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AIBU?

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Original poster

Cat pooing in neighbours garden

229 replies

Hahaha88 · 18/02/2021 12:26

So my ndn stopped my partner yesterday and mentioned that our cats are pooing in their garden a lot. When he told me I was a bit Hmm because I'm not sure what she expects me to do? I've said to my partner we'll buy some sort of cat deterrent she can put in her garden but other than that I'm not sure what I can do. My cats (2) are outdoor cats and I won't be keeping them in as they love to be out. I keep a clean litter tray for them, which they do use but no doubt they will be pooping outside too as cats do.
We don't have the only cats on the estate so potentially it's not just mine pooing in it (I assume she's seen them rather than just deciding it must be mine).
Aibu to do nothing but provide cat deteerant?

OP posts:
SqeakyHindge · 19/02/2021 16:12

@sbhydrogen

Surely it's part of the experience of having a garden? My neighbours' cats used to destroy my flowers (they liked to sit on them) but I didn't go knocking because what are they supposed to do? I'd just go outside and shoo them away when I saw them.
Do you mind dogs shitting in garden?

My NDN cat not only shit but damaged string lights around fencing, pissed on kids toys and punctured some inflatable toys

All just to shit in my garden. The smell is vile, attracts blue bottle flies.

I also caught it drinking out bucket that had Jeeyse fluid in that had outside back door.

My garden is not catered to accommodate cats no more than it would if didn’t have kids.

SqeakyHindge · 19/02/2021 16:14

Cat shit is also toxic and can be harmful

peak2021 · 19/02/2021 16:30

You could put up a sign and teach your cat to read!

Seriously, your suggestion originally seems the only practical one. Nothing wrong with the NDN raising it, and I would if I were them.

ooohbriefcase · 19/02/2021 16:37

I also caught it drinking out bucket that had Jeeyse fluid in that had outside back door.

@SqeakyHindge I wouldn't worry about stuff like that. Owners let their pets out at their own risk (im a cat and dog owner, before I get called a hater). If an animal ingests something it shouldn't then tough. Obv I keep things out of reach in my home, but I wouldn't expect my neighbours to do the same for the sake of MY animals.
Tbf the cat shouldn't of drank it, sounds quite stupid to drink Jeyes fluid. Most cats and dogs would sniff and know not to ingest something like that.

supernova21 · 19/02/2021 16:50

@ooohbriefcase

I also caught it drinking out bucket that had Jeeyse fluid in that had outside back door.

@SqeakyHindge I wouldn't worry about stuff like that. Owners let their pets out at their own risk (im a cat and dog owner, before I get called a hater). If an animal ingests something it shouldn't then tough. Obv I keep things out of reach in my home, but I wouldn't expect my neighbours to do the same for the sake of MY animals.
Tbf the cat shouldn't of drank it, sounds quite stupid to drink Jeyes fluid. Most cats and dogs would sniff and know not to ingest something like that.

Are you for real? Leaving poison out, whether you intentionally left it for that purpose or not, can result in the death of numerous animals including local wildlife. That's not okay and people should absolutely be more responsible. Ya'll want an empty world with just people in it? I certainly don't.
ooohbriefcase · 19/02/2021 16:58

@supernova21
the person who left it out could of just popped in for a few minutes.
Someone could leave a cement mixer running while they go in for lunch.
Chocolates also poisonous to dogs. If I'm out having a picnic and someone's dog comes bouncing over and eats it. I don't see how that's my problem.
I don't think people should have to spend their lives thinking
"oh I need to put that away incase next doors cat steps on it/ingest it"
"Oh I better not have this chocolate bar in my hand near next doors dog incase he jumps up and tries to eat it"
"Oh I better not use slug killer on my plants incase next doors animal or the birds decide to eat it"

Please.

cheeseismydownfall · 19/02/2021 17:32

My GP is fervently anti-cat. He has seen more than one child permanently blinded due to toxoplasmosis picked up from cat faeces over his career. To quote him "one blind child is one child too many".

Treppydaytion · 19/02/2021 17:33

Just buy them some deterrent spray (for the soil, not the cat), and be sympathetic. That's all they can expect.

At least cats tend to bury it.

HeidiHaughton · 19/02/2021 17:59

This reply has been deleted

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AlwaysLatte · 19/02/2021 18:12

Cats are about the only pet that are given free reign to wander. They get hit by cars, stolen, attacked by other cats (and of course they leave little surprises in peoples gardens). They also wander off to live elsewhere if they so fancy. I don't really know what the answer is. There's a lovely cat that comes in to our garden to say hello and get a belly rub (and use the facilities) and I don't want to be mean with water or chemicals but I don't know what the answer is. We have a vegetable garden that I really don't want cats in - luckily so far they've been put off it as it's raised beds. It used to be a real problem when we had a play area with bark chippings that the children liked to play with and there would be hidden nasties.I do think
It should become the norm to catproof your own garden if you have cats.

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 19/02/2021 18:16

There seems to be a cat poo thread every few weeks.

AlwaysLatte · 19/02/2021 18:16

At least cats tend to bury it
That's the problem though really - every morning I clean up after the dog, and later if I see one but with cats, when they're buried you can get a nasty surprise while you're weeding or the kids are playing.

moonpig23 · 19/02/2021 18:30

My cat is free to come and go as she pleases. I have a litter tray and as I am scooping poo out daily it's safe to say she's using it. My neighbour has 2 cats one has shit a few times in my garden so I did something really radical. I went outside scooped it into a nappy bag and binned it. I wasn't childish or wretching and posting angry comments on a forum.

PracticingPerson · 19/02/2021 18:31

@HeidiHaughton

The poison suggestions seems reasonable if owners won't control their animals.
Well no, and I think that's partly why I get so cross. Of course I couldn't harm a cat - but their owners couldn't give a stuff about anyone else. If people did harm cats, owners would be more concerned.

But the answer isn't to use poison or anything else harmful. I don't know what the answer is!

HeidiHaughton · 19/02/2021 18:38

This reply has been deleted

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user1471447863 · 19/02/2021 21:45

Well you would put mouse traps in your shed if you found mice there. Are free roaming cats really that different? If so why?

SqeakyHindge · 19/02/2021 22:47

@supernova21 The bucket had few drops jeeyes fluid that needed diluting, it was weak because I used it earlier to clean toys pissed on.

I don’t have pets one reason I don’t want to care & look after something else and having to accommodate adjust life around pet, absolutely batshit if I going to go in my garden and make my garden pet proof.

Just like pissed off the cat walked through back down past the kitchen into the living room. Should I have to make sure my counters tops are cat safe, have to cat proof my back door. This was in summer by the way.

As for wild life, yes the cat ripped down bird feeder, I have no clue if ate food, birds used to get fallen food off ground, nope didn’t care if it was suitable for cats, bcos I don’t own one.

The bird feeder is broken.

ManxRhyme · 19/02/2021 23:02

I think the only fair thing to do if your neighbour is having to scoop your cat's poo off their garden is to offer to let them lob it back into yours. If it is not big deal in theirs, it should be equally fine in yours right?

StellaDendrite · 21/02/2021 01:18

@Ijustknowitstimetogo

There seems to be a cat poo thread every few weeks.
.....Which is less often than the Neighbours cats used to shit in my flowerbeds.

Luckily they responded well to my humane anti cat devises.

I love gardening. It’s relaxing and enjoyable and coming across cat poo really pisses me off. It’s really disgusting. It can be sort of sticky and difficult to remove. It can also smell revolting. Also I think it’s unsafe to allow cats to shit on vagatablesc and fruit that I want to eat. Especially fruit and veg that I don’t cook,

SkiingIsHeaven · 21/02/2021 01:33

Can you imagine if a neighbour's dog shat in your garden and she said well what am I supposed to do.

Pay for a deterrent then go and pick the shit up like responsible dog owners do.

Cats are disgusting. So are you if you think it is ok.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 21/02/2021 01:55

And plenty of cats don't bury it and no I shouldn't have to get a nappy sack and pick it up.
I pick up my dogs crap so that other people don't have to tread on it , I don't expect them to go around with bags after me or tell them its ok just wash off with disinfectant.

Sillyduckseverywhere · 21/02/2021 02:13

People like pets that they don't have to clear up after. Cat ownership is very selfish and lazy unless you keep them in.
You don't get to ignore the fact they are shitting all over other people's gardens (and despite the pathetic denials, they do) and then wail when your "free spirit" gets run over by a car.
At least acknowledge that your choice of pet can be quite distressing to other people. I wish everyone was obliged to keep them indoors by law.
Less risk of blind kids and less manky old posters stapled to trees wondering where beloved roaming tiddles went.

diagold4u · 21/02/2021 03:44

Ergh I hate cat owners. Dogs wouldn't be going in to peoples garden to do that. Keep a cat litter in your own garden so your lazy cat can do it in yours instead!!
Am glad your neighbour has said something, my neighbours cat have pooped in my garden I've witnessed it, if I had the guts I would ask neighbour to take its Cat shit. Why should I have to deal with that. I now jet spray any cat that dares to come in my garden. Am in two minds of sending my toddler to go poop in neighbour garden and then say not much I can do about it!

youkiddingme · 21/02/2021 03:57

@cheeseismydownfall

My GP is fervently anti-cat. He has seen more than one child permanently blinded due to toxoplasmosis picked up from cat faeces over his career. To quote him "one blind child is one child too many".
This.

We used to grow our own vegetables but because locals cats decided my vegetable bed was their toilet I had to give up. I spend so much time and money trying to deter cats, it's so annoying.

I also love birds and we have lovely visitors to the garden. Until one of the bloody cats see seem as sport.

So I can't enjoy my garden as I would like because someone else wants to enjoy owning a cat.

There has to be a solution that keeps everyone happy but I don't know what it is.

TheWitchersWife · 21/02/2021 04:47

My NDNs cat used to shit on a small patch of grass right by my front door. It stunk.
Turned the grass to gravel and that cat still regularly shits there.
Been greeted many a morning by a fresh, steaming, smelly turd. We get on really well with the neighbours who own the cat and haven't said anything. Is it disgusting? Absolutely, fresh shit on your front door step is not good. But I don't think there's alot you can do about it.