Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Finally lost it with neighbours

834 replies

FinnalyCracked · 09/04/2025 07:40

There’s four houses on the close - and none for miles (converted country barns - hence the being so close together and yet nothing for miles).

Neighbour A has three cats and all are outdoor cats. Me and Neighbour B have dogs. Neighbour C is irrelevant to this pet debacle.

Neighbours A’s cats, since they moved in, have constantly shit in everyone’s garden. Don’t come at me and tell me it’s not them as the closest village is six miles and no one else has sodding cats!! They sit on the garage and hiss at anyone who goes by and are, quite frankly, obnoxious.

I’ve bitten my tongue but neighbour Cs and B have not. Neighbour B has taken much delight in having their dogs chase the cats off. Neighbour C has invested in barbed wire and other such things to keep the cats out

Yesterday, neighbour A knocked on my door and asked me to call my dogs in as they were ‘destroying her enjoyment of her garden.’ I was very polite - but very firm - and told her to fuck off (not quite that frank, but you get the idea). I’d just finished work, so the dogs had been inside with me so they’d been out about five minutes when she appeared. She launched into a a bit of a diatribe about how B and I have been ruining her summers for years now with our dogs barking and running around.

I snapped. Said her cats constantly shit in my garden and I had to pick it up as I had small children and that her fucking hot tub was obnoxiously loud, so was their music and their shitheaps of cars (her partner always has a rotation of them that he tinkers with) all over the driveway lowered the tone and created exhaust fumes, and that if I ever saw her cats in my garden again I’d be taking a leaf out of neighbour Bs book and setting my dogs on them. Then I told her not to come onto my property again and slammed the door in her face.

It’s a first world problem, I know. But I am just so fucking sick of biting my tongue and being a good neighbour )including taking her fucking parcels) and she has the bloody gall to tell me my dogs can’t be in the garden, as their playing ‘ruins her enjoyment.’

WHAT ABOUT MY FUCKING ENJOYMENT, DEBBIE?!?!

That’s it. That’s all I wanted (just a place to rant)

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
TheCountofMountingCrispBags · 09/04/2025 07:46

FinnalyCracked · 09/04/2025 07:40

There’s four houses on the close - and none for miles (converted country barns - hence the being so close together and yet nothing for miles).

Neighbour A has three cats and all are outdoor cats. Me and Neighbour B have dogs. Neighbour C is irrelevant to this pet debacle.

Neighbours A’s cats, since they moved in, have constantly shit in everyone’s garden. Don’t come at me and tell me it’s not them as the closest village is six miles and no one else has sodding cats!! They sit on the garage and hiss at anyone who goes by and are, quite frankly, obnoxious.

I’ve bitten my tongue but neighbour Cs and B have not. Neighbour B has taken much delight in having their dogs chase the cats off. Neighbour C has invested in barbed wire and other such things to keep the cats out

Yesterday, neighbour A knocked on my door and asked me to call my dogs in as they were ‘destroying her enjoyment of her garden.’ I was very polite - but very firm - and told her to fuck off (not quite that frank, but you get the idea). I’d just finished work, so the dogs had been inside with me so they’d been out about five minutes when she appeared. She launched into a a bit of a diatribe about how B and I have been ruining her summers for years now with our dogs barking and running around.

I snapped. Said her cats constantly shit in my garden and I had to pick it up as I had small children and that her fucking hot tub was obnoxiously loud, so was their music and their shitheaps of cars (her partner always has a rotation of them that he tinkers with) all over the driveway lowered the tone and created exhaust fumes, and that if I ever saw her cats in my garden again I’d be taking a leaf out of neighbour Bs book and setting my dogs on them. Then I told her not to come onto my property again and slammed the door in her face.

It’s a first world problem, I know. But I am just so fucking sick of biting my tongue and being a good neighbour )including taking her fucking parcels) and she has the bloody gall to tell me my dogs can’t be in the garden, as their playing ‘ruins her enjoyment.’

WHAT ABOUT MY FUCKING ENJOYMENT, DEBBIE?!?!

That’s it. That’s all I wanted (just a place to rant)

Just go away with the 'Debbie' shit. This is clearly the new 'Karen' insult that's taken off here.
Expected better from a predominantly female site.

MrTiddlesTheCat · 09/04/2025 07:48

Dogs barking is a statutory nuisance. Cats shitting isn't. You're the problem neighbour here.

Smallmercies · 09/04/2025 07:49

So you allow your dogs to bark outside? You sound like the neighbour from hell. And barbed wire, wtf? Are you living on the Somme?

FortyElephants · 09/04/2025 07:50

You said her cars lower the tone? Lost my sympathy there. Sounds like you both have annoying animals TBH.

BucketFacer · 09/04/2025 07:53

I'm team cat. 🐈‍⬛
Cars lowering the tone 🤣
You should get a hot tub and chill out.

Ahsheeit · 09/04/2025 07:54

Barking dogs drive me insane. Cat shit aside, I'm with your neighbour.

Whinge · 09/04/2025 07:57

I would love to hear this story from the side of the cat neighbour.

They have a neighbour who sets her dogs on the cats, and actually enjoys watching the terrifed animals flee.

She knocks on another neighbours door to politely ask that she bring their dogs in, as they're causing a nuisance. But gets verbally attacked, sworn at, her cats are threatend and then a door slammed in her face.

The cat shit is annoying, but it really doesn't sound like she's the problem neighbour here.

Wishingplenty · 09/04/2025 07:58

If not for all the cats you would probably be over run with mice. So she is doing you a favour letting her cats shit on your land.

faerietales · 09/04/2025 07:58

You shouldn’t be letting your dogs run round, bark and create a nuisance, regardless of what her cats do (or don’t do).

Cats in law have a right to roam, dogs have to be kept under control and if she complained to someone, you’d be the one who has to change their behaviour, not her.

faerietales · 09/04/2025 07:59

Whinge · 09/04/2025 07:57

I would love to hear this story from the side of the cat neighbour.

They have a neighbour who sets her dogs on the cats, and actually enjoys watching the terrifed animals flee.

She knocks on another neighbours door to politely ask that she bring their dogs in, as they're causing a nuisance. But gets verbally attacked, sworn at, her cats are threatend and then a door slammed in her face.

The cat shit is annoying, but it really doesn't sound like she's the problem neighbour here.

Exactly this.

Singleaftermarriage · 09/04/2025 07:59

Fully support you. Hate the way cat owners think their cats can just wander the neighbourhood doing whatever they like yet one dog bark and life is over. Everytime I have seen a neighbours cat look like it is heading our way I have let my dog out. Never get cat poo in my garden now. Stick to your guns.

faerietales · 09/04/2025 08:01

Singleaftermarriage · 09/04/2025 07:59

Fully support you. Hate the way cat owners think their cats can just wander the neighbourhood doing whatever they like yet one dog bark and life is over. Everytime I have seen a neighbours cat look like it is heading our way I have let my dog out. Never get cat poo in my garden now. Stick to your guns.

Well, the law is on the side of the cat owner - they have the right to roam. Dogs must be under control at all times.

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 09/04/2025 08:01

@FinnalyCracked I would be shovelling up the cat poo and tossing it back into her garden! neighbour B and C should also do that! dogs will only bark for a couple of minutes when they are let out, if that. they tend to guard your property. she should not have come round to complain without being squeaky clean herself! I know cats have the right to roam and all that but sometimes they annoy the shit out of people! obviously I am not a cat person

TheObligingSwan · 09/04/2025 08:02

Sounds like 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. Cats pooing and dogs barking are both antisocial behaviours, but if I had to live with either I'd choose cat poo - silent and you can remove it. Dogs barking are a huge stressor for me, and I'm a dog owner and not that keen on cats (mainly due to the wildlife they destroy).

LF11 · 09/04/2025 08:03

Posting anything on MN never ends well for the OP IMO. Shove her cat shit back on her doorstep!

DancefloorAcrobatics · 09/04/2025 08:04

I'm team dog. They are allowed to go and play in their own garden. Even if it's a bit noisy and rowdy- it's just natural behaviour! same as chasing the cats out of their garden

However, I do think you were rude to your neighbour. There are better ways of dealing with the complaints.

HedgehogOnTheBike · 09/04/2025 08:05

Get lion poo from zoo/ safari park. Bury in your borders. Also piss on your fences. If you see cats spray them with hose. Light drizzle not blowing them across the garden!

If you let your dogs out after work take them for a long walk, does the dogs more good then running around the garden barking.

Malvala · 09/04/2025 08:06

Dog neighbours are the fucking worst.

My ex neighbour with his three yappy fucking dogs nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. I had to move.

At least cat shit is silent. You are presumably picking up your dog shit from your garden. An extra turd isn’t going to kill you.

rainbowstardrops · 09/04/2025 08:07

To be honest, you and C sound as awful as each other and I wouldn’t want to be living near to you both.
Having said that, I wouldn’t want to live near to A either. Not because of the shit or the cars 🙄 but because of the hot tub and music.

I feel sorry for D having to put up with you all!

Maddy70 · 09/04/2025 08:09

You can't have barking dogs.... It's an anti social act. Who puts barbed wire up on their fence? They would prefer colditz? Ridiculous behaviour. Cats aren't like dogs, they roam. They are unlikely to go in your garden if you have dogs and I agree it's horrible but cats usually bury it. Are you sure it's not foxes?

LighthouseTeaCup · 09/04/2025 08:10

I hate dogs

MoanasTummy · 09/04/2025 08:11

You all sound awful.

AMurderofMurderingCrows · 09/04/2025 08:12

None of the animals are the problem here. It's all you humans that are the real problem. Why don't you all speak to each other with some respect and come to an agreement.

Honestly, give me animals over humans any day.

Bluebellwood129 · 09/04/2025 08:12

Team dog here. Cats are repulsive creatures. Thankfully no neighbours = no cats.

TeenLifeMum · 09/04/2025 08:12

I love my dogs but they do not bark continuously in the garden. Sounds like you’re both equally annoying so no idea why you’re proudly posting on here.