Not to cut down my tree solely because of neighbour's cat's safety?

[frazzledmumofthree]

We have a tree in our front garden. It's probably dead. Our neighbour came over today to ask us to cut it down because she is worried about her cat falling because small, thin branches and twigs are snapping when he climbs.

We are getting a tree surgeon to look at it. We will get it cut down and/or removed if it poses a danger to people or property nearby.

AIBU not to cut it down if the tree surgeon says no danger to people/property but cat might well keep snapping small branches off as it climbs? I'm a bit out of the loop of cat ownership, so it's a genuine question because, although my gut says I'm not BU, I may not be as empathetic with cats as I was.

Your tree , your garden and your choice .
Personally if it was dead I would get rid of it as would hate to see the cat injured . But that is only my view.

Well if there are dead branches you should probably have them cut down because in bad windy weather they can be hazardous.

If the tree is dead, cut it down, if it’s alive and healthy leave it be.

I love cats but I wouldn’t cut a tree down for their sake.

YANBU. Tell her she's welcome to trim off the small branches on her side of the fence, but she's being massively entitled IMO.

YANBU. Cats can look after themselves.

Why do you want to keep a dead tree??

I wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of a dead tree mostly because it must be really ugly but also because the branches are more likely to snap and cause damage during a storm.

However, I think your neighbour sounds crackers; there are far more dangerous things for an outdoor cat than a dead tree. If she’s that paranoid about the cat I’m surprised she lets it go out at all. I’ve had many outdoor cats and it wouldn’t even have crossed my mind.

If she wants to keep her cat safe she could keep the bloody thing indoors where it will be out of any danger.

Honestly, she's taking the piss. Her cat, her responsibility.

Is the cat very fat?

The dead tree is in the middle of a clump of other trees, quite a bit taller so you can see it over the top, but not ugly because it's masked by the others at eye level. That's why we're not bothered by the look of it (plus, lots of birds perch there and I like them!).

We're getting a tree surgeon's opinion and will absolutely get rid if they think it's dangerous.

Cat is normal sized-don't think it's overweight!

Sod the cat. If it's stupid enough to step of branches that might break then it's its own fault.

I thought if it was fat and breaking the branches because of that then you might have chased it a bit with a water pistol to help it lose weight, but there nothing you can to to help it as it is.

Keep the tree!

I'm a cat owner, the things aren't stupid - well, they ARE but they know how to climb things, and fall off things - that's their superpower.

Dead trees are a part of the ecosystem too. Lots of things grow on/ eat dead trees - if they didn't the world would be arse deep in kindling.

No way, plus you have the expense of paying for the tree to be cut down and disposed of

I'm sure the cat will be fine either way. Mine jumps off the roof without injury.

If ithe tree is in danger of hitting a building if it falls in high wind I'd get rid though.

Just heard from my real life AIBU (another neighbour whose opinion I was asking!) that she was asked to get rid of a plant because it was dripping annoying leaves and debris on the other side of the fence. Neighbour used it a ammo to get husband to cut it down because she hated the plant anyway!!

Asked by same neighbour, should say! We're both a bit envious of people who have their own houses/gardens in such good order that they have energy to notice or care about other people's!

It would have to be an especially small tree to be dead and not present a danger to people and property

Yanbu. I'm a cat owner. If my cat chose to climb areas it shouldn't, it's the cats fault for being daft.

Also at our previous house we had a tree that 'landscapers' or 'tree surgeons' touting for work would knock on the door and tell us was dead. It wasn't.

You're not obliged to. I personally would because I would be haunted by the prospect of someone's pet dying on a dead tree in my garden, but that doesn't mean you have to or that you bear any responsibility for it.

How tall is the tree? Cats are pretty good at climbing and falling so unless it's massive I wouldn't expect them to be in too much danger.

#teamtree

We're both a bit envious of people who have their own houses/gardens in such good order that they have energy to notice or care about other people's!

My garden is at best okay (for about a fortnight in June) but I would happily napalm next donor's overheight sunlight-stealing bushes in a flash

My dad was a fireman. He was working and I rang him at the station once because there was a cat stuck up a tree near us. He responded by refusing to come out on a call asking me “How many cat skeletons had I ever seen in trees!?”

He had a point (but did come out and rescue it with his watch).

I'm a twat and I would keep the tree simply because I think the neighbour had a fucking nerve to expect you to pay to have a tree cut down in your own garden, because of her cat.

I would also keep the tree because you say it is surrounded by others so presumably the cat will climb to the same height anyway, and while the branches of those trees may be slightly stronger, the risk is still much the same of the cat falling out of the tree.

I would further keep the tree because my neighbours cat likes to drop a shit in my garden before making use of the apparatus and there is no way I would be doing anything to help the neighbour who has a cat that shits on my soil.

Ha joblot! I mostly find I post on AIBU when I'm feeling just the same and to help me to decide whether to go along with my twattish inclinations or whether I ought to be the better person!! I kind of think I'm coming down on the side of being a twat-but I will wait for the tree surgeon's opinion because I'm not such a twat that I want to risk actually damaging neighbours or their property!!

If it's just for the cat, I'll be completely un twattish and allow her to remove the tree at her own expense! Just a point of correct English- is it un twattish or non twattish? 😉🤔😂