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AIBU?

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Original poster

Neighbour and his cats are driving me nuts!

144 replies

BrokenDishwasher · 03/05/2021 08:59

We moved into our dream house at the beginning of the year. The house is nice, but the garden is perfect, it’s what sold the house to us really. It’s a long rectangle shape, with a hedge splitting it in half. One half is the ‘adult’ half. BBQ space, nice table and chairs, grass and flowers etc. The other half, we’ve made into the children’s side. It’s got the trampoline, mud kitchen, sand pit etc.

A few weeks ago, we dug up some of the kids side and planted sunflowers, carrots, pumpkins etc. The next morning we came down to find cats had dug it all up and pooped everywhere. I cleaned it up, we replanted it and hoped that was it. It wasn’t, it was just the start. The cats seem to come into the garden on a night and destroy it! They poo in the mud kitchen, the sand pit, the planted areas. The children have stood in it and walked it through the house. They’ve scratched the wood up marking the sides. Worst of all, they’ve started killing birds and leaving them in my garden, half eaten 😭

I spoke to the neighbour and he just kind of shrugged and said what can you do, they’re cats 😠. I’ve tried powder but it’s had no effect at all. I’m just so sick of it! What can I do? I don’t want to do anything that will hurt them, but I’m so sick of their mess and need to do something!

WIBU to see the neighbour again? I don’t even know what he could do, but I hate these damn cats!

OP posts:
ineedaholidayandwine · 03/05/2021 11:32

Are the ultrasonic repellers any good?

Sh05 · 03/05/2021 11:35

Try citrus peels. So peel your lemons and oranges and leave the peel in a warm place to dry then process in a coffee grinder into a powder.
Sprinkle this over your veg patches, it's not 100 percent effective but does free cats to a degree.

BaileysforBreakfast · 03/05/2021 11:43

Try something called Silent Roar. It's pelleted lion poo, doesn't smell and seems to work quite well as a cat deterrent.

gamerchick · 03/05/2021 11:47

Go to b&m and get some lavender plants. They dont like the stuff.

Also get packs of those plastic fences that look naff when used as a fence. But they're ideal to thread young plants through and lie them on the soil. Cats can't dig then and don't like walking on it.

Rolls of netting can also be bought from b&m to cover no go areas.

It is awful you have my sympathies.

countrypunk · 03/05/2021 12:24

@EdwinPootsLovesArchaeology

Excellent, thank you! And I'm glad it's all had the desired effect Grin

muddyford · 03/05/2021 12:27

One of our neighbours, obviously with a similar problem, is picking up the cat mess and just lobbing it into the road!

EdwinPootsLovesArchaeology · 03/05/2021 12:48

@Spanielsarepainless

One of our neighbours, obviously with a similar problem, is picking up the cat mess and just lobbing it into the road!
That's a bit of a risky move, as the shitted-on neighbour can now be accused of being the one causing a nuisance.

And nobody needs Shit Wars. Imagine fessing up to that one in a seller's pack.

I'll just stick with my Very Tall Chickenwire Boundary until my neighbours install their own cat latrine arrangements.

They all have completely paved over gardens, too. Not a flower bed in sight. No indoor litter trays, they admit it. 'We just put them out most of the day and night.' Well stare at my chickenwire, then, gits.

Anycrispsleft · 03/05/2021 12:54

You could always plant a bit of catnip, maybe the neighbour will try to keep them in a bit more if they keep coming back to his house, baked out of their tiny minds...

gamerchick · 03/05/2021 12:57

@Anycrispsleft

You could always plant a bit of catnip, maybe the neighbour will try to keep them in a bit more if they keep coming back to his house, baked out of their tiny minds...
You could for the comedy effect. I grew quite the impressive catnip plant and it was like the night of the living drooling cats in my garden.
LemonSwan · 03/05/2021 13:01

I am sure someone mentioned but the only way to get rid of cats is to have your own cat. They will gain the territory and defend it. They will wee but they will not poo all over their own territory without burying. Thats a dominance thing by the other cats to mark the area.

Honeybobbin · 03/05/2021 13:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummabubs · 03/05/2021 13:05

Neighbours' cats poop in our garden so I have to watch where our 3 year old walks and one even comes into our house as soon as we leave a window or door open - I hate it too 🤦🏻‍♀️

Another cat-free neighbour on our road told me that she's only had success with one of those sonar cat deterrent alarms (apparently they hate the noise so avoid the area). Maybe look into one of those as it wouldn't disturb your garden but might keep them away?

EdwinPootsLovesArchaeology · 03/05/2021 13:09

@LemonSwan

I am sure someone mentioned but the only way to get rid of cats is to have your own cat. They will gain the territory and defend it. They will wee but they will not poo all over their own territory without burying. Thats a dominance thing by the other cats to mark the area.
My poor old cat is 17 years old and does not cope well with being attacked by half a dozen neighbours' cats, at least two of which are unneutered toms, with fleas, who stink-spray everywhere.

It's a nice enough area. The owners are just lazy and tight. They'd rather spend their time and money on patio furniture and Californian cannabis.

Whatdidyousaid · 03/05/2021 13:11

We had a problem with cats constantly shitting in our garden, we now put lemon juice down and we haven't had a problem since. As a previous poster said, cats hate citrus.

Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout · 03/05/2021 13:12

Maybe ask them to make an outdoor litter tray.
My cat has her own planter of mud to do her business in to make sure she doesn’t annoy the neighbours.

PferdeMerde · 03/05/2021 13:15

@Peppermintteadrinker

Birds shit all over my garden and windows. They steal my food from my garden and they make me unhappy. Why do I need to put up with these pests?
(No, I don’t kill birds before anyone accuses me)

HotPenguin · 03/05/2021 13:17

Have you never had a garden before? Sandpits need to be covered whenever they aren't being used. New planting needs to be protected with netting or sticks. Once the ground hardens up the cats might stop but while it's freshly dug cats will make a beeline for it.

EdwinPootsLovesArchaeology · 03/05/2021 13:23

@Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout

Maybe ask them to make an outdoor litter tray. My cat has her own planter of mud to do her business in to make sure she doesn’t annoy the neighbours.
@Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout, you sound very rational and nice Smile

We've tried asking about that x 3 times. My favourite response from the chap behind us was 'chill out, love'. And there was also, 'no.' The women diagonally across tried to tell DP their two cats weren't theirs ... yeah, that'll be why they wear name tags with their address on Confused

So now they get a lovely high chickenwire fence to gaze at daily. They can chill the fuck out over that, luv.

It just amazes me the lengths some cat owners will go to to evade their responsibilities, including basic things like flea treatments. Owning a cat should be a privilege.

PenfoldPenny · 03/05/2021 13:24

Invest in a water pistol. Fire "near" the cats whenever you see them - not at them............... just near.

Works well as a deterrent in my experience.

Running down the garden shrieking is also effective although rather more embarrassing.

Peppermintteadrinker · 03/05/2021 13:28

Because nobody has chosen to inflict the birds on you?

leiaskye · 03/05/2021 13:30

@SnarkyBag

Get a dog. It the only thing that keeps the buggers out of ours now
I’ve got two dogs. Neighbours cats still cross the road to use my flower bed as a toilet.

The dogs are not often out there, tbh, but have chased them out before so surely the cats know they are here.

They don’t care.

Mycomfyplacetochill · 03/05/2021 13:36

Whilst you shouldn't have to put up with this the cat owner legally can't do anything. Cats are treated differently in law than dogs.

Your best bet it to cat proof your own garden. Highly recommend Katzecure because whilst it designed to keep cats in, it also keeps neighbouring cats out!

EdwinPootsLovesArchaeology · 03/05/2021 13:36

Neighbours' cats, especially the toms, don't care about dogs, other cats (except to terrorise), cat repellents, scarers, water pistols, shouty humans, nothing. They don't give a fuck.

Their owners seem actually happy they are away out bothering other people and affecting someone else's property.

You can't really compare wild birds, that aren't owned.

Anycrispsleft · 03/05/2021 13:37

You could for the comedy effect. I grew quite the impressive catnip plant and it was like the night of the living drooling cats in my garden

They make a right show of themselves. When I planted ours, the neighbour's cat ate way more than he could handle and fell asleep on a lavender bush.

Powerplant · 03/05/2021 13:40

Spray diluted lemon juice, detergent around the garden every night for a couple of weeks then reduce to twice a week. It was the ONLY thing that worked for us. I was so fed up of having to clear cat poo up before I stepped into the garden or out of my front door every day. Good luck hope this works for you.