Cat pooing in neighbours garden

[Hahaha88]

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 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?

This one

We made a big sand pit for our cat in our garden, she also has a litter tray in the garage.
I empty both daily and have never had an issue with neighbours.
There are also companies who will clear up in a weekly basis, maybe pay for one if those?
I like cats, but when our new neighbours moved in they brought 6 with them and honestly, they have ruined our garden. I grew strawberries, herbs, lettuce, cabbage, rhubarb, chard, you name it really. But that's all had to stop as we couldnt stop them pooping and spraying everywhere.
No way should a neighbours pet have more rights than a home owner.

In my humble, the reasonable things to do, in discussion with NDN, would be to say:

1. I’ll put up some cat deterrent fencing on your side.

1. I’ll supply you with a regular supply of cat deterrent for your garden.

1. I’ll come round and pick up any mess they leave if the above doesn’t work.

Or just buy your neighbour a dog.

Problem solved!

😂😂😂

Haven't RTFT but having seen plenty of these before I'll take a guess that the cat haters and indoor cat owners are saying how terrible it is. And some numbskull will be comparing it to dogs shitting in your garden.

Cats are legally permitted to roam in this country. There's fuck all anyone can do about it. But by the same token if your cat is roaming and shits in the wrong garden then there's the risk of someone maliciously harming it. I've seen it before, it's sick and wrong but it does happen.

I would try to keep it courteous with your neighbour by offering the deterrent as you suggested. Otherwise there's really nothing you can do.

@TrialOfStyle

What if it had been another, bigger cat that had attacked and killed or seriously injured yours? Should the other cat owner have controlled their cat but you shouldn't control yours?

My (neutered) cat ended up in a territory fight and had his ear ripped and a leg injury. It was horrendous but even now, after recovery, I won’t lock him up. He was an indoor cat for a long time. As he got older, he had life threatening UTIs and blockages that cost in the ten thousands for repeated visits. The stress was caused by being stuck inside and not being able to roam. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer. Cats, to people who don’t have them, seem like really simple, easy creatures - and as even said on here ‘for lazy owners’. The reality is can be so hard to get the balance of keeping them safe and keeping them happy.

There's a middle ground though. You can secure your garden so that your cat has a reasonable area to roam without being at risk from other animals and is not annoying the neighbours.

[quote youkiddingme][/quote]
I love how the instinctive "burying" still happens!

Whatever you suggest, OP, your neighbours should not be out of pocket or inconvenienced because of your choice of pet. So installing cat fencing so that your pets can't get out of your garden would be the best option. It allows tiddles to roam, but safely within the confines of your garden where it can't be attacked by dogs, be poisoned by fed up neighbours, or run over on the road. Failing that, buy your neighbours a constant supply of cat deterrents until such a time as you cat-fence your garden.

I know someone who has secured their garden using the cat fence mesh, she had been heartbroken by losing previous cats to rta so decided to invest.

Her cats now have the best of both worlds and she is secure in the knowledge that her cats are safe.

Cat owners seem to be very selfish, I can't imagine just letting my dog roam free shitting wherever it pleased!

@wewillmeetagain

Cat owners seem to be very selfish, I can't imagine just letting my dog roam free shitting wherever it pleased!

Well no.. because that would be against the law. I don't let my dog do that.

I would also be picking up the cat shit and flinging it straight back over your fence op!

@wewillmeetagain

I would also be picking up the cat shit and flinging it straight back over your fence op!

Any shit you find? Just curious as we have cats but so do about half the households on the street, so how would you know which cat shit where?

Well clearly the OP's neighbour knows which cat is doing the shitting as they have complained to the OP!

Cat owners seem to be very selfish

Never known a cat owner who isn't tbh

It's a tricky one, it's irritating but I kind of see it as an annoying part of urban living - like dogs barking and children screaming early in the morning. I have more of an issue with dogs pooping on the street or the park: it's impossible to get up all the poo and even thoughtful owners inevitably leave bits, especially if it's a sloppy one. It's so so gross, but I don't here the same cries of 'how selfish' about dog ownership despite the fact that it condemns the neighbours to inevitable barking, the bags of poo piled up and stinking out the local park bins and the remnants of poo on the street which I then tred into my house. Can you try keeping them in at night, as well as providing a cat deterrent? I did this for a neighbour. I also gave them a water squirter so they could squirt the cat with my permission . . . .. I didn't ask if I could use one in return on their kids who bellow in the garden in the evening and wake up my DD.

There's a middle ground though. You can secure your garden so that your cat has a reasonable area to roam without being at risk from other animals and is not annoying the neighbours.

Absolutely, but cats are tricky little fuckers. Because they were both indoor cats to begin with (the other still prefers to remain within 5 yards of wherever I am), I was genuinely terrified they’d never survive on the outside so did everything I could to fence off our garden. The little fucker still found his way out. I’ve never had a complaint from neighbours but we live in a highly populated cat area (hence the tuft wars). Ironically my cat is really crap at ‘cat ness’. He shits in MY garden (despite having a litter tray) and can’t catch anything bigger than a fly. His skills lie in escapism apparently.

Which is why I think cats are both annoying and fuck and amazing. They all have strange unique personalities and skills.

And I’ve gone off topic a bit, but the point is cats are bizarre creatures. Some can be contained and will be happy - others can’t help but want to explore and it’s nearly impossible to do anything about it despite your best wishes.

Haven't RTFT but having seen plenty of these before I'll take a guess that the cat haters and indoor cat owners are saying how terrible it is. And some numbskull will be comparing it to dogs shitting in your garden.

Cats are legally permitted to roam in this country. There's fuck all anyone can do about it.

I'm neither a cat hater nor cat lover - quite ambivalent to them and happy for others to have them as pets, as long as they are responsible in their ownership. I AM, however, a cat poo hater and don't want it in my garden. I don't expect to have the poo from any person or animal that has an owner/person in charge, whose job it is to ensure that they don't leave poo anywhere but on their own property or a specifically designated toilet/bin for it.

I understand that cats can legally roam in this country. Similarly, I can legally use power tools in my garden from 8-6pm nonstop, every single day for a whole year - I wouldn't, though, because I'm not an arrogant, selfish buffoon and I respect that other people have a moral right to a peaceful life in their own homes, just the same as I do.

If you personally are a massive fan of poo from other households and actually want it all over your property, I have a rough idea who the real numbskull is....

I think supplying them with some sort of cat deterrent would be the right thing to do. I've spent ££ in the past trying to keep cats out of our garden. At least you're trying by having a litter tray, a lot of cat owners seem to think it's fine for their pets to use other people's gardens as toilets.

My NDN has put spikes along the top of their fence, I only just noticed so I assume it’s too keep my cats out.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll a comparison between power tools and cat poo is utterly ridiculous. You, a human, have the capability to distinguish between neighbourly and anti social behaviour. A cat, a dumb animal, doesn't have the same capability and will shit where it likes with no concept of any wrongdoing. What do you honestly suggest owners do? Because insisting that every cat owner in the country somehow makes a giant, fenced in pen in their garden is bonkers!

No I don't like cat poo in my garden but it does happen and you know what? I pick it up and pop it in the bin. I accept that cats are part of the planet and that they are totally different in nature and habits to dogs. If I felt so perturbed by it I would buy a deterrent or chuck some orange peel down. It's really not that big of a deal.

Four cats who live nearby are forever crapping in both my front and back garden. I have a dog and responsibly clear up all her poo. I really resent picking up cat poo which is far more unpleasant than dog poo.
A weekly check of your neighbours garden is not enough. It needs to be at least once a day.

@FrankButchersDickieBow

Cat owners seem to be very selfish

Never known a cat owner who isn't tbh

In every aspect of my life I am selfish am I? Good to know.

I love how the instinctive "burying" still happens!

On mumsnet cats never bury their poo. They shit in public view in the middle of the garden/drive and leave it there.

No other kind of animal shits on their property either. It’s always a cat. Other wildlife must tidy up after themselves.

Fwiw if everyone secured their gardens it would affect lots of other urban wildlife who would not be able to travel for food. Hedgehogs for example, also nasty little shitting fuckers, btw, who don’t bury their poo, are endangered and many conservationists are trying to get gaps built into garden enclosures so they can move around to hunt.