To wonder what you would say to a neighbour complaining about your cat weeing and pooing their prize vegetable garden?

[Upthepong]

Just that really. I'm a bit non-plussed about it all

Those spikes are very entertaining when the birds are trying to land on them.

Fiver no, not all cats spray. Usually it's unneutered cats which spray.

Dogs smell, destroy furniture, terrify some people and cats, make absolutely hideous sound, some breeds kill humans - and people generally love these shits? Who can't even be bothered to cover their own? While poor cats get completely obliterated on this thread because of someone's vegetables? Seriously, people, get the fucking grip.

And OP please let it be a joke about name changing. people may disagree with you, but you or your cat are nothing to be ashamed of. It's some of the later cat-hating comments which actually explain why some people just "shrug". [while at the beginning we established that apologising and offering to help is the best solution]. It all depends how someone expresses their concern. If politely, then - apology+help; if they are being an arsehole about it, then tell it how it is "yea, it's a cat. it shits. mind the dog turd on the road btw"

I stopped growing my little veg plot in our garden due to neighbours cats shitting there. Put me off my lovely fresh salad leaves when a stinking cat turd regularly next to it when I went to pick it. Tried loads of different things to deter them, none worked long term. Made me so angry - we don't have pets so why the fuck should we have other peoples pet shit in and around our garden including wheer we grow food? I got it on my hands a few times (before I knew I was pregnant) and always wondered if that was why I had a miscarriage "Cat faeces can contain a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis infection. If you get toxoplasmosis for the first time when you're pregnant or up to three months before you conceive, the infection can: pass to and damage your unborn baby. cause miscarriage or stillbirth". If you can't control where they shit, don't get a pet - simple. Why should your wish to own a pet trump my wish to enjoy my own garden?

I've never understood how cats are allowed to have duality in the law

I cannot understand why hitting a dog by a car obliges you to take it to the vet, but not if you hit a cat. Cat is classed as a rabbit, mouse or any other fucker you can dispose of as to "not cause an accident". Charming argument. Saving a dog though is ok reason to cause an accident. That is just wrong.

Apologies and keep my cat within my garden by cat proofing my garden. Saying that i never have a cat as i value my neighbours and look wildlife more. As someone who has finally managed to leave the rent trap and got a house with a tiny garden im finding cats a huge pest.

Dogs smell, destroy furniture, terrify some people and cats, make absolutely hideous sound So do cats

some breeds kill humans Calm down, its a garden thread

While poor cats get completely obliterated on this thread because of someone's vegetables? Seriously, people, get the fucking grip. See above comment

Dog owners are held accountable for each and every one of those. Cat owners arent, whether they care or not.

Can I suggest dog owners walk their dogs in their own garden? Or if they don't have the garden - then they don't own the fucking dog? I'm sick of dog crap in parks and roads and see no reason why your dog exercise and enjoyment of life should be put over other people's convenience. See how the "keep your cat indoors" argument just doesn't stand?

I've had a cat (well actually he was an 8 month old kitten) be poisoned by anti freeze because a neighbour who hated cats put a bowl down of it.

I can safely say it was the most horrific death for the cat and I when we rushed him to the vet after he was coughing up blood I heard a horrific sound (one I will never forget) from the cat basket I looked inside to see a stiff cat who had died with his eyes wide open. I will never forget that horrific sight.

My daughter was only 3 at the time and not only had I just witnessed what I just saw I also had to tell a little girl out cat had just died.

Having just had the neighbour’s cat poo in our brand new flower beds about 30 times in the past month - which I’ve had to pick up and dispose of - and mess up our new plants by scrabbling about, I sympathise with your neighbour. They haven’t asked for your cat to just turn up uninvited and shit. Yes, the cat knows no better, but it’s still disgusting and it’s especially annoying when it’s not even your cat. So I think the nice thing to do would be to offer to pay for the cat repellant of their choice - electronic, anti-fence climbing device or flower bed protectors.

Cats are classed as wild and nothing can be done if they do this. Think you can apologise but explain they're cats there's nothing you can do about where they choose to go or go toilet as it's cruel to keep them indoors. You understand they're frustration but in the eyes of the law they're doing nothing wrong and it could also be other cats.
😁

FascinatingCarrot I know, I see. Yet no cat ever killed a baby, but a certain breed of dog is capable of it. They even destroy some breeds in shelters if a dog is aggressive. A cat can never do similar damage. Dog is much more dangerous and disgusting animal, yet dog owners are in oblivion about their pets pissing others off.

I may not be particularly calm, you are right to notice, but a rant is usually a sign of a big time aggravation, and for me it's the love of dogs and disgust towards the cats I often see.

@bloodydisgrace
Please keep your ignorance and bias towards certain dog breeds to your own little self.
OP
Your spelling confusion over nonplussed should have been non pussed 😉😸

Actually refreshing to hear some of the responsible, thoughtful cat owners on here who consider others.

I'm allergic to cats and when I find a neighbour hood cat sat in my house because it's warm and I leave a window or door open (I know I know, wtf am I thinking) I'm less than impressed.
Funnily enough never found a dog randomly there. Or a dog shit in my garden.

Some dog owners are inconsiderate and some cat owners are. It's hardly cats against dogs...It's people who have a conscience and people who don't give a feck

@bloodydisgrace
This is not a dangerous pets thread? It's also impossible to debate the more disgusting - they both are in their own way.

I would be very conscious if my dog pissing people off was an issue. I'd also be at risk of losing her legally for shitting in someone garden if she was.

Can I suggest dog owners walk their dogs in their own garden?
Can I suggest that cat owners walk their cats in their own garden?

My friend has cat proof fencing because she adores her cats. They have a garden to roam & sunbathe freely, are safe from traffic, dogs and cat thieves. They can't annoy the neighbours, so no risk of unpleasant things happening to them and other cats can't get in, so they don't get into fights.

LittleChristmasMouse

The original question concerned a "prize vegetable garden".

Agricultural fleece is highly efficient at keeping cat crap out of the veggie bed, with the added benefit that it prevents early morning pigeons from eating your tender seedlings as soon as they push through the soil, (leaving you eyeing the row of expected beans with bemusement, wondering why none of the seeds seem to have sprouted). It also avoids the misery and disappointment of finally harvesting your lovely peas, carrots and onions, after months of diligent weeding and watering, only to find the entire crop is wormy and riddled with maggot holes.

The only thing it doesn't protect against are dastardly destructo-hens, who will peck holes through it in order to reach any brassicas that have grown big enough to press against the inside of the fleece.

Cat proofing an entire garden is a completely different question, one that I didn't attempt to answer, though several posters seem to have had success with expensive cat proof fencing systems.

Happily let my two cats roam outside during the day. No neighbour has ever complained about them. They do their business in the woods rather than the neighbours garden though. If someone did complain I would of course apologies and offer a super soaker etc. But I would not be cat proofing my garden to keep them contained. My immediate neighbours dogs constantly shit in hers and she periodically clears it up. Doesn't put her off growing her veg either!

But our problem is not a cat in one vegetable cat - my next door neighbour has 7 cats. Our entire garden is a cat toilet and it's disgusting.

I hope we follow the Australian idea here. Even if I could keep the cats out of my garden how do we stop them from coming through the windows?

We've taken to picking the poo up on shovels and flinging it back over the fence.

Minkies Tbf as it's her own pet she's probably less resentful, and her dog is less likely to shit on her rhubarbs as dogs tend to prefer more open areas.

OP, please don't buy anything for your neighbour before checking what they would be happy to accept.

I had a similar problem with my neighbour who complained about cat poo (my window overlooks her garden and every cat in the neighbourhood visits it - I think the multitude of bird tables and feeders attracts them all) and asked me to restrain my cats.

I didn't want to be an inconsiderate neighbour so googled solutions and:

offered to buy her cat-repelling plants - she didn't want any of them growing in her garden;
sonic repellent - nope, suspicious of what they emit;
citrus peel - no, would look like litter;
netting - too ugly;
chicken wire - too inconvenient;
lion poo - it's just more shit really, innit?

She really just wanted me to keep my outdoor cats indoors, and didn't want to me to find ways to cat-proof her garden.

Thankfully, while I was going through my list in her kitchen, Tiddles from down the road appeared in the garden and squatted in an unmistakable manner. I asked what Tiddles's owner had offered to do and that's when it became apparent that, being closest, she had just assumed it was my cats (who have litter trays) and hadn't spoken to anyone else.

So please check with your neighbour and find out what other owners are doing about it before you part with any cash.

Both her dogs shit everywhere in the garden the poor women! She doesn't mind my cats running around in there as well though as they are friendly with her dogs (weird I know!). We all have a mixture of cats and dogs where I live and a bit of tolerance goes a long way. Her dogs are very yappy but that's just how it is and I don't mind. Likewise when they occasionally go cavorting through my front garden and knock my flowers over. It's not the end of the world. People accept that cats roam and dogs don't.

fuck me, the entire countryside is a shithouse for the dogs! I've never seen so much in London. As if if it's a country lane, more grass, you can "blend it in with the nature"

Its probably cat shit. Cat owners have no idea where their cats are shitting. And they don't care - as long as it's not in their garden.

We had this with our neighbour. I was never convinced it was our cats tbh because we had a mean Tom who used to come into our garden and try and fight our cats, and who routinely came in through our kitchen window and stole food from the countertop- he was bold and fearless! But when she moaned I brought her some of those pellets that are meant to stop cats going on the flower beds and a plant that is meant to keep them off because of the smell. She did appreciate the gesture and didn’t moan again so maybe it worked on whatever cat was the issue.

And for those saying you can stop your cats or just follow them 😂 have you ever met a cat?! I’m not nimble enough to follow my cats wherever they go (which is everywhere).

All domestic animals likely to shit in the street or garden, cat or dog should wear a nappy, I doubt the owner would love them as much 😂😂
Shit on the street is disgusting.