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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

SPike rods on fence to stop cats coming in?

226 replies

Hitmewithit · 22/04/2017 07:46

My garden is lovely, my daughter will love it this summer, but unfortunately the neighbours cat keeps coming and shitting all over my grass. I bought repelant and used it for a week, i thought it worked but then a massive shit in the middle of the lawn followed by a load of sloppy shit by the fence. I only have a small grass area and I'm getting really fucked off with the grass being shat on. It makes me feel like the lawn stinks and full of germs if my daughter wants to crawl around on it or if we sit on it. I feel like I'll need to disinfect it if I want to go out there with her.

I've seen the cat that does it, I've chucked water at it, chased it away etc but it still comes back!!

I'm tempted to go to Homebase today and get some of these spiked rods that I've seen. Is this legal to do?

OP posts:
chocolatesavedmysanity · 24/04/2017 10:53

Oh dear I don't think I'm vile... I'm actually really lovely.
I just don't really like animals.. I think it's a fear thing. How can that make someone vile???
Kali thanks for sticking up for me!!

chocolatesavedmysanity · 24/04/2017 10:53

And I would never ever dream of being cruel to them... I just avoid them!

ElisavetaFartsonira · 24/04/2017 11:06

I've nothing against cats personally, they're alright. Had one before, wouldn't bother again. But people who tell us they think other people are in some way deficient for not liking a particular animal are a red flag. Shaming people for their boundaries is a real no no.

RockyBird · 24/04/2017 11:09

My cats pooed in the open.

Chilli flakes are great as they don't blow/wash away as readily as powder.

Also get a super soaker for when you catch them in the act.

kali110 · 24/04/2017 11:11

BoneyBackJefferson
SOME cat owners thankyou, Hmm
Not good to generalise

chocolate no idea why you've been jumped on! I love them but as long as you're not hurting them it's ok not too!

RockyBird · 24/04/2017 11:13

Fuck's sake I've seen similar spikes you're talking about to deter HUMANS from sitting in doorways or window ledges. They're totally fine for cats, though I'm not sure how effective they'd be.

I'm a cat lover but think any reasonable measures to deter strange cats, especially poopy ones, from your garden are fine.

GahBuggerit · 24/04/2017 12:44

"the spikes the op is talking about are not the 'impale a cat' type but a 'outchy my paws' type. not cat would get seriously hurt, just deterred."

You know when something just takes you off guard with how funny it is? This comment has actually just made me snort.

I take back my earlier comment, I did think OP was talking about the impaling cat spikes.

........"outchy my paws"..... Grin

MidniteScribbler · 24/04/2017 14:27

Cat people don't care though, they think that we should all love their pet as much as they do and tolerate it using our property like a toilet.

Actually genuine 'cat people' do care, and would never allow their cats to roam and be able to go off their property. Responsible owners keep their pets on their own property. I don't know any real cat lovers that allow their cats outside of their house or out of a cat run. I've had cats for 35 years, and not one of them has been allowed to roam outdoors, except into the cat run that was built for them down the side of our house. All have lived to 20+ years of age, and not one of them has ever disturbed a neighbour.

Iamastonished · 24/04/2017 15:56

I'm not convinced that never allowing a cat outside is that good for it.

I made sure our cats used their litter tray, and it did get used a lot, so while I don't know that they didn't go in other people's gardens they didn't do all their business outside.

BoneyBackJefferson · 24/04/2017 17:59

kali110

Its not nice to have to pick up the shit of other peoples pets.

kali110 · 24/04/2017 18:58

Still don't know what that has to do with you lumping all cat owners in together or a posters neighbour altering HER fence Hmm

BoneyBackJefferson · 24/04/2017 20:48

I wasn't linking it to the neighbours fence, that is all you.

kali110 · 24/04/2017 23:22

You were referring it in your posts with your that cat owners take little responsibility for what there pets do and don't like it when others take steps to prevent the cats from damaging and defecating in their garden

Its not nice to have to pick up the shit of other peoples pets.

No, but not owners are like that, again.
Not all cats shit outside, or venture from their homes.

thegreylady · 24/04/2017 23:26

I have three cats and have spikes, upside down guttering and an overhang to try or stop them getting to the porch from which they could get out if the door is opened. One of the three is not deterred and prances about on top of the overhang. She is a ruddy monkey in disguise 😃

smallchanceofrain · 24/04/2017 23:48

I love cats and have been owned by several, so I wish them no harm, but I have the answer to all cat in the garden problems - get a greyhound. Any cat that gets into our garden never hangs around long enough to do a shit. I do worry what I would do if the speedy hound ever caught one. Wait until after dark and bury it next to the rhubarb? Throw it on the road in the hope it might look like it's been hit by a car? I'm now wondering whether spikes on the fence might be kinder than letting them take their chances in our garden.

thisusernameisnotavailable · 24/04/2017 23:52

I have 6 cats and have the roller poles called Katzecure in my garden. All my cats contained and neighbours ones can't get in. Happy days for all

kali110 · 25/04/2017 02:54

Wait until after dark and bury it next to the rhubarb? Throw it on the road in the hope it might look like it's been hit by a car?
Wtf Hmm that is someone's pst your talking about.

BoneyBackJefferson · 25/04/2017 06:33

kali110

So you are saying that as a responsible cat owner

You pick up it mess?
you stop it from damaging other people's property?
You have paid for the damage caused to other people's property by your cat?
You have paid for people to cat proof their property from your pet?

TittyGolightly · 25/04/2017 06:57

I have the answer to all cat in the garden problems - get a greyhound

So deal with the shit of animals you don't own by getting one whose shit you do have to deal with? Genius. Confused

DoraChance · 25/04/2017 06:59

I've had cats all my life and never seen one poo on the grass, they like privacy and somewhere to dig.

Sparklingbrook · 25/04/2017 07:02

Yes getting a pet dog that will poo all over your lawn to prevent cats pooing all over your lawn. Strange Confused

And why bury ' next to the rhubarb'?

Weird

QuitMoaning · 25/04/2017 07:06

DoraChance Have you read the full thread? You may not have seen it but many many others have. They do crap on people's lawns. This is witnessed fact.

SleepOhHowIMissYou · 25/04/2017 07:33

Being a greyhound owner myself, I think perhaps smallchance was being flippant. Ours is not muzzled in his own garden and so the only 'wild-life' that visit us are birds as he is wired to chase fleeing furry things. If he caught a cat, it'd be quick though, there's no torment, just a quick neck snapping head shake and game over with sight hounds.

In keeping with the theme of cats and rhubarb, I did watch one unaware cat shitting in our raised veggie patch. I waited until it was finished before letting the hound out to give it a good chance to scarper (and let it know not to risk trespassing here again) as I have no desire to mangle cats. When I went to clear up its mess, it had actually crapped right in the middle of the rhubarb leaf!

On cleaning up a strange animal's shit Vs your own pet's, firstly there's a familiarity, affection and responsibility for your own, secondly, you know your pet is up to date with their boosters and the general state of their health. Lots of nasty diseases in animal shit!

Sparklingbrook · 25/04/2017 07:36

Oh well as long as it's quick with a neck snap that's all good then. Confused

CharlieSierra · 25/04/2017 07:41

When these threads crop up, as they frequently do, I can never get my head around the fact that so many people think it's their right to choose to own a pet which someone else then has to clear up after. It's completely gobsmacking. If you own a cat, of course it shouldn't be shitting on someone else's lawn. Either keep it in or you go the expense of cat proofing your own garden. It's not the law, I know, but it should be. Oh but foxes, hedgehogs etc. shit in gardens is a complete straw man, nobody made the selfish decision to own them and inflict their shit on their neighbours. It's not shit in my garden that's the issue for me, but I never saw so many dead baby birds as I did last year after my new neighbour's moved in with their huge cat, it was awful.