To ask neighbours to keep their cats indoors?

[TwoBucksPizzaSlices]

Recently had new neighbours move in below us (it's a large converted house consisting of a one-up and one-down flat) and they're absolutely lovely. Considerate with their music and tv levels given we have a baby and a toddler, always apologetic if I've had to take in a parcel for them - just generally really nice people.

However, a few weeks ago I noticed two new cats in their garden (the bottom flat has the back garden and we have a spiral staircase leading from our balcony outside our kitchen, in to their garden as a fire escape). Given we've lived here for two and a half years, we know which house has which cats, so I immediately made the link between these two cats and our new neighbours.

I wasn't bothered at all, we're cat people, love them, but it is in our tenancy agreement (and evidently downstairs too!) that no pets are allowed. A few days went past after I first spotted the cats, and the cats started sitting on our balcony by our back door. Again, not a massive issue, they wasn't causing any trouble and our balcony isn't used for anything other than keeping our food bin and recycling bags on.
But then, whenever I tried opening our back door, I had to start fighting away little cat noses and paws that were desperately trying to get in. When I'm cooking of an evening, they're up against our back door meowing!

Fast forward another week or so, and their cats are coming in to our flat! I like to have my kitchen window open to air out the flat as I can't have the lounge or nursery windows open due to small children, but the cats come in through the kitchen window and stroll about my flat. I like to have the kitchen door open in summer too, to get a nice breeze coming in, but now I can't see that I'm going to be able to do that when the weather picks up.

I spoke to neighbour the other day and made him aware what his cats were doing and he said he was going to put some things at the bottom of our fire escape (which can be easily moved by us in an emergency) to block his cats from getting up. He did so, but cats being cats, they just knock it over and stroll on up.

Today, I was making my bed and heard my toddler going 'cat! Cat!' From the baby gate across our lounge door, I turned around and sure enough, there was a cat in our hallway. I only had the kitchen window open maybe a palms width and the bugger still squeezed through!

If I see the cats just as they're about to come in, it's not a huge problem as I can just pick them up and put them back outside. But my issue is that I have to put my baby down for naps throughout the day so can't always see what's going on outside of the nursery, and I don't feel like I should have to have my windows shut to stop other people's pets coming in to my home. If I don't see the cats come in, they could easily make themselves comfy on our bed, our go in to our lounge where our boisterous toddler could potentially antagonise them and end up getting hurt.

I know cats will be cats and there's not a great deal our neighbours can do about it, but (as nice a person as I am, and a cat lover too) I'm reaching my limit and don't believe it's down to me to keep my windows shut to prevent neighbours pets coming in to my home.

What should I do?

Get mesh screens for the windows and start soaking them rather than just putting them back out. They'll get the message.

Fly screens are an option. Or squirting the cars with water although that’s a bit mean.

Keep a spray bottle of water handy.

I wouldn't rock the boat if the neighbours are considerate otherwise.
Buy a water pistol and get cat hunting.

Sqooshy bottle and squirt them every time. Only thing that works for our two.

Buy a squirt bottle or a water pistol and every time they come in give them a quick spray, they'll soon learn to avoid your place.

Agree with a water spray - they will get the message. Either that or a mesh screen for the windows as suggested - agree it's a bit of a pain but your neighbours sound nice, and well... cats will be cats.

Are the mesh screens something we could put up as tenants? As in, do they just click in place? Our tenancy agreement doesn't allow for us to decorate/nail up photos etc so the screens would need to be easily removable and leave no damage to the window and door plastic..

It definitely is tricky. Having owned many cats in my lifetime, I do realise there's little my neighbours can do about this, and the guy seemed genuinely mortified that his pets were coming in to our place, but it is bugging me that I'm going to have to potentially just stop having my windows and door open.

Years ago I lived in a ground floor flat, my cat would bang on the window with his front paws to be let in as we had no direct access to outside via a door. Found out he was also doing it next door and the little boy who lived there was letting him into his bedroom! Luckily his mum thought it was funny and had caught them having a nap together on the little boy's bed (he was about seven). It led her to realise we were allowed cats, just had to file a request and that cats will happily come and go via Windows. They got a cat and ours stopped visiting. Cats are CFs get a water pistol they will learn and it does them no harm, or get a cat...

Mesh will work for the windows but not an open door in summer. I think the water pistol approach is your best bet (and I say that as a cat owner). We had cats in our last estate who used to come in to eat our cats' food and terrorised them, and it was very annoying during the summer.

We had the issue with a Tom cat in the summer, water did nothing. (We don’t have cats, but there are a few females about) in the end I bought some detectors that let off a noise they don’t like when they are near. It worked for us and didn’t upset next doors dog (it doesn’t go through walls). I’d get one for the balcony

Ha! If this was me I would be inviting them in to hang out and making friends, I love having cat visitors.

But I understand that you don't want cats that are not yours in your flat. Start giving them a squirt with a water pistol to deter them. They'll soon learn. Or hang empty carrier bags - the rustly kind like from tesco - on the outside of your windows so they rustle in the wind. Cats are scared of carrier bags for some daft reason.

Why should OP pay for fly screens when the others are in breach of their tenancy agreement? I'd say something. In the meantime can you move your bins / recycling as they are probably being attracted in the first place by that.

Simple if it's no pets then report him to his all they are a nuisance

You can't ask people to keep their cats indoors. You can make sure the cats don't want to come in to your house. Chase them shouting 'get out of it' or something a few times and they won't come back.

We had this and fixed in about 3 days. Every time cat enters, pick it up, put it outside and spray it with water (water gun or half glass full). They soon get the message and stop trying to come in as they associate it with getting wet!

The food bin on our balcony rarely gets used (we use the one outside our front door mostly) so I dont think that's what they're attracted to. Our balcony is a huge sun trap, plus provides shelter from the wind so I can see the appeal... from a cats point of view

I know it's not right for me to ask to keep them indoors, but short of them doing that, I don't see how this issue is going to get solved.

May need to try out the water bottle technique! I'll feel awful spraying them, but if it works, I'll just have to persevere!

Try the water pistol thing first as it cheapest, some cats are really smart and realise they’re not wanted!

You could get a cat

My friend has got some sort of machine thingy that sets off a noise that annoys cats when they cross it in her garden. Don't think it was very expensive. Just pop a couple of those near the balcony and windows. I think that is less cruel than water spray.

Tell the landlord they have pets.

Water pistol all the way!

I'm missing what the problem is I'd be happy about kitties visiting me but without the responsibility and costs of keeping them

I definitely don't want to tell our landlady as - cat issue aside - they are honestly dream neighbours. Our baby and toddler make so much noise and they've never complained and even said they completely expect to hear noise from us given the age of our DC's. our last neighbour was, for lack of a better word, a total arsehole, so really want to get on with this lovely couple.
We can't get a pet, it's in the agreement that no pets are allowed plus the estate agent outlined it several times.

The noise machine could work, however, I can actually hear the noise they emit! If we're walking down the street, I can always tell who's got one in their garden - not sure I could deal with that noise right outside my kitchen!

Will give the water a go for a while and just put up with feeling like a bad person in the process ha!