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Neighbour has blocked hedgehog holes in the garden?

144 replies

staceyslatericeskater · 02/10/2025 00:14

My next door neighbour has blocked the hedgehog holes on our shared fence.

The holes were already there when we moved in which was done by the housing developer.

My cat was pooing in her garden and roaming there and from what I understand she didn’t want her toddlers stepping on the cat poo.

Is this even legal?

OP posts:
Lou802 · 02/10/2025 15:47

Change2banon · 02/10/2025 15:40

How many more do you want? I chose the main 2 pets, and the main 2 problems 🤷‍♀️

I've lived next to lots of dogs and never had them left out to bark.

On the other hand I just went out to mow the lawn and nearly stood in cat poo, I was going to post a pic as it is literally just sitting on top of the lawn but don't don't know if MN would approve poo pictures. I have a garden that wraps around 3 sides of the house so no idea how I'd keep cats out either. I wish someone would tell our neighbours cats that they bury their poo though - just not in my veg patch. And no it's not hedgehogs.

Bananaandmangosmoothie · 02/10/2025 15:45

Won’t the cat just jump over the fence?

Change2banon · 02/10/2025 15:40

WIcurious · 02/10/2025 15:34

Are they the only two options?

How many more do you want? I chose the main 2 pets, and the main 2 problems 🤷‍♀️

Emmz1510 · 02/10/2025 15:37

If this isn’t a reverse then you are an absolute joke.

Lulubo1 · 02/10/2025 15:37

You are the problem OP, not your neighbour. Cat poo is foul and incredibly dangerous to children due to the parasites! I'd be flinging the cat poo back over the fence into your garden if you were my neighbour.

I hate cats coming into my garden. We used to have rabbits that ran free in our garden (we made the garden safe for them and they loved it. We would then shut them in the hutch at night to keep them safe) but the neighbours cats would climb the fence and come in and chase them! My pets don't go in other people's gardens and hassle them in their space! Take ownership of your cats

WIcurious · 02/10/2025 15:34

Change2banon · 02/10/2025 15:30

I’d rather have a cat shitting in my garden, as I can take action to try to stop it, than dogs being left in the garden to whine, howl and bark all day because they’re getting on their owners nerves inside 🤔🤷‍♀️

Are they the only two options?

Change2banon · 02/10/2025 15:30

WIcurious · 02/10/2025 11:29

I will never understand why people let their animals out to cause a nuisance to everybody else + be at risk then whine about it.

Every local fb group in the uk is awash with posts about missing cats, run over cats, cats that someone has found and fed etc etc etc. All these problems could be solved in one fell swoop if they were kept in their homes. These people claim to love their animals but will neither protect them nor take responsibility for them. Madness!!

I’d rather have a cat shitting in my garden, as I can take action to try to stop it, than dogs being left in the garden to whine, howl and bark all day because they’re getting on their owners nerves inside 🤔🤷‍♀️

sittingonabeach · 02/10/2025 15:29

@staceyslatericeskater what have you done to stop the cat pooing in her garden?

Shellyash · 02/10/2025 15:28

Back in May the neighbour posted about the same thing, is this how long it has taken for the holes to be blocked up? Some of the suggestions then were for her to throw the poo back into your garden where it belongs. If my cats were shitting in other peoples gardens i would expect them to take action. You are fortunate you still have your cats as not everyone would have been so kind to them.

RandomGeocache · 02/10/2025 15:27

We live on the edge of a city, literally 2 minutes up the road it's empty fields. There are always cats getting hit in the 40 mph zone and when the post goes up about the dead cat by the side of the road on the local FB group, it's always the car driver's fault. Never the fault of the owner letting their cat out.🙄

Or when a wandering cat gets itself into a shed or cellar, it's the homeowner's fault for locking it in there, not the owner's fault for letting it roam in the first place.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 02/10/2025 15:25

Keep your bloody cat in.

So selfish, no one needs to clean random cat shit.

Poor hedgehogs.

Unpaidviewer · 02/10/2025 15:23

RandomGeocache · 02/10/2025 15:09

Completely agree.

I have no interest in having a cat or a dog. So I don;t have one. That means I am not interested in interacting with anyone else's pet either. I would not be impressed with cats shitting in my garden either, especially as it sounds as if the OP's animal is using gravel right by her door as a litter tray. Disgusting.

As for cats getting run over - agree, I am not going to drive at 3 mph on the off chance I hit Tiddles. If you're that bothered about your precious pet getting lost or onto a road, then keep it in. Or build one of those "catio" things.

Someone on our local Facebook group claimed their cat must have been hit and killed by a speeding driver because it knew how to cross roads carefully. The comments were interesting to say the least.

LittleBitofBread · 02/10/2025 15:23

The cat goes by her back kitchen door and poo’s in the gravel on the side by the front door.
but also

she has put those black prickly things on the tops of the gates so my cat doesn’t really bother now (her words).
So does your cat shit in her garden or not?

Either way, I'd make it a patch of gravel in your own garden, and open up the hedgehog holes just big enough for them, too small for a cat.

Unpaidviewer · 02/10/2025 15:21

My neighbours cat constantly shits on my garden and never covers it! We thought it was a small dog getting in the garden so put a camera up, nope its their bloody cat. Its infuriating and I dont blame your neighbour at all. I would love to use our garden or cut the grass without having to search every inch. You should be thankful this is the only step theyre taking, in some areas cats have been shot with air rifles or poisoned.

RandomGeocache · 02/10/2025 15:09

WIcurious · 02/10/2025 11:29

I will never understand why people let their animals out to cause a nuisance to everybody else + be at risk then whine about it.

Every local fb group in the uk is awash with posts about missing cats, run over cats, cats that someone has found and fed etc etc etc. All these problems could be solved in one fell swoop if they were kept in their homes. These people claim to love their animals but will neither protect them nor take responsibility for them. Madness!!

Completely agree.

I have no interest in having a cat or a dog. So I don;t have one. That means I am not interested in interacting with anyone else's pet either. I would not be impressed with cats shitting in my garden either, especially as it sounds as if the OP's animal is using gravel right by her door as a litter tray. Disgusting.

As for cats getting run over - agree, I am not going to drive at 3 mph on the off chance I hit Tiddles. If you're that bothered about your precious pet getting lost or onto a road, then keep it in. Or build one of those "catio" things.

Wendywooooo · 02/10/2025 15:08

I'd say it sound's like your neighbour isn't the problem here

Ihatetomatoes · 02/10/2025 15:05

There's a long cat loving thread on here somewhere @staceyslatericeskater you should join the deluded group who think cats are wonderful and ignore the damage they do to other wildlife and their poo everywhere. They all seem quite barmy thinking cats rule the world or at least they rule them to the rest of us they are vile things that seem to run in front of cars and often get run over in the village and some hapless owner posts has anyone seen their cat (last seen splat in the middle of road).

Ihatetomatoes · 02/10/2025 15:01

MumChp · 02/10/2025 00:16

You blame the neighbour for trying to get rid of your cat and it's poo?

I really hate cats and their awful smelly poo which they appear to deposit in any garden but their own and especially in vegetable planting areas. Vile, disease spreading vermin. You are being very unreasonable. It's nothing to do with hedgehogs but all to do with your horrible cat.

CatHairEveryWhereNow · 02/10/2025 14:58

Cat’s bury their poo so if her toddlers are stepping on poo it’s more likely to be hedgehog poo

This is wrong.

I love cat have two who use litter trays one covers one never bothers.

When we had toddlers we were the only house with no pets down our street and apparently street behind - everyone else had multipe dogs and cats - and all the cat poo in our garden over everything -- was a real pain to deal with.

It may well depend of if there an actual covenant on the property or just a requirement on the developer - as PP have mentioned. But if you do try and get enforcement I doubt it will do much for neighbourly relations.

Spanador · 02/10/2025 14:49

Change2banon · 02/10/2025 14:16

Sorry, couldn’t resist 😆😆
Hope the photo attaches 🤞🏻

I was thinking the exact same thingGrin I got distracted by the thought of hedgehogs in a convent

Zov · 02/10/2025 14:47

Put them back, but only hedgehog sized holes. The cats won't get through then. Though anyone who thinks that cats won't find another way into their garden is deluded. They will go over the fence for a start!

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 02/10/2025 14:47

For a start, it won't be a shared fence. It will belong to either your property, or hers. Even if it belongs to you, there is absolutely nothing you can do about her blocking the holes on her side using some extra panelling of some sort that belongs to her and is only on her side of the boundary.

DancingwiththeEuropeans · 02/10/2025 14:46

Flossflower · 02/10/2025 10:15

This is totally untrue. Some cats do. Some cats don’t.

The less heartwarming sequel to Some Dogs Do

Neighbour has blocked hedgehog holes in the garden?
nomas · 02/10/2025 14:46

staceyslatericeskater · 02/10/2025 10:03

As PP mentions the hedgehog holes were part of a convent taken these houses were first built a few years ago as this is semi rural area.

Yes the neighbour is aware they are hedgehog holes and she basically says she dosent want to be clearing any kind of animal poo in her garden as her kids play there.

She did mention to me that she does like cats and has owned some in the past but she just doesn’t want them in her garden because of her kids and the pooing which is understandable.

She has put those black prickly things on the tops of the gates so my cat doesn’t really bother now (her words).

Why are you acting so put upon?

I adore cats but I totally see why she doesn't want your cat's shit in her garden.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 02/10/2025 14:44

RedNine · 02/10/2025 00:42

Rake up one of your borders into a fine tilth so that your cat has somewhere to do their business on your property. Or place a cat tray filled with soil in a corner of your garden.

You could put down gravel if your cat prefers that.

This. My cat poos in my garden because there’s plenty of loose soil for him to dig little holes.