My neighbour has asked me to pick up my cat's poo from their garden. Literally she wants to be able to call on me to come and pick it up on an as and when basis.

[pingu2209]

I have 2 cats. They have only just started going outside, about 1 month so far. I still have a litter tray at home and they do use it but they are also beginning to 'go' outside too.

My view is that cats should not be locked in doors. I had to keep them indoors for the first 6th months because I was told by the shelter that they needed their injections, be neutered and micro chipped before they could venture outside and all that wasn't done till they were 6 months old.

I keep my cats up to date with their injections and worm/flee ointment - well they are only 7 months old at the moment, but I fully intend to keep them up to date.

There are other cats in the area. The house behind mine has 2 big cats and we are in a rural area with foxes. Also, my neighbours have a dog. Nice dog, sometimes it barks but it isn't really a problem if I'm honest. I like dogs as much as cats, I'm not anti dogs or anything.

Am I legally obliged to pick up my cats poo?

I've spoken to my mother and she has told me that I should pick up my cat's poo if the neighbour asks. The thing is, I may have to go round there each day or two to do it.

Good on your neighbour! I have 3 cats, there my responsibility and I clean up there mess, we decide to t have our children and pets so we must take the responsibility for them. You may think it's cruel to keep them locked up but what about the wildlife they destroy? You can't use the excuse that they are classed as wild animals, as they have been breed for thousands of years for our enjoyment, I've scene a few beautiful birds been ripped apart by people's cats, and it's awful. I have to restrict my children's access to my own gdn because of others pets using my sons sand pit (a birthday gift) as a litter tray. And I have had to clean strangers animals mess up whilst pregnant, well done ro her for having the guts to say something, I wish I had the guts to say something to my neighbours, although I'm sure there response wouldn't be so polite as yours. Or maybe one day I'll just shove it through there letter boxes like I've dreamt off

We don't own a cat but have 3 neighbourhood cats that crap in our flowerbeds and borders. As my kids tend not to romp through these areas and stay on the lawns, I can't see it being a problem for us. Also, the cats I know, bury their turds. They never do any damage to any plants either.

Cat shit is undoubtedly a huge annoyance to some, and a potential health hazard but really, would anyone ask a neighbour to pick it up? It just seems so antagonistic.

I would buy her some stuff you sprinkle to stop cats pooing in your garden - or curry powder is supposed to work. Without photographic evidence how do you know it came from your cat?

I know it's frustrating but not in your control like a dog would be!

curly is a highly irresponsible pet owner who goes against cats protection and RSPCA advice. Cats should not be confined to indoors. If it wasn't your cat pooing it could be a fox or a hedgehog (no, they're not toilet trained either!)

A lot of people would probably like to ask their neighbours to clean their cat's shit up, but don't for reasons of embarrassment, fear of being sworn at, not wanting to make a fuss, not wanting their neighbours tramping through their house and garden, etc etc. But in general, if someone is prepared to ask regardless of the above, then I can only applaud them really.

The OP and the neighbour clearly have history, we have only heard the OP's side so it's difficult to judge.

But in general, cat owners should make a lot more bloody effort to get their cats to use litter trays or their OWN garden. It's obviously possible, as from PrettyMeercat's account, her cats seem to manage it.

i agree with ur nieghbour sorry

Tell your neighbor to fuck off. What gives her more rights over land than your cats? Did she consult them when she bought her house?

consult with cats.thats novel
imagine the negotiation
As owner occupier i dont want you shitting in my garden.is that claer
Miaow
Right glad we understand each other

gee,with your dazzling social skills and ability to recommend cat and human consult with eah other.well anyting must be ossible in your world

omg,im sore reading your brief post
"Tell your neighbor to fuck off. What gives her more rights over land than your cats?"

shall i list some reasons
occupancy and ownership of property
legal deeds neighbour has with land register
as far as i know no one negotiates with cats about rights over land
and the legal system generally favours people over cats.hard to believe ,but true

I think RedbinDazzler might have been joking. I hope so anyway, especially as the little kitties in question wouldn't have been born then.

Agree with neighbour. Wish I had the balls to do that to my neighbour regarding their cat. It comes on my gravel, shits, then strolls off. It does not bury it, just leaves it there festering on the front of the house....looks lovely when folk walk past.

When we bought this house, it was owned by a crazy cat lady with five out of control kitties. They had their own bedroom in the house and a nasty habit of crapping and peeing in two of the other rooms. The first thing we did when we moved was of course to change the flooring (carpet and underlay) in both rooms because it absolutely stank. Even now, 8 years on, you can sometimes still smell cat pee in the music room, where the little darlings peed under the stairs. It has soaked into the concrete floor to the extent that digging it up would be the only option- still detectable under two layers of waterproof membrane, two layers of foam insulation and the wooden floor. Lush.

I was with you there, Duchesse.... Right up until you mentioned "music room"

RedBinDazzler, erm, the neighbour owns the land in question, unless the OP's cats are paying her mortgage for her. As Scottishmummy points out.

Duchesse, I had the same problem with the smell of old, wet dog that permeated a former home whenever it rained. Found old dog biscuits under the purple shag carpeting in the basement and also under the dryer when it finally died and I got a new one installed. The previous owners had also shared the attic with raccoons (twas in the US) Those animals stink, and they are vicious too.

I do not know why people let their cats roam. They kill birds because that is their nature, poop in other people's gardens, leaving children and gardeners at risk of infection, and spray and pee everywhere.

'The poo isn't the problem, it's that the neighbour doesn't like the OP!'

Yes, most people are just dying to clean poo out of their own vegetable and flower beds. They love poo. They love kneeling there with their trowels, digging holes and planting annuals or bulbs, and coming across a nice, smelly deposit of cat poo -- if they're lucky, the motherlode, the place the cat favours most of all...

Pingu if you own a cat or cats that are allowed out and you cannot prove that the poo in your neighbour's garden is not your cat's or cats', then if your neighbour says she has seen your cat/s pooping there, you really have to accept responsibility.

I didn't have strong feelings either way about cats before having children but since then I have found their poo and general presence so irritating! We moved in to a house that used to be owned by people that clearly encouraged cat visitors judging by the amount we get. I didn't think there was a humane way for keeping cats out of our garden but if anyone knows of one I'd really appreciate it. Water not an option as I've seen the two main "culprits" playing in the water during recent rain storms! Shooing them doesn't work either. Main problem is their confidence as if we leave patio doors, wide open windows etc then they'll happily jump in.

I am absolutely gobsmacked at the way this thread has gone. And totally agree with smartyparts.

Our neighbour's dog (yes, dog; not cat!) comes over and shits on a grass verge by our driveway, but it wouldn't even occur to me to frog-march the neighbour over to clear it up. I would be mortified to be considered so unbelievably petty as to think this was in any way a reasonable request.

I honestly don't see how you can hold down a job, look after DC, have any sort of life at all and trail a roaming creature like a cat, disposing of its faeces on a 24/7 basis.

In the nicest possible way, and I say this is a non-pet owner, I think some of you are completely bonkers.

FWIW, my wee brother works in a garden centre, and says that cat shit (and how to prevent the stuff from appearing in your garden) is one of the main things he is questioned about during the summer months - he has recommended some cat repelling sticks to me, and has put a pack in the post, so if they are effective, I shall report back :) these are the ones he says they sell most of.

I ended up grinding black pepper over the areas where our local cats most like to shit last night, and there was no shit there this morning! so maybe grinding black pepper over your neighbour's garden every day is an option?!

kveta buy an batter operated cat repellant, it gives off a sound only cats can hear, works a treat! No more stinking cat poo, can now leave front window open without being overwhelmed by poo stink, gravel nice and clean, cat now suddenly skips back over to otherside of the road (where owners live).

They sell it in most pet shops, costs about £40 but well worth it.

I thought redbin was making a joke, actually?

One of my neighbours I wouldn't dare ask, although it would annoy me hugely. The others I wouldn't need to ask, because they're very nice, and if they bought a cat they'd probably knock on our door and say they were going to try to get it to crap in a litter tray but they were sorry if it ever did any shit in our garden and please to let them know. I would do the same.

I think you came up with a good compromise, and if she wants it picked up she can ask them (other cat owners), if not, oh well, you gave her a perfectly good plan and she rejected it.

PrincessScrumpy - Why are you picking a fight with me? First of all my cats ARE NOT confined inside and I never said they were. They con go out in our small fenced in garden. Secondly I think the Cat Protection and the RSPCA are idiots. Cat Protection wouldn't let us adopt a cat because we life on a busy road but didn't want us to keep it inside. My cats are never in any danger of eating poison, getting run over or killing birds by being kept inside. In the US statistics show that on average cats live twice as long if you keep them in. Where I live in the UK I am surrounded by busy roads and street houses which offers no protection for cats.

How dare you call me irresponsible??? My cats live a very healthy and happy life and I defy you to show me otherwise!

YABU. Why should she have poo appearing in her garden?

IMO an animal which can't be contained in its owner's garden is not suitable as a domestic pet.

Grrr.. should read: "They can go out in our small fenced in garden. Secondly I think the Cat Protection and the RSPCA are idiots. Cat Protection wouldn't let us adopt a cat because we live on a busy road but didn't want us to keep it inside."

I suggested to her that if she were to speak to the neighbours behind us and the owner of the black and white cat then perhaps the 3 households can do it once a week each. She said that she couldn't ask the other houses as she didn't know them

Would have loved to have seen her face!

Reminds me that a colleague of mine was furious after discovering her moggy coming back with glass in its paws (her neighbour had put broken glass in their pot plants)

That's really evil and cruel! That's got to be the MOST painful thing for an animal! Can you imagine having to walk but each step the glass gets pushed further into your feet!

Saggyoldclothcatpuss* we could find out where Meerkat lives, then go round and shit in her garden.^

Aaah look at you, making childish comments just because I pointed out that it isn't up to your to define "nature"!