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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:
ditavonteesed · 06/12/2010 14:55

some birds have been shitting in my garden, I am teaching the children to shoot.
your friend is not unreasonable, but I can not believe the amount of vitirol people have for animals.

Notevenamouse · 06/12/2010 14:57

"It was the smell, apparently that did it." Its odourless and would have killed that cat which is why it didn't come back. Sad

Trying4Baby1 · 06/12/2010 15:04

beautyspot if you are found to have deliberately put out antifreeze you can be charged it has happened before and there has been a law passed regarding this!

www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/cats/health/poisoning/antifreeze

'Recent antifreeze poisonings of cats
The RSPCA and FAB are deeply concerned and extremely saddened by the recent spates of antifreeze poisonings in cats across the country.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that antifreeze poisoning can cause animals pain, suffering and distress, ultimately resulting in their death. The poisoning of a cat can constitute a criminal offence. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of this offence is up to 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine of £20,000. '

MsKalo · 06/12/2010 15:32

Lemon slices all over the garden work! cats hate lemon! Worked in many gardens when I have suggested it to friends

flamingpants · 06/12/2010 15:35

Thanks for all the tips on keeping them at bay. I am not a cat lover and loathe finding their poo but they are loved by their owners and so all I want to do is deter them.

I know that when DH was a teenager he played some drums really loudly in front of his mum's cat. Even 12 years later the cat would disappear when we visited his mum. I think someone else also suggested noise...

Chocolocolate · 06/12/2010 15:44

When I was a child I got a toxoplasmosis infection from cat poo in our garden. I now have markedly reduced sight in one of my eyes.

However, I would never cause harm to an animal and am Shock at those who have said that they will.

If a dog shat in my garden I would not be happy, but would not harm the dog.

I think the stick idea is a good one. Cats are agile and I doubt that they would get themselves injured on the sticks, but it may deter them from pooing there.

AlistairSim · 06/12/2010 16:04

I love cats but we had a neighbour's cat come into our garden daily to wee up a particular shrub. Which then died. So he moved onto another one.

I put pebbles into a small metal tin and threw it near him the next time he appeared.
The noise seemed enough for him not to make a reappearance.

Longstocking2 · 06/12/2010 16:19

jesus why is it ok for these cats to crap all over our gardens and yet we're not allowed to protect our property and our children's play area from piles and piles of steaming poo?
If I could kill the cat that craps all over our garden and get away with it, I WOULD! Seriously, and I would have no compunction. I love animals, and would hate one to suffer but what about us, we are mammals and we are suffering!
If you love your pet, deal with its crap. It's ridiculous that it's not illegal to let your cat crap all over someone else's property.
Also btw, none of the deterrants work with the dog sized shit machine cat that's crapping in our garden every day.
Water pistol! So I should LIVE in my garden?
I love that woman who put the cat in the bin! I mean, I like cats too, but I could not defend owning a pet who shat on someone else's garden every day, several times a day. NOthing works and you cat owners think it's fine!
It's so ridiculous it's almost funny.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 06/12/2010 16:34

Ive got a great deterrant. A very eager to "play" with anything four legged and furry Staffordshire bull terrier. Cats dont come anywhere near the garden.
Unfortunately still have to sort out animal shit though but at least it's my own animal!

Longstocking2 · 06/12/2010 16:35

we don't want a dog.

pinkhebe · 06/12/2010 16:36

I found that the sonic devices worked in our garden. I am outraged by some of these comments, our kitten loves being outside and there is no way I can keep it in our garden, if I could clear up it's mess I would but I'm not sure how my neighbours would feel about me climbing into their gardens.

Unfortunatly my cat speak is not too good so unlike dogs who can be kept on a lead, or trained to recall I would have problems telling him to keep out of number 4's garden.

it's not hard, scoop it up with a trowl and stick it behind the shed/bush, or chuck it back into your neighbours garden (preferably the one who owns the cat! :) ) Job done

CarGirl · 06/12/2010 17:20

If my neighbours wanted me to pay for some cat deterrant for their garden then I would. I was disappointed that due to our garden size and layout cat proofing just wasn't going to be an option Sad I am currently wondering where our boy cat is, he's a couple of hours late for his tea Sad

Longstocking2 · 06/12/2010 17:57

I love being told it's not a problem to clear up the cat poo! It IS a problem, we have two sonic devices and this dog sized cat craps two or three times a day in our garden, it is revolting, he buries it in the barked area which was designed for our children to PLAY in not as a municipal cat toilet. The cats bury their poo so it can be hard to find, it smells absolutely disgusting. Why should I clear it up? I think it is as vile as having rats in the garden! If there were a way of legally getting rid I would.
It should not be legal to have a pet who craps on other peoples property.
I would never have a cat for this reason, I don't think it's an acceptable price for someone else to pay for my selfish need for a fur ball.
There is no defence
It is totally puerile of you to own a cat and to laugh off the price non cat owners have to pay for your pleasure.

Longstocking2 · 06/12/2010 18:01

btw, I have no idea who owns this cat, it could come from any number of fifty houses.
I still don't hear a single solid defence for the crapping on my property by a pet. It's indefensible!
Nothing works.
If we could kill them we would. It's as simple as that but I have a young child and I can't risk hurting her.
But it's ok for the owner of the worst offender to let their pet cover my dd's play area with piles of crap. Amazing democracy.

CarGirl · 06/12/2010 18:01

I agree Longstocking2 when my neighbours told me I immediately offered to go and clean it up for them and would happily do so for their sake.

Longstocking2 · 06/12/2010 18:02

I don't know who owns this cat, I've tried to find out and have not been successful. All the gardens back onto each other and there is no access except through our own houses. It would be impractical for the owner to clear it up even if they could be discovered.

CarGirl · 06/12/2010 18:06

If you don't have metered water could you put a water sprinkler on to deter it - hopefully it will find somewhere else to go so it won't have to be permanent.

Supersoaker water pistol will probably be more effective than throwing stones and it doesn't hurt them so no come back.

Or capture it and see how long unitl the owner comes knocking/puts posters up.

Unfortunately bark is really attractive to cats

Notevenamouse · 06/12/2010 19:33

"It is totally puerile of you to own a cat and to laugh off the price non cat owners have to pay for your pleasure."

I haven't noticed anybody laughing it off or even saying it is OK for a cat to poo in other peoples gardens TBH. All I can see is a bunch of weirdos saying it is OK to kill an animal because it takes a crap on their lawn. Before we had a cat one used to come and poo in our garden, I used a cat scarer and threw water over it and it didn't come back.

Longstocking I hope the RSPCA catch up with you when you have killed that cat. What a lovely person you are. That animal belongs to someone, probably a child. Its not as if they are all sitting at home laughing about it crapping on your garden, they probably don't even know about it.

moomaa · 06/12/2010 19:40

Cats just seem such a strange choice of pet though. I can understand if you have one that stays in the house all the time but otherwise they just seem to wonder around killing/stalking other things for fun and pooing. They don't care about their owners, you hear stories all the time about cats abandoning their home and 'picking' new owners.

If you just want something fluffy what's wrong with a rabbot or guinea pig?

moomaa · 06/12/2010 19:41

I can also understand having them on a farm to catch rats.

Notevenamouse · 06/12/2010 19:47

yeah i mean a poodle or a Chihuahua or maybe a pet rat or snake yes they are so much better. Hmm

girliefriend · 06/12/2010 19:47

Am a bit worried by some peoples hatred of cats on here, umm anyho Hmm cats don't like pooing near water so if you put water in bottles at various places in the garden that should deter them.

Notevenamouse · 06/12/2010 19:49

All pets are an odd choice from someones point of view or we would all have the same one.

girliefriend · 06/12/2010 19:50

And for the record rabbits and guinea pigs are rubbish pets as they find being handled at best stressful at worse terrifying. Whereas cats love attention, are calming and very entertaining.

olderandwider · 06/12/2010 19:50

To answer OPs question, is it illegal to use pointy sticks as a deterrent, I don't think it can be as the antipigeon fixings you see on buildings in London are made up of pointy metal prongs. I imagine if they are legal for pigeons, similar sort of thing must be OK for cats.