To think this is a bit bizarre.

[maybeimamazed456]

This afternoon had a knock on the door from my neighbour who I've spoken to once. She said my 8 month old kitten had been shitting all over her garden and there was shit everywhere.

I find this strange as -

1. Cats usually go in private areas and bury their mess.

1. Other than picking up the shit there's not really much I can do.

I of course said to her I would go round tomorrow (working from home today) and pick it up. But I just find it an odd thing to go to someone's door about.

I'm even wondering if it's a fox that's been making the mess because cats wouldn't usually just leave shit at random all over the place. I also said I will look into anything that can be added to her garden so I've found deterrent spray but if that doesn't work, I can't do much more. They're cats.
And I'm not going round to her garden everyday to pick up shit.

AIBU?

Ask her to take pics and show it is actually your dcat. Then you can go over...

WTF?

Why did you tell her that? I would have told her to do one (smilingly)

I’d have just told her I’d have a word with my kitten, smiled and shut the door.

Neither are being unreasonable, but it’s your car so you need to pick it up if she asks you.

Cats leave shit everywhere except their own garden I'm afraid - it's disgusting and I've tried everything to deter them.

@Dollygirl2008

Cats leave shit everywhere except their own garden I'm afraid - it's disgusting and I've tried everything to deter them.

You need to make Friends with the cat, make it think your garden is their garden and they will move on to poo elsewhere

If your cat shits in her garden, you need to clear it up. I’d hate to be her.

If it is your cat, can you use a litter tray for a bit? We did this and when we removed it the cat wasn't interested in the neighbour's garden anymore. I felt really bad about it - not nice to have shit your garden.

Hmm, if she has actually seen your cat shitting in her garden I don't blame her for being annoyed. Our neighbours cat shits randomly all over our garden and it really pisses me off (although I know there is very little I can do about it). It's really gross to have to clean up someone else's cat's poo.

Maybe offer to go round occasionally to pick it up?

Not all cats go in private areas and bury it. My lovely asshole of a cat craps in the middle of the lawn almost every day.

Re: it being an odd thing to go to someone's door about, I can imagine there being a separate MN thread about someone getting v upset because their garden is full of someone else's cat's poo and people advising them to go round and talk about it if its upsetting them that much.

I think there are also devices that emit sounds to deter cats that you can place in the garden, but they're ~£60.

Agree you shouldn't get into a situation where you need to clean up her garden for her, esp if it prob isn't (all) your kitten.

Cats usually go in private areas and bury their mess

Please inform the cats who shit in my garden

Cats definitely do shit anywhere and everywhere. In an old house, my security camera picked up multiple cats using our garden as a litter tray for some reason and never buried it. It smells fucking disgusting, far worse than dog shit. Although we were pissed off, there was nothing we could do except a few deterrents. So yanbu as you cannot be expected pick it up, but I think you could be sympathetic to her and accept it is your cat. Maybe suggest some natural deterrents for the sake of neighbourly relations.

People (cat owners) always spout this about cats being so tidy and burying their shit etc - it’s bollocks. We have more than one neighbourhood cat coming into our garden and shitting, I’ve seen them do it, it’s really fucking annoying and dangerous for my children, destroys our plants, if I could get the owners to do anything about it I would so I don’t blame your neighbour for trying. Can’t you see how disgusting it must be for her?

Next door's cat is always shitting in my garden, it's quite annoying especially when you have to clear it before the kids go out.

@Connelloni
Cat shit DESTROYS your plants? Are you serious?

Yes of course it is frustrating for her and I was very pleasant and actually a bit affronted but I just find it strange as it's a...cat. I will buy the sound deterrent if I have to. Would rather spend the money and keep the peace.

@CrotchBurn yes I am serious. They shit in our veg patch, for example. Would you eat veg you knew cats had been shitting on?

I think if it's got to the point where she's having to ask for help, it's probably unpleasant. Can you have a litter tray?

I have previously had my toilet used as a cat toilet. I started returning the cats shit to its rightful owner. Funnily enough, the cat stopped shitting in my garden all the time.

Why do you think it is bizarre to be upset that someone else's pet is shitting all over your garden?

1. Cats usually go in private areas and bury their mess

I'm not saying it's your car but that bit is not true. They shit in open grass or whatever quite happily. There plenty that do it in my garden and on my gravel (without burying it or attempting to) and my own cat does it on the grass verge.

Those who think insulting the neighbour works might get it shoved through their letterbox.

OP is willing to clear it up which is unusually decent, but the problem is getting a pet in the first place knowing that you can't stop it doing this.

"hi, I'm your neighbour. Just to let you know you won't be using your garden any more as I've decided that I want a cat"

It's not like the old days with wide open spaces. Most people have a little square they can let the kids play in and maybe sit in themselves. Of course they don't want shit all over it.

@Connelloni
I would wash them under a tap.first

Oh right...I had no idea they shit wherever they want...whoops my bad!

Maggie FS...do you mean in the house?