it constantly. I can even hear it while I'm inside with the windows open! It's supposed to be a frequency that humans can't hear, but we all can - and every time we have friends over people ask what the tinnitus-like noise is. I wouldn't mind if it only went off when required, but it is almost constant and has been for months now. It ran out of battery at one point, which was great! But it's obviously got new batteries now...

AIBU to ask them to move or remove it because the noise is a bother? Or AIBU because my cat going in their garden is the problem in the first place? Help!!

OP posts:
EverythingAllatOnceAllTheTime · 31/07/2024 15:45

Tara336 · 31/07/2024 15:28

I love cats but I don't want my neighbours cat in my garden so we have one of those ultrasonic things. If they stopped their cat being a pain (which it is) by putting up cat fencing then I'd happily remove the scarer

This.

sunsetsandboardwalks · 31/07/2024 15:42

Ooh that is cheeky - definitely look at the fencing though, I'm not sure how expensive it is but it definitely exists, I've seen it on TikTok etc.

CableCar · 31/07/2024 15:41

sunsetsandboardwalks · 31/07/2024 15:39

You can get cat-proof fencing that goes on top of sheds and other buildings.

Ooh I'll take a look! Thanks!!!! Anything is preferable to the awful beeping - and I don't mean to offend them. Before we had a cat their own cat used to come into our garden and poo in our flowerbeds...and we never complained, so I feel a bit snubbed that they are a bit annoyed by our cat when we put up with their cat leaving dead birds and poo around our garden before. But each to their own!

OP posts:
sunsetsandboardwalks · 31/07/2024 15:39

CableCar · 31/07/2024 15:36

Our cat gets into their garden via the shed, so I'm not sure fencing would work... I'm more than happy for them to spray water over her when she's in their garden as she will soon learn that their garden = wet... But I'm not sure how else to stop her going out of our garden.

You can get cat-proof fencing that goes on top of sheds and other buildings.

CableCar · 31/07/2024 15:36

Tara336 · 31/07/2024 15:28

I love cats but I don't want my neighbours cat in my garden so we have one of those ultrasonic things. If they stopped their cat being a pain (which it is) by putting up cat fencing then I'd happily remove the scarer

Our cat gets into their garden via the shed, so I'm not sure fencing would work... I'm more than happy for them to spray water over her when she's in their garden as she will soon learn that their garden = wet... But I'm not sure how else to stop her going out of our garden.

OP posts:
XenoBitch · 31/07/2024 15:36

One of my previous neighbours had one too. I could not go in the garden due to the noise.. but my cats were not bothered by it at all.

There is a house on my street that has one in the front garden (and their garden is just slabs so I am not sure what the point of a cat scarer is. Another has one that has the fakest dog bark when you walk past. It is awful in a cheesy way.

erinaceus · 31/07/2024 15:36

I had a similar situation and as soon as my neighbour realised it was going off so frequently, they repositioned it and it stopped being triggered all the time.

Have you talked to them about it? They might be able to find a different location for it.

In my case the cats weren’t mine which might affect things.

CableCar · 31/07/2024 15:33

Phew I'm glad this isn't an isolated issue! Interesting to hear all your experiences.

OP posts:
PragmaticWench · 31/07/2024 15:30

My in-laws got one of these and it was painful for DH and me. They couldn't hear it as they'd lost their high-tone hearing range. We asked them to get rid of it!

Tara336 · 31/07/2024 15:28

I love cats but I don't want my neighbours cat in my garden so we have one of those ultrasonic things. If they stopped their cat being a pain (which it is) by putting up cat fencing then I'd happily remove the scarer

Headawobble · 31/07/2024 15:24

I suspect as you have cats you will be told YABU but my neighbours have one too and the frequency gives me a headache when I'm in my garden. I'm not even sure which side it's on but it is DEFINITELY audible and very irritating!

DrRiverSong · 31/07/2024 15:24

I had the same issue and the noise made me feel sick. I didn’t ask them to remove it as my cat was part of the issue, but I did ask if they could lower the frequency at all as it was such an awful noise and even offered to help them with alternatives to keep my cat away. They just removed it in the end. But I was careful to go about as positively as possible.