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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to want to cry on hearing my neighbour is going to get another cat..

243 replies

Justonemorecardi · 03/02/2014 13:35

My neighbour had two cats until the summer when they moved out for 3 months while their house was renovated. They came back daily to feed them but one went missing in the trauma of it all and never came back.

The other cat comes for its daily poo in my garden and I've been out gardening this weekend and there is a whole winters worth of poo in my borders and under our kitchen staircase (external spiral thing with plants underneath) - its disgusting.

Last year I told her what was happening and she just listened but said she didn't know what to do about it and her husband just stood their pretending to vomit.

I've just heard they're planning to buy another cat to replace the missing one - I want to cry. Why can't they train the cats to go in a litter tray? Surely if you live in a city its obvious it has to poo in someone's garden, so its antisocial and selfish to not train it?

OP posts:

Alisvolatpropiis · 03/02/2014 13:37

Cats are not all inclined towards being "indoor" pets.

Nor are they famed for their willingness to be trained.

Suggest they get a dog instead. Definitely have to deal with the poo themselves then.

hiddenhome · 03/02/2014 13:39

You can't train cats though. They will only use their tray if they're confined. Most cats will choose to toilet outside given half the chance.

yonisareforever · 03/02/2014 13:39

just you poor thing we had this too once.

As a gardener its vile in every single sense I had to stop growing veg and stuff coz of it.

I would talk to her and ask her to come and clean it up, if she doesnt see it or has to deal with it she gets the nice side of hr cats doesnt she while you are doing the hard graft, like a child who gets a pet and you end up clearning up after it.

show her the mess, ask her to come and look at something...show it to her, say you feel ill would she mind doing it...

THEN get cd.s cat stuff, loads of sprays..

Rosa · 03/02/2014 13:40

There is a plant that they hate the smell of and won't go near as well . Invest in a water pistol and catch the bugger in the act.

AutumnStar · 03/02/2014 13:40

Oh joy, another cat shit thread. Here are my predictions:

Loads of people will say YABU
Loads of people say YANBU
Weird people advocate poisoning/shooting cats
Cat lovers say that's illegal
Cat lovers get called selfish and entitled
Nothing is resolved and cats continue to shit where they always have.

JennyOnAPlate · 03/02/2014 13:43

It is disgusting. Unfortunately you can't train a cat to use a tray if it has free access to outside.

We have 3 cats. One uses a tray because he doesn't like going out, the other 2 shit in our garden. I didn't do anything to make them use ours rather than the neighbours though!

WisneaMe · 03/02/2014 13:43

It is possible to train cats to do their business in an actual toilet but if they are outdoor pets then they will do what all outdoor creatures do regardless.
If they get a kitten they could possibly encourage it to do its business in a certain dug up area of their own garden by sprinkling cat litter over it (preferably Eco friendly).

You can try deter the cats from your garden without being cruel.leave oranges/lemons or peels around your garden don't what else you can do tbh.

Original poster

Justonemorecardi · 03/02/2014 13:47

I do realise older cats must be almost impossible to train, but what about a kitten?

We've spent a fortune on sonic cat alarms, sprays etc, but nothing seems to work. He runs away if we even rattle the door handle but just comes at 6.30 in the morning - neighbour told me she sees him coming over every morning

When I talked to my neighbour I was hoping she'd volunteer to clean it up, but she just said put it in her green bin as we had ben taking it all the way to the dump (what do you do with it - we didn't want it buried in our garden). Would anyone really ask the neighbour to clear it up? And as a cat owner - would you do it?

She has one cat, why does she need another, if they're outdoor animals where's the joy in them?

OP posts:

Mia4 · 03/02/2014 13:51

Yabu to expect to be trained. You can't train one, once it goes outside. Yanbu to be upset, there are cat sprays you can get, some hate lavender and citrus plants too. Arm yourself with a super soaker (we gave our neighbors one in case but luckily they liked our garden) and aim to the bum- that will deter then.

Also you can send the pops back to where they belong, her husband won't have to fake vomit then. As a cat owner, I would expect someone to push the poo over the fence for us to clear away. The stuff stinks, we bag it all in an outside bin seperate from normal rubbish.

Mia4 · 03/02/2014 13:57

No you can only train when dedicated indoors. Most cats are outdoor in that they go outdoors rather then stay in all day. That doesn't mean they are out all day. My oldies go out for an hour, play with flies and then come in for the rest of the day.

If you don't want to throw over then I'd bag and shove it on top of the bin.

You also have to consider it.may not just be her cate but that they are the only ones you've seen. If you wanted to sometime get a pet I would suggest getting a cat or dog.

Original poster

Justonemorecardi · 03/02/2014 13:57

I'll look into the animal spray and get the sonic thing working again and buy another to cover the whole garden.

What I'm upset about is that they're planning to get another when they know the current one is coming over every day.

If they put cat litter down in their border would it encourage the current cat to go in their garden?

Mia would you really be okay with a neighbour popping it over the fence, we could do in same place. I really don't want to create bad feeling over this, but if it had been me I would have offered to clean it up last year, she came into my garden to borrow something and I showed her it all, but nothing.

OP posts:

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 03/02/2014 13:59

Yep, just about says it all really. I have absolutely no idea where my cat takes a crap although I do catch her sometimes sticking her arse out of my plant pot so am thinking maybe in there......

Original poster

Justonemorecardi · 03/02/2014 14:00

Its definitely only her cat, this year its mainly gone in one place, under our stairs, there's a huge pile of it..

I really don't want a pet.

OP posts:

olidusUrsus · 03/02/2014 14:02

Just continue shooing the cat when you see it, it'll learn eventually. If you don't have cats or other visitors you're a free zone for pooping because it's no ones territory - just teach the cat that this is your plot and it will find a new toilet. I don't see how this is the owners problem - they aren't responsible for the cat in the same way a dog owner would be of a pooch.

PolterGoose · 03/02/2014 14:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MoominIsGoingToBeAMumWaitWHAT · 03/02/2014 14:06

Water pistol.

Only thing for it. Fun for you, educational for the cat.

clarksonforPM · 03/02/2014 14:08

This will be the best 6 you have ever spent !

LionPoo

Mia4 · 03/02/2014 14:08

If you don't want to throw over then I'd bag and shove it on top of the bin.

You also have to consider it.may not just be her cate but that they are the only ones you've seen. If you wanted to sometime get a pet I would suggest getting a cat or dog.

Mia4 · 03/02/2014 14:09

Damn copy and paste. No I wouldn't op so long as it's dropped over not thrown at me lol. But depends on yourneighbour.

AutumnStar · 03/02/2014 14:12

I don't think you can really be annoyed with her for getting another cat. It's her decision really. It's a bit off of her just to ignore the problem when you've politely raised it though.

Mia4 · 03/02/2014 14:12

I would get a water pistol op and take a look at plants like lavender which naturally repel. Also if it's one specific area then use jalapenos. A bunch from old elpaso and that cat will be out of there!

Original poster

Justonemorecardi · 03/02/2014 14:12

Doesn't the owner have any responsibility as they are choosing to own the cat? Its already an issue so why get another one?

This must be one of the only situations where its okay to make a decision that affects other people and be able to claim no responsibility for the consequences of it at all .

OP posts:

Original poster

Justonemorecardi · 03/02/2014 14:14

Water pistols etc won't work, the cat knows we don't want it in the garden, we chased it out every time we saw it, now we can't even open the door without it running. But that has not stopped its daily visits - I think he just sees it as a challenge to do it unnoticed.

OP posts:

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 03/02/2014 14:16

Well, it is an issue for you.....not her!

When I stopped having a litter tray indoors I started teaching my cat to go outside by just putting a bit of the litter in one of my flower beds to encourage her to go there - whether that has taught her to just crap in my garden I have no idea though.

Mia4 · 03/02/2014 14:31

No no responsibility op, they are obviously not bothered or worried about annoying their neighbors and probably see you as unreasonable so why wouldnt they get another's yep it's crap for you but they probably don't think it's a big deal or not their cat.

Get a dustbin, scoop it up and put it on their side then get some jalapenos down and see if the works. A few potted plants which smell nice and some cocoa beans like someone else suggested.

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