To ask NDN to get a litter tray?

[MotherOfDragons90]

We have just done up our garden which has involved putting in a border for flowers/shrubs. It looks lovely out there now and I’m enjoying spending time in it. However next door have this cat who seems to have decided it’s where he’s going to shit and I’ve seen him loitering a few times now and had to pick up bits of poo on multiple occasions.

Yesterday I went out to peg some washing on the line and instantly observed that the garden stank. Really really vile. I sniffed my way to two giant piles of cat poo in the bed by the patio. We have a heap of compost behind the shed so I got a trowel out and chucked it behind there but I was gagging doing it it was so bad, and the poo was (sorry TMI) really wet and liquidy so it was just really unpleasant.

This morning the same thing happened as I went out to eat my breakfast on the patio and it put me off eating it for a while.

I’ve had cats before when I lived with my parents and always known them to dig holes and cover it up so this brazenly shitting and leaving it is strange behaviour to me.

I don’t want to spend every morning gagging picking up someone else’s cat shite though! Would it be unreasonable to go next door and tell them, and ask them to make a litter tray in the corner of their garden or something to try and train the cat to use theirs not mine? DH says I’ve got no chance but it is truly revolting!

Ask your neighbours to keep their cat out of your garden. If they can’t do that, they shouldn’t have got the bloody thing.

How on earth do you tell a cat not to go next door?

Exactly. I can't see cats not going next door even if the owner has a stern word.

If it's not been buried then it's probably fox poo.

How on earth do you tell a cat not to go next door?

You keep it in the house.

If you think that’s unfair on the cat...then don’t have one (unless you live in the arse end of nowhere)
Your cat shit should not be other people’s problem.

@Captain what about strays? If it's not a NDNs cat then it will be either a fox, stray or another animals crap in the garden.
What about birds who fly around and shit on freshly cleaned cars and windows?
There's always gonna be shit in your life falling from somewhere

You could ask your neighbour to regularly turn over a patch of earth in their own garden because cats LOVE poohing in freshly dug earth. Saved our relationship with NDNs over the years. We have 6 cats!

My cart kept crapping in my raised beds, so I bought about 200 wooden forks on ebay and put them all over my beds. Problem solved. We live in the middle of nowhere so she is not bothering anyone else!

Cats are supposed to not poo in their own gardens but ours does! I found some cat and dog repellent in Poundland and no more poo in our garden!

YABU - we have two trays and they still poo outside. Also how do you know its their cats doing the dirty. Cats have a huge territory. It could also be numerous wild animals using your garden as a toilet.

There's a sort of squeezy gel you can buy from hardware shops that deters animals from pooping on your grass. It's about £5 a bottle but I only used one as I think once they are out of the habit of using a certain place they rarely come back. My friend ( who has cats) reckons that citrus smells deter them so you could try putting out some orange peel and see if that helps.

None of the cats near us dig or bury their poo and I’ve seen the offenders so it’s definitely cats they are just lazy bastards . Hopefully 3 of the offenders will be moving next week .

My mum swears by coffee grounds as a cat deterrent too. My office cafe fills a big tupperware box for me for my mum.

They don’t always bury it, my neighbour has six of them and they crap on the path and the patio. They’ve knackered my fence, my garden stinks and now it’s warmer there’s flies.
Still, the cats are happy.

I have sticks in my plant pots. Stops kitty from sitting in them and peeing. Lots of sticks.

Sometimes it isn't cat poo, it can be fox poo.

Lion poo from pet shop, or water pistol

A litter tray will be absolutely pointless.
Most cats will actively choose to go outside.

You need to focus on cat proofing your garden.

My neighbours cat liked to go to toilet in one in one of my beds.
I actually don't mind the regular borders so much but that particular bed is raised, practically chest height as it is on top of my bin cupboard so no, no way.
Lots of bamboo skewers inserted pointy side up at different heights fixed it.

You can try trellis and/or cat spikes along top of the fence to keep it out.

@Tallgreenbottle
Carpet tacks? Really? Injuring a cat is ok with you?
Plenty non harmful deterrents available.

I like cats, they are possibly even more bloody minded than me. Tempting though it is I have not taken a dump in the neighbours garden, unlike our two monsters. Yet!

There are 2 humane ways to scare cats away that do not require you trying to physically chase them and does not hurt them in any way.

1, You can get a sensor that attaches to a hose. Cat moves in garden, sensor detects cat, sets off hose, cat gets squirted and hoofs it.
2, You can get a sonic cat / dog / fox / beastie scarer. Set the scarer in the garden so the sensor covers problem area, animal crosses the sensor zone and device sends out an unpleasant ultrasonic sound that will cause nuisance cat to vacate the area. The sound emitted is usually above human hearing capability.

The good news is that cats are brighter than most people and will eventually learn your garden is a hostile environment and they will develop new habits.

Amazon or other good garden accessory suppliers them for a few quid.

Good luck.

www.argos.co.uk/product/9219139?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59156|acid:444-797-0832|cid:596650041|agid:28594642405|tid:pla-735755776466|crid:95889903685|nw:g|rnd:363228691551818393|dvc:m|adp:1o5|mt:|loc:1006514&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7qurjtX94gIVr7ftCh2WbQbEEAQYBSABEgIn9_D_BwE

We have this... seems to work.

Sorry clicky link fail

Solar cat repeller they stock them in Argos (and other places)

I dont know why all these cat owners on here keep saying "cats shit where they want so you have to put up with it." Erm, no. Your pet, your problem. You either keep it indoors, which i think is cruel, or you dont get one unless you live remotely. You wouldnt put up with a dog doing it so why should we put up with cats?

complete brazen selfishness in my opinion

Thank you for the tips everyone. Tis my mission to get this sorted over summer without ruining neighbourly relations!

Hasn’t considered a fox tho - we are mid terrace though so seems unlikely it would come to us as we are quite inaccessible?

I would invest in some deterrents.

Another reason I keep my cats indoors or out in my garden with me.

It probably isn't a fox.
Some cats bury but not all, dometines it's left deliberately uncovered as a territorial thing.

Fox poo tends to be very loose and much worse, imo anyway, than cat poo.