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AIBU?

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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:
BorderChick · 27/08/2017 21:41

@DanHumphreyIsA

And yes I've heard people mention in the past they'd chuck stones at cats (or dogs, whatever) to get them away from wherever they shouldn't be.

Never heard anyone say this. OR known anyone do it.

@user1482443190

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!

You sound like a nightmare neighbour.

And you are teaching your daughter to be the same. Shame on you. You give cat owners a bad name.

You sound exactly like the OP. Funny that. Wink

gillybeanz · 27/08/2017 21:41

I know plenty of people who would use more than a water pistol.
She isn't mean to not want your cat shit in her garden.
You should offer to go round and clean it up daily or not have a shit factory for a pet.

user1482443190 · 27/08/2017 21:41

You could buy your neighbour one of these? www.viovet.co.uk/Tubtrug_Tidee_Manure_Scoop_Rake/c18676/?quick_find=148581&gclid=Cj0KCQjw24nNBRChARIsALldLD1yx-_aw14UiwkqbrqC6YB3ADwZ8ZV9ajTeCy8eO2Qn7JCS3VqtbmgaAjgrEALw_wcB

We have all sorts of creatures defecate in our garden, it's not great, especially hedgehog poo, worse than our dogs.

Jigglyball · 27/08/2017 21:41

I live in a bloody block of flats, and my neighbour has a cat...two actually, but one 'disappeared'.

Anyway, about a year ago it kept coming along in the wee hours and shitting right on my doorstep! And of course my kids stomped right through it, it was so awful.

I bought a ton of repellents and nothing worked -NOTHING! It all came to a head when the Mr. Cat built up the courage to actually climb through my window at 3am, and walk into my bedroom...from there a bizarre and comical cat chase began and ended dramatically with the cat leaping over the balcony...according to my neighbour...that's just what he does Hmm. He only came back once after that to peer at me through the window in a sinister way. Odd

Anyway, I had 2 cats growing up, and I love them. But I sympathise with your neighbour, I wanted to throttle my neighbours one, I really did.

neighbour scaring cat off from her garden
Jessiecat27 · 27/08/2017 21:44

An elderly family member made a point of going into his garden to chase away cats, well he fell down his steps so he soon stopped chasing them! I'd maybe suggest offering her something to keep them out of the garden but she would probably just laugh at you, some people are just like that. It wouldn't phase me if a cat was shitting in my garden, I'd clean it and if it really bothered me, get a repellent. I know it can be annoying to someone who isn't a cat owner and it's usually the elderly who are like this! (I have cats myself)

BorderChick · 27/08/2017 21:46

Are you kidding @user1482443190??? Why should your neighbour have to scoop up YOUR cat shit? Confused

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 27/08/2017 21:49

An elderly family member made a point of going into his garden to chase away cats, well he fell down his steps so he soon stopped chasing them!

You sound horrifically gleeful about that.

That poor elderly man didn't want cats shitting in his garden, and rightly so, yet he was unable to do something about it after he fell. I feel sorry for him; it would be frustrating knowing your neighbours were that selfish.

It wouldn't phase me if a cat was shitting in my garden, I'd clean it and if it really bothered me, get a repellent.

You have cats, of course you don't mind picking up their shit. Other people, particularly those who didn't want cats, do mind having to clean up after them.

Badhairday1001 · 27/08/2017 21:49

I spray my own cat with a water spray when he stalks my kids or try's to 'play' with my daughters Guinea pigs. He doesn't seem particularly upset by the water squirting and still pesters me every 10 minutes for stroking or feeding so doesn't hold a grudge. I think you are worrying over nothing, the cat doesn't care.

Serin · 27/08/2017 21:51

We are actually in the process of selling our house due to our recently moved in next door neighbour and her 6 fecking cats.

We have a cat ourselves, she is litter trained and can't venture outside now or they attack her.

They shit all over our garden and gravel drive. Next door had her garden completely tarmacked over and told another neighbour it's so she doesn't have to clean it up Angry

They have scratched the hell out of the roof and bonnet of DH's car.

They yowl and screech all night every fecking night.

We put down organic cat repellent all the time, it stinks and it doesn't work.

I feel for your neighbour, there have been times when I have seriously fantasised about killing the cats next door.

There is no other creature on earth that gets away with such antisocial behaviour, my God, if our dog barked and woke people every night or shit in their garden or trashed their car, I would be in prison by now.

Badhairday1001 · 27/08/2017 21:54

Jessiecat are you for real? I am not elderly and I'm a cat owner and I would be really pissed off if somebody else's cat decided to start shitting in my garden. I think that most people would feel the same.

butterfly56 · 27/08/2017 21:56

Water pistol or hosepipe with a trigger works fine! I like cats but don't want to be cleaning up neighbours cat shit all day and everyday!

Sequence · 27/08/2017 21:57

I've tried a few types of cat repellent. They don't work very well, if at all.

Sugarformyhoney · 27/08/2017 21:58

DOnt see the issue here. If you don't like her shooing you cat, keep the cat in. If you allow your cat to wonder then you need to expect people to chase it from their garden.
You can offer her a repellent by all means but she's well within her rights to use water etc. Tbh your cat probably gets worse where you can't see!

BorderChick · 27/08/2017 21:58

An elderly family member made a point of going into his garden to chase away cats, well he fell down his steps so he soon stopped chasing them!

My God you sound vile.

As a poster said above, you sound so gleeful that the old man fell and hurt himself. How utterly spiteful and mean-spirited.

A few of you on here are giving cat owners a bad name! Angry

QueenBeet · 27/08/2017 21:58

Cat owner here - I have no problem with people using water pistols on my three, as they're wanderers and a bit of water won't kill them. I did offer to give my neighbour some cat repellent gel things and he wasn't offended, seemed quite pleased that I was trying to do the right thing. However, if they hadn't worked, I'm sure he would have switched to chasing or water pistols, and I wouldn't have been able to stop him.

C0untDucku1a · 27/08/2017 22:00

I have two cats. The cat down the street has been terrorising my smallest cat. Ive had to take her to the vets due to a bite on her neck that was bleeding. The vets told me i have to defend my cats territory and that i should shoot a water pistol at the other cat.

Original poster
DanHumphreyIsA · 27/08/2017 22:01

Also thanks @missjc maybe I'll put another note through and offer to buy this if it could help.

OP posts:
formerbabe · 27/08/2017 22:01

Yabvu.

I don't have pets. One of the reasons I don't have pets is because I don't want to clean up after them, therefore I don't want to have to clean up after an animal which has nothing to do with me.

LilySwamp · 27/08/2017 22:04

I know it can be annoying to someone who isn't a cat owner and it's usually the elderly who are like this! (I have cats myself

Nasty ageist rubbish.

Original poster
DanHumphreyIsA · 27/08/2017 22:06

@Border Ive actually seen one person do it (not to my cat). I had another post a while ago about neighbours dogs in my garden (not this house) and when mentioned to people in RL they said they'd chuck stuff at them to scare them away (eg whatevers in the garden like stones). Not very nice I know.

OP posts:
Jayfee · 27/08/2017 22:11

havent read all the thread but since cats always crap in other peoples gardens, never their owners, i think your neighbour has every right to scare the cat off. my daughter's next door neighbours had multipliple cats, her small garden was like a cat toilet yeuk

MyMorningHasBroken · 27/08/2017 22:14

I wrote a thread the other day. Sick and tired of cat shit on my garden where my kids play. I've spent loads of money on repellents, bushes and other means but nothing works. Repellents do sweet FA. Only thing that kind of gives them a break is Jayes fluid. I am totally with your neighbour here sorry. People spend a lot of time and money trying to make their property look decent and to have it wrecked by fecking cats is a pain in the backside to say the least. it stinks my whole garden out, kids tread in it and they sit on the trampoline and leave hairs all over it. Not to mention the bloody scratches from them sitting all over the bonnets of the cars.

MyMorningHasBroken · 27/08/2017 22:16

I don't have pets. One of the reasons I don't have pets is because I don't want to clean up after them, therefore I don't want to have to clean up after an animal which has nothing to do with me.

and this - too bloody right.

sobeyondthehills · 27/08/2017 22:18

I have bought my neighbour a water pistol. One of my cats has a nasty habit of annoying her dogs. I mean he will sit out in their garden at their window and literally wave at her dogs. When she let the dogs out, he would jump on the fence and continue annoying her dogs. She got complaints about her dogs barking. To be honest if I was a dog with a cat teasing me I would be loud about it has well.

Lana1234 · 27/08/2017 22:20

My cats a roamer and a bloody cheeky one, will walk into peoples houses and make himself at home (most neighbours don't mind and actually love him) but a couple out back didnt like it so I actually suggested the water pistol. It did him absolutely no harm and he doesn't pester them anymore as he's learnt. My cat shouldn't be anyone else's problem and they are completely reasonable in their right to deter him from their property.

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