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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To talk to my neighbours about their cat...

50 replies

Smellyanne · 12/02/2014 15:10

which has started pooing in our garden and has today left a dead mouse on the doorstep ?
Not sure what I expect them to do about it to be honest but I have young children and don't want to have to clean up someone elses cat poo or dead creatures everytime we go outside..

OP posts:
Catherine1932 · 12/02/2014 17:46

YANBU. What is unreasonable is to own a pet which regularly digs and fouls in someone else's garden and think it's ok. I've had a bollocking from cat owning neighbours about my dog chasing theirs out of our own garden. Get a super soaker!

eltsihT · 12/02/2014 17:48

If my neighbour asked me to clean the cat poo from their garden I would. But I would resent doing it and it would spoil my relationship with them. I would rather they squirt them with water and try to stop them going there at all.

mummytowillow · 12/02/2014 17:48

Ha! and what do you expect them to do, put him on the naughty step! Grin

They will think your mad if you mention what he's doing.

Sparklingbrook · 12/02/2014 17:50

Ooh a cat poo thread. I am all out of comments after the last 20 threads. But squirting with a water pistol is a good idea.

Ifcatshadthumbs · 12/02/2014 17:52

Having your own cat doesn't put other cats off coming in your garden, in fact we have two cats and we have a constant stream of cats coming to take a crap in our garden.

I don't blame you for being annoyed I would be too but as a cat owner who has never been able to solve the issue I'm not sure what to suggest.

maddy68 · 12/02/2014 17:53

A cat will do whatever it wants to. The owners won't be able to stop it. And his to you know it's their cat? Could be someone else's. Tbh I would just clear it myself but then I don't like falling out with neighbours

Juliaparker25 · 12/02/2014 17:53

Take off ...Nuke it from Orbit .Its the only way to be sure

Original poster
Smellyanne · 12/02/2014 18:34

I think we are quite tolerant already. They also have young children including a baby who screams an awful lot. Wouldn't dream of complaining about that. They also like loud rock music which is not to our taste, not a problem . The fact that come spring /summer I will have to clean up before I can let my kids play in their own garden when its not even my "fucking" cat is cheesing me off .

OP posts:
Original poster
Smellyanne · 12/02/2014 18:35

I think we are quite tolerant already. They also have young children including a baby who screams an awful lot. Wouldn't dream of complaining about that. They also like loud rock music which is not to our taste, not a problem . The fact that come spring /summer I will have to clean up before I can let my kids play in their own garden when its not even my "fucking" cat is cheesing me off .

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 12/02/2014 18:39

My neighbours cat is pissing in my house every night and I'm not saying anything. They can't stop it.

lljkk · 12/02/2014 19:09

I would buy you a water pistol & apologise profusely. Even offer to do removals on occasion. Not everyone is entitled about their cat.

kaizen · 12/02/2014 19:34

I don't have kids but the next door's kids on either side wake me up every Saturday at 8am screaming happily down the path as they go swimming. The baby next door cries in the night and wakes me up a lot. I let the next door people put a gate on the shared path so the kids couldn't run in the road, and they park their car in my space to pack up all their holiday family stuff all the time.
My cat steals their food and torments their ducks, beats their cat up, and shits wherever she pleases. All's fair I think.

Get a water pistol, give a bit, and live and let live.

MissHobart · 12/02/2014 19:44

You can't compare dog and cat ownership, you are legally responsible for your dog's behavior and where it shits, this does not apply to cats! They roam far and wide, if you had to dig up all the poop they buried around their territory you'd be rambling through everyone's gardens daily! Confused I'm sure you wouldn't want that!

I'd go for the water spray, I have three cats and if the neighbor was doing this I'd be fine with it, the cats would soon learn to stay away! Grin

Alisvolatpropiis · 12/02/2014 19:45

Get a dog. It's the only way to stop it.

Original poster
Smellyanne · 12/02/2014 20:40

Yes, it seems a water pistol is the way forward .

OP posts:
miaowmix · 12/02/2014 20:48

I love the idea of a cat on the naughty step. I live with 2 of my own who are pretty skanky, to be fair, and next door neighbour's basically lives at ours, even though we never ever feed him. I have tried saying to him 'you don't live here, Mr X', but he doesn't seem to care Wink.

SeaSaltCrisps · 12/02/2014 20:51

Glad you are getting a water pistol. I don't think having a "chat" with the cat will work Wink.

EauRouge · 12/02/2014 21:55

Did you do a post mortem on the mouse? Maybe it died of natural causes.

ShredMeJillianIWantToBeNatalie · 12/02/2014 23:15

Get a greyhound. Ours can do 0-60 in about 5 seconds and likes nothing more than a small furry creature to use as target practice. Funny enough the neighbours cats no longer take a leisurely dump or ten in our garden.

Sadly I now have vast piles of dog poo to clean up several times a day, but thems the breaks!

pixiepotter · 13/02/2014 09:11

I think you need to change your mindset to realise that outdoor spaces are not as of right crapfree zones, even when you own them.Birds, foxes, rabbits, rodents might all crap in your garden and cats are no different.

Queenofknickers · 13/02/2014 09:17

Interestingly the law is quite clear on this - whereas dog owners are responsible for their dogs actions, cat owners are not and cannot be held to account under law.

seaweedhead · 13/02/2014 10:46

well if they're good neighbours they might offer to clean it up. Or have some ideas of how to deter the cat. No harm in mentioning it IMO.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 13/02/2014 10:55

I don't think there is anything anyone can do about where a cat poos!

You could try spraying it with water if it comes in your garden but that's about it.

As for the mouse, it was a gift - the cat obvioulsy likes you Smile

thegreylady · 13/02/2014 11:40

I am a cat owner. Our two only crap here either in the rose bed or in their litter tray. We wouldn't mind anyone using a water pistol to deter them and we have one by the door to zap straanger cats in our garden.

Quoteunquote · 13/02/2014 12:31

What you can do about a wild animal(cats are) pooing in your garden.

  1. Nothing
  1. kill the animal, (pointless as another will soon take over the territory)
  1. Stand guard at all times with a water shooter loaded with water and citronella essential oil.
  1. Move to Lundy, but the birds are great aim.
  1. install motion sensors, attached to sprinklers, remember to turn off before you go in the garden,
  1. add rambling and climbing roses along all fences and walls, buy all the heavily scented ones
  1. Buy a yappy terrier, but it will yap, and crap.
  1. Create a place for cats to poo,(behind a shed) make it dry, clean and perfect and they will stick to that. big well drains trays, with deep pea shingle, give them a really good soaking with a hose a few times a week to help it all drain out, and the cats will use them.
  1. learn to live with it.
  1. buy a flat with a roof garden.

(5,6,8) done together, will get you a result.

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