Neighbours, cats and birds.

[Birdmurderer]

NC for this but regular.

We've lived in out house for a year, on a "hello" basis with next door. She's got a voice you can hear 3 streets away and her eldest daughter seems to have inherited it. A few issues but generally ok neighbours.

We have 3 cats - one who is old and never leaves the decking area of our garden, one who seems to have another family a few doors down (other side to neighbour in question), and one who likes to peep through their chain link fence at them but is too much of a mamas boy to leave our garden. (we've had a lot of time during lockdown to confirm our theories about where they go during the day). They made it clear from day one they don't like cats and will talk loudly about how awful our cats are when they know we're within earshot .

DP just went outside to get his bike and the woman is sobbing in the garden. Spots DP and starts shouting at him because apparently one of ours cats has eaten a bird that she was looking after (she has a feeding table in her garden).

DP apologised - for what I'm not sure - and sort of left it there and went off about his day. I was still in bed when all this happened.

He's gone out now and I can hear her sobbing and shouting in the garden about this bird.

There are 2 big cats the other side of her, one of which is horrible and has put my little cat in the vets twice. I think that's the culprit over my fat old one who sleeps 23 hours a day, the deserter, and the little one who can't catch his own tail.

AIBU to think she's massively overreacted? I have quite bad social anxiety and I am not good with confrontation so I'm hiding indoors now.

I have spent a fortune on collars and bells over the years. The deserter can turn herself into water and slips anything we put on her. Little one cries and cries until its taken off. Old girl is 15 years old, full of arthritis, and never goes away from the decking outside the back door.

Only one of them actually leaves our garden, where she buggers off to another house.

@overnightangel, I'm glad you picked up on that, I found that a really weird turn of phrase for having a feeding table.

I'm an animal lover too and would be sad if I found a dead bird sure, but the reaction is totally ott. If she doesn't like cats I'm not some evangelist trying to change her mind, just think we're an easy target when she's being upset.

Lol at the keep them in brigade out in force already 🤣

OP you're not being unreasonable

It doesn't take them the months or even years it can take someone to die of a terminal illness, though.

Eh? We're talking about birds. Cats killing birds isn't some form of benign euthanasia.

Oh and especially now that birds nest has been raided by a cat, and that's a cat that's been fed and looked after, then yes, they are murdering thugs.

Thanks @LST. That's all I was here for 😂

@Pelleas the only cat native to the U.K. is the European wildcat

Cats are just as entitled as humans to roam the land and to kill other creatures for food. I hate the attitude that humans are somehow superior to other species of animals and should be allowed to dictate what other animals do, especially since it's we who have destroyed their natural habitat for our own comfort and gratification.

I'd be interested to know if the OP's neighbour is a vegan, because if she isn't, she can add hypocrisy to ridiculousness.

@LST yes, heaven forbid people take responsibility for their own pets

the only cat native to the U.K. is the European wildcat

Yes, from which our domestic cats are descended.

Over a billion farmed animals in Britain are killed each year in slaughterhouses, but a cat kills a bird and it’s a ‘murderous thug’.

Exquisite logic.

Cats killing birds isn't some form of benign euthanasia

No, but you asked me if I'd like to be killed by one and I was illustrating that I wouldn't mind.

“Murdering thugs”? That is bloody hilarious. It’s a cat.
My cat lives indoors and I’m generally not in favour of cats free-roaming but calling cats eating birds murdering thugs is absurd. Are birds murdering thugs when they pull worms from the ground, dismember and eat them? What about all those insects they murder each day?

Totally nuts.

@Herpes I do. They enjoy going out. I am looking after their mental wellbeing which is my responsibility 😊

I'll be sure to call my cat a 'murderous thug' the next time he brings home a shrew

Op, ignore your neighbour, she's being ridiculous.

She sounds bonkers, it's the circle of life. It's what animals do.

There is actually a lot of research on this and the RSPB acknowledge that cats aren't actually a big problem as they tend to take out the weakest Ie: the bird the lady was looking after.

Dissected birds left on patios are more likely to be other birds. Magpie at this time of year are horrendous. They raid nests and kill parents regularly in our garden, and the sparrow hawk regularly takes out pigeons.

To be honest with the massive reduction in the number of song birds in the UK any responsible cat owner will keep their cat indoors during May - when most birds are fledging.

Like it or not domestic cats are one of the major contributors to this decline.

This does not need to be a permanent thing - but in May keep them in.

This seems to me to be a reasonable compromise.

@Baaaahhhhh weirdly I watched a bunch of magpies attack a pigeon yesterday. Didn't feel the need to go around shouting at people 😂

Like it or not domestic cats are one of the major contributors to this decline.

What is your source for that information?

Nothing can be done

Bullshit. Cats should wear bells on their collars and be kept in from before dusk to after dawn.

Well I wouldn’t like to see her when the sparrow hawk kills one.

I'd keep your cats in during fledgling time, or at least put a bell on them.

It's not a case of Nothing can be done it's a case of nothing should be done. Leave cats alone to kills birds, just as we leave birds alone to kill worms and other insects.

Incidentally, it's not unknown for birds of prey to kill cats.

@serendipity have tried to keep a cat in that's used to going out?

Wow, some people really hate cats, aye?

YANBU OP, she is being ridiculous. I'd be telling her to get a fucking grip.