To want to kill this cat?

[namechangeafternamechange]

Looked out my window this afternoon while cleaning (and still feeling smug about it ) and saw next door's cat shitting on my garden [mad]

I went out to chase it away to find that it clearly isn't the first time it's done this!! Now my garden needs a mow as it hasn't been done since november (bloody rain) so I haven't seen the sea of shit that now hides in my grass. Pissed off doesn't even come close, I live in the country FFS and surrounded by fields so it's not like it's lacking in places to have a crap [mad]

How can I stop it shitting in my garden? My toddler has just started playing in the garden again now the weather is a bit better, I really don't want him to go blind!!! (ok so a bit melodramatic but still!)

I'm perfectly calm ta.

It's fine not to like whatever. Attributing characteristics to animals such as sly is just a bit ridiculous. And detesting innocent animals is frankly just weird. But, carry on...

No-one is objecting to the OP saying she doesn't like cats. I think we are all cool with the idea that some people don't like them.

What people are objecting to is the suggestion that the dislike gives you the right to mistreat or kill them!

FWIW, I used to have three cats. One was poisoned and another was shot by a next door neighbour but survived. It was one of the worst and most heartbreaking experiences I've ever had. So I am pretty sensitive to the fact that there really ARE people who will do terrible things to animals simply because they feel that they have a right to act on their dislike. As I said before, I am absolutely sure the OP isn't one of them, but maybe didn't realise the depths of cruelty to which some others will sink.

And that sanquhar is exactly the type of comment I was on about, how do you know that monkeyface is a terrible CM based on the fact (s)he made a poorly worded joke about how to stop a cat shitting on my garden? Why do you need to be so personal?

Cats are sly okaaaay.

Op as shove says animal cruelty is rife and posts like yours have attracted many horrible posts advocating shooting and poisoning animals. Especially cats.

There have been many such.

monkey sorry your 'joke'about antifreeze is to me on a par with a joke'about paedophilia. It's not funny or lighthearted.

It's vile because both things happen in this country every day of the week.

As a child care provider, and I am too and have to do the poo patrol just like you, I find it a horrible thing to joke about or have in your mind.

Sorry I just don't get it.

Child won't go blind with cat poo, that's dog poo!

Educate yourself.

www.garyfostermd.com/toxoplasmosis-the-cat-disease-that-can-blind/

I wouldn't say monkey is a terrible cm but she should not be joking about violent and cruel acts on the internet or in RL.

It's Incompatable with the profession we are both in.

I don't get it though.

Animals crap. Birds shit everywhere, foxes, mice, rats, squirrels...

Anything that lives wild or roams freely will crap in your garden, your house. I regularly clean squirrel and bird poo off my car and children's outdoor toys.

So why so much venom for cats? Do those people so protective of their homes and gardens want to eliminate any creature that might sully their precious space? I'd quite like to eliminate my neighbours who like to have bonfires every day and the smoke is always blowing into my garden and house.

If people didn't keep cats as pets, likely you'd have a major feral cat issue. Would that be the same as other wild animals, it's ok for them to crap in your garden because there's no owner to blame?

A cat owner cannot control where their animal craps. Most cats bury their poo anyway, its rare it's just left lying about. Personally I've never seen a cat crap on a lawn, they need to dig in earth. We have a very large cat population and I've never found cat poo in the garden.

'Detesting innocent animals is just weird.'

No its not. What a daft thing to say. I detest marzipan, I think its spawn of the devil. Its innocent but I fucking hate it.

If someone hates a cat, they hate a cat.

Not everyone in the world can love or be I different to cats.

I find your statement weird.

A few facts about cat poo. There was some confusion upthread about weather it can cause blindness. It can in the unborn fetus in fact.

''Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite. Cats are the definitive host for the disease and when they are actively infected they shed the parasite in their feces for several weeks. THEY ARE THE ONLY ANIMAL THAT SHEDS THE PARASITE. The cat litter box is an obvious source, but since all of the great outdoors looks like a litter box to cats, any soil or untreated water could be contaminated. If you have contaminated soil or water on your hands and handle food placed directly in your mouth then the parasites enter your system and you could become infected.

For individuals with normal immune systems this infection would feel like a case of the flu with fevers and swollen lymph nodes. The individual will often have latent but live cysts dormant in their muscles or other tissues. Usually these cause no further problems, though some researchers feel that cysts in the brain can affect psychological health.

The infection can also spread congenitally. If a mother-to-be becomes infected for the first time during pregnancy, she can pass the infection to the fetus. This can result in still births or significant birth defects. The eye is a potential site for damage''. Gary Foster, MD. Ophthalmologist

'Its rare that its just lying around.'

The cats Ive owned were very rare then.

''If people didn't keep cats as pets, likely you'd have a major feral cat issue''

- sorry, but why? People don't take their pet cats as kittens from the wild.

So much hypocrisy here from those who say they love animals. The very vast majority of those with pets are feeding them the body parts of other animals. Ever think about that? By keeping cats and dogs, you are causing countless other animals suffering and death.
Love cats and dogs, whatever. Don't call yourself an animal lover though. Your choice affects thousands.

Right folks, I am relatively new to the sometimes utterly bizarre world MN forums and didn't know there was etiquette in putting 'light hearted' on what I now know to be an inflammatory thread title.

I have seen the 'cat shit' threads but have never looked at them as it isn't something I am interested in and hadn't had a problem with (until now) so I had no idea an innocent thread would turn into accusations of being vile, animal cruelty, poor workmanship and everything else that has been thrown in there.

I'd like to point out that i am a cat lover. I have 2 cats. (Raggies :)) They are indoor cats at the moment as right now we are renting a big house with a big garden with no proper boundary fence (hedges surrounded by fields). Previously we lived in a house with a good tidy fence all round it. Our cats were allowed in the garden as we made it impossible for them to jump out by simply fixing up a strip of horizontal netting jutting out a foot or so all round the top of the fence. it cost about 30 or 40 quid IIRC.

OP I'm not getting involved with any of the cat hating/loving comments on this thread, I just wanted to recommend a product to you.

I bought a Contech scarecrow last year when cats started pooing in my strawberry patches which DD was lovingly tending. I really hate cat poo, and I hated that I had to go through the beds with a fine tooth comb before she could dig and weed etc.

The scarecrow is essentially a motion activated water pistol - I am not at home enough to sit at my garden door with a water pistol waiting for a cat to try its luck. It attaches to a hose and you can adjust the distance and arc etc and it's been absolutely fantastic. The only time the cats and poo came back is when the battery ran out and I didn't realise.

It's expensive at around £50 but for us it has been worth every penny. Good luck ??

Lump, so you feel venomous towards marzipan do you? Because that's obviously the sentiment I was discussing, as you know.

Anyway, whatever..., you carry on with your cat-hating

Good point, AbbyCadabby. Some people are expecting others to have the same opinions as them about the relative 'worth' of different animals. Cats are apparently worthy, despite having little usefulness to anyone other than their owners, rats and mice are not. No-one holds a wake because their neighbour put down lots of rat poison and killed lots of mice/rats. What about wasps and birds? It's all right for birds to die in agony so your cats can exercise their right to roam. Most cat owners don't give them a second's thought.

And please don't tell me cats keep down the rat population. Britain's cats are too well feed to make much difference to the rats/mice.

Thank you pickwick that is a very welcome post and suggestion. I like the idea of a scarecrow, very in keeping with my surroundings are you allowed to name on here where you bought it from?

Most cat owners can't be bothered fluffyraggles. It is down to the unfortunate neighbours to spend time, money and effort to deter cats. And 'cat lovers' wonder why people start developing a hatred for cats. Cats have always made me feel uncomfortable, but I only started to really dislike them in the Internet age when I learnt what contempt cat owners have for their neighbours. How they really don't care about the discomfort to their neighbours.

If you can't help because you or yours are allergic you get help from others.

Help from who?
Not all neighbourhoods are the nice friendly type who would bend over backwards to help other people.

The child with a life threatening allergy also has SN and can't be left unsupervised for even a minute so I'm not about to leave him in the car and go knocking door to door trying to find help which could take goodness knows how long to find somebody willing to help. I would feel bad about knocking the cat over but there wouldn't be much I could do about it without compromising the health and safety of my child.
The flip side is that if the cat owner built a run in their garden and didn't let the cat roam free it wouldn't have been able to run in front of my car. We keep talking about the responsibilities of the people annoyed by cats but not much about the responsibilities of the actual cat owners.
If you want to have a domestic pet then it should be treated as a domestic pet and not as a wild animal who is free to roam and mess wherever it likes.

Britain's cats are too well feed to make much difference to the rats/mice.

This is very true. I have seen cats running away from rats or sitting on fences out of their way. Domestic Cats might catch mice but they leave the big rats well alone.

OP, i've just had a quick look and they sell that motion sensor squirty thing on Amazon UK. £49 + pp. 368 reviews and 4 and a half stars (out of 5) Looks pretty good then

Oh, hang on, no p+p, free UK delivery. Even better

(i do not work for Contech!)