neighbour scaring cat off from her garden

[DanHumphreyIsA]

Ok not by being physical but just chasing him off with a water pistol or shooing him away.

I am not being arsy about that, by the way but wondering if IBU to offer to buy her some cat repellants or something? OH thinks we should leave it and thinks she's just mean lol.

We have only recently moved to this area, have never spoken to her. We said hello a few times, she's not interested, fair enough. We've also put a note through before when we had work done to the house to apologise for the noise (she's quite old, I would say 70+) so I atleast hope she knows we're not mean people.

We can't keep the cat in as he was a stray so used to outdoors and goes crazy if hes kept in. I have tried shouting him when he goes over the fence, but, well he's a cat

I dont like it as he's my baby of course, but if she doesn't like cats or whatever and aslong as he's not hurt I can't exactly say anything.
I'm not really sure whether to just let it be and let her chase him off? I'm just worried he might piss her off enough to start chucking stones at him or something.

She's obviously not fussed about us being 'neighbourly' so I dont know if it would be overstepping to go and offer her some cat repellents or similar (open to suggestions on something 'similar' btw)

sorry that was at the pp. No sleep after a night shift due to researching cat proofing all day! I think ill put this thread away for now.

Real shame that the majority of posters didnt bother to read your thread op!
No yanbu to go and ask her about the water guns!
I would def make it a house cat as you do get nasty people who throws things at cats, stones, liquids ( that aren't water) and who think it's funny.
We still get other cats coming in but i wouldn't do anything to them.
Forheavenssake the cats we get coming in have never been a nuisance.
Really funny how people have had a go at you yet think it ok to call you a 'simpleton'

And if you do have the fence make sure it realky is cat proof, my friend put fencing up a round the garden and the cat just propelled itself up it

I've only got about six messages in but I'd love cats in my garden, crapping on my plants or not. Please send them all my way, but understand that they will be subject to cuddles if they consent.

YABU, although I can understand why you don't like seeing your cat being shooed. I shoo our neighbours' cats (both sides have them) for three reasons: 1) I can't stand cats pooing in our garden, it's a pain in the bum when you haven't elected to have a cat.
2) I have a very cat un-friendly dog, and despite what I may look like when shooing the cats away it's partly done out of wanting to protect them by deterring them from entering our garden!
3) One of the cats has started to make a habit of walking along the roof and coming into our house via nursery window... I don't want a cat in my newborn child's room but we need to open the window sometimes to cool the room down and equally I can only imagine what the dog would do if they stumbled across a cat in the house. It wouldn't be pretty.

I appreciate it's impossible for cat owners to control what their kitty does when out and about but I'm really not a fan when they then affect other people's gardens/homes. I've also tried cat deterrents and nothing works, so whilst I personally would rather shoo than squirt water I don't judge those that do!

Oh and just for fun I started putting food dye in the water pistols i used so that I could identify which cats belonged to which neighbours.

That is an excellent idea!

DanHumphreyIsA, sorry if it came across as all cats would get used to it - I'm sure cats that have been used to outside more than in would struggle. Ours were rescue cats but rescued as kittens, so I think they didn't have access to outside at the foster carer's house, and only had it for a few weeks here before neighbour started complaining, so no doubt much easier for them to get used to it.

Really funny how people have had a go at you yet think it ok to call you a 'simpleton'

Actually I didn't. I asked if she was the sort of simpleton who found other people's misery funny, given I explained my difficulties and she "lolled".

Seems MNHQ are having comprehension issues too. #eyeroll

We used to have a problem with cats, which magically disappeared when we got a dog.
I really hated cat poo in my garden and I am 100%with your neighbour.

We used to have a problem with cats, which magically disappeared when we got a dog

I must admit we're doing a lot of thinking about getting a dog. Whilst in no way a reason to get a dog, it would be a pleasing side effect. Especially as the breed we choose will likely be an ex-racing greyhound

Seems MNHQ are having comprehension issues too

Hardly a rarity.

Anyway OP I have actually read your full post and the entire thread (took a while).

Of course it wouldn't be unreasonable of you to offer your neighbour some assistance in the form of repellents etc etc. They are, however, crap and IME don't work.

Cats are a PITA for non cat owners. I used to have a cat, when I as a kid he was my only pet (we had a dog too but wasn't "mine" if ya know what I mean) and I also rescued one back in about 2010 (long since passed away) so I'm no cat hater but fuck it's annoying having to clean up the shit every single day. I have a dog, a fairly large one so obviously I have to clear up his deposits too but he leaves gigantic steaming turds which are easily spotted. I have a large garden and the cats crap all over it. It's annoying. But I don't think you would be unreasonable to offer your NDN some help. Quite the opposite in fact.

Oooo do rescue an ex-racer @JacquesHammer, we got ours four years ago and they are such a rewarding and gentle breed... very effective on the cat repellent front too! 😉

Actually I didn't. I asked if she was the sort of simpleton who found other people's misery funny, given I explained my difficulties and she "lolled".
Because that makes it so much better
Clearly mnet don't think its any better either.
It doesn't make you any better when you insult people.

danhumphreyisa OP you are the nicest most accommodating cat owning neighbour I have heard of and have got so much unwarranted stick on here. Please don't let it bother you - people clearly have not read your initial post correctly.

We have a device from Amazon which squirts water whenever an animal enters the garden (sick of fox shit, though adore foxes, before I get any backlash!). Forgive me if it has been suggested.

YABU. I actually like cats a lot - but I don't have one of my own and I don't like my garden to be full of cat shit. Also, I have birds nesting in my garden and I hate having to pick up dead birds that cats have killed. Consequently I shoo my neighbours' cats away or flick water at them if they wander into my garden. It's a harmless way of deterring them. I would never in a billion years throw stones at any animal and I've no idea why you assume your neighbour might do that.

One of my neighbour's cats no longer comes into the back garden although obviously hasn't been upset by us shooing him away as he regularly sits on the front drive and wall and isn't scared of us at all. He's quite friendly, in fact.

Cat repellers haven't ever worked in any the places I've lived.

Cat repellents don't work really, besides her getting a cat or her own, shooing it away is probably the best method.

Our cats are confined to our garden as it's catproofed and they're calmer, happier and there's no danger of them being killed on the roads / annoying neighbours. If you're really concerned about the situation (and have a suitably sized garden) you could look into something similar.

But in all honesty a bit of water won't hurt him and hopefully he'll stay clear of her in future.

danhumphreyisa OP you are the nicest most accommodating cat owning neighbour I have heard of and have got so much unwarranted stick on here. Please don't let it bother you - people clearly have not read your initial post correctly.
Yes, all a lot of people have done is put the boot in, instead of actually reading the op.

Even if ops cat go out, it doesn't mean they will kill wildlide.
Not all cats do.
Mine are terrified of absolutely everything!

Wildlife*

We cat proofed our last garden. The fence was about neck height to me, i'm about 5'5''. We bought a load of brackets like these:

www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/utility-bracket---white---175x225cm-021822

Put them about 3 or 4 feet apart along the fence with the long side pointing into the garden (just over a foot IIRC) and the short side screwed to the fence. Then put soft black pond/garden netting pulled tight across the tops held with wire through the already there holes in the brackets.

www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/garden-net-117409

It was ridiculously easy, we did it in one day having bought the bits the day before, and cost us about ... i dunno 50 quid altogether for our garden. We even managed to continue the bracket and netting across the top of a side gate from the fence to the side of the house so we were 'wrap around' cat proof

Our cats would not jump up onto the netting because it was hard to see properly to judge the jump, and didn't look too stable i guess. If they clawed they way up the fence itself they would arrive with their head pressed at the overhang and they would have to just go back down.

No cats actually came into our garden either after putting this fence up.

I have tried shouting him when he goes over the fence, but, well he's a cat

I dont like it as he's my baby of course

First sentence, logical.
Second sentence....bonkers.

It doesn't make you any better when you insult people

What a bizarre train of thought.

I was asking a reasonable question of someone who was laughing at someone having problems. Nothing to do with "being better" as you put it.

Anyway, leaving behind this utterly pointless divergence, OP you sound a really decent neighbour as do a handful of others on this thread.

It's a shame most cat owners aren't like you.

Buy her a greyhound. Better deterant than a water pistol.

YABU. Cat owners are so selfish.

Water pistol or shooing away is fine and I say that as a cat owner.
Ditto. Though offering cat repellent is a decent idea too.

Actually I was called "stupid"basically. Was told I was using my mothers mums net account (not sure what that was about) because I "lol" pretty mean. I'm a responsible owner so not entirely sure why I was targeted I feel like I have a right to say what I want too.
Odd really but use to it a lot of mean people in the world, including online

Was told I was using my mothers mums net account (not sure what that was about)

I have no clue about that

because I "lol" pretty mean

It is pretty standard etiquette online that if someone says "x, y and z is happening and its causing me these problems" someone doesn't respond with "lol".