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AIBU?

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Original poster

Cat faeces - can I ask owner to come and clear it up?

222 replies

HungryHippo11 · 14/08/2021 07:17

There is a new black and white cat in our neighbourhood, I've seen it in our garden once our twice.
We went away for a week and I've come back to find piles of cat shit in the space between our car and bins, covered in flies. Obviously cat has found a nice quiet spot to do his business.
We have a neighbour Facebook page, so I can probably find out who the cat belongs to. WIBU to request that they come and clean up the crap? And is there a way to prevent it happening? Luckily it driveway is a little away from the house so at least its not right by my front door.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
AssemblySquare · 14/08/2021 08:55

I’ve got cats and a dog. But I get you don’t want to pick up poo! Some of our neighbours have those sonic things in the front garden that emit a high pitch beep and their gardens are immaculate/poo free.
If you catch a cat in the act spray the cat with water. Don’t be tempted to use bleach, cats love the smell of bleach!!!!!

godmum56 · 14/08/2021 08:55

@eurochick

Cats usually bury their shit. It would be unusual for them to do it on a hard surface. It's more likely to be a fox.
on what planet? certainly not in my experience!
Mamamia7962 · 14/08/2021 08:55

I haven't read the full thread so don't know if someone has suggested this but you can get an animal noise sensor, which emits a very high pitched noise that only animals can hear which will keep them away.

Beebababadabo · 14/08/2021 08:57

It's annoying yes but all you can do is find a deterrent that works which might take a bit of trial and error. I got a Ultrasonic-Repeller-Deterrent for my garden, which worked very well for the cat that constantly use my vegetable patch as it's toilet. It's meant to repel mice as well.

Confrontayshunme · 14/08/2021 09:02

I had this with our neighbour and my DH said I absolutely couldn't ask her to pick it up. Instead, he passive aggressively went and asked her to borrow some dog poo/nappy bags to pick it up. When she gave him two, he was like "No, I am going to need a lot more." He also told her he would be putting it in her bins from now on. He told me asking her to come pick it up wasn't okay, so that was his very British solution. Hmm

saveforthat · 14/08/2021 09:03

People keep saying cats don't poo on gravel or hard ground. Down the side of the garages to our property has become the public toilet of choice for all the local cats. They will poo on the grass and gravel and make no attempt to bury it. I think it's funny how people say oh well it's a cat whereas anyone who doesn't pick up their dog's poo should be beaten to an inch of their lives.

Tara336 · 14/08/2021 09:06

We have a New next door neighbour who has a cat, it’s quickly become a complete pain in the backside. It threw up all over my drive the other day so had to clear it up before I went to work. It doesn’t dare come in the back garden as I have dogs but my front garden I have found bits of dead bird etc. DH will go nuts if it starts pooing in our flower beds, it’s already been shooed away a few times. I don’t know what the answer is, but if you own a dog your expected to clear up after it quite rightly, but if you own a cat it seems it’s perfectly acceptable for it to be a pain in the arse for your neighbours and they have to put up and shut up

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/08/2021 09:08

Very annoying but you can’t possibly know it’s that particular cat.

BlueMongoose · 14/08/2021 09:08

Sadly there is nothing you can do. Dog owners have to clear up after their dogs, cat owners don't.
Chase the cat off whenever you see it.
It is a myth that cats always bury their mess. I used to see my neighbour's cats crap on my lawn and walk away on a regular basis. Likewise in the veg garden. They are an insanitary nuisance, and wholesale murderers of small birds and mammals, but the law allows it because an owner can't stop it, and that's it.

Neverrains · 14/08/2021 09:10

Yes, our local terror of a cat also killed the pigeon that used to visit our garden every day. Had to clear that up too. Massacred pigeon 🤢.

Herja · 14/08/2021 09:12

@Mamamia7962

I haven't read the full thread so don't know if someone has suggested this but you can get an animal noise sensor, which emits a very high pitched noise that only animals can hear which will keep them away.
Nooo! Not these! I can hear these too, not just cats! (I can also hear the anti teenager ones. My own lightbulbs. My grandparents TV on standby through their front door. An electric fence long, long before I can see it.) These things are a menace and make me feel like I'm going mad - it can't only be me. Please don't get one of these!
FlyingRabbitsAtNoon · 14/08/2021 09:14

The most effective deterrent for a neighbours cat on your property is getting your own cat.

Neverrains · 14/08/2021 09:19

@FlyingRabbitsAtNoon

The most effective deterrent for a neighbours cat on your property is getting your own cat.
No way, they’re vile creatures who shit everywhere Wink
BadMotherLover · 14/08/2021 09:22

This is really just a thread for those who hate cats to deny all evidence to the contrary, ignore the fox shit and blame their neighbours cats. Why not just post 'I hate cats! Who's with me?'

harridan50 · 14/08/2021 09:22

Orange peel it deters foxes which is more likely.

PricklesAndSpikes · 14/08/2021 09:25

Pick up the poo, rinse the area with bio washing powder to break down the enzymes that encourage the animal (cat or fox!) back and then put a clear plastic bottle filled with water on it's side on the area. That is supposed to deter them. Not sure why, but I've heard several people say the water bottle helps...

Original poster
HungryHippo11 · 14/08/2021 09:25

@MrsSkylerWhite

Very annoying but you can’t possibly know it’s that particular cat.
I've lived here 7 years and never seen a cat near my house. This cat appears and one week later the shit is everywhere.
OP posts:
CaptSkippy · 14/08/2021 09:26

OP, I would not mention it to your neighbours. It could only lead to unnecessary conflict and unless you have cameras you can't prove it was that particular cat. So in the end you'll still have cat-shit in your yard and are now also fighting with the neighbours. Not worth the effort for so little chance of success.

However, some kind of cat repellent will prevent it from happening again. There are quite a few things that will scare cats off.

DancesWithTortoises · 14/08/2021 09:28

[quote Hopeisallineed]@DancesWithTortoises www.bridgebiotechnology.com/jeyes-fluid-5-important-reasons-why-not-to-use-this-product/[/quote]
But if it works - then people will carry on using it.

We have cat proof fencing but I'd use it if I had cats regularly shitting on my lawn. No matter how toxic it can be it isn't as toxic as cat or fox shit.

TheBalletCats · 14/08/2021 09:32

This is what Jeyes Fluid can do to cats @HungryHippo11, so please ignore the posters merrily suggesting you use said Victorian poison.

Before anyone starts in about my obviously being biased as part of Big FreePoo, my cats are indoor cats - they only toilet in their litter trays; & only their humans clean up after them. That said, I’d hope learning that Jeyes Fluid literally kills cats would make anyone decide it’s not ok to use it, whatever gardening fora may claim.

I hope you manage to find a pet-safe deterrent that works - there are lots available & success varies from cat to cat. Using a water pistol on any caught in the act is completely reasonable too. If they’re coming back to the same spot they may be weeing there as well - I’m not sure if one of the products to clean up cat urine would be suitable/usable outdoors (it might need to absorb?) but cats can smell where they’ve marked long after humans think it’s clean; & cat in question may literally be following its nose to its “toilet” in the same way at some lifestages you need to leave a wee bit of soiled litter in the tray when you change it to help indoor cats/kittens be certain of where their loo is.

Monestera · 14/08/2021 09:33

Cat poo in the garden is one of life's little annoyances. You cannot expect owners to retrieve it. It's what cats do.

Ditto dogs. Dogs naturally roam throughout the day, returning to their loving owners for meals and cuddles. Dog poo in the street is one of life's little annoyances. You cannot expect owners to retrieve it. It's what dogs do.
(England, 1975)

Neverrains · 14/08/2021 09:37

@BadMotherLover

This is really just a thread for those who hate cats to deny all evidence to the contrary, ignore the fox shit and blame their neighbours cats. Why not just post 'I hate cats! Who's with me?'
Grin I have seen the cat poo on my gravel and not bury it multiple times. This is just a thread for cat lovers to deny evidence that cats do shit on gravel, and don’t bury it.
Wimowehwimowehwimowehwimoweh · 14/08/2021 09:39

@RoseAndRose

You could try cleaning the area with Jeyes fluid.
Please don’t do this, they absorb through the pads on their paws and it can kill them

“ Will Jeyes Fluid Harm Cats?

As mentioned above, Jeyes fluid contains a chemical derived from coal acid, which is particularly poisonous to cats Additionally, cats are unable to flush their system of phenol. If they ingest Jeyes fluid (which contains phenol), they will be subjected to phenol poisoning.

We would always recommend erring on the side of caution when looking for deterrents – the last thing you want to do is cause harm to your neighbour’s cats and break the law, even if it is getting on your nerves!

That’s why considering completely natural cat deterrents is the way to go when trying to stop cats pooping in your garden.”

StCharlotte · 14/08/2021 09:45

@rookiemere

I've seen cats shitting on our lawn. It's really not a fox they really don't bury all their poo. OP get a dog - that will resolve your cat poo problem although brings a few of its own challenges.
Well I was going to suggest getting a Labrador as they'll eat anything...
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 14/08/2021 09:48

Please don’t do this, they absorb through the pads on their paws and it can kill them

Is that for cats only? is it harmful for foxes and dogs? or other wildlife?

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