New neighbours cat

The cat will walk along the tops of the fences of all the gardens and go wherever it wants without risk of dogs or plants! Next they will be asking you not to plant lilies (poisonous to cats) or let your dog out at all…

I’m a cat person. Your neighbour is bonkers.

It is their responsibility to ensure the safety of their cat, not yours.

They are self entitled and batshit.

Do they honestly expect you to ‘do a reccy’ every time you let YOUR dog go into YOUR garden? Absolutely bonkers.

It would be a hard NO from me.

Before we got our dog every cat on our street shat in our garden.

Since we got our dog (a Viszla - a hunting dog) she will sit by our bi fold doors waiting for a cat or fox to dare enter her garden. When we open the doors she will run out barking and chase them. The cats now know not to use our garden as a toilet or cut through.

I'm firmly a cat person, and dogs can stay away from me. But your neighbours are bonkers!

I do, however, occasionally have to call the cat inside, as she sits on the fence taunting next doors dog, and sending him loopy.

Ignore them op they sound mad 😂
Say this as a crazy cat lady myself!
Their cat will be used to legging it from barking dogs I guarantee. Also he will navigate his way through a spiky bush. She’s a cat not a child.

They sound very precious about their cat. They shouldn't be letting it roam if they are worried about the hazards. Cats are pretty smart so unless it's elderly and a bit slow, it'll be fine. CFers

As someone with a dog and three cats, in a street where every house has a cat, and several have dogs - whatever the new neighbours ask, it's a cat, and as it's a cat, it will do whatever the hell it wants, regardless of what they want, or what they tell you, as their poor suffering neighbour, they want.

I've also got pyracantha all along one wall and none of the local cats, including mine, have ever impaled themselves on it. They aren't that stupid, and if their cat is that stupid, then as someone said upthread, they need a catio.

Just imagining them saying to their cat ‘don’t go that way because it’s near the road, make sure you only go and play in the woods. And put your wellies on because it’s a bit muddy’

The cat will find a way to the woods if it wants to and avoid your garden when your dog is out.

They’re crazy!

I have 4 cats. Have always had cats.
Not crazy about dogs. But wouldn't dream of asking a neighbour to do any of this.
Cats will work it all out for themselves.
Cheeky fuckers.
Tell them to do one

at batshit some neighbours can be

What??

These people come across at best naive and at worst stupid... they didn't realise they were buying a house next to someone with a dog?? Surely they must realise that any dogless neighbour could go out and get a dog any time... or sell to someone with a dog?

I have an elderly cat, and two dogs. So love both.

It is not your responsibility at all. Bonkers.

In your position, I'd deliberately let the dog out when you see the cat in the garden.

You should have told the cunts to fuck right off.

That’s just batshit op. I thought you were going to say you were in flats with a shared garden or something. But having to ask every time you let your dog out in your own garden? I’ve got two and they can be out 3 times in one hour sometimes. I’d be tempted to tell them you’ve got a pet budgie, so could they please tell you every time they let their cat out so you can ensure your doors and windows are closed. I wouldn’t give it another thought

And what if you hadn't had a dog but sold the house - would they try to stop anyone with a dog moving in? I see what you mean about the gardens, but the cat will find a way if it wants to get out - it can go out another way and walk round?

Don't for one second think of accommodating their cat - although I suspect that they are going to be 'those neighbours' of the kind that ask you not to hang your underwear on the line because it's 'not respectful' or to make any sound at all after 5pm.

I'm a cat lover , and have cats but you are not aibu .
Just plant what you want , let you dog out whenever , and ignore them .

I will always check the garden before letting my dog out, for cats, injured birds or an open gate or other hazard but not because a loony, that thinks they can micromanage where an outdoor cat is going, wants me to.

I would’ve probably suggested keeping their cat indoors if they were worried about the road, that it is recommended for cat owners these days both due to cats being killed on roads and killing off the wildlife.

Yes they are bonkers and entitled. The cat will keep well out of the dogs way anyway.
Its the neighbours problem if their cat prefers going towards the road (and probably will because cats are like that) .

Ignore them and plant what ever you like wherever you like.

If they are so afraid, they should add cat fencing to their own garden, or a catio.

But, they actually asked if before I let my dog out in the garden if I would check that their cat wasn't in my garden so it doesn't get hurt

If they’re concerned about their cat getting hurt by your dog / plants / whatever they could always get a catio to keep the cat in their own garden. If you let a cat roam, you accept that it may come into contact with other animals, plants, cars…

Thinking about it (and in the absence of a diagram!) would the cat not go over the back fence into the wood? Or if there's a house behind, into their garden and then over their side fence into the wood? Your firethorn hedge fence surely isn't the ONLY way for the cat to access the fields beyond?

Absolutely bonkers. Do not give these cf'ers an inch.

Ridiculous. Ignore all of it. And I’m a cat person (with two) who’s not fussed either way on dogs. It would be way worse for the cat if they felt “secure” when they went out, but they’re not silly and they’d avoid your garden anyway. FWIW I’ve moved with my cats - one now goes out more than ever and one never does! Who can tell with cats 🤷‍♀️ that’s the beauty of them. Neighbour is unreasonable for thinking they can engineer something, when they didn’t buy the last house along (yours).