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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

neighbour scaring cat off from her garden

254 replies

DanHumphreyIsA · 27/08/2017 20:46

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 Grin

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)

OP posts:
HiJenny35 · 27/08/2017 21:09

I hate next doors cats coming into my garden, it's not because I don't like cats or that they poo in my garden it's because I spent years feeding the birds and have a nest of robins and two houses of blue tits I also have a small pond of fish that the cat sits next to and tries to catch. Don't assume it's because of the poo, she's not being nasty she just doesn't want them there and water isn't hurting them at all.

Ttbb · 27/08/2017 21:09

It's actually a bit unreasonable to let your cat roam around other people's gardens. A lot of us have allergies/don't want cat poop in our gardens. I appreciate that your cat has issues being indoors but you shouldn't have moved to such populous area. Alternatively you could maybe put up some kind of netting/barrier to deter your cat from jumping into her garden.

user1489675144 · 27/08/2017 21:13

I dislike other people's cats:

Pooing in MY garden, then digging to cover it up, destroying my seedlings/seed bed.

Killing birds (decimating the bird population)

YABU - if she wants to squirt a bit of water at the pest then good on her, she is not actually hurting the pest at all.

Original poster
DanHumphreyIsA · 27/08/2017 21:16

If anyone has any 'training' ideas to stop him leaving the garden then I'd be happy to hear them also!
I'd read spraying them with water wasn't recommended (pretty sure on a shelter website) but maybe that just means don't do it ALL the time. Hopefully she will teach him not to go there.
I just feel a bit bad, she probably had a peaceful life before our cat came along.

OP posts:
WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 27/08/2017 21:16

YABU. She shouldn't have to put up with cat shit in her garden just because you decided you wanted a pet. It's not mean to scare him away.

Just be grateful she isn't throwing the cat shit back into your garden so you can deal with it.

dementedpixie · 27/08/2017 21:21

My cats go into neighbours gardens but still come back home to use the litter tray. I don't think they realise there is a giant toilet out there!

sadiemm2 · 27/08/2017 21:23

I'm a cat lover, but am having real problems with a cat spraying up at my front door, walls underneath my windows, and my car. This means when I open the window I am greeted by the scent of baking cats piss. I'm spending a small fortune on gels, granules, cloves, dried chillies etc. I've put down some some zoflora, and am tempted to use jeyes fluid. I love cats but can't stand the smell of cats piss. I will be getting a water pistol, as I'm at a loss. Someone's much loved puss cat is pissing me off.

user1482443190 · 27/08/2017 21:24

Oh God, you don't live next door to my ex MIL do you?! She's always got a water pistol to soak cats Sad I'd invest in a Nerf gun and retaliate my shooting at her with the Nerf gun everytime she shoots your cat.... Apologies, probably not very helpful. My DD is trying to teach her cats like to antagonise people that don't like them!

Jengnr · 27/08/2017 21:25

Keep him inside. Let him wreck your stuff, not everyone else's.

Sally52014 · 27/08/2017 21:25

It's her property, if she doesn't want your cat there then she has every right to shoo him away

ReanimatedSGB · 27/08/2017 21:26

Water and shooing do not hurt cats.
I actually appreciate that your post was more about feeling sorry that your neighbour is being annoyed by your cat than condemning her for chasing it away. But cat repellents are apparently not all that effective, and it might make her feel better to train a water pistol on the cat when she sees it (my grandmother used to use a wonderful vintage ear syringe as a water pistol to see off her neighbour's cats).

moosechops · 27/08/2017 21:28

Oh god it could be me too haha. Sick to death of picking cat shit off the grass and the kids trodding in it. I'be tried everything and water and chasing seems to be the only thing to get them to piss off.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 27/08/2017 21:28

I'd invest in a Nerf gun and retaliate my shooting at her with the Nerf gun everytime she shoots your cat.... Apologies, probably not very helpful. My DD is trying to teach her cats like to antagonise people that don't like them!

Atrocious behaviour from you and your DD.

I would happily use a water pistol on any cat that came into my garden, and back on you if you did it to me (because doing it to humans is unreasonable, it is not unreasonable or cruel to do it to cats).

SimpleCreature · 27/08/2017 21:29

We have two cats. I have offered all our neighbours water pistols. None have taken me up on the offer, but they are very welcome to squirt water at our cats if they are where they aren't wanted.

YA (with the greatest respect) BU

strawberrisc · 27/08/2017 21:30

I knew someone who used to chuck a mix of tomato sauce or mayonnaise in water at cats. A water pistol is just a harmless deterrent.

ADishBestEatenCold · 27/08/2017 21:30

"If anyone has any 'training' ideas to stop him leaving the garden then I'd be happy to hear them also!"

Put up a cat fence and make your garden a safe haven for your cat.

www.purrfectfence.co.uk/ www.protectapet.com/ <a class="break-all" href="//www.catfencein.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.catfencein.com/

Ontheboardwalk · 27/08/2017 21:30

My cat has cat litter but still likes to go out for a wander, especially into next door garden for a lie down. I think it's the way the sun hits their patio.

NDN isn't a cat fan, I offfered to buy him a water pistol to spray near the cat, DCat soon got the message.

I've no problem someone sprayIng near my cat, as long as it's not a water canon.

ElegantDream · 27/08/2017 21:31

CATPROOF your garden with cat fencing and keep them in.

Original poster
DanHumphreyIsA · 27/08/2017 21:32

@missjc if she asked I'd be happy to do it for her, I shovel the litter trays daily anyway!
Maybe the ultrasonic thing is a better option than other repellents, I just don't know if it'd be U to go and offer her something like that or just let her deal with it.

OP posts:
MissJC · 27/08/2017 21:34

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0077LW0M6/ref=mpssa117?ie=UTF8&qid=1503865943&sr=8-7&pi=ACSX2366SY340QL65&keywords=ultrasonic+cat+repeller&dpPl=1&dpID=41GHwKHKvEL&ref=plSrch

Here is the link flavia

user1482443190 · 27/08/2017 21:35

What - I meant shoot my ex MIL with the Nerf gun, not the cats! I wouldn't even use a water pistol on the cats!

Blatherskite · 27/08/2017 21:36

"OH thinks we should leave it and thinks she's just mean lol. "

She's mean because she doesn't want cat shit in her garden Confused He has a very odd definition of mean!

FlaviaAlbia · 27/08/2017 21:37

Thanks miss!

You're a loon user1482443190

Original poster
DanHumphreyIsA · 27/08/2017 21:39

Thanks for the link, we'll be doing the garden up next year so I think we'll have to do something like this, or I imagine she'll hate us!

He definitely uses the litter tray at home daily, but I've no way of knowing if he 'goes' outside too. NDN seems to come out as soon as he jumps the (tall) fence so maybe she's just being proactive before he does poo.

OP posts:
WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 27/08/2017 21:39

What - I meant shoot my ex MIL with the Nerf gun, not the cats! I wouldn't even use a water pistol on the cats!

I don't care about the cats; as long as they're not harmed it doesn't matter (and no, spraying the cats with a water gun isn't mean or harmful).

When I say it's atrocious behaviour, it's atrocious because of your attitude towards your MIL. She's entitled to not want cat shit in her garden and to take any measures necessary to stop it.