Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

about the neighbour's cat?

46 replies

Theala · 30/09/2011 19:58

A new neighbour moved into our building recently. We live in an old house that has been converted to flats, with one flat on each floor. We live on the first floor, NN lives on the 3rd. She is the only one in our building with a pet.

So, NN has a cat. She lets the cat out most days so it can run up and down the communal staircase. The first few days after she moved, the cat pissed all over the staircase to mark its territory. On the third day, DH asked her to clean it up, as it was stinking everywhere. She replied that she had noticed the smell, but thought it couldn't be her cat, as her cat only ever does its business in its litter tray.

A fortnight later, she knocked on our door and accused DH of letting the cat out onto the street, as it had been found wandering outside. Except Dh had left for work at five that morning, and she hadn't let the cat out until eight. And I definitely didn't let it out. Anyway.

A few weeks after that, the cat had an accident (diarrhea) behind the main entrance door, and I went up to hers to let her know. I thought I was being quite nice and friendly about it, but she seemed to take it badly because she glared at me and said "And you want me to clean it up, do you?" I was like "well......yes".

So, to today. This morning DH was transporting stuff up and down the stairs. At one stage, the cat got into our flat and was apparently sat on our bed. Dh took him out, but as he did so, got the impression that the cat has fleas. (He used to work for an animal charity so knows what he's talkng about.) He sent me a text after saying we must talk to the neighbour about it.

This evening I came home and there was a note on my door "my cat is locked into your appartment". And lo, the cat was inside. I shooshed him back up the stairs to NN's flat, had a quick word with her to make sure the cat was ok (and chickened out of mentioning fleas) and came back down to inspect my place.

Luckily, the cat has not shit anywhere, but he did piss on my cream sofa. It's not the end of the world, I can clean it, but...it's not something that I want to have to worry about on a regular basis. And we regularly have our apartment door open, e.g., when we're bringing a big shopping up from downstairs, or DH is bringing his tools downstairs.

AIBU to ask NN to no longer let the cat out into the communal areas? Or should I just suck it up as part of communal living?

OP posts:

AKMD · 01/10/2011 20:09

Get a professional cleaner in and bill the neighbour. For now though, attack it with a Stain Devil and Febreeze (the sofa, not the cat).

Original poster

Theala · 01/10/2011 20:37

The carpet cleaner I zapped it with yesterday seems to have done the trick for the stain, but the smell remains. Rarr! Am tempted to invite neighbour down and rub her nose in it.

OP posts:

NetworkGuy · 01/10/2011 20:49

As a cat owner and about to move (most likely into a flat on a shared ownership basis) I'd say the NN is being unreasonable. I know Toms make smellier pee, and as for the 'only in the litter tray' that's clearly not going to happen when a cat has 'new territory' to mark (even if there are no other cats visiting - which of course the cat doesn't know) and will do so, whether it be a communal area or inside any other home.

While it may not be in any lease you have, the man who is letting the third and fourth floors needs to be 'informed' in no uncertain terms, so (a) he can ask the NN to be more considerate and (b) can consider terms of rental in the future to either exclude pets or lay some guidelines down.

I take my cat (female, over 13 now) for walks around the estate (OK, not a common thing, and definitely not on a lead!) but I know if I am talking to any of my neighbours, then if there's an open front door, I am careful to watch for my cat 'investigating'. That old line 'curiosity killed the cat' might not be strictly factual, but the curiosity part is (in my experience with cats over some 40 years) very true - they like investigating anywhere, at any time, and only learn about dangers after the event!

NetworkGuy · 01/10/2011 20:51

If your NN is concerned about her cat 'getting out' and being run down by cars, then encourage her to take him for walks herself. Leaving him to run around the communal areas and potentially get out, or trip another resident if they don't see him while carrying boxes etc, is being inconsiderate and endangers both the cat and humans as cats are quite unpredictable if they are cornered, become scared or angry...

I know from experience of one of our cats who decided, for no particular reason, to treat me as a tree, when I was a teenager. She ran down from our cherry tree and up my back, ending up with her mouth wide open and biting my neck and top of my head, with her front claws just above my eyebrows and her back legs trying to rip my back open.

It was hellishly painful and I dropped to my knees then rolled forward while pulling her front claws out of my forehead and her weight made her lose her grip with her teeth as she fell forward with me pulling her front feet forward. It was a cat we had owned for some 10 years and the only time she had acted that way.

Perhaps she was startled by something (we had a busy road and a railway nearby) or perhaps hurt herself on a twig or something, and reacted this way. Not sure if she was actually intending it as an attack on me personally or some sort of 'that thing is alive, I'll kill it' reaction. She was sweet as pie for the rest of her life.

breatheslowly · 01/10/2011 21:00

One of my friends had to have a new sofa as a neighbour's cat pissed on theirs. Check out your insurance as you may be able to claim. Or go ballistic at the NN and ask her to cough up. I know which I would do as only one of them would impact my insurance premiums next year.

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 01/10/2011 21:05

You need to tell her landlord. She's not taking responsiblity for her pet and the landlord needs to know.

NetworkGuy Fucking hell!

marriedinwhite · 01/10/2011 21:22

MIW as you all know is a boring and reasonable old thing. MIW looks around the room at her sleeping boys. One on DH's chair, one on sofa next to me, one top of piano. Sleeping boys come and go as they please and do not pee indoors. Boys know the way in and the way out and have access to the garden whenever they want. When one is ill, the cat flap gets locked and the litter trays are put out and are used without exception. If there was no garden they would be house cats. They wouldn't like it but it would keep them safe.

It sounds a bit as though nn might have mh problems - I think I would just raise it with the landlord - hopefully her lease won't be renewed unless she adheres to its covenants. Poor lovely boy though.

Ooh two boys here having a poke and a chirrup at each other and fattest knacker just tried to walk over keyboard having woken up. He's interfering with stripy and stripy not happy . MIW apologises but they provide hours of entertainment - any they don't have fleas. Could you get some drops and just surreptitiously squirt at back of neck - I know they are quite expensive but they are cheaper than the council coming round to spray.

Ooh the boys are getting a bit feisty now!

Greatdomestic · 01/10/2011 21:45

Def be kept out of communal areas.

Honestly, some pet owners are so irresponsible and can't see why you wouldn't want your living area stinking of cats piss. yuk. Nip this in the bud now. I have a neighbour with cats who crap all over my garden, spray on my kids outdoor toys - it's disgusting. If you don't set her straight now, it will be so much harder further down the line. Good luck.

boohoobabywho · 01/10/2011 21:53

there is a shrub, that cats hate... but i cant remeber what its called. perhaps if you put one of these in a pot by the door, the cat wouldnt come in/out as it pleased.

ChippingIn · 01/10/2011 21:58

Slavetofilofax - that would be a nasty & bitchy thing to do. Completely unnecessary.

Theala - YANBU her cat needs to be inside her flat. When she had a go at your DH (about letting the cat out, even though he didn't) one of you should have said to her, 'It is your cat, it should be in your flat - we are not responsible for its safety - you are - keep it in'.

I would write her a note and put it in her letter box - tell her that the cat needs to be kept in her apartment and not allowed to run free in the communal area. She has chosen to have a cat - not you (and I love cats so no axe to grind) none of the rest of you should have to worry about it getting into your apartment, out onto the road or dealing with it's wee/poo. Tell her if she doesn't you will contact her landlord about the issue.

NetworkGuy · 01/10/2011 22:12

Have to say I agree with ChippingIn, esp with respect to comments made by Slavetofilofax.

The cat may be a nuisance, but if it is shut in a communal area, it is not solely to blame for any mess left in that area. Owner has responsibility for where the cat is allowed to go, or not, and appears myopic if she is claiming it would never leave any mess in communal areas...

careergirl · 01/10/2011 22:28

No you are not being unreasonable I would not be happy. You say the leasehold contains no proviso re pets. However what is important here is her tenancy agreement. Does that make any statement re pets? I would be surprised if it is silent on this issue.
You need to speak to her Landlord
I like cats, I have a cat but this is not on. Its like she is treating the communal areas as an extension of her flat. Not on and you don't want to set precedents for the future.
speak to the landlord. it will be interesting to see if her tenancy agreement allows her to keep pets.

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 02/10/2011 14:24

slavetofilofax Wow! That's rather evil and also I would imagine illegal! You can't just steal someone's cat!

QuietTiger · 02/10/2011 14:56

OP, as someone who has 8 cats (so is effectively a "crazy cat lady" ) you ADNBU. Anybody with a modicum of common sense would know that it is not reasonable for a cat who lives in a flat to be allowed in communal areas unsupervised.

The best thing to get rid of cat smell (for your sofa) is a product called "Urine Off". It's an enzymic cleaner designed specifically to get rid of the smell of cat urine. It works. I know this because I buy it by the gallon Urine Off

I would also be having words with your neighbour, because she is currently being neglectful towards her cat, especially with the flea issue.

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/10/2011 15:08

we have a cat.

Regardless of what the lease says most landlords prohibit pets due to damage and mess.

I bet her landlord does not know she is keeping a cat.

YANBU

Original poster

Theala · 15/10/2011 11:16

Update: I think she's actually a totally nutter. DH ran into her just after the couch pee incident and told her about it. Apparently the cat was locked into a different neighbour's flat that day. She was mostly apologetic and said she would keep it in her own flat from now on.

I just ran into her downstairs, she asked after the couch, I said I was glad she was going to keep the cat in from now on, that I thought it was best.

However, she then said that she'll still let it out a little bit every now and again when she's doing her cleaning and asked that we keep an eye out for it.
I replied that I didn't think that was a good idea, and that I really wouldn't be happy if the cat got into my flat again.

She just looked at me all seriously, and asked "Will you kill it?"

What the actual fuck? Since when has Not being Happy About Neightbour's Cat in Your flat = Cat-Murdering Barbarian?

Fucking nutter.

OP posts:

ChippingIn · 15/10/2011 12:57

She sounds completely batty. You should have said 'Yes, we will' in the hope that it would make her keep her cat, in her flat.

DogsBeastFiend · 15/10/2011 13:06

She's a fruitloop. It's official. :o

Re Polish accents - they're not scary, they're lovely! :)

ChaoticAngelofSamhain · 15/10/2011 13:12

"She just looked at me all seriously, and asked "Will you kill it?""

You should have said "Yes, they go well with a nice chianti you know."

White vinegar is supposed to be good for tackling the smell of cat pee.

monkeypuzzeltree · 15/10/2011 21:34

She is clearly mad. I had an idea, maybe you should get a "BEWARE OF THE DOG" sign and put it on your front door. Next time you see her, just say that you've got a new dog, it is quite savage and likes to chase/eat cats!

mummymeister · 16/10/2011 00:08

She is being a bit unfair to the cat keeping it in all day but really is this the right place for a cat owner to live. if the only way she can let the cat out is via the communal areas then even if you deal with her the next nutter may be a cat owner. i think you need to tackle her but also tackle the issue with her landlord. it needs to be in future leases about pet ownership. unusual nowadays to find that it isnt. Buy a plastic plant missing spray bottle and fill it with water. spray the cat with it if it comes near your door to deter it. go to the pet shop and find cat pee spray that lifts out the smell. we had a carpet attacked by weeing neighbours cat and she bought me a bottle as a sorry present. you have to tell her straight - your cat, you look after stop it peeing in the communal areas and if comes in my flat again i will send one of my kids round to sit in yours!

Flip

1 2