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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is DM or neighbour bu re dead cats?

142 replies

Oysterbabe · 27/12/2016 22:42

DM's neighbour has a swimming pool, which is actually a huge hole in the ground containing 2ft of stinking stagnant water. Over the last few years 5 cats have drowned in the pool, 3 of which were owned by DM and 2 by other neighbours. Also a fox, countless rodents and hedgehogs have met their end in the death pool.

After the first of DM's cats drowned the neighbour seemed genuinely upset and agreed to cover the pool. It didn't happen and a while later DM lost another cat. There was another discussion about covering it or at least putting something in it that trapped animals could climb on to, again it didn't happen and recently cat number 3 drowned too.

DM was devastated by the loss of each cat. I suspect emotions were running high and she was not particularly polite when discussing the latest one with neighbour. Neighbour is angry that DM went onto her property to look for the cat when she was out and has now said she is not going to do anything about covering the pool and DM should keep her pets off her land.

DM is very upset and anxious about her cats. She keeps them in all night and worries herself sick whenever they put a paw outside in the day. They can't really be indoor cats, DM has a small holding and they are outdoorsy country cats.

Given that you can't control where a cat goes, shouldn't the neighbour agree to at least chuck a bit of wood into their pool?

OP posts:
MagicChicken · 28/12/2016 07:02

Of course once the animals have fallen in, I can see how they end up drowning if they can't climb out, but even so, it sounds rather implausible that five cats in such a short time span would do this at all.

londonrach · 28/12/2016 07:30

Op your dm needs to cat fence her garden to keep her cats safe within her garden.

Original poster
Oysterbabe · 28/12/2016 07:36

Cat fence might be the answer. It will be tricky though, the garden is very large, stretches around the house and up to the road and at the back leads onto a paddock. I'm sure it can be done but will be very costly and won't help the other death pool victims.

OP posts:
NightWanderer · 28/12/2016 08:27

I think Environmental Health are more concerned with health hazards to humans, so she would need to emphasize the human health issues such as the water is stagnant, smalls bad, contaminated with the bodies of animals, the garden is unsecure and if a child entered they would be in grave danger etc. Anything else you can think of? Are there loads of insects in summer? Environmental Health do deal with contaminated land, so that's the angle you need to focus on rather than the danger to wildlife/pets.

Good luck though, I think it sounds horrific.

cherrycrumblecustard · 28/12/2016 08:36

This is really upsetting. How can the neighbour happily see much loved pets as well as other wildlife drown? This thread has really upset me Sad

Wolfiefan · 28/12/2016 08:42

I would build a cat run or cat proof part of or the whole garden. Until then the cats need to stay in. Losing 5 is horrid.

Ellisandra · 28/12/2016 08:49

I would wait until she's out then get friends to help haul in and drop a large garden ornaments above the waterline. Far easier to drop it in than for her to lever it out Wink
Deny all knowledge.
Claim the water level must have gone down and revealed it!
Actually, if you dropped in something just below the waterline the cats could stand on that to jump, and the owner wouldn't even know what was foiling her cat killing plans!
Oh! How about a shopping trolley!
Seriously though... I'd be asking a solicitor what the impact would be on me if I did this. A civil claim for trespass? No actual damage... if the worst outcome was a small financial claim to remove the ornament and no criminal record, I would do that.

Nataleejah · 28/12/2016 09:05

Ellisandra classy!

Ellisandra · 28/12/2016 09:07

The shopping trolley? Grin

pictish · 28/12/2016 09:18

"2. Why are the cats not controlled like dogs need to be controlled, cats going through my garden are a real problem, especially when they crap all over it and I have to clear up after someone else's pet - people would complain if a dog was roaming, why not a cat? "

Cats are considered wild animals, legally speaking. This is because they are beyond the control of their owners...as in they cannot be restricted in where they go and what they do unless they are kept indoors at all times. Otherwise, cats just do wtf they like.

How would you propose someone stop their cat from roaming? A stern talking to?

kali110 · 28/12/2016 09:20

Those poor animals Sad made me feel sick

winewolfhowls · 28/12/2016 09:29

To go against the concensus, it's the neighbours land, they can surely do what they want with it.perhaps they can't afford to buy a cover or are saving up to have it filled in.
Your cats your problem ; perhaps you could offer to raise the fencing on the neighbours land or install some anticat devices?

People saying that the neighbour is poisoning the cats? It's a bit of a leap of imagination and unfair to throw unfounded accusations about.

YelloDraw · 28/12/2016 09:38

I'm very surprised she won't place a plank in the pond to allow animals to get out.

Could you go to B&Q and buy a plank, and go round with it "hi neighbour, we had this and thought it would be perfect to putting in the pool to allow animals to climb out. Are you ok with me popping it in now? Thanks so much"

pictish · 28/12/2016 09:42

I agree Wine but still, any person with a grain of decency would do the minimal required to prevent these miserable, grisly deaths from happening on their land.

BertrandRussell · 28/12/2016 09:48

I have lived on a boat for 25 years and had lots of cats. In all that time, only 1 has ever fallen in. And she managed to get herself out before we had got ourselves organized to rescue her.

The cats and the foxes are not falling in. The hedgehogs and so on could well be.

I would get some breeze blocks and put them into the pool.

winewolfhowls · 28/12/2016 10:33

Agreed pictish.

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 28/12/2016 10:33

We had a pool when I was a child. Rural area, we owned a cat but there were strays too and lots of wildlife, I don't remember anything falling in. Our cat made a point of avoiding the area because it was wet, which as a cat she hated.

I agree with pp, your mum needs to contact EH again and emphasise how disgusting this 'pool' is. It must smell horrendous in hot weather.

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 28/12/2016 10:36

Failing that, see if there is a wildlife officer attached to the local police. They might be interested in the danger to wild animals who are dying a slow, lingering death.

dudsville · 28/12/2016 10:39

Yeah, I'm sorry but your first paragraph made me laugh.

If I owned the death pool I have to say I would get rid of it or provide steps. When I was little we lost a dog to a death pool. If I lived near someone who owned a death pool I honestly don't know how I'd manage. You can't tell others what to do if their actions are legal.

dodobookends · 28/12/2016 10:42

The cats are probably not falling in. They go exploring at night, and in the darkness all they see is a drop of a few feet - if the water is completely still with a lot of leaves etc floating on it, then a cat could jump in without realising that the water is there until it is too late.

It isn't any use the OP's DM keeping her cats in or putting up a cat-proof fence there's no such thing as the pool will still be a danger to other animals in the neighbourhood anyway.

user1481201991 · 28/12/2016 11:03

The pool has been unused for 20 years and your Mum has pretty much always had cats, but it's only in the past few years that her and others' cats have started dying in the pool? It does seem a bit suspicious that it's only started happening relatively recently. Has something changed to make it more of a hazard than it used to be?

With such a high probability that cats will die in the pool, I really couldn't keep on getting new cats. Poor things.

lilyb84 · 28/12/2016 11:35

While I don't think other people's cats' welfare should be the responsibility of the neighbour per se, this pool is clearly a massive hazard if that much wildlife is dying in it! Surely that must be unpleasant for the neighbour having to constantly pull dead bodies out of the disgusting stagnant water?

It's tricky with cats as you can't really stop them roaming, so there will always be tension between cat owners and those who hate having cats on their property. My parents used to despair about cats constantly crapping all over our garden and it wasn't very nice to go outside to play only to then step in poo. But we wouldn't have ever thought to blame the owners - it's just one of those things.

I agree that maybe going the health concern route is the best one, if that's in any way possible. I'm not sure you could really claim a child is likely to fall in, as it's the neighbour's personal property and you could say that about anyone's uncovered pool/pond etc, but if the water is that unpleasant and there are that many dead animals it can't be good for anyone in the vicinity.

DJBaggySmalls · 28/12/2016 11:49

Contact the RSPCA, that sounds suspicious.

iknowimcoming · 28/12/2016 12:13

I would get her to contact the local council definitely. We have planning permission to build a house and one of the conditions from the council is that whilst foundations are being dug out we have to ensure that at least a plank is left in the hole overnight to ensure badgers, deer etc can get out if they fall in. Personally I'd also speak to the local RSPCA and possibly your mums vet as well and see if there's anything they suggest doing. We have a specific countryside dept at our council - I'm sure the council would be interested. Depending on the current situation I'd be writing to the neighbour also to let them know I'm contacting council etc to at least give them a chance to sort it out before taking action against them. I'm v angry on your behalf - shocking way to behave!!

pttj · 28/12/2016 12:30

How would you propose someone stop their cat from roaming? A stern talking to?

The same way people stop their dogs/gerbils/ferrets/rabbits/turtles/literally any other pet that I can think of from roaming? Take responsibility for keeping it in a secure area. It's safe and it's not pissing people off. Everybody's happy.