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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think it is totally reasonable for cat owners not to pick up poo

746 replies

PMDD · 02/12/2013 18:17

I mean how can they?

I have 2 cats and now 1 puppy. I watch my puppy when she is out and know where she is, I can see if she is pooing. If she disappears under a bush I check (with my sense of smell) and pick up if necessary. I carry poo bags everywhere.

However, my cats come and go as they please. When they were kittens I had a litter tray that they used, but as they started to go outside with a cat flap, they stopped using the litter tray.

My (ex) neighbour asked me to come and pick up after my cats, but as there are lots and lots of cats in the area, there was no knowing that it was my cats.

I am not a bad pet owner. But I think it is unreasonable to expect cat owners to have the same poo pick up responsibility as dog owners.

OP posts:
LST · 02/12/2013 21:46

What does 'seemingly' cover?

You sound lovely btw Hmm

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/12/2013 21:47

If I ever live in the UK again though I would have no qualms about culling a (seemingly) feral cat if it was damaging my property or limiting my ability to enjoy my garden.

Yeah, you may find that 'culling' cats (feral or otherwise) is actually illegal here, mate.

Hannibal Lecter much?

LST · 02/12/2013 21:49

I mentioned up thread people who deserved a cat learning to shit through their letter box. You seem like a good candidate teddy. .

D0oinMeCleanin · 02/12/2013 21:50

Killing feral cats is legal in the UK, if you are the landowner on which the cats reside and you leave yourself open to prosecution if you "accidentally" kill a pet cat or stray cat.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/12/2013 21:51
Shock
TeddyBare · 02/12/2013 21:53

Heartbroken, Feral cats may be culled throughout the year, but they must be destroyed humanely because the provisions of the UK animal welfare legislation apply equally to feral cats and those kept as pets (Natural England 2010). According the the (UK) game and wildlife trust. www.gwct.org.uk/research/long-term-monitoring/national-gamebag-census/mammal-bags-comprehensive-overviews/feral-cat/
A feral cat is defined as a domestic cat living, at least partly, independently of humans. If you want to guarantee your cat is not mistaken for feral then be sure to take proper responsibility for it.

D0oinMeCleanin · 02/12/2013 21:56

No, in the UK feral cats belong to the landowner, you cannot just cull a cat for walking through or toileting in your garden. We arrest people over here for that.

If you are the landowner you may humanely kill the resident feral cats, however capture, sterilise and release is the preferred method.

poisonedbypen · 02/12/2013 22:00

I never see cat poo in the garden, or anywhere else. I thought cats buried it.

froubylou · 02/12/2013 22:04

Someone needs to read the 'how to be a really lethal whippet' guide to my whippy then.

She stands at about 17 and a half inches at her shoulder, weighs 11 kgs and is tiny framed. Her coat is very fine and her skin thin and delicate. Her teeth are pointy and sharp but her nails quite blunt.

Although her chase instinct will kick in if something runs her kill instinct is somewhat dulled from her 5 generations plus of show dog breeding. She runs away from the frogs and the chickens at the stables. And won't even dispose of spiders for me.

She does catch the odd fly though.

I imagine if she could catch a cat that rbe first yowl or scratch or bite would result in her letting go pretty quickly.

But if she did catch and hurt or kill a cat in our garden then as I said I would have limited sympathy for the owners. I would feel sorry for the cat. I am an animal lover. We have pets. I cried when the fish died ffs.

But I don't like other people's pets shit in my garden. And on my veggies.

If you think I shouldn't mind I am happy to arrange for my pony to come dump where you want your dc to play?

Morloth · 02/12/2013 22:06

Like the dog situation, I would say that owners had better get better at this because the tide is possibly turning and you are going to have non animal lovers pushing for law changes.

Here we can go to the park and there is no dog shit, because the laws are harsh and enforced if you don't pick it up.

The rules here are strict and Jess could be killed because of my irresponsibility, it focusses the mind.

If people were within their rights to kill any cat they found on their property then I bet all of these cats who 'can't' be restrained actually would suddenly be able to kept in after all.

Chibbs · 02/12/2013 22:07

god! some of you people are mental!

my cat goes off and shits where we wants, and if we actually had any neighbours who moaned about cat shit then i would tell them the same thing!

thebody · 02/12/2013 22:12

teddy please please stay in Australia.

notso · 02/12/2013 22:17

What a lovely neighbour you must make Chibbs Hmm

Chibbs · 02/12/2013 22:18

thankfully we dont have any then! judging by half the looneys on this thread

sandfrog · 02/12/2013 23:07

If people want a pet of any species, then it should be confined to their own property, not annoying the rest of the neighbourhood.

This.

Lucyccfc · 02/12/2013 23:19

I love cats and don't normally have an issue with them doing their business in my garden, as they do bury it. I do have an issue with the one cat who shits in the middle of the play bark I purchased that is spread under DS's swing/slide. Apart from DS coming in with cat shit on his shoes and pants, the play bark didn't come cheap.

Don't tend to see the offending cat in winter, but it's going to get a bit of a shock next summer, as we have decided to get a cat, so I imagine there will be a few scraps going on. At least I won't have to resort to the water gun or the chilli pepper I used to have to sprinkle under the back hate.

Mrsdavidcaruso · 02/12/2013 23:38

People who say you cant train a cat to shit in its own garden are wrong. My 3 cats go in my garden, when I got them from my sister in May I kept them in for a couple of weeks and they used the litter tray, everyday I put the contents under a hedge in my garden, as soon as they went out in the garden they went straight to the same spot to do their business. I was told about this method by an old lady and it does seem to work, it seems that cats are attracted by the smells of where they have 'been before' which is why people are seeing the same cats in their garden, it becomes 'their spot'.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 02/12/2013 23:54

If people want a pet of any species, then it should be confined to their own property, not annoying the rest of the neighbourhood.
I 100% agree!
Why buy an expensive animal, then let it roam around free at risk of being shot, poisoned, run over, stolen, or seriously pissing off your neighbours.
Build an enclosure in your garden. Keep your cat safe and clear up after it yourself!

Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/12/2013 23:56

Well, as an update, I would like to share the following re: two of my three moggies.

Two of them have decided that the very best place to shit is....in the corner of my living room Grin

Does this mean I have to cull them???

Canidae · 02/12/2013 23:57

I live on a street of 20 houses. There are 15 cats. 9 of them from one neighbour. There are fights every night. Every fucking night I have been woken up by cats screaming under my window. It wasn't so bad until next door added two more 3 months ago. Now it is madness.

I can't leave my windows open as one tries to come in. I can't take that chance as my german shepherd may kill it.

They rarely cover their shit. I guess they are all marking over each other. The youngest ginger tom will actually shit on the pavement. I wouldn't have believed it until I watched him do it.

I feel like these cats have more rights than I do.

patienceisvirtuous · 03/12/2013 00:21

You can judge a person's character by how they treat animals.

The cats aren't making conscious decisions to inconvenience anyone you know.

Cats get such a bad rap. Mine is indoors because there are too many bastards out there, and she is too precious to me to risk her. Besides if someone hurt her and I found out, I'd string them up!!

sandfrog · 03/12/2013 00:33

The cats aren't making conscious decisions to inconvenience anyone you know.

No, but the owners are.

MidniteScribbler · 03/12/2013 00:34

The cats aren't making conscious decisions to inconvenience anyone you know.

But their owners are making a conscious decision to inconvenience others by allowing them to roam and be a nuisance.

Elsiequadrille · 03/12/2013 00:42

Yanbu, OP.

Though I only have house cats at present (pedigrees not suited to the outdoors). I did have an old variant cat who used to go out but she would come in to use the litter tray.

Elsiequadrille · 03/12/2013 00:44

Cats seem to be attracted to the bark chipping in our back garden. The hens soon see them off, however.