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.

look, I agree that the neighbour is a bit of a twat. she should have spoken to the other neighbours about it, and not just the op.

but the OP's cat is shitting in her garden. the garden that she has worked hard on. spent money on. cares for. and someone elses cat is coming in and shitting on it.

you cant be a pet owner as and when. you cant enjoy the cuddles but not clean up the sick when they have eaten something nasty. you cant rave about how happy you all are with a pet in the house and ignore when the neighbour complains that they are stalking their guinea pigs. and you cant absolve yourself of all responsibility when they are not on your property, based on the fact that there is a law regarding the disposal of the waste of one animal, and not yours. I guarantee that if the op's cat came home one night with a pellet wound or glass in the foot or poisoned, the op would be horrified that someone could do this to her ickle moggy.

I wish that more people were like the op's neighbour and made a stand, as someone said earlier, the neighbour is part of a silent majority. the not getting on thing is a red herring, because like it or not, the op is still in the wrong by expecting someone else to clear up after her pet. and even more so for getting a cat so she wouldnt have to clean up after it. its irresponsible and childish.

good on the neighbour, If my dog shit anywhere i did/would pick it up, immediatly, shit carries disease, i dont want my children or someone elses child falling in it, so why shouldnt the op pick up her cat shit? Cat owners should be more responsible.

Curlyboy...me too ...but that was a bit much...

Don't think such things, have a

OK. Sorry. I've calmed down and no longer wish any harm to your moggies.

Curly, yep, not that I'd wish any other cats harm, but I can certainly see why some people do get to the point where they resort to drastic actions, eg glass and poison! The cats here shit all over my garden, and this is unfair on my children as we saved to move to a house with garden for that reason, not just to provide bloody people that won't take responceibility for there own shit, so to speak!
My 3 cats are happy, heathy and they would be stolen if they were outdoor animals, not to mention the harm that the cars could do.
I think if you truly loved your cat you wouldn't allow it out into those possible dangers!

I think this whole thread has proven how angry this makes people, maybe if everyone took responsibility for there choises in life the world would be a much nicer place, :)
It's certainly provokes strong reactions! Look at that cat bin lady, she was the most hated woman in the world for what she did, but the uproar was worse than if someone had taken a life FGS! Not that I agree with her actions, but if you know that it's upsetting someone that might snap and do something awful to your pet, why would you risk thar!???

*that, stupid touch pad!

agree, I would never advocate harming an animal. I know how devastated ds would be if benj got hurt, or was killed. but I can see how people get to that point. they pay for their homes and gardens. they work hard on them. they work hard for them. some people choose not to have pets purely because they want to keep their homes and gardens nice. gardening isnt a cheap hobby. and its fucking horrible to put your hands in crap.

but somehow some people on here think that they should just suck it up and live with it. why is a cats freedom to crap wherever it wants more important than a humans right to be able to enjoy their own home?

and the op still hasnt responded to my recent posts.

lissielou
Your bang on, if only everyone though the same :)

With -
you cant be a pet owner as and when. you cant enjoy the cuddles but not clean up the sick when they have eaten something nasty. you cant rave about how happy you all are with a pet in the house and ignore when the neighbour complains that they are stalking their guinea pigs. and you cant absolve yourself of all responsibility when they are not on your property, based on the fact that there is a law regarding the disposal of the waste of one animal, and not yours. I guarantee that if the op's cat came home one night with a pellet wound or glass in the foot or poisoned, the op would be horrified that someone could do this to her ickle moggy.

[Yawn]

PrettyMeerkat Tue 05-Jul-11 21:53:55
[Yawn]

nothing interesting to say then. or just no argument.

Just quickly read through and saw you complaining that the OP hasn't replied to your posts. You have said nothing new and are just ranting and ranting and ranting!

FWIW I agree with this:

vnmum Tue 05-Jul-11 18:38:37

I guess the neighbours reaction to OP's solution proves that the issue was never really the poo anyway. Maybe if the neighbour hadn't been such a bitch to OP prior to this request, the OP may well have been inclined to clean up the poo.

If i were in the same position and the neighbour was nice then i would go and clean the garden but if the neighbour had been bitchy to me all the time then i wouldn't.

PrettyMeerkat Tue 05-Jul-11 21:58:59
Just quickly read through and saw you complaining that the OP hasn't replied to your posts. You have said nothing new and are just ranting and ranting and ranting!

oh for gods sake, I may be repeating myself, but if I am its because none of my points have been answered. the op (like yourself) has been evasive and is sticking to the "I dont want to, why should I?" argument. even my 6yo could do better than that.

I still think spraying em pink would be the best option, like LLinda's llamas.

oh, and the op hasnt taken or responded to any suggestions, which suggests that she still thinks that her neighbour should just put up and shut up.

so, meerkat. why shouldnt you clean up after your cats? if you have access to the poo, and you are aware that it is causing upset and hindering someones enjoyment of the property they pay for and work hard on? can you answer?

But there is no proof it is the ops cat!!! There is still poo on the ops cats litter tray.

All you people having a go at the op, how do you know it's her cat? other cats have been seen in the garden, why is the neighbour not asking their owners?

the op says herself that the cats are going outside and in her neighbours garden. and even if she knew for certain that they werent going there, they are going in some other poor buggers garden.

and tbh, im giving all catowners a hard time, because their attitude bloody stinks. nobody likes clearing up crap. I dont skip outside with a shovel everyday wondering what joys the dogs anus has graced me with. but how galling when you dont even have a pet. or, when you clean up after your pet responsibly and then someone elses too.

can you lot really not see why this is an issue?

But maybe the ops cat isn't going in someone else garden, maybe they are only using the litter tray.

We get cat and fox shit in our garden too. It might be all down to our cat but I doubt it very much seeing the fuss she's been making wanting to use her litter tray. So should I go out and gather up all the local cat owners and demand they come and clean up my garden?

And yes i can see the issue, but the neighbour is blaming one person ad one cat. Can't you see how ridiculous that is?

Hello - I'm the OP - I have thought about your suggestions of offering her something to try to keep the cats out of her garden.

One of the reasons (only one of them and not the main one) is that I do not want my neighbour, who is a snooty cow, to think she can come round whenever she likes and ask me to clear up her garden.

Many of the cat prevention devices require regular upkeep - batteries or regular replacing sticks or gells or whatever. I know I will be flamed for this, but hay ho, I also don't want her coming round and asking for yet more batteries or replacements. I don't want anything to do with my snooty neighbour.

Seriously folks, if you are really really passionate about this subject, why don't you lobby your MPs and ask them to change the law?

Dog owners, on the whole, did not pick up their dog poo. It was only when the law changed that owners then started to pick up their dog poo. Now, culturally, it is more normal for dog owners to pick it up than not.

I 100% do not think my neighbour has asked a reasonable request. Nothing any of you say has changed my mind on that. Perhaps it is because culturally it is just not normal in the UK for this to happen. Cat owners do not see it as normal or reasonable. To me, you are all the strange ones.

If you are all so very pissed off by it, why don't you start a media campaign with your local papers, or on line, or on You Tube or something?

Many of you have said that the reason you have not said anything to your cat owning neighbours is that you don't want to fall out with them. For this reason, I also stand by my view that my neighbour actually knows it is an unreasonable request and wants me to say no so that she can have a reason to fall out with me and not speak to me.

oh, for gods sake!

Heh, don't like the answers you get in the am I being unreasonable section? Tell people if they are that passionate about things they should lobby their MP. Reasonableness incarnate.

I thought that was a good idea? Perhaps the reason I can't see my neighbour's view is because it is culturally ingrained in me to think one way. One of the ways to change culture is to change the law to force the public to/not to do something, until it becomes normal and a new cultural idea is formed.

I was trying to be reasonable.