Cat poo - was I being too reasonable?

[emseth]

My neighbour came round the other day and said my cats are pooing in his garden. He has 2 cats of his own but he said they only poo in their litter tray so he's sure it not them. He said I'm going to have to keep my cats indoors as his 2 year old keeps coming in from the garden covered in cat poo.

I have agreed to this - although we plan to get our garden cat proofed ASAP - the wistful looking out the window, meowing and scratching on the doors is getting on my nerves - and it's only been 2 days!

I've been really surprised at the reaction of my friends - they think I'm mad for agreeing to keep them in. They are my pets though so surely it's my responsibility to ensure they're not bothering my neighbours?

Thoughts please!

[gamerchick]

No just keep them in.

[WinterWinds]

Well I for one certainly would keep my two cats in at the request of a neighbour. The youngest of the two would be climbing the walls

They both use the litter tray and the garden (ours) so quite possible its his own cats doing the crapping

Has he actually seen your cats doing it? if there is no definite proof then would not comply with any requests to keep them in.

[AgentZigzag]

Yes, it's all in the training IPrefer

[ElleBelly]

Yes I understand that they're different animals. Thankyou. What I don't understand is why some cat owners don't see the problem with their cats shitting in other people's gardens, but it would not be acceptable to let your dog crap in your neighbours garden. I don't understand the distinction?

[AgentZigzag]

Because dogs aren't allowed to roam free Elle, for good reason.

[funnyossity]

I wish my neighbour's cat buried its poo but sadly it didn't get that memo.

[Writerwannabe83]

I have cats that go outdoors. I do however have a covered litter tray which is kept in the garden for them to do their poos in. They go in there nice and regularly, every morning just before breakfast Having litter trays can be a bit of a pain but I'm perfectly happy to have them as I couldn't bear to think of them going to the toilet in another person's garden. Cat owners have just as much duty to be responsible for their pets poos as dog owners do. I think you are a lovely neighbour OP

[GhostsInSnow]

Never owned a cat, but I do own a large garden and a dog. My neighbours have cats, they crap in my garden. Foxes, hedgehogs, squirrels, rabbits and birds crap in my garden. I can no more stop the cats than the other creatures. It's irritating, but not the end of the world.
When the kids were small I checked for dog/cat/bird/elephant poo before children went to play. I'd never dream of asking a neighbour to keep their cat in!

[kitsmummy]

Why don't you just have a litter tray but let them out too - that way your cats are being treated exactly the same as the neighbour's cats - you can't be any more reasonable than that!

[Sparklingbrook]

Good point kits. Get a litter tray and litter then let them out. Job done.

[DameDeepRedBetty]

How on earth can you cat-proof a garden? The only method I can think of to keep BettyCat in would involve Colditz level razor wire, security towers with 10,000 watt lights, and twelve foot high sheer walls faced with super-slippery shiny stuff. And even then she might find a way...

[Sparklingbrook]

The weirdest bit of all this is that the neighbour owns cats. Usually the people up in arms about cat poo are cat haters.

[TheSinisterTrifle]

You sound like a lovely neighbour op. I have a little elderly cat who spends her time by the fire now and doesn't want to go out. My garden is now visited by several cats.

I can't keep them out and even want to kidnap one love one of them. She is a HUGE Maine Coon and has taken over the mouse patrol my old gal can't manage anymore. No more mice in the compost!

[cate16]

I too am wondering how you cat proof a garden, but I like Damedeeps ideas :)

I'd have to do that or put lead boots on my cat.

[emseth]

Crikey - who would have thought the subject of cat poo could be so polarising!

I do have 2 litter trays and they do use them. But I'm under no illusions that they may well be pooing else where too! I agree that his cats are probably pooing in someone elses garden (I know they don't tend to do it in their own!). He said that he'd seen my cat doing it but I wouldn't be surprised if there other cats doing it too.

He mentioned that's he'd just dug up the area before it started happening so I'm afraid that he may find that me keeping mine in doesn't resolve the problem fully! I'm sure all the cats in the neighbourhood are thinking 'ooooo lovely new toilet!'

I suppose I've been a bit more agreeable to keeping them in as they've only been outdoor cats for a couple of months - one was being bullied by another cat at our old house so was being kept in on vet advice and the other is a breed and as we got her as a 2 year old rescue cat had never been let out before (she's adapted really well though and likes nothing more than sitting in a tree!)

I must admit that being told I have to keep them in did annoy me, and I think the 2 year old covered in poo thing was probably a fib.

I'm hoping cat proofing is an option as most of the garden is walled. But if not, has anyone got any ideas for a good compromise?

[TheSinisterTrifle]

I will save my hate for the bastard neighbour who put down a shedload of slug pellets and killed ALL the hedgehogs that have been coming into my garden for years.

They died an agonising death because he loved his lettuces sooo bloody much.

[DoJo]

I am not a cat hater, but I am a cat poo hater and I have seen several cats in our area just squatting and leaving, so I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that either a) we live in the equivalent of a sink estate in cat terms and they are all minging beggars or b) cats bury their poo in their own gardens to make their owners think that they are angels but then leave it everywhere when they are in other people's gardens or c) it is akin to the endless debate between standing and non-standing post toilet wiping techniques which exists on MN!

[Sparklingbrook]

It really bothers some people

[defineme]

Let them out and buy him cat off stuff and a water pistol?

[LilMissSunshine9]

Meh legally you don't have to keep your cats in by law they are classed as roaming animals so whilst you may want to be a nice neighbour and agree to his request you don't actually legally have to.

I have neighbours cats come in my garden poo everywhere just have to deal with it and again by law I cannot make my neighbours come clear up the poo either.

[OvaryAction]

I would advise him to put citrus peel where he finds cat poo and give him permission to give your cats a quick squirt if he sees them in his garden. I think he's BU to expect you to keep your cats in because of this.

[OvaryAction]

squirt with one of those spray bottles filled with water*

[Financeprincess]

I'm still laughing about the cork suggestion...

Cats crap in our garden and don't bury it. They particularly like our gravel. We have a solution though - we spot which cat is doing it, then when we next pick up the cat turds (we have special gloves and a poo trowel for this purpose), we put it in a plastic bag, walk to the cat's owners' house and delicately sprinkle it at their gate.

[NorthernLurker]

Cats don't bury the poo if they're trying to assert their territory. Buried poo isn't going to help is it? The problem is that you've a lot of cats living close together. If he kept his in then yours would probably bury the poo. As it is I would encourage yours to stay close - is safer anyway. Itherwise let them out and ignore him. It could very well be his own cats poo the child is crawling in.