To not want neighbours cats in my garden?

YANBU to not want them in your garden and deal with the mess etc another person's pet choice makes on your property. I don't see why people who decide to get a cat cannot cat proof their gardens to keep them in, it shouldn't be up to other people to keep them out! I have to keep my livestock contained, my dog secure, I don't see why cat owners are exempt. Like another poster said up thread, if something happens to their cat, it's suddenly a massive deal, where as up until then it's always "cats roam, it's in their nature". My terrier kills cats. If any come in the garden (live rurally, but still they are about!), and she spies them, she goes for the kill. Same with anything else that comes into her space, and I think word has spread, so I have an effective deterrent! Unfortunately I think your only choice is to try make your garden hostile for them, cat spikes/anti climb paint, thorny plants, repellants in areas they like to toilet, a good aim with the hose (get the cat, not the area next to it, it'll get the message quicker!)

We have cats, it is impossible to stop them roaming and cats have a right of 'trespass' in law.
I would not want my cats upsetting my neighbours so I do everything within my power to get them to toilet at home (indoor litter trays).
As for cat proofing your garden you can put a deterrent along your fence if you own it and there are sonic devices you can buy (I don't know if they work).
Cats hate the smell of citrus so you could try lemon or orange peel in the garden where they toilet.

Tell your neighbour you're not able to differentiate between cats, and so any stray cats you find in your home will be boxed up and taken to the cat shelter. You certainly haven't the time to fanny about finding out whose cat it is.

Of course cat owners can keep their cats on their own property. Cat runs/catios, fencing with an inward sloped overhang or rollers on the top.

The issue is they can't be bothered, and don't want the expense. So they won't.

I find having dogs that chase cats helps massively, cats rarely visit here twice and the one that did think he could taunt the dogs repeatedly, eventually lost some fur off the end of his tail which finally got the message through!

Cats are classed as wild animals, which means that unfortunately they can and do whatever they wish 😁

Unfortunately many people who own cats, do not care what the cat gets up to when it leaves their house. They are happy for it to shit anywhere, kill birds, climb all over your garden furniture.. as that’s what “cats do”. They are also the first ones to moan when thier cat is injured or killed on its jaunts outside

I have never understood this mentality either! "cats are wild - you cant control them or tell them where to go, they should do exactly as they please!!!" - then gets totally enraged when someone inevitably runs them over because they've darted out in front of their moving car with no warning.

I think (most) cats are antisocial and do far more harm to local wildlife than good.

but we live in a cat loving society so we have to put up with neighbours cats shitting in our gardens and intimidating the wildlife, apparently. Nothing you can do, though your dh should soak it next time. Harmless. Our neighbour’s cat visits far less frequently since we soaked it

I agree but it's not fair to have a large number of cats in a built up area. They are decimating the wild bird/small mammal population.
Like any predator their numbers need to be managed.

That is why the cats get them off so quickly.

Catproof fencing makes a great place for pigeons to congregate instead. e.g. https://sanctuarysos.com/services/cat-fencing/cat-fencing-standard/

Unless I've misunderstood you do have a choice. The cats aren't opening your kitchen window themselves so just close the window when you're not in the room.

I'd like our kitchen window and back door to be open all day, but if I'm not in the room I close it for security and to stop wildlife wandering in.

Yes, us cat owners generally do get quite upset when our beloved pet gets hurt or killed. We're funny that way.

There are sound devices that make a very high pitched noise. Its unpleasant for cats and they will avoid it.
Theres also a device that can be attached to a hose and it will spray water everywhere when it detects movement.

The new style collars have a quick release fastening

I would get the cat proof fencing for your own garden and it should solve the problem, if you get brackets at a 40degree angle and put mesh along it at that angle the cats won’t be able to climb over it and into your garden.
You can also get ultra sonic cat deterrents, they seem to work but children and some adults can hear them and it’s pretty annoying..., someone has one a few doors up from me and every time it senses motion it goes off and I can hear it if I’m in my front garden.
Cats also don’t like the smell of citrus so worth spraying a citrus oil mixed with water around.
You can’t expect your neighbour to keep them in, and if they aren’t causing a problem for them then they are unlikely to fund the fencing to keep them in their garden.
We’ve always had cats alongside our dogs, which tends to keep out other cats. We have a cat now that chooses to stay outside due to her background, she has a little kennel she sleeps in but I still keep a litter tray outside and under cover for her to use so she doesn’t tend to toilet in the garden (ours or any other neighbours)
There are measures your neighbour could do to lessen the impact of them ie keeping them in at dawn/dusk when more likely to hunt but you can’t do much about them bar stopping them entering your garden.

Cats are part of the world we live in, humans are very entitled to think that animals shouldn’t come on their bit of land. It’s nature.

catproof their bloody garden of course.

This is all very twee but none of it works. Cats also shit in the grass; no cleaning that up.

Surely if cats can’t be stopped from crapping in other people’s gardens then that’s a good reason not to get a cat, at least in an urban area? I don’t understand the argument that you can get a pet that causes nuisance to others and then deny all responsibility for it?

The water pistol approach would be worth a try, OP.

I’ve seen cat repelling plants in garden centres before- could be worth a try?

I find hissing at them quite effective.

🤣

its not a choice and I don't want either.

There are plenty of cat deterrents you can try;

Planting lavender & rosemary, some cats are put off by the scent.

Sprinkle coffee grounds around,the smell and the feel are not pleasant to cats.

Citrus peels placed around the garden

Try planting other things like curry herb plant or Coleus Canina (Scaredy Cat Plant) around the borders of the garden

Motion sensor sprinklers

Vinegar Solution
Mix white vinegar and water 50/50 in a spray bottle. Don't spray it on your plants or at the cats, spray it on the fences and your patio.

Scrub the patio with a good enzyme cleaner (please don't use Jeyes Fluid as other people recommend sometimes, if a cat licks it off their paws they can get very sick) to get rid of any lingering smells that are encouraging them to keep toileting on the patio.

Grab a spray bottle and mix: one cup of water, two spoons of lemon juice, a few sprigs of rosemary, and a splash of white vinegar. Spray it where needed but not on the plants or the cats.

Tell him not to be careful. They won’t learn that way.

Try a new collar!

Go on I dare you