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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want cats using my garden

267 replies

temporarygate · 06/04/2020 13:18

Our neighbours cats are frequently in my garden. Last summer they kept shitting at the bottom of our slide and killing birds a our bird feeder. We installed plastic fence spikes to deter them and the neighbour knocked on our door complaining his cats might get injured and that cats have the right to roam.

We have left the spikes up which has stopped them running across the fences to catch birds but the cats continue to come in through trees at the back of the garden and now have adopted our new garden sofas. We bought some of those ultrasonic sounders things but they are not making a difference. We spent £90 on sofa covers to prevent the cats sleeping on the garden furniture but every morning when we go out the cats shoot from under the covers - this morning there’s wet cat hair all over the cushions. I bring the throw cushions indoors but not the seat as back cushions as they are huge and there’s loads of them.

I feel pissed off that I’m going to a lot of hassle and expense of buying things and covering things for someone else’s pets to use.

OP posts:
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5
InArrears · 06/04/2020 13:19

Have you explained this clearly to the cats?

lydia7986 · 06/04/2020 13:20

What do you expect your neighbour to do? Tell the cats not to enter your garden under any circumstances?

If you don’t want cats in your garden, you will have to cat proof your garden.

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 13:21

You shouldn’t even have to spend any money protecting your own property because of someone else’s pets. He sounds vile. His cats do not have a right to roam in your property. Have you thought about humane traps?

screwcovid19 · 06/04/2020 13:22

Shoot water at them every time you see them. It won't hurt them and will put them off.

Purpletigers · 06/04/2020 13:23

The cats obviously like you .

JasonPollack · 06/04/2020 13:26

I agree, water pistol or more spikes. I do not understand cat owners demands that their pets have rights over someone else's property! Go and shit in his garden and see how he feels.

I think the should be kept inside.

temporarygate · 06/04/2020 13:26

@lydia7986 I would like to neighbours to cat proof their garden so their cats are not causing a nuisance in other gardens.

OP posts:
sandragreen · 06/04/2020 13:28

Ronnie Living up to your name there.

OP, bless you, but there are approx 10 zillion previous threads about this and they all end the same way.

Cats have a legal right to roam. Your garden, including any furniture you leave out, is likely occupied by a variety of animals including cats, rats, foxes, badgers, birds, and mink. They are all shitting and clawing and digging up your garden and causing damage.

You need to get over it or you will drive yourself insane.

lydia7986 · 06/04/2020 13:28

His cats do not have a right to roam in your property

Cats have a right to roam. Having random cats in your garden is part and parcel of living in close proximity with other people - just like occasional late night parties and your neighbours’ children learning the drums, it’s annoying, but perfectly legal.

If you do not want cats in your garden, you have to take the active steps to prevent them getting in. That’s the way world works. Soz.

TimeAintNothing · 06/04/2020 13:29

Next doors cats kept shitting in our garden so I bought a Super Soaker water gun and gave them a blast every time I saw them.

I hosed down everywhere they had used as an outdoor litter tray to get rid of the small. We had some gaps along the bottoms of the trees between us and the neighbour so I blocked off what was possible to block off, in the gaps along the bottom of the fencing I stuck a load of wooden chopsticks (the kind you can get for free with your takeaway) around an inch apart from one another. I also stuck some in amongst my bedding plants to make it less comfortable.

We planted some lavender in the area where they were shitting the most as cats apparently hate it.

They no longer come in ny garden.

They very quickly learned not to come into my garden.

lydia7986 · 06/04/2020 13:30

I would like to neighbours to cat proof their garden so their cats are not causing a nuisance in other gardens

Unfortunately for you, that’s not a responsibility imposed on cat owners by law, so you’ll either have to cat proof your own garden, or suck it up.

Nanny0gg · 06/04/2020 13:31

Cats have a legal right to roam. Your garden, including any furniture you leave out, is likely occupied by a variety of animals including cats, rats, foxes, badgers, birds, and mink. They are all shitting and clawing and digging up your garden and causing damage.

^^This

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 13:35

Cats do not have a legal right to roam. Also, owners are legally responsible for their pets.

Humanely trapping it would be my option, it causes no harm to the cat and causes concern to the owner and will perhaps see where allowing their cat to trot around freely may lead.

Cat lovers are always blind in these threads. Some of us dislike cats and do not want them in our garden. Look after your own pets and don’t inflict them near us.

ilikebigbuttsandicannotlie · 06/04/2020 13:36

If your neighbour was worried about their cats and asked you to take the spikes down and you left them up anyway, any goodwill will be gone so they won’t be that bothered about helping you. It must be super annoying but I don’t know what you expect them to do?

Oldestchild90s · 06/04/2020 13:40

I think when the cats shit in your garden you should kindly knock on their door and ask them (the people not the cats 😂) to come and pick it up, or even better still perhaps bag it up and chuck it in their garden. I wouldn't mind our neighbours doing that with our cats! I keep my cats in at night, but a few cat hairs here and there didn't hurt anyone!

Oldestchild90s · 06/04/2020 13:41

@ronnie

You clearly don't have a clue 😂

TimeAintNothing · 06/04/2020 13:41

You can get mats with blunt plastic spikes on them to deter cats from digging in flower beds, instead you could lay them across your garden furniture when it's not being used to deter the cats from lying on it.

ilikebigbuttsandicannotlie · 06/04/2020 13:41

@RonnieBarkingMad you’re advising the Op to trap the cat? Have you lost your mind?

charlestonchaplin · 06/04/2020 13:42

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Oliversmumsarmy · 06/04/2020 13:42

I have indoor cats but we have a few cats who regularly walk through or sit around in our garden. I can honestly say we have never had any problems with cats shutting in our garden.

Maybe because I always talk to them or stroke them if I am out and they like me so don’t shot in my garden

Whichoneofyoudidthat · 06/04/2020 13:43

You won’t win this one on MN. Many cat owners won’t care that their cats crap in your yard, in your kids’ sand pit...your veggie garden etc.

I used to pick up their shit and put it on my neighbour’s front doormat where it was sort of camouflaged and easily trod on.

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 13:45

@ilikebigbuttsandicannotlie

RonnieBarkingMad you’re advising the Op to trap the cat? Have you lost your mind?

Erm no I haven’t, and note I did say in a humane trap so as not to injure it, not advocating poison or shooting it with a pellet gun or anything violent.

Iwalkinmyclothing · 06/04/2020 13:45

What do you think are reasonable steps for the cat owners to take?

What would your reaction be if other (non cat) wildlife left hairs/ other mess on your garden furniture?

charlestonchaplin · 06/04/2020 13:47

Cats are not wildlife. That is the crucial piece of information. They are a nuisance introduced by other humans.

LastTrainEast · 06/04/2020 13:47

"but a few cat hairs here and there didn't hurt anyone!." and if their kids are allergic they can go live somewhere else ffs

Btw I understand that it may be possible for cats to pass on the virus. Something to think about.

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