Cat owners

[back2work]

This isn't exactly an AIBU because I know that I am, but I'd like to know why IABU!

We live in a cul-de-sac and one of our neighbours has cats. They are in everyone else's gardens all the time and they will come into the houses too if the doors aren't closed. Yesterday morning one of the cats left a dead mouse on my patio. Yuk!!!
So why is it my job to clear up this sort of thing? Why shouldn't the person who owns the cat do it?

Why are cats allowed to roam free? They are the only animal owned by people that are allowed to do this. You don't see peoples prize bunny hopping over the road, or the farmers sheep wondering in an open back door. It's bizarre that its deemed exceptable that someone else owns something that is allowed to shit, kill and prowl wherever it seems fit.

It's not comparable to wild animals as noone has responsibility for them and they are just trying to survive.

There was a cat in my back garden the other day I had to keep the dogs in unitl it buggered off, as one would kill it. WOuld it be my fault as the dog owner? Probably.

Sheep do run free, all over the roads in Devon and other parts of the UK.

GOML - nah, I'll be there with you. I am also the cats Mummy.

B2W - no, I made it quite clear what I was saying - you are now choosing to be obtuse

Cats annoy some neighbours
Children annoy some neighbours

If you have to keep one inside and not allow them to annoy the neighbours, why not the other?! (annoying, not specifically pooing or bringing you dead rhodents).

juneybean - is your question some sort of avoidance technique used by cat owners?
If it was your cat and it was proved 100% beyond doubt that it was your cat wot did it (video footage maybe?), then what would be your next line of defence? :
"Well cats can't be trained"
or
"cats live on this planet too"
or
"alright, alright I'll clean it up by ugh, some people !"

What exactly would have to happen for you to feel a little empathy that someone has been landed with a problem because you chose to buy a cat?

back2work - how is neighbour suppose to know her cat has left a dead mouse - unless cat is clever enough to tell her??

I suppose you could go round and tell neighbour yourself and then neighbour could come round and clear it up BUT it would be far quicker to do it yourself

I'd have no problem clearing up after my cat

The question in your OP "Why shouldn't the person who owns the cat do it?"

Did you ask the owner?

Why can't cats be walked on leads?

Because the owner walking them would look like the biggest twat on earth.

I did not tell her and she does not know that yesterday her cat left a dead mouse in front of my window. If she thought about it, she'd probably realise that at some point her cat will leave dead things in other people's homes, but she probably hasn't thought of it and even if she did, it wouldn't have caused her to hesitate about getting a cat.

I don't want a war with my neighbour (with whom I am on good terms) so I won't tell her. My question wasn't about my neighbour and her peculiar attitude regarding owning a cat. Her attitude is the commonly accepted one so its not weird. My question was why is this commonly accepted.

Juneybean if your neighbour came and told you that, what would you say? Would you apologise for the inconvenience and clean it up immediately or would you try to make your neighbour out to be unreasonable?

It'd be funny. All these people all of a sudden having to walk their cats, I bet loads would be given up as only lazy people get cats.

You can buy cat leads - I think certain breeds (Siamese cats iirc) respond well to being walked.

But honestly, unless you're one of teh Scissor Sisters I am sure you wouldn't get away with it.

OP just sling the dead mouse over t'fence.

GetOrfMoiLand - I did think about it! But then what would be the point? I'd have still have had to deal with it and now my neighbour would have a problem too.

If my neighbour asked me to clear up a dead mouse that my cat had deposited then I would apologise and do it straight away.

But how do you expect cat owners to clear up after their cats if they don't know what they have done

To be honest I do not care about Henry (the cat next door)leaving dead rodents on my patio - Live and Let Live

I would be gutted since my cat never brings me gifts

I wonder how you walk a cat on a lead? Cats go where they want, they don't do walkies like dogs.

I have visions of sitting on the shed roof or up a tree for a couple of hours with the cat.

LOL! I don't imagine it'd go down too well trying to put the lead on in the first place!

Lol at 'live and let live' being used to describe killing rodents

lolol 'live and let live'

Lol....bit of a silly comment really

I was trying to find a politer way of saying "get a life!"

moon I'd be poised on the roof of ds's garden swing which, given I'm considerably heavier than the cat, would probably collapse...

If my neighbour came round to moan that my cat had left a dead mouse on their property, I'd think they were a few spoons short of the full canteen, tbh. (My cat wouldn't, anyway, he brings all his trophies home to us. yuck.)

I have one of those sports water bottles at my back door at all times ready to squirt next doors cats when they come into our garden. I've only managed to get one of the little buggers though. And since we got a puppy that likes to bark at cats, they have been hanging around alot less

OP - has anyone suggested a water pistol yet?

I am a cat owner and I can tell you that all cats hate water. If you see one in your garden then give it a squirt to deter it from coming back (you may need to do this a few times). A simple squirty one will do (and not one of those super soakers ).

Hi howannoying!

When are we starting our campaign for all cats to only be allowed out on leads then?

I would rather find a dead mouse dropped on my pillow by someone elses cat than have to put up with my children's clothes, shoes and hands ending up covered in dog sh*t just because they like to play on the playing field.