To tell the neighbours the cat isn’t my problem

It’s not your problem. If they don’t want their cat getting injured they need to keep it indoors and walk it on a lead and/or build a catio. Cats kill millions of birds and shrews etc, it’s time they weren’t let out like that.

No. The cat isn’t your problem. Your garden is your dogs garden and they don’t get to dictate when your dog gets to enjoy/pre/play in the garden!

Cat owner here, it’s their responsibility to keep their pet safe. So long as your dog can’t get out of your garden and you have it on a lead when outside you’re behaving responsibly.

Back in the late 80's I lived in a house that had a paddock at the end of my garden. It was my paddock and I owned several dogs that had access to the paddock - I'd let them loose in there several times a day. The paddock was fenced securely with double height stock wire, and my dogs were unable to go through/over the wire. However, the neighbour across from me whose garden butted up to the fence, had cats, and they used to sometimes be in my field. They weren't always visible - I had stables, a dung heap, patches of nettles and thistles that they could easily conceal themselves in. My Labradors used to chase any cats they came across - in sixteen years they never caught one, but I had a little Jack Russell Terrier who had a different approach. He'd quietly go round the field on his own, check all the hiding places, look in the stables. Sadly, his method worked, and he did kill (extremely quickly!), a cat. I was extremely embarrassed, and more than a little upset - I had to take the dead moggy and present it to the neighbours, and explain what had happened. They were wonderful about it, said that they had to have a few cats around to keep the rats and mice down (we were in a rural location), and as long as I always informed them if it happened again, so they at least knew why they were missing a cat, all would be fine. I was really concerned that if they changed their minds, my dog could be in a lot of trouble, so I 'phoned the police myself and reported the incident. I was told by the police that as long as I wasn't encouraging the dog to catch the cat, delaying the cat's efforts to escape, or actually releasing the cat from a box with my dog hot on its heels, then I had nothing to worry about. As I said, this was back in about the early '90's, and the law may now be different. Before I get absolutely slaughtered on here, I would like to add that from that day, I would always let the Labradors out first to circuit the field and hopefully scare away any cats before letting the terrier out.

The cat will learn that your garden is off limits from now on but obviously if you see the cat in your garden before letting the dog out give it a heads up like clapping! Also if you see the cat in your garden any time, keep clapping to get it out so it learns that way as well. 👍

Actually toxoplasmosis is carried by warm blooded vertebrates, humans and birds as well as cats etc. Whereas dog poop is known to be highly toxic to humans and the envionment which is why people are now required to pick up after their dogs.

Some dogs will eat poop from other animals or birds, and roll in it.
We had a dog who loved to roll in duck poo. It's all part of life's rich tapestry and why we have medication and vaccinate.

Your garden ... your dog...your property.
If the cat is silly enough to try its luck then that's the cats and its owners problem not yours.
And if the cat uses your garden as a toilet , I know not nice but put its mess back in there bin .

And as for the people saying your dog is reactive. I have cats and dogs, all live together perfectly well, and the dogs are very gentle with cats. Except the arsehole cat from next door who beats up my cats if he manages to corner them in my garden. Him they will chase out as soon as they see him. And quite rightly too.

As a cat lover and owner myself, I absolutely agree with this. Tell them to get lost and good luck trying to get the council involved. Their cat is their responsibility and absolutely nothing to do with you.

Your neighbours are the unreasonable ones. What an absolute nerve to tell you how to conduct your and your dogs life in your own property. I own two cats and if they are stupid enough to go into a garden with a dog then that's their bad choice and I would never hold anyone else responsible for their actions. As for charging you for vets bills maybe you could do some research to make sure that you are not legally responsible. Print the information off and post it through their door.

So, my cat got attacked last year (and now has a permanent limp, was lucky not to have been killed because I intervened so quickly). It was on the street in front of my house, and the dog had escaped due to carelessness so I did hold the dog owners liable for the vet bills. But if the dog had been it its garden, and my cat went in, I would have accepted I was liable. If they are worried about the cat, they need to take steps. End of.

If your neighbours were in other countries, they would have no choice but to keep the cat in their garden due to preditors. Where I have a home in USA, very rarely see cats, most are indoor cats for that reason. Taking a bit of a liberty to try to make you responsible for their roaming pet. Its their responsibility.

While cats have a protected right to roam dog owners cannot be liable if a cat gets injured while trespassing in the dogs space, it would be different if your dog attacked it on the street, but your dog is in a secure garden. You will probably find they will come to some sort of accord after a while, your dog will get too close and get its nose swiped making them wary or the cat will realise the dog is getting too close too often and scarper sooner. I have had cats and dogs and the cats owners are batshit if they think you should pay vets bills for their wandering feline.

I have 2 cats and a dog and I agree with you OP. This is their issue. Chances are your dog will never catch the cat. Cat will soon get the message and avoid your garden. I never see a cat in my garden since having a dog. Could a compromise be that before letting the dog out you will open the door a crack and shout a warning to any hidden cats? Not sure what you’d shout! 😁. But they’ll soon associate the noise with an imminent dog.

I’m a real cat lover but your neighbours are being totally unreasonable here @Miniminxymoo . The cat will learn to keep out your garden and you should not have to keep your dog in when the cat is out!

The law states cats can free roam. The law states people can't cause intentional distress to animals.

You are not preventing the cat from free roaming
You are not intentionally causing injury to the cat

Your neighbours can call the council, police or High Court judge. They'll be told to keep their cat indoors if they want to prevent harm from external situations. You don't have to change your behaviour and your dog should be able to go in your/its garden at will.

I love cats, so feel sorry that the cat has lost its territory. However, it will learn to adapt and find an alternative location.

I hope you laughed in their face?

Cats are classed as wild animals, dogs aren't hence there are different regulations. Also, it is not cats that cause road accidents, it is crap drivers. If a cat runs in front of your car you do NOT try to swerve around it, do what you can within the bounds of safe driving but if you run it over, hard luck on the cat, better that than killing another road user, you don't have to report it to the police, although you might want to find the owner and tell them the sad news.

The neighbours said if the cat got injured they would give OP the vets bill. If cctv they could prove what happened. Dog owners are meant to have insurance. Think the neighbours would need to raise a civil case though.

They are absolutely, completely in the wrong. It is your dog’s garden,the cat will have to use somewhere else for its loo.

YANBU. I have 2 cats and am getting a dog. They do learn to live with each other.
People saying you'd be liable if their cat was injured are being ridiculous. In the 1st instance they would need proof it was your dog that caused the injuries i.e. witnesses, CCTV. Even then highly unlikely.
Their cat, their problem. There are screens they can put in their windows and fence topper screens to keep their cat in their garden - at their own expense.
Honestly, I don't know where these people get such insane ideas about others being liable. Cloud cuckoo la la land. Well done for saving a dog's life.

I love cats and own cats and yanbu.

When you let your cats roam as I do it’s a risk you choose to take. If my cat gets injured by a dog that is in its own garden it is my cat’s own stupid fault! I certainly wouldn’t hold the dog owner responsible.

You are not liable for the cost of keeping their cat safe.

OP, putting up a camera that records your own back garden, like a video bell might be handy.

Absolutely batshit suggestions that you tether your own securely kept dog, to accommodate visiting cats🙄.

If I were you I would put up a sign warning cats about the dog😁

That’s totally fair OP.