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.

They are legal as long as they don't harm cats @Lockheart. These have harmed a cat, therefore they are no longer legal.

If you want your cat to be safe outside unfortunately I think you have to do it for yourself, that means installing professional cat proofing for your own garden (yes it exists) which would run into the many thousands as they look at every route of access and exit and cats are very agile. I'm not sure you can control what your neighbour does though. We keep our cat inside because the roads are too fast here and most of our neighbors have lost a cat to RTAs...there is always going to be risk in them going outside whether from natural hazards or human made hazards.

I did check online. It seems to only be legal if they don't cause penetraying injury. I'll be asking the vet and rspca though.

It slowed down before we left, about 1hr after the incident. Hoping he doesn't need anything beyond a bit of wound treatment for prevention of infection and the like.

Our own garden only has 3ft high fences. We can't afford to whack up new fencing rn. We'll be keeping him indoors for the foreseeable future anyway til he heals up.

Your poor boy!
Our old family cat got caught in someone’s barbed wire once , was horrific.
We had to call the rspca to come and cut her out.
Person was made to remove barbed wire

Sorry to hear that Fizzy. Sounds nasty. I know cats are animals and can be a pest for some but it's a bit extreme. She could just have the recommended "blunt" spikes to deter them.

If you own your house, I'd look into this. Someone owns that land - it could be you. If your neighbour uses /has used it for a long time, it could become hers (I don't know the rules but look up adverse possession).

I'm not sure, but I think the owner has to be aware that someone else is using the land, and ignore it, rather than not be aware that they own it (IYSWIM) - but yes - check this out.

I'd quietly take the spikes down OP. I suppose at least it's not broken glass cemented in (as I've seen in some places - though to deter vandals, not cats.)

I’d take them down. Hope your poor cat is better soon. Putting spikes up is cruelty, don’t know how anyone can defend it.

@Alexandra80 yeah or even just something sticky as cats hate that but yet it wouldn’t injure them

I'm sorry about your cat I hope he's okay - those wounds look nasty!

The problem with cats comes because they're have the right to roam and in reality owners have no control over them once they're outside of the house. Unfortunately, roaming cats can be a nuisance - they shit in people's gardens, get in their houses, terrorise their own cats, spray and can cause accidents when they run out into the road too.

That said it's not acceptable to purposefully harm one, but can you prove she put the spikes their to harm your cat? He could just have easily sustained similar injuries on barbed wire.

Our two cats are kept inside because I don't believe it's safe for them to be out. So many cats around here seem to get injured or run over that it's not a risk I'm willing to take with them, although that comes with it's own controversies on here!

Hope your kitty recovers - my big boy sends his best wishes!

If can't bill you for cleaning up your cat shit on my property or for trespassing on my property so I'm pretty sure that you can't bill me if your cat injuries itself on my property. All this talk of threats is not going to help anyone and is frankly more likely to cause more problems than its worth.

If you have a cat its not anyone else's problem. If you are so concerned about your cat injuring itself outside the house, its probably best to keep it inside so it doesn't have an accident of any description.

Whilst its hard if you have an injured pet which you love, don't expect your neighbours to love and appreciate your cat the same way. Many people view cats as a nuisance and pest. You need to keep this in mind.

If someone dislikes cats and has put up anti cat spikes you came knocking on their door demanding they pay the vets bill, I'm not sure you'd get a lot of sympathy and cooperation. You are liable to create a bigger issue and aggrievation if you do that.

The only reason you have to complain is really if the spikes are illegal.

As far as I am aware specialist plastic cat spikes are not illegal and are sold and fitted by reputable companies. The whole point is to deter cats. They might be illegal if they are diy spikes and fitted with parts to deliberately cause injury.

Either way, I'm pretty sure your cat won't do it again.

I would be ripping those down in an absolute rage.

If the fence is on your land, then you are within your rights to remove the spikes and return her property to her. If she puts anything else there, same applies.

Frankly, I do think you need to talk to her. Maybe suggest some non injure causing alternatives? Either way, she has no right to attach stuff to the fence if it's yours!

And what sort of psychos have voted YABU?

So sorry to read this. Our vile neighbour put long nails pointing upwards every few inches along a shared fence some years ago, we have cats as do many on the street. We removed them and he did apologise but I dread to think of the injuries that could have been caused to a jumping cat. The RSPCA were useless when I contacted them though. I hope your cat recovers quickly

They may not have been put up as a cat deterrent but as a vandal or intruder deterrent. I'm sorry your cat has been hurt, but try not to go in all guns blazing, there may be an amicable solution.

As the cat's owner it's your responsibility to keep him safe, ideally by cat proofing your own garden to prevent him wandering into other people's. You can't really expect your neighbours to welcome him into their gardens where he may be hunting birds and shitting in their borders.

Cats are brutal creatures, you know, he will have inflicted more harm on any birds or mice he has caught than he's suffered from these spikes. I hope his wounds heal soon.

Not sure if I got the full story, but from what I understand you own the fence and your neighbour has put spikes on your fence.

Simple solution is to removed the spikes with a hammer and chisel. It is your fence you don’t need her permission.

Amongst the reams of paperwork you were given when you bought the house there will have been a drawing showing the property and it's boundaries. This should clarify who owns this fence.

Poor Cat, hope he heals soon.

Just remove them, don't talk to ndn, if they say anything, say the fence is yours, you had the right to remove the illegal spikes. If they put them back, contact police and rspca.

Remove it. I get really annoyed by the cats that come in our garden as we have a lot of birds and like to feed them, plus the cats leave their mess in our garden. I spoke to the cat owners on either side and explained that I didn't appreciate the cats coming in but that I wasn't going to put cat spikes on the fence. We reached a compromise, both the cats now have collars with a bell on and the birds hear them coming. In return, no spikes on the fence (I wouldn't put them on anyway).

For the benefit of the poster saying that if a burglar was injured the home occupier would be liable - spikes on fences are legal. It becomes illegal if they're concealed and there's no warning given, or if they're designed to create an inappropriate (I can't remember the exact legal wording) injury rather than a deterrent - so no broken glass set in cement, no carpet gripper strips, no DIY versions made from banging nails in. The relevant law is the Occupiers' Liability Act 1984.

Fences always belong to someone. If it was put up by the previous tenant was it done with the agreement of the landlord? It does sound like the fence may be your responsibility, in which case your cat was injured by your cat spikes (even if you didn't know they were yours).

Cat spike strips are designed to deter a cat from walking along them. If the cat jumps down from a height onto them even the soft rubber version (which may go hard over time when exposed to sunlight) risks causing an injury.

Also before you remove it, take photo's especially of all the blood on the spikes.

Take photoe of the cats injuries and the bloody spikes, you can use them if you are able to have a cicilised conversation with the neighbour, or for legal evidence. The vet might give you a written report of the consultation

If it's her fence then you can't just remove them. We have cat proof fencing, maybe offer to pay for that instead.

Cat spikes are legal. As so many have said.

Or keep your cat inside. No one else wants it's shit. To get mad because someone is trying to keep their garden cat shit free doesn't seem fair.

@Alexandra80 Whoa, those pictures, that is a lot of blood for such a small animal, no wonder you're so upset.
Hugs to you and hope puss recovers quickly.