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.

susiedaisy it is quite easy to see which cat shits in your garden (unless you have a massive garden) as you can look out of your kitchen window and see them doing it

I don't think that this neighbours word is to be trusted on it. She looks down her nose at the OP, makes comments that she must of left school at 16 and was shocked that OP has a masters and various other things. I believe from what the OP has said that the neighbour waited until the OPs cats were allowed out to complain about the poo in her garden. She wants to see the OP cleaning up all the neighbourhood cats poo as she looks down on her and wants to belittle her. The OP has suggested that they form a rota with the other cats owners in the area but the neighbour refused. The other cat owners are rich so she would never dare to ask them such a thing.

lissielou And how are you not getting that there are more children playing out in my street then there would ever be in the average garden. So whether or not it is in a garden is irrelevant! Why can you not see that if cat poo must be cleaned up then horse poo (which is in a public place!) should be also. Oh that's why, because YOU have horses!

I have answered your question about why this OP shouldn't clean up the cat poo (which doesn't even belong to her cats) from her neighbours garden SO many times. Go back and read what I wrote again, I can't keep writing the same thing just because you don't understand it.

needanewname

I still think in this instance it is about more than the cat poo, otherwise the neighbour would have happily asked all the other local cat owners todo the same, she hasn't

Exactly!

In an ideal world, yes I agree that all animal shit should be picked up as we do with dogs. The thing is we are with our dogs when they shit so are there to pick it up immediately. Cats tend to roam around and you can't guarantee which cat did which shit, unless of course you have CCTV and are prepared to go through it!

If one of my neighbours said something to me then depending on how it was handled I think I would go and clean up, virus there were lots in the area or someone behaved as the op neighbour has done then no I wouldn't.

My cat is allowed out but also has a litter tray (she cries for it when it's being cleaned!). I don't think she goes anywhere else buti accept that I could be wrong.

If this really is about cat poo, why hasnt she approached the other neighbours?

You read the question, I wasn't referring to the op. Wake up dear. Oh, and I don't have horses. You really are unpleasant. Horse shit doesn't carry disease like cat/dog shit does.

Meercat - unless you know both the OP and her neighbour personally and have heard both sides of the story, it's pretty difficult to say conclusively that one is reasonable and the other unreasonable just from a 'feeling' about what the OP has said.

And the feud is a red herring really, the OP has made it pretty clear from the start that even if her cats are the guilty parties, she thinks the neighbour is unreasonable to ask her to clear up after them and she has absolutely no intention of doing so. She's just looking for people to back her up in that particular argument.

Oh, and if I asked a rider to pick it up, they probably would. Not say "why should I"

Wake up dear. You really are unpleasant.

WTF? How dare you! I have said nothing unpleasant! All I have done is have a healthy debate, I guess you don't like that!

(As for the horse, I must be mixing you up with someone else.)

Whatever Meerkat. It's the rest of my post that makes the point, not her being huffy.

HouseOfBamboo Meercat - unless you know both the OP and her neighbour personally and have heard both sides of the story, it's pretty difficult to say conclusively that one is reasonable and the other unreasonable just from a 'feeling' about what the OP has said.

We can only EVER go by what the OP says. We NEVER hear both sides of the story. And we ALWAYS have to go by our feelings based on what we are told. Not sure what your point is there, except maybe to say that you don't have the same "feeling" as me from it. I wouldn't expect you to as we are not the same person!

no, you have been evasive and rude. you made the point that people didnt clear up after their dogs before the law changed. I said that I had. you accused me of lying.

I have answered your question about why this OP shouldn't clean up the cat poo (which doesn't even belong to her cats) from her neighbours garden SO many times. Go back and read what I wrote again, I can't keep writing the same thing just because you don't understand it you didnt answer my question which was why you dont think you should clear up after your pet. instead you imply that I am a bit dim, rather than actually reading the question or answering it. you have been unpleasant on this thread. that is my opinion, and I am entitled to it. I dont know what you are like in real life, but your attitude on this thread has been rather arrogant and rude. instead of actually answering a question or explaining yourself you have persisted in bringing up horse shit, something which has been answered many times, yet you cant seem to grasp that. I stand by that statement, Im sorry if I have offended you, but thats life.

Ahem. I am the one one who owns the horses, and I think you will find, that I stated that I would be happy to clean up my horse muck if requested.

Meercat - I mentioned the 'other side of the story' just because you seem quite passionate about standing up for the poor oppressed OP who has been looked down upon by the nasty snooty neighbour.

I'm just pointing out that this interpretation of the situation may or may not be accurate in real life. Therefore you have to be careful about letting your personal interpretation cloud the issue of whether the neighbour's request is reasonable or not.

lissielou I have NOT been evasive, you just don't agree with my answers. You can't FORCE people to agree with you! How do react during debates in real life?!

you didnt answer my question which was why you dont think you should clear up after your pet

I have answered this many times! I have never said that I shouldn't clear up after my own pet, I do. They poo in their own garden in a toilet I made them. If you were to look back through my posts you wouldn't see a single one that says that, that is what you have assumed bacause I am sticking up for the OP. Every time you have asked me this question I have referred you back to the reason I agree with the OP . . . that in this instance the problem is the neighbour not the poo. I have also said many times that if I were in this situation I would try to come to some agreement with the neighbour that suited all.

the feud with the neighbour thing is a red herring. the op had no intention of clearing up after her cat. she stated early on that the reason she got a cat was so she wouldnt have to clean up its poo. she doesnt see how refusing to clean up will just make things worse and her neighbours feelings and the work that she has done to her garden are unimportant.

the neighbour might be a piece of work, but she has every right to be pissed off.

I'm just pointing out that this interpretation of the situation may or may not be accurate in real life. Therefore you have to be careful about letting your personal interpretation cloud the issue of whether the neighbour's request is reasonable or not.

Isn't that what we all do?! All the people saying she should clear it up have decided the neighbour is reasonable, despite the fact it's not the OPs cats poo. They have decided that the OP is wrong and it is her cats poo. They have decided that the neighbour is being honest about which cats are doing it! We all make judements on what we read.

It's not fair to say that someone else shouldn't make one just because you haven't come to the same conclusion yourself.

I have answered this many times! I have never said that I shouldn't clear up after my own pet, I do. They poo in their own garden in a toilet I made them. If you were to look back through my posts you wouldn't see a single one that says that, that is what you have assumed bacause I am sticking up for the OP. Every time you have asked me this question I have referred you back to the reason I agree with the OP . . . that in this instance the problem is the neighbour not the poo. I have also said many times that if I were in this situation I would try to come to some agreement with the neighbour that suited all.

in that case I apologise. there have been a lot of posts and I read many of them on my phone so some have passed me by.

Meercat - I don't think at any point the OP has said that she KNOWS that her neighbour is lying and that it couldn't possibly be her cats. All she knows is that her cats use their litter trays but also roam around other people's gardens. She can't say for sure what they are doing when they are out of sight.

lissielou Accepted I have got pretty confused myself over who has a horse/cat run/dog etc!

HouseOfBamboo No you are right, she can't possibly know for definate, but she can know what is likely. If her cats are using her litter tray as much as she says then they won't have much poo left. I am sure there is poo in the neighbours garden but there are also 3 other cats. It is also likely that he neighbour has it in for her judging by previous behaviour.

I actually think, that the issue with the neighbour is probably six of one and half a dozen of another, and the cats are just a factor. OPs kids make a lot of noise, neighbours dog barks. Neighbour says something the OP doesnt like, OP uses cats to get back at her. TBH, I think the pair of them need to get a grip.

saggy, exactly.

We have this problem 5 cats in a row of 5 houses I'm not sure that it's the cats shitting in my garden tho, could be the foxes , if a saw one of the cats shitting in the garden I'd think dirty sodding animal and shoo it off, it would never cross my mind to go round and ask the neighbour to pick it up, as for horse shit if it carries disease or not is irrelevant , I still wouldn't want my kids playing in or around it!

Fox poo here. They are 5-20 cm in length.

fox poo is usually black or very dark. Its usually quite easily identified.

Pingu, if you're still reading this, f you want to talk about the potential unfairness of you sometimes clearing up cat poo that doesn't belong to your cats, EVERY SINGLE cat poo that she clears up / accidentally puts her hand or foot into doesn't belong to her. Isn't that a bit unfair?

In addition, since cats are quite 'free range', the number of cat poos that you might accidentally clear up in your neighbour's garden which actually belonged to a different cat is unlikely to ever equal the number of cat poos that do belong to your cats but you that don't clear up.

Still, seems like this isn't really about the cats' poo. You obviously have a rapidly deteriorating relationship with this neighbour for whatever reasons, and you should decide whether you are happy to let it get worse, or actually want to be on good terms. Sometimes - law, ethics and culture aside - it really is that simple.