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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to shoot the shitters

119 replies

Gwenci · 30/08/2016 09:02

We have a small patch of garden right in front of our front door. It's a dirt area with a few plants in it. Currently quite sparse on the plant front (waiting for the ones we've planted to fecking grow!)

There are about 7 cats that live in the two houses either side of us. Every fucking one of them thinks this area is a giant litter tray.

Every fucking morning I'm sifting two or three giant cat turds out of my garden. (And with a baby and a toddler it's not like I don't already deal with more than my fair share of shit in a day.)

I've tried repellent pellets and one of those high pitched noise emitting thingies. Neither works.

Can I now start shooting at them with my DD's water pistol?

I'm at my shits end!!

OP posts:
sportinguista · 30/08/2016 10:12

I've been told that wood chippings deter them. I can't remember exactly why but it may be worth a try. When I've had plants in I usually put garden netting over, they don't like that. Neroli oil is also good. I have a cat but she prefers her litter tray, she won't even wee outside. However I do keep a water pistol to deter others from even thinking of it. However mostly the cat actually chases invaders off anyway as she is extremely territorial. Grin

Soubriquet · 30/08/2016 10:13

.....use all means at your disposal. Cats are vermin

yes dear

SuburbanRhonda · 30/08/2016 10:15

Yes, cats definitely shit in gravel, as my NDNs would attest, after they discovered a little present in the newly delivered sack of gravel for their driveway Blush

justanothermnuser · 30/08/2016 10:20

At first when I saw the title I though YABU, then I read it... Water gun, okay. Anything else, no. Smile

Original poster
Gwenci · 30/08/2016 10:30

I shall put the AK47 away...

OP posts:
Original poster
Gwenci · 30/08/2016 10:32

I'm still at the window like a twitchy peeping Tom...

I need to get a grip.

Or some citrus spray.

OP posts:
PitchFork · 30/08/2016 10:33

what is a cat owner meant to do?

how about not letting cat out?
how about securing the garden (possible if expensive)?
how about not getting a cat if you think keeping it indoors is cruel and you don't have the funds to secure your own garden?

StarlingMurmuration · 30/08/2016 10:49

I've got two cats with free access to the outside and I wouldn't object at all to them getting shot with a water pistol if they were shitting in a neighbour's garden. Even in winter - they'd be able to get back into the house and dry off.

LogicallyLost · 30/08/2016 10:53

2 cats, placed their poo in our borders when they started going out to encourage them to use our garden.

If a person squirted water at our cats to get yhem out if their garden i wouldn't mind as it doesn't hurt them. Anything that hurts them would be another matter though (heard a colleague suggest loading the pistols with chilli sauce once)

JacquesHammer · 30/08/2016 11:07

Next door's cat repeatedly gets into my house. Through a tiny upstairs window.

It has wrecked a part of my carpet where it scratches, it has eaten food from my worktops (can only assume previous owners fed it).

I went around to speak to my neighbours who I get on really well with. I got all the usual "we can't do anything, its right to roam, shut your windows".

Next doors cat hasn't come home for two nights. They haven't yet dared ask me to help look. (I have btw - have checked shed etc).

Original poster
Gwenci · 30/08/2016 11:32

FFS. Angry

I finally left the kitchen window to dust and hoover the living room. You'll never guess what's lying steaming in my front garden.

Shoot them with chilli sauce you say...

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 30/08/2016 11:33

No. Don't shoot them with chilli sauce!

Water is fine. Chilli sauce is not. Would you like that in your eyes?

MmmCuriouSir · 30/08/2016 11:36

I vote for chilli sauce.

VladmirsPoutine · 30/08/2016 11:37

Chilli sauce, flakes, powder whatever - just do it. This is such an annoying problem to have. I'd say short of killing them anything goes.

PorridgeHoneyCake · 30/08/2016 11:40

Use a supersoaker. It works. I'm a cat owner btw and I would prefer that my cats got super-soaked rather than my neighbour's child ended up with cat poop all over them.

Greydog · 30/08/2016 11:41

Curry powder - seems to work better than pepper. I put in under the hedges when the young birds are about - doesn't bother the birds, but definitely keeps the cats away!

Asoiaf · 30/08/2016 11:41

When this happened to us we put prickly plants (in plant pots) there and scared them off with a water pistol when we saw them. This eventually worked although we tried everything else beforehand the green gel stuff, sprays, noise thing...

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 30/08/2016 11:46

I have a cat who roams freely round the neighbourhood, so presumably poos freely round there too.

If I found out my neighbours were shooting him with a supersoaker, it would not worry me. Frankly, he is a bit of a bastard (bites or scratches us for crimes like stroking him too much/not enough, and bullies our dogs - a lab and a lab-pointer cross, so not small dogs). His nickname is CatBastard.

If someone managed to teach him a few manners, I would shake them by the hand.

MrsJoeyMaynard · 30/08/2016 11:56

PILs bought a motion activated water squirter to try and deter rabbits from eating the nice plants in their garden (they're not nimble enough to get out there with a water gun before the rabbits run away) like this one from Amazon -

www.amazon.co.uk/Contech-ScareCrow-Motion-Activated-Deterrent/dp/B005MW9VOM/ref=sr_1_6?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1472554303&sr=1-6&keywords=automatic+water+sprayer

Might be worth a try? Not sure how much the garden the motion sensor and water spray would cover, but it does mean that you don't have to remain on constant sentry duty.

PenelopeFlintstone · 30/08/2016 12:04

Do they sell the motion-activated sprinklers where you live? Cats hate them.

Gowgirl · 30/08/2016 12:05

My neighbour regulary soaks my moggy, she deserves it....last time she bolted over the fence I gave a round of applause, lady next door is a crack shot.

JacquesHammer · 30/08/2016 12:07

I think what annoys so many people is they choose not to have pets. Then have to pay out to keep their garden/house free from other people's.

That really isn't ok however much you dress up a "cat's right to roam"

I'd have so much more respect for cat owners if they said "gosh I am so sorry, I can see how thats annoying, how can we sort this out"

sianihedgehog · 30/08/2016 12:12

Op, try laying some prickly sticks over your loose earth until your plants grow. I used to use branches from my pyracanthus. You can also get netting that you can peg down over the soil. Either of these will deter all but the most determined shitters with less effort than the supersoaker.

MrsEvadneCake · 30/08/2016 12:13

My two are scared of the motion sensor air freshners. I'm not sure how practical it is as a solution but could you put a motion sensitive one with a citrus fragrance there?. When they got near it would spray in the air and the noise and smell might deter them?

Original poster
Gwenci · 30/08/2016 12:14

That automatic water sprayer looks amazing. I just wish I had £100 spare to get one Sad

At this rate we'll just be concreting over the bloody area.

There's too many of them. I just saw a white one I'd never even seen before!!!! (Admittedly, he was just sauntering with intent rather than actually doing anything untoward.) Maybe word has spread about the amazing public toilet at number 76...

OP posts: