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
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you if this is illegal? Cat related.

173 replies

Mummydayandnightcare · 05/12/2010 21:28

Won't bore you with all the details but my friend (yes really my friend lol) has, following months of problems with cats shitting in his garden, placed a hundred or so wooden kebab sticks into his garden to deter them (genuinely not to hurt them, well, so he says!)

Is this illegal? He has been told it maybe based on fact you can't put glass on top of your fence panels to deter burglars etc.

Thoughts please.

OP posts:
c0rns1lk · 05/12/2010 21:30

dunno but it's very mean and very weird
can't he just plant loads of stuff so that there's nowhere for them to poo? That's what we do and it seems to work.

bumpybecky · 05/12/2010 21:30

I've done the same in my garden, it works quite well :)

I'm a cat owner too. It never occurred to me that it might not be legal.

CardyMow · 05/12/2010 21:30

Not sure if it's illegal, but you could tell your friend that tiger poo bought from the zoo works much better!

ilovemyfestivehens · 05/12/2010 21:30

I can't see how that would be illegal. The cats are hardly going to return home and phone the police because they've been speared in the bottom by a kebab stick Hmm

bumpybecky · 05/12/2010 21:32

I did plant loads, but plants are expensive when you buy them big and the cats dig them up if they're small. I put the sticks in the gaps between the plants while they were growing bigger.

Original poster
Mummydayandnightcare · 05/12/2010 21:33

Well he has done the following to be fair -

Put down lion poo
Jeyes fluid soaked tea bags
Ultra sonic sensor
Pepper
Changed bark chippings for large slate

Amongst other things and nothing has worked and he is at his wits end.

I have given him a good telling off mind as I agree it is quite mean.

He has no animals though and it is a big problem, like 3-4 craps a day and it must be incredibly annoying and frustrating having to clear it up all the time when you have chosen not to have animals.

OP posts:
Babieseverywhere · 05/12/2010 21:33

How will it work, cats are very likely to just jump over them aren't they ?

Why doesn't he try cat fence toppers/fences. Or make his own. Slit a plastic drain pole and put over the fence panel, cats can't get a grip. Or try rubber spiked rails which can be nailed to the top of the fences. Or an ultrasonic alarm will clear a garden. Or a water pistol if he sees them do it.

c0rns1lk · 05/12/2010 21:34

get his own cat?
we have a fox that occasionally lives under our shed - the cats go nowhere near our back garden anymore!

Original poster
Mummydayandnightcare · 05/12/2010 21:35

Also it's all costing him money that he can't afford. I've told him to bill the neighbours they belong to Wink

OP posts:
donnie · 05/12/2010 21:36

lion poo?

where the hell did he get LION POO from?

CarGirl · 05/12/2010 21:37

Hmmmm take a week off work and be on standby with a water pistol thingy?

I am a cat owner btw, I have told my neighbours to soak the cats to stop them using their garden, they have a litter tray!

KenDoddsDadsDogEatsTinsel · 05/12/2010 21:41

Orange peel does work.

DanceInTheDark · 05/12/2010 21:44

He needs a dog ;)

DitaVonCheese · 05/12/2010 21:45

We did this. It worked a treat. Fricking disgusting animals!

BikeRunSki · 05/12/2010 21:47

I don't think it can be illegal, as I understand that cats are legally classified as vermin and have no rights. I was told this by the RSPCA a few years ago when my cat was attacked by some local children and was too scared and battered to go out for weeks.

Original poster
Mummydayandnightcare · 05/12/2010 21:50

Will try to answer all (btw have passed on that some of you think he is evil lol)

Lion poo off net but expensive.

Problem mainly in borders on front garden, sonic radar seems to be working on back lawn but if Benoit one in front he reckons its battery life would only be a couple of days max cause of people walking by etc and setting it off which is obviously not a prob on back lawn.

So all sticks are in borders so no they can't be jumped over.

Have suggested a cat but it's a no go.

Interesting that you mentioned fact yours have a litter tray CarGirl as a friend with cats told me that if cats have a litter tray in their home they don't feel the need to crap on other peoples gardens.

I have sent my dog round to scent the place and that only lasts a day or so and believe it or not he has even "scented" the garden himself (cringe) but that only lasted a couple of days too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummydayandnightcare · 05/12/2010 21:51

"He put" not "Benoit" ?????

OP posts:
MeMudmagnet · 05/12/2010 21:52

Why should it be illegal? Surely if you want your garden covered in sticks it's up to you.
It's not like you've planted landmines or anything!

curlymama · 05/12/2010 21:53

If it is illegal it shouldn't be! I don't think it can be though. And it's not mean at all, why should he hthave to put up with someone elses pet shilt in his garden. That's mean!

I spent a few weeks with a water bottle with a sports top positioned by my back door and soaked the cats every time they came into our garden, that worked. I only actually got them a couple of times, but it was enough.

FunkySnowSkeleton · 05/12/2010 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarGirl · 05/12/2010 22:01

When the weather is dry and warm they seem to like our neighbours garden, rest of time they use the litter tray!! Helps that ours are shut in overnight so have to use it.

First cat we had was a moggy he refused to every use the litter tray! Current pair are pedigrees, say no more.

Baublepink · 05/12/2010 22:02

AFAIK, it could be potentially illegal because if a person (kid or neighbour, invited or not, or burglar) should injure themselves around your home or garden from deliberately placed deterrents such as this or glass on the fence panels etc, then they could take you to court for negligence and causing injury. (I'm not a legal eagle and I don't know this as fact, but this is my basic understanding of the topic).

It might even extend to injuries to people's cats, if a cat were to get injured on the kebab sticks.

I'm not sure about wooden kebab sticks - I suppose you could argue that they were a gardening implement to show where seedlings were or something. I am guessing they have been placed in flowerbeds where cats poo though, not on the grass Smile. Orange peel scattered in the area should work well. Cats really do hate citrus.

CoventryCarole · 05/12/2010 22:16

I don't think it's illegal but if my cat was injured by this and I realised whose garden it was I would go round and slash his tyres have words.

Orange peel works, and also chucking water at them when you see them.

curlymama · 05/12/2010 22:19

Not meaning to argue Coventry, but if you came round to have words with me you wouldn't get very far! I'll do what I like in my own garden and if you don't want to run the risk of your pet getting hurt while its out and about then keep it indoors, or don't get a cat!

taintedsnow · 05/12/2010 22:23

I don't know about the legalities, but I do think it's very cruel.