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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think local cat owners

239 replies

WoTmania · 14/02/2011 12:39

could make their own gardens more appealing for their cats so said cats don't come and poo in my vegetable garden and use their own instead?

It drives me up the wall. We end up have to put netting everywhere and sticks and upturned crtaes and still the poxy things manage to dig up everything and poo. Angry

So, AIBU

OP posts:
ClenchedBottom · 16/02/2011 22:35

Arneb - thanks for the tip.

BendyBob · 16/02/2011 22:36

'I tried talking to them and showing them books from the library'

Grin
LibraPoppyGirl · 16/02/2011 22:37

DrNortherner your attitude (or the attitude you don't have) is what can give responsible cat owners a bad name.

I'm off now for my cuddle oh and of course, to polish my cat owning halo [grin}

LibraPoppyGirl · 16/02/2011 22:37

Sorry that should have been a Grin

DrNortherner · 16/02/2011 22:39

I'm intrigued as to how Libra knows all these cats she has ever owned have never shat in someone elses garden. Amazing that.

DrNortherner · 16/02/2011 22:41

And are you calling me an irresponsible cat owner?!

Jeez, I don't even have a farking cat anymore.

RachelHRD · 16/02/2011 22:42

Coming to this a bit late but echo what Libra says re litter trays and training cats to use them as their toilet. It annoys me that soo many cat owners will put up with a litter tray whilst their cats are too small to go outside but then get rid of it as soon as they do. Any responsible cat owner should provide a place for the cat to do its business - just as any responsible dog owner should clear up after their dog.

MrsSparkle does your cat have a litter tray?

I have owned cats in the past and they all had litter trays.

Today I had to clear up cat poo behind my car which my DS (3) could easily have stood in Angry. With my last house we had to replace the shingle driveway with pebbles at great expense because the local cats used it as a litter tray Angry

BendyBob · 16/02/2011 22:42

Libra are you absolutely sure your cats never did anything outside? It must take an awful lot of tricky surveillance
up trees, under bushes and in flowerbeds to be certain.

Myleetlepony · 16/02/2011 22:44

Cats will still poo outside even if they have a litter tray. Hmm

LibraPoppyGirl · 16/02/2011 22:45

Aha not gone quite yet Wink

Read my earlier posts. If they were going somewhere else then they had an awful lot of pooing to do. The trays were always in constant use, unless I was imagining it. Also if they weren't only using the tray, why come in just to do a poo or wee and then go straight out again.

I think I can safely say that my cats have always known where their toilet was and all it has ever taken is a bit of perseverance on my part.

Why have I bothered, no matter how long it has taken, whether I've had to keep them in until they've learnt? Because they're my cats, and as I said before, why should someone else have to deal with their mess?

You are being a little childish now DrNortherner in your last few comments, especially about your cats not being able to read. I take it you can read and can learn. I just assume from your blatant denial of the suggestion that a cat can be trained to do something, that you don't want to.

Not all cat owners are as irresponsible as that and I am here to stand up for those cat owners that DO actually care and yes, we do exist.

LibraPoppyGirl · 16/02/2011 22:48

RachelHRD at last another cat owner (current or not) who is a responsible owner who knows it can be done Smile

higgle · 16/02/2011 22:51

I have just acquired a rescue dog and presumed it would hate cats as not described as "cat friendly" I was so pleased to think the time had arrived when the birds would be safe again and my little pots of bulbs no longer full of cat poo. Stupid dog doesn't even notice the cats! Very disapointed.

mamadiva · 17/02/2011 08:07

Libra can I ask how you trained your cat to come in and use the litter tray?

My mum has a kitten and like most of us hates the thought of him roaming and shitting everywhere. He is 3 months old and currently inddors only.

Thanks :)

lesley33 · 17/02/2011 08:24

I have never had a cat and have lots of cats coming into the garden. But what I find in the garden is mostly fox poo. OH brought up in a farm and can recognise the difference.

We rarely see foxes - in our garden, last time about 2 years ago. Yet we get lots and lots of fox poo. Fox poo stinks and tends to be larger deposits than cats. I just wonder when you talk about lots of poo if this is foxes rather than cats.

I think either you are exagerrating how big the poo deposits are, or it is fox poo.

MrsSparkle · 17/02/2011 09:12

Arneb You have missed the point completely. I didn't mean you have feral cats now in your neighborhood. I was saying if people weren't allowed them as pets, you would have stray cats pooing instead. I only say this because seem to be under the impression that if people weren't allowed cats, they would just disapear.

Rachel no, he goes in my garden, he has two little spots.

Original poster
WoTmania · 18/02/2011 08:34

Mrs Sparkle - I guess the difference is that when rabbits get into my parents garden or squirrels dig up veg or foxes get into the chickens very few people object to my Dad going out and shooting the vermin that cause the damage (and we certainly appreciate the rabbits, very tasty).
Presumably if it were feral cats we were talking about then councils etc could keep the population under control (not exterminate the population)as they would count as a pest rather than cherished family pets and people wouldn't keep 4-5 cats in a small house with a toddler who terrorises them so much that they end up in my garden - this is what happened in my last house.

Not that I'm saying noone should own cats BUT maybe, just naybe if those neighbours made their garden more inviting - flower beds, sandpit, outdoor litter tray - I would get less cat poo in my garden and less seeedlings/small veg destroyed

OP posts:
lesley33 · 18/02/2011 09:04

I haven't ever known cats destroy or dig up veg or seedlings in my garden. Although the squirrels frequently dig anything up bulb related. Are you sure everything you are complaining about is caused by cats and not other animals?

Arneb · 18/02/2011 09:17

People opposite have ten cats, next door to us at end of road has a cat, other side to us has a cat, people at back have a dog, people next to them at that end road have a cat ( one they took in as it was lost and went round looking for its owner) and a dog- one door down from us they have two dogs, next door to that two cats, next door to that they have dogs and pups they sell frequently, other side of road two cats. That is about the nearest ten houses its like this for most of the estate small houses and gardens having either cats or dogs in multiple numbers.

We have a fully enclosed garden - no gates all house or at least 6 ft fences but mostly 2 meters fences. They keep chickens few door down and have never had problems with any foxes and rabbits next door again no fox problems. I have caught mainly next doors cat actually in act of shitting in our garden.

Hmm clearly I am mad to blame the cats it must be foxes.

You are right MrsSparkle I am under the impression if people could not keep cats as pets (or so bloody many in what is a small area) then yes the poo would be less I am also assuming the strays( or feral cats - domestic cats living wild) would be dealt with in some way or at least caught and neutered.

I want less cat shit in the garden so my DC while too young to avoid any I miss - and the cat next door will creep in and do some when they run in the house for a few minutes know this as caught it in the act- can actually enjoy our garden a major reason for us buying this house.

Arneb · 18/02/2011 09:20

lesley33
I haven't ever known cats destroy or dig up veg or seedlings in my garden. Although the squirrels frequently dig anything up bulb related.

We do not have that issue but I know people who did with one particular cat. Again they knew this because they saw it do it as did I. Maybe it's something just some cats do?

MrsSparkle · 18/02/2011 12:09

Oh yes, friggin squrrels digging up my bulbs! I blame god Biscuit

supersewer · 18/02/2011 12:19

yanbu, they come and taunt my poor dog who then barks which makes me the antisocial one, when their cat caused it[soapbox emoticon!]

lesley33 · 18/02/2011 12:20

Actually 10 cats in one house sounds very excessive. I can understand now why you do get so many problems with so many cats living close by. So sorry for previous comments.

Cats are territorial and fight to keep their territory. So it is not fair on the cats or people round about to have that many cats. I don't think its actually fair on cats to have more than 1 cat - but 10 is crazy.

With this many cats it is very unlikely anybody can do anything to keep them out of your garden. Basically there is too little space for too many cats - especially given that houses where there aren't cats, have dogs.

So even if your neighbour with 10 cats had a very attractive garden for cats, the less dominant cats would be forced out the garden to find their own territorial space.

The only solution I think is for there to be less cats - and you can't really do anything about that. Although environmental health might say your neighbour with 10 cats has to reduce the amount she has.

lesley33 · 18/02/2011 12:22

lol My parents cat taunts the next door neighbours dog like this. But at least my parents realise it is their cat causing the problem.

MrsSparkle · 18/02/2011 12:23

I agree 10 cats is too many for one household.

Original poster
WoTmania · 18/02/2011 12:49

Yes I know it's cats! They don't deliberately dig them up, true. What they do do is crap in the vegetable beds with seedlings in and then cover it up, usually digging up some other seedlings/baby lettuces/leeks/carrots/whatever in the bit next to the bit they crapped in.

OP posts: