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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
Iwalkinmyclothing · 06/04/2020 13:48

This info seems to be written by someone very sympathetic to the OP's side in this, but even they are pretty clear you can't follow Ronnie's advice:

All cats – domestic and feral – are protected by the Animal Welfare Act of 2006 and it is an offence to trap or intentionally kill or harm them in any way.
Source: catsaway.org/cat-law/

Thighmageddon · 06/04/2020 13:49

Have you explained this clearly to the cats?

Thank you, I needed this today Grin

myfav · 06/04/2020 13:50

I had to buy a motion sensitive box that emits a high pitch sound to keep neighbours cats out, it does work

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 13:51

Also from the same site, literally the first paragraph:

There is a misconception by many cat owners that because cat law says that ‘a cat has a right to roam’ then they (the owners) cannot be held responsible for whatever their feline pets get up to.

@Iwalkinmyclothing

Gran22 · 06/04/2020 13:53

Orange peel. Harmless, but disliked by cats. Might be worth a try?

Unhomme · 06/04/2020 13:53

@LastTrainEast

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

It's not possible. Government has confirmed today.

NoClarification · 06/04/2020 13:54

In a similar vein, I really want the damn weather to stay sunny when I'm about to set out on a nice walk. Aibu?

FreckledLeopard · 06/04/2020 13:55

Sorry OP, but cats do have the right to roam and short of moving miles from anywhere and cat-proofing your garden, you don't have much say in the matter.

If you want to deter them, you can get a spray device which is triggered by movement - it then squirts the cat with a jet of water. Or you can buy a water pistol and squirt them yourself to see if that might encourage them to go elsewhere.

We have cats, our neighbours have cats, and it's par for the course that cats will be in and out of everyone's gardens night and day. No-one puts up bird feeders as we know the birds would be killed.

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 13:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Iwalkinmyclothing · 06/04/2020 13:55

Yes, I did read it all before I posted, @RonnieBarkingMad, but thank you for checking I hadn't missed any of it.

So we're clear that you are a) wrong in your assertion that cat's don't have a right to roam, and b) wrong to advise OP to trap the cats? Jolly good :)

TroysMammy · 06/04/2020 13:56

I've got a motion sensor water squirter using a hose attached to the outside tap. I only put it on at night when my cat is in and other cats are roaming the neighbourhood shitting in my veg beds.

steppemum · 06/04/2020 13:56

when we had a cat that was being a pain, I kept a large bucket of water by my back door. Every time I saw the cat, I picked it up and dropped it (gently) into the bucket.
Cat soon learned that our garden wasn't a fun place.
So, I would get a spray hose all set up, wait unitlt hey are asleep on the sofa cushions and then balst them hard with water.
It will not hurt the cat, it will alarm and scare the cat, which is what you want.

I say this as a cat owner. Sometimes you need to deter other people's cats

Whichoneofyoudidthat · 06/04/2020 13:56

Iwalkinmyclothing that’s exactly what my neighbour asked me.

Keep it inside or build a cat run was my answer. Sounds reasonable to me. Apparently not.

As for your other question...are you in the UK? I’m not so I genuinely don’t know the answer to this next question but is it teeming with hairy wildlife that sleep on garden furniture?

temporarygate · 06/04/2020 13:57

I’ve ordered a super soaker. Any other humane suggestions are welcomed.

I looked at the cat protection league about the right to roam and it wasn’t clear, it talks about owners having a duty to take reasonable care that their cats don’t damage property or others.

I don’t wish them any harm, I’d just like the owners to be keeping them from causing me a nuisance.

OP posts:
Dances · 06/04/2020 13:58

You have my sympathy OP. Next door's kitten started crapping in my raised veg beds. I only discovered this a couple of weeks ago when I saw her at it. Now all the garden centres are closed and I won't be able to get fresh soil, so I cant grow any veg, until the covid 19 precautions end.

I'm pissed off about it but there's not much I can do.

I think the water gun thing is a bit cruel. Plus I don't really want to fall out with my neighbours. I wish I had known and I would have fully covered the beds.

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 13:59

@Iwalkinmyclothing

Yes, I did read it all before I posted, @RonnieBarkingMad, but thank you for checking I hadn't missed any of it

Hmm

So we're clear that you are a) wrong in your assertion that cat's don't have a right to roam

from what it seems, yes, I was wrong in saying that it wasn’t legal for cats to roam in people’s gardens

b) wrong to advise OP to trap the cats? Jolly good

No, I still advise OP to do that.

Oldestchild90s · 06/04/2020 13:59

@temporarygate

Fair play, i'd spray them too i don't have problem with that. Thanks for taking the 'humane' approach to things, people are simply too cruel!

RiftGibbon · 06/04/2020 14:00

You need , OP
Won't harm the cats, but will stop them accessing the garden.
Not sure what you can do to stop them getting through trees though.

middleager · 06/04/2020 14:01

Have you explained this clearly to the cats?

🤣🤣🤣

To not want cats using my garden
ElektraPlektra · 06/04/2020 14:01

There are loads of animals shitting in your garden, not just cats. Cats are allowed to roam, there's not much you can do about it.
Chase them away with water or loud noises, but you can't expect your neighbours to keep their cat inside just because you don't like it in your garden.

RonnieBarkingMad · 06/04/2020 14:03

@Oldestchild90s

Fair play, i'd spray them too i don't have problem with that. Thanks for taking the 'humane' approach to things, people are simply too cruel!

Yeah because thanking someone for taking a humane approach but posting a laughing emoji face at someone else who advised to take a humane approach makes perfect sense Hmm

Oldestchild90s · 06/04/2020 14:04

@RonnieBarkingMad 😘😘😘

sunfloweryy · 06/04/2020 14:06

Can you put big stones on the furniture covers to weigh it down and stop the cats getting under it?

I feel your pain, I redid my garden last spring and made a flower bed and decorative stony area and next doors cat has made it his personal toilet. I put chicken wire over the soil (read on here that cats don’t like the feel of it on their paws) and it seemed to do the trick. I ran out and left a bit of uncovered earth in the corner behind the shed and it uses that bit now. I’m less annoyed about that because it’s out the way and I just chuck more soil on it every so often.

Oldestchild90s · 06/04/2020 14:07

@RonnieBarkingMad So i'm guessing you're a dog owner?

TheStarryNight · 06/04/2020 14:08

Anyone who causes harm or distress to an animal is beneath contempt.

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