Neighbour has put barbed wire in front garden flowerbed!

[feetheart]

Usually sane neighbour has turned her front flowerbed into what looks like a small minefield - usual flowers plus an interesting arrangement of barbed wire!

I assume it is to deter our cats but it seems a little extreme, especially as the gardens are joined (no fence/hedge/etc) and we both have 5 year olds.

WWYD?

Will if affect you? Your cats will be sensible enough to ignore it. Does your 5yo play in the front garden or only in the back?

If they don't play in the front I'd do nothing. If he/she does play in the front and you're worried they could get hurt I'd politely ask your neighbour to remove the wire.

You do realise a load of people are going to come on this thread and say that your cat shouldn't be shitting in your neighbour's garden and good on your neighbour?

Will don hard-hat :)

If I thought my 5 year old was at risk from it I would either take it up with her or put a fence down the dividing line of the properties to ensure my child couldn't stray into their side of the garden and come to harm. I'd be confident in the cat's sensibleness to avoid the barbed wire and so that to me wouldn't be an issue.

They do play in the front a bit, usually after school before they make it through the door and often with the various local kids we have walked home with.

Also charge outside before school/going out anywhere. Don't often go onto neighbour's 'side' but flowerbed is only about 12' from our front door and DS already has his own seat at A&E

I had a neighbour who put carpet gripper rods along his fence to prevent cats - but at least it was a 6 ft fence so no chance of children coming to harm.

I took round a carton of that anticat stuff and offered to clean up any mess - it was only while the cats settled into the new house. If the children are at risk I'd do that.

In that case the sensible thing to do is probably go to her in as pleasant and non-confrontational a way as possible with your concerns, mentioning your DS's 'special seat' in A&E. Hopefully she'd have the decency to remove it, but if not then putting up a fence would probably be a good idea.
I suppose it would be possible to complain to the council citing safety concerns, it may mean they order her to remove it, it may not.

Off to research anti-cat stuff and ponder oddness of people :)

I thought barbed wire was illegal. Seems not, though there are some possible repurcussions your neighbour should think about

www.mfll.co.uk/you_and_the_law.htm

Thanks Tigerbomb, that's very interesting.

As the gardens are so open I think it is an accident waiting to happen.