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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My cats and cat poo in neighbours' gardens

555 replies

Blahdeblah1 · 12/07/2015 08:52

I moved into my house a year ago and have three cats. My neighbours are all quite elderly and have lived there for decades, they are all keen gardeners and very proud of their gardens.

Several months ago my next door neighbour started complaining to me about my cats pooing on his drive, so every time I go round and clear it up. Although to be honest I'm not convinced that the poo is from my cats.

Anyway, I'm now having complaints about cat poo from people who live way down the street, that my cats are pooing in their garden, although they admitted they hadn't actually seen the cat that did it. I live on a large suburban housing estate where there are loads of cats.

AIBU for thinking that cats are cats and I shouldn't be expected to be picking up any cat poo really, and to tell my neighbours to deal with it themselves and stop complaining to me? I can't control where my cats poo, they are not dogs.

OP posts:
LashesandLipstick · 14/07/2015 14:27

Why don't your toddlers? Surely you supervise them?

Also I'm pregnant and I enjoy my garden, which cats shit in. I just dont ingest the shit, which you know, I don't do anyway

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 14:30

Poster - I have been pregnant, both times being either being in ownership of cats, or being a neighbour of people who own cats. I have been totally symptomless, in all cases. I had to clean litter trays, looked after neighbours' cats when they were away.

Children's friends came round to our garden to play (whilst we had cats) - many of them, over years. Not all of the parents were cat owners. Those children are all now grown, some of them have children of their own. Those new children all come round to play. NDN's grandchildren come round to play. We have cats, they have cats. Not all friend's children's parents have cats.

Some of these posts are hysterical nonsense.

PosterEh · 14/07/2015 14:34

I wouldn't plan to ingest any either lashes but I can't guarantee that I won't touch my shit-infested lawn (or a kids toy that has been on the lawn because you can catch it from indirect contact with cat faeces too) and then touch my mouth or eyes. The parasite can survive for up to 18 months. Pretty much every inch of my lawn has probably been pooed on in the last 18m.

I do have to supervise my toddlers, that's why if I can't enjoy the garden, neither can they.

LashesandLipstick · 14/07/2015 14:36

Poster do you have any idea how ridiculous that is? My fear of indirect contact re germs was one of the things used when diagnosing my anxiety - you are being irrational.

MythicalKings · 14/07/2015 14:38

Human live could not exist without animals, and I'm pretty sure David Attenborough, Steve Backshall and Co would not agree with your point there

If every domestic cat disappeared tomorrow human life would continue exactly as it does today, apart from some pissed off ex cat owners. Cats are necessary to the food chain, animal or human.

There would be more wild birds in our gardens and fewer piles of shit.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 14:38

Lurked I think you'll find the OP started it:
AIBU for thinking that cats are cats and I shouldn't be expected to be picking up any cat poo really, and to tell my neighbours to deal with it themselves and stop complaining to me? I can't control where my cats poo, they are not dogs
Ie not my problem

Som Poster - did you actually read the OP's opening post, or have you (clearly you have!!) only picked out a phrase that suits you.

If you read the WHOLE post you will see that the OP was trying desperately to be fair to her neighbours, but some of the neighbours started taking the P, and she was asking how to deal with it.

You (and others of your ilk) have decided to turn this into a cat owners-bashing thread).

READ the opening post AGAIN, in its entirety.

MythicalKings · 14/07/2015 14:38

*are not

Lurkedforever1 · 14/07/2015 14:38

poster if you've been picking it up for years then you're as likely to be immune as any cat owner, so no more at risk.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 14:40

Mythical - There would be more wild birds in our gardens and fewer piles of shit

And more mice and rats Hmm
Know which I'd prefer

LashesandLipstick · 14/07/2015 14:40

Ah mythical the animal hater is back

Lurkedforever1 · 14/07/2015 14:42

And mythical less immunity to toxoplasmosis

MythicalKings · 14/07/2015 14:43

I don't hate animals, I've said so already. I don't hate cats. Don't make things up, that's just silly.

LashesandLipstick · 14/07/2015 14:44

Mythical it just seems that you hold them in very little standing

PosterEh · 14/07/2015 14:48

I've been picking it up for 1year, never had this problem in any other house or owned a cat.
I am aware it is only a very small risk. But it's still stressful. Pregnant women are advised to avoid changing cat litter but my kids can't play in the garden if I don't poo pick and old poo is more likely to be infected than new poo in a litter tray. I often find an old poo that I've missed and it's not always easy to spot.

I agree that the OP has been treating her immediate neighbour fairly but that last part of the post suggests that she doesn't actually think she has any responsibility to do it.

I know and like lots of responsible cat owners (and their cats) but I do get angry with the constant denial of the problem from "you and others of your ilk".

GoodbyeToAllOfThat · 14/07/2015 14:51

Evans, you know that dogs can kill rats too?

MythicalKings · 14/07/2015 14:54

Mythical it just seems that you hold them in very little standing

Below humans, certainly. I love horses and ponies. I like rabbits and guinea pigs. Love foxes, squirrels and badgers. Less fond of dogs and cats, perhaps, but I don't hate them. I hate their shit, for sure. Smile

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 14:55

Certain dogs CAN, I'm sure - but dog barking annoys me, and annoys the neighbours also. Some of our neighbours have dogs, their barking is incredibly annoying at midnight or 6:00am. I personally would not want to be one of those annoying neighbours Grin
Thanks, though Goodbye - don't know why I could never have thought of that for myself Wink

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 15:00

So, Mythical: do you have foxes, squirrels, rabbits, badgers in your garden - does their poo annoy you (fox poo is atrocious). And what do you do about it?

I'm personally not so keen on foxes visiting, as they pester our pet rabbits, but I'd not wish to harm one of them, as they are only following their natural instincts.

PosterEh · 14/07/2015 15:01

My neighbour has annoying barky dogs and crapping cats Sad
Aside from her pets she is lovely though.

MythicalKings · 14/07/2015 15:02

No, none of them,Evans. We have cat-proofed our garden so only get birds and the occasional intrepid squirrel. And our veggie patch is shit free.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 15:07

Our veggie patch is also cat poo-free, despite us and most of our neighbours owning cats. Wonder what we may be doing right? Confused

We have a hedgehog home at the end of the garden, and nesting boxes for the birds and I love seeing them all. Cats haven't scared them away. We don't have that many mice or rats, though . . . . .

And our children have not been blinded Smile

PosterEh · 14/07/2015 15:19

Your neighbours cats don't poo in your garden because you have a cat Evans.

You are a cat owner so it would be even more unlikely for you to contract toxoplasmosis for the first time during pregnancy. So less likely for your children to be born with congenital toxoplasmosis. (Not sure why the subject of blind children deserves a smiley face).

LashesandLipstick · 14/07/2015 15:22

Poster you aren't likely to catch it through indirect contact either though. I understand pregnancy is worrying (I have GAD severely, so I do) but at least recognise it's irrational

Lurkedforever1 · 14/07/2015 15:26

Thing is you have to accept that shit (excuse the pun) does happen and that others choices affect us, but within reason where there's no malice intended, you do just need to move on. Many years ago I had an elderly cat that was killed by a mangy injured fox in my garden. I was heartbroken, but later discovered some moron who lived in a Disney film had been feeding the fox for weeks before in their next door garden. Now if they'd done the decent thing for the fox, which had a shit quality of life, and got a wildlife charity round to destroy it, rather than the selfish thing and kept it, my cat would have ended its days more pleasantly. But unfortunately that's life, they didn't do it intentionally and me raging at every wildlife lover is just stupid

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 14/07/2015 15:31

Actually, Poster you are quite wrong in your assumption. Our neighbour's cats regularly poo in our garden, despite the fact that we have cats of our own. And one of our own cats might like to poo in the veggie patch (the other only goes in her litter tray). So the other one may very well do, and neighbours cats certainly do - but we have been eating our vegetables for over 25 years . . . . . and here we still are, safe and sound. Wink And all children have survived

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