The Neighbours Cat.

[MountainPeaks]

Looking for some humane suggestions to keep the neighbours cat out of our property. I have a allergy to cats so I can't pick it up and take it back to them (DP has done this a couple of times).

We brought a "doer upper" and we've been living in it, in various states of disarray for the last few months. We can't have any of the windows open without us physically being in the room because without fail that neighbours cat comes in and pees, or poops, in our house. We had just redone a bedroom floor sanded, walls replastered, electrics all fixed up and as we had repainted we had the windows open. Went for lunch and the cat came in a peed on the sanded floors. Just one example to highlight the frustration.

We have a trampoline in the garden which was originally uncovered. Cat pooped on it regularly. We've now brought a cover - cat still poops on it regularly.

Most nights it starts fighting and it goes on for several hours - like 2 or 3. It sits on the wall at the end of our back garden. Sounds like someone is being murdered.

It's regularly decimating our bird feeders, it leaves dead things, semi-dead things, partially injured things all around our back patio.

The neighbours don't have a cat flap because "if the cat comes in it just pees on the floor". They feed the cat outside. The cat stays out the entire time. We've tried to talk to them and their attitude is along the lines of "well the cat was hear before you were and your house has been empty for years".

What's the best way to deal with it (the cat and the owners)? I don't want anything that will harm the cat - even though I don't like them. DP has taken the cat around to owners when we've caught it in the house. We've suggested a cat flap to them and litter tray. We've asked that they put a bell collar on it to give warning to the birds. We don't want to fall out with the neighbours but we are fed up with it. Also TTC and I don't want to be cleaning up anymore pet poop than I need to (ie. my dog).

www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-live-with-cats-in-your-neighborhood/

Might get some good suggestions here. Sounds like a nightmare. Best of luck with it.

JacquesHammer I wouldn't have known that about cat flaps either. Or actually thought about it if we had a cat flap... Can you lock them?

**hose

Thank you Sassy that link looks really good - lots of suggestions on it.

Mountain my dad made a block for it!! It's completely "no entry" now!!

Weve suffered too with cats poohing. Yes it is cat pooh, not fox, badger etc. The sonic worked the best. The super soaker didnt work. Do think people should cat proof their gardens and keep cats within their own garden. It stop needless cat deaths on the road. People dont allow dogs to wander into their neighbours garden, cant see how cats are different. They both pets and their owners are responsible. (Upsets half of mn and puts on flame resistant and cat pooh proof hat) 😼

I totally agree london

london and pink People would get a shock if my dog wandered into their gardens.

I wonder if I would care less about this if I didn't have a freaking sodding allergy as well. Although, even without that I think I am right to be fed up of it.

wrt netting for windows, we blu tacked strawbery netting onto our windows. so fire escapes would not be compromised.

Thanks Pink How long did you have to keep it up for?

@londonrach I'm a cat owner and I agree with you. I think cats should stay in their owners' gardens for their own safety as much as anything else. My cat only goes into our garden on a leash and doesn't free roam. She's perfectly happy, if she hated the leash then we would cat-proof the garden or build a run.

Get a dog lol we had a neighbours cat who loved our place , since we bought a dog she just eyes my house from the fence .

Caper Sigh. Read the thread?

If you take it to any charity and say it belongs to your neighbour they won't operate on it, will they, they'll return it as Soupdragon says. Which will achieve exactly nothing for you.

The problem is that this very territorial cat wants to own your house and has an extremely antisocial way of showing it. The wailing could be this cat, or different cats, or foxes, and if it is this cat and if it's unneutered then neutering it isn't an instant fix anyway. Focus on the day to day practicalities of keeping it out of your house, chase it off, use water, foil, those electric mats if you have to, keep doors closed so you don't have to chase it out from under your bed. People live quite happily with housecats without having them escape all the time, and with similar precautions plus some water pistols etc you should manage to keep it out.

Most catflaps can be locked, and those that can't can very easily and cheaply be swapped for one that can. Depends on whether you're asthmatic but allergies or no, I would strongly recommend taking the cat out every time you come across it, because every second it's allowed in your house unchallenged encourages it to think it owns the place and gives it opportunities to foul. You need to make it clear that its presence is not tolerated ever. I'm allergic to them too, and we have 2.

Seek advice from the RSPCA.

I'm allergic to them too, and we have 2. I'm guessing you haven't ended up unable to breath because of your allergy then. Thanks for the helpful bit of your post though, it's useful to have other options still coming.

I am actually going to give CPL and the RSPCA a call.

but if he did start reacting / chasing them, he would be able to pull me over if he was on the lead. Worry about him running in front of cars etc.
OP, if you post the above it suggests that your dog is not that well trained or is certainly not fully under control. Now you claim it's "exceptionally well trained". Make your mind up before you start getting arsey. You've had a lot of good ideas on here but you seem determined to just get rid of the cat. And it's obviously not a feral cat as it turns up next door for its food so you'll not be able to lie to Cats Protection or anyone to get rid of it that way.

Katy - My dog is exceptionally well trained. If we encouraged it to carry out a behaviour like cat chasing - it would repeat that behaviour. I do not want my dog chasing cats (or any other animals). I also want my dog to know that we train it, we are not going to change our minds on that training later down the line.

I've clearly said I am not going to lie. That was yet another assumption made.

catsaway.org/cat-law/

^That site has a lot of reviews of cat deterrents (I'm giggling slightly at the idea of going to the council and quoting the human rights act, would be intrigued to see how they responded though)

The OP's neighbours are being prize bellends by not cat proofing their garden so it can't get out, and expecting the OP to go to the effort and cost of stopping the cat from damaging their property - I'd either be full on blasting it with water, or tempted to get a friend to take it into a shelter as a stray. As it is, we just let our dog out when we spot one in our garden!

Metal Thanks - that link may be onto something with the human rights! Surely I have a right to live in my own house with no risk of allergies

I'd either be full on blasting it with water, or tempted to get a friend to take it into a shelter as a stray.
Taking it to a shelter would just transfer the problem to to other people, distress the cat and perhaps distress the owners. I do agree, however, that the owners should have the cat neutered if it is not neutered already.

silly I am not concerned about distressing the owners. I honestly am pretty peed off with the owners.

I've been keeping up with this thread but I'm still puzzled as to how the OP intends to get a cat neutered which is not feral and has owners who live next door to her.

And I still don't know how the OP will proceed if a scan shows a microchip with the registered owner living next door to the OP. And even if there is no chip, who will sign the consent form for the procedure? I imagine the only situation in which the vet or the charity would sign is if the cat is a stray, which it isn't.

Here's something I genuinely don't understand about cats.

If they are pets then the owners should be made to be responsible for them, keeping them in their garden, cleaning up after them etc like dogs.

If they are not pets and are deemed basically wild so 'owners' can't be expected to clean up (hence why you don't legally have to report running over a cat) then the OP would not be 'stealing someone's pet' if she took it to a shelter.

I personally don't see anything wrong with the OP taking the cat and saying 'I found it in my house'. If it's chipped as it should be then the shelter would reunite them anyway.

Suburban I'm going to tell them it's next doors cat. They don't need to scan it other than to confirm what I am saying is true. It's up to them to contact the owners regarding neutering it, or coming to collect it. Hopefully the owners get charged for it's board.