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.

[HelloKlitty]

I have two cats....we have their tray outside and if they crapped in my neighbours garden I would of course go and collect it.

[buzzsore]

Yes, curious to know how Curly keeps her cats in her garden too?

I also like the ideas about giving the neighbour cat repellents.

[andthisisme]

Of course you should pick it up. You wouldn't even ask if it were a dog would you? But poo is poo. Your pet, your responsibility.

[Inertia]

I agree with your neighbour.

If you don't like the inconvenience of clearing up after your pet, don't have a pet.

[Longtalljosie]

Say you will do that if she can ensure you are never disturbed by her dog barking. And when she looks furious, point out that owning a pet does mean that the neighbours have to exercise a degree of forbearance.

[DarrellRivers]

Good on your neighbour

[Kveta]

good for her! wish my neighbours weren't so weird, I'd be round there like a shot! I'm sick of the cat shit in our garden every day, and the fact that no repellant seems to work. Even shouting at the buggers is useless, and water pistol not effective any more.

[ViolaTricolor]

Time to buy some marigolds.

I hate the fact we can't put a blanket down in our own garden without first inspecting for crap from our neighbours' pets.

[bubblesincoffee]

You know that it is likely to be your cats poo if they have just started going out and and all of a sudden there is lots of poo in her garden.

There is no point having the argument about there being other cats in the area, can't prove whose cats did it etc etc.

You chose to have cats, and if you believe so strongly that they should be let out then you have to deal with the consequenses of that. They are your peta, and it your responsibility to ensure that they don't piss other people off.

Get yourself round there to pick up poo every couple of days. She has asked you to do it, so don't be rude and put her in the position of having to keep asking.

If you don't want to do it, get rid of your cats.

You should also give her a squirt gun and repellants with instructions to use them.

[iloveblue]

DS1 sat on the grass in our garden yesterday and stood up covered in cat poo. Both our neighbours have cats - and it is a pain in the bum.
So I do kind of agree with her.

But realistically I'm not sure how it would work.
I agree with others, is there anyway you could encourage them to poo in your garden?
Maybe put their litter tray outside when they're out.

[CurlyBoy]

Pumpster We have a high fence with no gaps and they don't jump.

[bumpyboo]

KVETA

You need to add a couple of large crushed garlic cloves to the water, it will be vile trust me. Then fill your squirt gun and fire away, I have found this very effective.

[jubilee10]

Ah, we just pick up the neighbours cat poo ourselves - and chuck it over their fence as near to their doorstep as poss.

Your cats - pick it up!

[DogsBestFriend]

Of course there's no legal obligation to do anything about it! :)

Cats, unlike dogs, are considered their own beings and may roam freely. A cat cannot trespass whereas effectively a dog can as he is considered to be under human control.

I'd take the attitude that I would clear up if asked politely but at my convenience. That doesn't mean next week but neither does it mean when I've just sat down to dinner or am on my way to catch a train.

Someone upthread mentioned the neighbour's dog barking and the need for a little mutual tolerance, which is a very fair point. We have a legal right to own cats, thank god and they have a right to roam.

Point to remember - if we didn't own them they'd be roaming anyway only as ferals and being without care and spaying/neutering would be producing far more cats and far more shit!

[PeopleCallMeTricky]

I offered to pick up my cat's poo from my neighbour's garden when she complained about the poo, but she declined for some reason. I quite agree with her though, it's very annoying.

[PrettyMeerkat]

Can't believe it's another cat poo thread!

There is no way that she can know (unless she's watching 24/7) that the poo belongs to your cats. Personally I wouldn't want to be picking up the poo of every cat in the neighbourhood.

What you can do, is take some of the litter from your cats toilet tray after they have used it so nice and smelly, and poke if through her letterbox . . . no not really! What you can do is chose an area in your garden (away from the house with soft earth) and sprinkle it. Then take your cats and put them on it so that they smell their own wee/poo. Hopefully then they will start using that area as their toilet.

[LiegeAndLief]

I'm with your neighbours. We have three cat-containing gardens backing onto ours and they are constantly in our garden. I hate it. And we used to get loads of birds coming to the feeder and now there are none. If it's unreasonable to expect you to pick up your own cats' poo every other day, surely it's extremely unreasonable to expect your neighbour to do the same? You might feel a bit differently if her dog was crapping in your garden every day..

If anyone has any reliable tips to keep cats out of your garden, I would love to hear them. Water gun no good as they run off as soon as they see me coming, plus I'm out quite a lot (and my aim is shocking).

[DogsBestFriend]

Water gun has clearly worked to some degree hasn't it, Liege, if the cats run as soon as they see you?

[misty0]

I have 2 posh puss' which stay in our garden, litter tray in the house

Our fence isnt high, but we have put up quite sturdy black metal 'L' brakcets at intervals all around the top line of the fence which stick into the garden horizontaly by about a foot. Then fixed fine black plastic mesh (almost invisible) to lay taught accross the brackets and down on the inside of the fence a little way, pinned down so the cats cant jump up and over the fence, or get behind the mesh. They've tried - but its working, they jump up and their heads reach the mesh and they drop down again. They tried for a day or two but dont bother ever trying now. Total cost - £50 and a few hammered thumbs, but worth it.

[michelleseashell]

I'd tell her to shit off.

How does she know who's poo is who? Is she going around identifying and picking up her own dog's poo but then leaving suspected cat poo for you to do? She sounds like a real nutbag. Besides, once your cats start roaming further they'll poo as far from their own doorstep as they can. What can you do about faraway poo?

[CheerMum]

we live in a neighbourhood where there are LOADS of cats, and none of the owners ever offered to clear up their cat's poop. So, I bought two big water guns and kept one by the front window and one by the back. EVERY time i saw a cat, whether it was pooing or simply walking around, i blasted water at them.

I did it relentlessly for a few weeks and they stopped coming.

[pingu2209]

I do see the logic behind: 'they are your pet so you clean up after them.'

I guess I am questioning for a number of reasons, which I realise do not challenge the above logic.

1. We moved here 2 years ago, before that we lived for 13 years in a new housing estate full of young children and cats. Cats were always in everyone's gardens and it never occurred to us that anyone would ask us to pick up the poo from their garden - possibly because it could be anybody's cat, there were so many of them.
   

1. We have a lovely garden but are not keen gardeners so other than the odd tidy, we are not too worried - but the neighbours now are keen gardeners. When we lived in the new housing estate, most gardens were postage stamp sized and people were not especially garden proud.
   

1. I actually owned cats over the years, even though I do like dogs too, because I don't want the additional hassle and responsibility of a dog - such as having to walk it, be around at home more for it, and pick up its poo when we go on walks. I have always assumed that nobody picks up cat poo. This is the first time I have had any issues with cat ownership.
   

1. Our neighbours have over the past 2 years spoken to us with a tone along the lines of, we are better than you. There is a lot of snootyness from their side. I have even had the women say to me "oh, you have a Masters?! I thought you would have left school at 16." We have ignored it so far as I can't be bothered to bite. However, this issue I can't ignore. She will be round asking me to pick up poo. I feel this is yet another way to look down upon me and I'm not sure I want to do this anyway (see point 3)

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Good for her. You went out and bought the cat, therefore your responsibility to clear up after it. If you can't do that then don't have them. Very very selfish of some posters to think that just because they chose to have an animal that everyone else should put up with it.

[campingshop]

In that case pingu it sounds like you dislike your neighbour and are happy to be the cause of something unpleasant happening in her garden. She might not be a neighbour that you care for very much but I think that you would like to see her unhappy.