Menace Cat

[Popbiscuit]

Our neighbours have a lovely cat that goes outside during the day. He is a prolific hunter of rodents and is regularly leaving corpses (mice, rabbits, chipmunks) on our front garden. Although I do believe cats should be able to go outside, I'm getting really fed up with cleaning up (the family is not home during the day) and worried that my children are going to accidentally come into contact with the bodies as they play out there a lot with friends. This cat is known to have had tapeworm recently and I'm a bit worried about that with regards to the kids.

Technically our town has a bi-law about outdoor cats (not allowed) and I know lots of other neighbours are affected too but I'm not sure if it's worth discussing with them as I can't think of any other solution than keeping the cat inside.

We actually have a number of issues with these neighbours but don't take them to task because they live directly opposite and our children play out together all the time. I can live with the other things (pick your battles) but this is just SO disgusting to have to deal with all the time. AIBU to make it an issue?

well I wouldn't be thrilled at finding dead animals littered around my garden but how do you envisage tackling this/bringing it up with them? The thing is if you don't feel you can ask them to keep the cat inside, what can you ask them to do?

I don't see what you can do about it, to be honest. It's a cat. It's what cats often do.

If it makes you feel any better, this is a cat that obviously likes you a lot, if he leaves you all these presents. He also thinks your hunting skills are dire :)

we've had quite a few threads about cats peeing in gardens and what to do about it and I recall vaguely there are some products you can buy and spray around the edge of your garden which might put the cat off coming in. Might be worth a try?

Ewww nobody likes to have to clear up tiny corpses, well, any corpse really.

But presumably your children encounter all sorts of wildlife in their surroundings, and they can get worms from any number of places.

Tell them to come and get you if they find any bodies, and not to touch them?

I think your OP makes it clear that this is the straw that's breaking the camels back, what kinds of other things do they get up to?

Do you think if you approach them, officially or unofficially, it'll make a jot of difference?

If you don't, and you think their behaviour will be worse than putting up with what they're like at the minute, I would hang off until they have enough rope to hang themselves with. They're bound to do something that'll bring all the neighbours round to how you feel about them, if they don't already.

and amazement at having actual chipmunks in your garden

And at the by-law saying cats have to stay indoors, that must be an old one surely?

Rabbits? That's an ambitious cat

maybe it is a big cat

Where do you live to have such a ridiculoue by law.

Well I'd assume it's bigger than mine, both of mine are smaller than wild rabbits, lol

still, even if it's big- that still good going, I know that wasn't the point of the thread, but I was impressed by the cat

Is it Switzerland?

Tabulahrasa--He's amazing. They're baby rabbits, but still :( We rarely see this cat without something in it's mouth... quite a sight.
AgentZigZag--We live in Canada so chipmunks are fairly common but they are extremely fast so I've no idea how he gets them. He wears a bell so you think that would hinder him a little but it doesn't seem to be the case. The cat bylaw is actually new as apparently outdoor cats are threatening the songbird population.
It's not really a cat issue; I know it's what cats do and I'm not precious about the garden. It's just really gross; sometimes there are guts all over the place that I have to gather up and I am freaking out mildly concerned about the health implications (Do NOT google tapeworm). He's such a sweet cat otherwise and does clearly like us as he's here all the time and plays with our dog.
Other issues? The family concerned also have a rather large semi-commercial vehicle that they park in the road in front of our house all the time (even though they have a perfectly good driveway). We don't have recourse because it's "allowed" but they leave it there all weekend/ evenings and it creates a blind spot (we're on a bend) which makes it dangerous for our (and their) children to cross plus it's hideous. Their kids are also, um, a bit wanting for discipline but that is another thread :) Our kids think they are the bee's knees so we try to let it go.

Wait, people can be rude in Canada!? But it's the most polite place on earth!
I've no actual advice, sorry.

It's Canada hassled - Outdoor cats apparently threaten the numbers of songbirds ( I do NOT know how they collected this data as I'm quite sure that there are plenty of other creatures around here that would eat birds). Not sure I agree with it TBH.

Didn't chipmunks in the Rockies used to carry rabies?
Just saying that all the little furries and local wildlife may carry their own risks, too; good hygiene after fondling the corpses maybe your only recourse. Odds are somebody (?else) will report your neighbour's outdoor cat eventually, anyway.

I've seen a cat kill a grey squirrel in a park in London. It was impressive.

That's an ill-conceived by-law... but there you go....

Really your choices are to live with it, to complain to your neighbour or to complain to the council. Only you can decide if your children's relationship with the family across the road is worth disrupting with a dispute about this.... And only you can gauge how much of an impact the dead animals are having on you.

It's a compliment, he's giving you presents, he likes you. Sorry not helpful but cats do that. Try to repel him, use garlic or orange/ lemon peel or that repellent you can buy where he accesses your garden.