Who is being unreasonable re dog & cats?

[LaLyra]

My head is pickled thanks to a row with my neighbour (well more neighbour had a go at me and I said I thought he was wrong so he shouted some more until I walked away until he can talk like a civil adult).

I have 3 cats. On sunny days, like today, my cats like to lie in my garden. All morning and most of the afternoon they were on the patio slabs asleep in the sun. Now the sun has moved/mostly gone, one of the cats (who is a sun worshipper) has moved to lie on the wall as it's higher and still in a sunny spot.

My neighbour has 2 dogs. One is a Westie who on his own is fine, doesn't bat an eyelid at the cats. The other is a little yappy thing, no idea of breed. This dog barks at everything especially the cats. It is currently going nuts at the cat, who is on the wall asleep ignoring it, this (as always) has set the Westie off barking as well.

When the cats are low in the garden the dogs can't see them because after the neighbour moved in last year he used to put the dogs out in the garden while he got on with decorating. At that point the noise didn't bother him, but I had a newborn and it drove me mad. So after trying and suggesting various things, including keeping my cats in of a morning and only letting them out after the dogs had had several hours in the garden to which he said I could go fuck myself if I thought I was keeping his dogs in all afternoon (this was the second time I'd ever spoken to him so this is the level of co-operation I've got) we put up fence panels that they can't see though. We're not allowed high fences and the boundary fence is actually his so we built that fence inside our garden. The fence works for most of the day.

Neighbour now works in a school so is about more during the holidays. He stormed out tonight ranting and raving about how he's not listening to my cats tormenting his dogs all holidays. Won't accept at all that his dog (who barks at the postman, us in our garden, anyone walking past, cars driving by, birds flying, trees moving in the wind - i.e. it barks constantly!) is the problem.

Am I missing something? Should I somehow be enforcing a height restriction on my cats or should he actually try and do something with his dog to stop it barking so much?

Apparently he's going to speak to the council noise people. Surely they can't do anything as I/my cats are not making any noise?

Hahah.....he is actually going to report you to the council because his dog is making a noise. Oh I would encourage him to do it, this could keep us entertained for a long time!

Good lord that made me laugh

I really want to be in the room for that meeting.

Him : I need to report a noise offence committed by my neighbour.

Council officer : Okay. What is the nature of the offence?

Him : It's my neighbour making the dogs bark.

Council officer : Your neighbour is provoking her dogs into barking at you?

Him : No they're my dogs. My neighbour's cats provoke them into barking.

Council officer : (deep intake of breath) okay.... I'm not sure... Mmm okay.... How are the cats provoking your dogs?

Him : They sunbathe provocatively knowing full well my dogs can see them.

Council officer : (shouts over shoulder) VERA! Do we have a cessation of sunbathing for goady provocative cats form?

....

Presumably though he also needs to acquire a court-ordered injunction to prevent the postman delivering any letters, and to require all nearby residents to not have any visitors.

Barking dogs are an infernal nuisance in any neighbourhood. Your cats have the absolute right to sit on your wall. They don't have the right to go in his garden. If his dogs bark then it's up to him to train them not to bark. Suggest that he takes them to training classes to teach them not to bark at cats who are minding their own business.

Thank you so much. You've made me laugh.

Not only did he momentarily make me doubt myself, but I had to deal with an upset 7 year old who was frightened at the yelling and a chest beating 15-year-old who (seems to be under the impression he's the man of the house as his Dad is away) decided he wanted to 'have a word' with the man who shouted at his Mum :) He's been sent back to play with his computer and eat his chocolate!

His post gets delivered into a box on the wall because the postmen refuse to put it through the letterbox as it's one of those stupid low ones and the dogs are nippy, but perhaps we should all get the mail delivered to a communal box out of dog view.

Any criticism of the dog is met with "He's from a rescue, we don't know what kind of start in life he's had..."

In many ways I wish the dog could jump over the fence just once. I have a feeling my fat cat would soon remind it that it's a teeny scrap of a dog (I don't actually wish it harm - it's just bloody annoying!).

I actually hope he does ring now. It would be quite amusing if he opened a noise case against his own dogs.

Can I just confirm, your cats don't enter his garden at all, do they?

This thread made me . I would also love to hear that complaint!

Viviennemary They don't go in his garden at all. Some cats do overnight (he knows because they shit in his roses apparently, but I think that's foxes as I have the same problem), but mine aren't allowed out overnight. Partly because of the dogs, but mostly they are too lazy to climb the fence when they can go through the gate instead.

Plus the old lady who feeds them lives in the opposite direction.

"Incitement to yappery."

YANBU - and I speak as the owner of a barky dog. If my dog did this I'd keep him in and not let him roam around the garden being a nuisance.

Discussing this with my husband he points out the following - then googled.

"The law relating to the trespass of domestic animals is contained in the Animals Act 1971. However, cats enjoy a unique position as the Animals Act 1971 does not apply to them. A cat cannot, therefore, in law trespass. As a cat cannot trespass its owner cannot be legally responsible for what their cat does outside of their property."

He HAS to control his dog however

Case closed

I would love to see the council come out and try to do something about the cats sleeping on a wall. Cats are one of the most uncontrollable species!
If barking is annoying him, he shouldn't be a dog owner. Even quiet ones tend to bark at posties! What a weirdo, let him ring the council, he will make a total arse of himself.

I love cats

Please take a picture of the sleeping cat next time it happens

TenerifeSea They don't. They are in my garden, his dog is in his garden.

Then, he's going to be laughed out of the council office.

You should report the dogs, then next time he complains you can helpfully tell him that you've saved him the bother of calling the council because you've done it for him

I love dogs, but can't stand incessant barking. Have you tried shouting at his dogs if they bark at you, just a sharp "Hey" or "No" might help? I have this no nonsense approach to dogs, I just won't tolerate silliness and they usually understand that straight away by the tone of my voice!

Bless your 15yr old DS getting all defensive over his mother.

I have a terrier, so I sympathise with your neighbour. Mine barks at anything it views to be a threat (eg EVERYTHING)

He has a quiet command and does stfu when I tell him, until the next threat comes along.

As annoying as this is, it's my dog. My problem. I wouldn't dream of complaining about the things that make my dog bark (it would takes days for starters) The one and only thing I complain about is the terrier from the street barking constantly to which my dog replies. They must keep the poor wee sod outside all night long. Every time mine needs a pee on a night it starts barking at us.

Your neighbour is unhinged.

Your neighbour is mad as a box of frogs...
I laughed out loud at this one.
Please let us know what happens.

There's nothing a cat loves more than winding dogs up by sitting just out of reach.

Our old cat (bruiser) used to sit just inside our picket fence waiting for unsuspecting dogs to walk past. They'd see him, stick their noses in and get a whack on the nose. I'd hear the owners telling the dogs it was all their fault, completely unaware that the little bastard cat would sit there all day and do the same thing to every dog that walked past

What a pillock, wanting to complain to the council, I'd pay to hear that phone call

It's his dog that's barking and making the noise so it's his problem. YANBU at all.

I don't know much about cats but the thought of trying to control one lolz

When my dog barks I bring him in....

I love the idea of trying to get the cats to recognise any sort discipline regarding where they may or may no go...

Mumsnet has been a revelation to me. There are people, and a majority according to some threads, that think you shouldn't have a pet you can't control and train not to crap on other peoples properties.

Apparently it's never foxes, that's just cat owners in denial. Although if cats honestly crap as much as some posters say they do, they must be living in very built up areas with about 10 cats per household.

All cats should be trained only to defecate in their own litter trays, and stay in their own gardens. If you can't, you build an outdoor run or keep them inside.

Anything else is irresponsible pet ownership. As would be allowing them to annoy dogs, presumably.

Here's me thinking they were just cute and furry, and not recognising them for the lawn destroying, disease ridden vermin they are.

Sounds like his dog will bark at people breathing. If he doesn't want barking he shouldn't keep one.

Secondly - is your cat 'tormenting' his dog? They sometimes bark because they are happy/excited/feel like it etc.

That's hilarious, please come back with an update on his reporting his own dogs to the council

ProudAS The dog is barking at the cat, but the cat is 'tormenting' him by being visible. Nothing else.

Someone mentioned litter trays - neighbour on other side laughs at my cats. They'll be outside for hours, surrounded by trees, bushes and plants (mine). At the moment there is empty looking planters with lots of lovely, to most cats, soil to shit in.

Not my 3. They'll jump up and cry at the door to get in. They use the box and then, especially if I've dared sit my arse back down on the sofa, they'll cry at the door to get back out. Littlest cat doesn't even pee outside (she's weird though, she'll only use a certain one of the 4 trays, even if the other two have used it first and the other 3 are fresh and clean).