to think there are too many cats in the city and people should THINK before getting one?

[phlossie]

Disclaimer: 1. I like cats 2. I would never really do a cat any harm (but I can fantasise...)

I live in a city suburb in a terraced house on a street lined on either side with terraced houses, and our row of terraces backs onto another similar row - and it's like this for miles. When we moved in, we have gravel in our garden, which we (well dh) laboured to remove and replace with soil and then turf. Why? Because the gravel was a cat litter tray.

Problem is, the cats now shit on our grass. In plain sight. Unburied. I can't let the children go outside without clearing it up first, and I can't put our guinea pigs on the grass. I'm pregnant, so less keen on cat poo than ever (actually made me puke the other week). It makes me really angry!

Now dog poo on the pavement is disguisting, but that's down to the owners. And all other animals live within their owner's houses and gardens, but cats wander - and they like pooing in other people's gardens.

We've tried the usual deterrants - my DH even went through a phase of peeing in the garden himself! But I find myself wanting to shoot them with a pellet gun, or put down broken glass (I wouldn't, don't call the RSPCA).

I effing hate them. They ruin our garden. And I think people who get a cat when every other fecker in the street has one are thoughtless. I've even heard cat owners say 'ha, well they don't poo in our garden - they go next door!' Bastards!

Unreasonable, me? No.

BTW - if you have any good ideas about how to deter them, please tell me.

Also - worraliberty sometimes people might have some 'real' problems (massive family bereavement causing equally massive family fall out, for example), it's just nice to have some escapism from being serious all the time.

carried ie you mean they'll poo in someone elses'?

Hmm...

Flump it's part of life, they'll have to learn in the end.

I wonder if Cave women sat around their caves moaning about animal shit?

They shit, they can't shit in toilets so why stress about it?

Get some cat scat plants, they are great at discouraging them to foul certain areas. Apart from that get a cat of your own, others won't come in then.

People get cats of companionship and for people to moan about other people's choice of pet is out of order.
It's getting next to impossible to have a dog in the city, due to restrictions on where you can take them, having to pick up poo, attacks from other dogs.

So people will get a cat instead.
Just manage the situation and wear gloves ect. That's city living for you.
Now if you were in the countryside you might freak out at the HUGE cow pats and dead wild animals littering the road.

Like your post whomovedmychocolate - I appreciate that people love their cats.

I'll try pepper/cayenne pepper and catmint. I wouldn't mind them being in my garden - or, like in my parents' garden, pooing in the flower beds and burying it. It's just when it's on the grass. Especially runny stuff that soaks to the roots and kills the grass (that we couldn't really afford).

I know it's only poo - but cat poo makes me retch.

Well we need a badger cull in the countryside so perhaps a cat cull in the city is the way forward?

seriously worra? I stress about it because unless I turn into the cat-shit-mafia and examine every square inch of the garden every morning, and then stand at the back door ready to inspect shoes every time my DCs come indoors, I end up with cat shit all over my carpets, my DCs shoes, and sometimes their clothes. It stinks and it's a serious health risk.

Can you tell I'm getting wound up talking about it? Can you? Can you???

ThingsthatgoFlump have your neighbours ever complained? I tried that and the cat-owners next door threw it back. But they are class A fuck-knuckles.

BTW I don't live in the city, I live in a large village with houses with mostly large gardens - but the fecking cats still don't have enough space of their own to keep out of mine, for some reason.

I grew up in the countryside. Never had a cow pat on the lawn.

I agree about dogs. And I wouldn't get a cat because they shit in people's gardens! Guinea pigs are fine.

And I think people who get a cat when every other fecker in the street has one are thoughtless.

No, not thoughtless, just realistic. We got our first cat when we realised that everyone else in the street had cats and they were all coming into our garden. Once you have your own cats you shouldn't be plagued by everyone else's. (doesn't always work, but that's the theory).

things, yea.

i don't think most people mind really, alot of people don't really go in their gardens much, esp people without children.

after all shit happens

Wurg no they haven't - probably partly because I'm a scarey old witch and also because if they did I would say "can't have been me, I don't have a cat ". I also make sure I throw it with enough gusto that it must be well-scattered and not in a little tell-tale pile just over the hedge

Maybe that's fair enough, then, tallulah!

I know, its gross. We have a cat and I still think its horrible. I hate dog shit and feel it would be double standards to say dog shit = disgusting whereas cat shit = OK. I know they can't help it, its what the do etc but it still isn't nice. Not sure what I can do about our cats shit though - have no idea where he does it.

The only real solution, as carriedababi said, is it get a cat yourself, but make sure it is male. We have a neutered boy cat and no other cat comes in our garden or he would eat them

Douse a tea bag with olbas oil, leave it in the most heavily targeted areas.
Push kebab skewers into the ground, they only try to squat there once then get the message
My neighbours have 7 cats, I keep having to come up with more inventive ways to keep my tiny garden and my hone grown veg poo-free.
I don't especially like cats, I am aware they have to poo, but I am not happy about them pooing on mine and my family's food.
I have found encouraging the DCs to "go and say hello to the cats" whenever they seem to be lining up for a good squat really puts them off

I'd be really uncomfortable and really quite ashamed knowing that a pet of mine was causing such distress to a non pet-owning household. Especially one with a toddler and a pregnant mum who are constantly stepping in / having to deal with the stinking shit.

We had this problem. I was under the naive impression that cats dug a little hole, pooed and then buried it, but apparently that's so last century. They now blatantly poo on lawns and saunter off.
Get a massive catering tub of cayenne pepper and sprinkle liberally especially where they enter and leave your garden. Worked for us. Also, hammer on the window or clap loudly or make a loud hissing noise when you see them in your garden. They get the message eventually (i.e. mad lady lives there).

I think people should think twice before having kids in a city. They put extra shit in the sewers, contribute to local and global pollution and drop litter. I think people who have kids just because every other fecker in the street are thoughtless.

Fair point, Ormirian - I have 3 of the feckers and they would shit in the garden given half the chance!

I have had this problem with my cat... She refuses to use a litter tray and went in my neighbours gardens all the time. I doused their gardens in cayenne pepper and it did the trick! I have no idea where she poos now though...

Ah, the regular cat-bitching-about thread. How novel.

I've got a better suggestion for a topic - AIBU to think that there are far too many people in the city and that they should THINK before reproducing?

I thought cats buried their poo?

YANBU. Please keep posting cat threads until there's not a problem any more :o Pet animals are supposed to stay in their owners' garden, it's selfish to keep an animal you can't control.

"Pet animals are supposed to stay in their owners' garden..."

Tropical fish? Homing pigeons? Horses?