To remove these cat spikes on a fence?

[Alexandra80]

Woken up this morning by my DC screaming saying our young cat is bleeding everywhere. Both his paws are very bloody and we've washed him and dried him (he's suuuuper fluffy so it's hard to see the damage and his fur was matted with blood).

He obviously tried to jump onto our porch roof from a non spiked fence which he does a lot as he likes it up there, miscalculated and landed heavily on the spiked fence which is right by our porch door. The spikes are plastic but very pointed. Originally there was a path that led down that side of our house but the lady who lived in our house before put a fence up and the lady with the garden next to us moved her garden (I. E. Grass, gravel...) to reach the fence.

So technically it's no one's legal property and it was an agreement between that neighbour and the previous tenant. She's only put those cat spikes on this one fence as the other two are official shared boundaries. I get some people hate cats, fine, but buy anoyher kind of detterant. Now I've got to take my cat to the vets and he's in a lot of pain. (I'd talk to my neighbour first but she's proven to be awkard before which is long winded and boring but jist for context as to why I can't just ask her). Would we be unreasonable to remove the spikes later, as it'll likely happen again and it's not legally anyone's? Thinking of calling rspca for advice once we're back from the vets. I always thought the spikes weren't meant to hurt/impale cats, just deter them.

She does know presumably that if a burglar was injured on that fence she’d be liable? What kind of person wants anything on their property that is likely (proven) to cause injury to animals be they wild or pet.

These are no better than shooting at cats you dont like or setting traps.

And anything could be crapping in her garden no garden is a sealed sterile area, does she shoot birds and hedgehogs too?

Not legal but i’m sure i read somewhere that things like this aren’t allowed as if they can cause injury to a cat they are also able to injure a human- and knowingly putting dangerous stuff up is on thin legal grounds if not illegal.

Worth getting some advice? Vet might know, cab, solicitor if you can afford it, 101?

Another thought, don’t the RSPCA do a lot of legal stuff? Could phone them for advice...

I'm not a cat lover but thats awful. Poor cat. As for pp that said keep your car indoors, ridiculous.

Take them down. They're illegal

The RSPCA can prosecute if cat spikes are fitted to deliberately injure a pet cat. Creating unnecessary suffering to a cat is a criminal offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and can result in up to six months in prison and/or a £20,000 fine.

I was under the impression that these spikes were illegal too but the neighbourhood policeman advised us to put them up as a deterrent after we were burgled and they had come into the garden over the fence.

They aren't meant to cause injury and if they do they need taking down! They're just meant to be firmish plastic spikes and be a deterrent.

@Clymene cat spikes are not illegal. Neither are bird spikes (which festoon city buildings) or barbed wire.

The neighbour has not committed a crime by putting them up.

Your poor poor cat. I hope he soon recovers.
If I were you I would rip those vile spikes off the fence straight away. They are barbaric.
Law or no law, just get rid of them.

If you are installing cat spikes in the UK you have to do your homework on which ones you can use legally. The plastic spikes usually don`t deter cats or birds, I know this because I have them to deter nasty thieving bastards who think they have the right to enter my garden without permission ! I also planted a really thorny climbing rose and that stops everything.

The RSPCA can prosecute if cat spikes are fitted to deliberately injure a pet cat

The spikes were there before the cat if I'm reading this correctly. Besides, cat spikes are not illegal. I'm considering getting a whole bunch myself as next door has acquired two cats that constantly crap in my garden and I have to find new an cunning way to actually grow my vegetables without cats destroying everything.

The plastic spikes usually don`t deter cats

Oh, pity. I think cats should be banned in built up areas unless they are kept indoors.

You can't send her the vet bill. It's YOUR cat. Pay your own vet bills.

Take them off and deny all knowledge if she asks.

You'd be unreasonable to suggest she pays for any of the vet bill though.

I'd take it down without asking tbh.

What's the worst that'll happen? She'll put it back up again if she can be bothered?

YANBA, quite an aggressive thing for anybody to do. Putting up something that could potentially badly injure an animal.
Hope your pussycat is ok.

I'm at the vets so will try reply in a minute. Thanks for all the responses.

We had this problem but it was actual nails put up by a previous owner. After an expensive visit to the vet I put corks on them and tackled current owner. She was horrified and immediately hammered down the nails. I was so grateful.

Tbf the advice states cat spikes are illegal if they are sharp enough to cause injury. Apparently.

These are plastic but thin and pointy and sharp to touch. They have blood on them and on the bin where he must have jumped onto when he fell off.

And yes I'll pay my own vet bills obviously. He's a member of our family and its very emotional. I'm just really upset.

Thanks to those who posted useful info and advice. I've downloaded our land registry. It appears we own that side where the fence goes along.

I hope your cat is OK OP, but what advice are you referring to? Plastic and metal spikes for fences and boundaries have always been perfectly legal in the UK, and if the measure of legality is sharp enough to cause injury then an awful lot of barbed wire around the countryside is going to have to be removed!