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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 14/08/2021 10:30

That’s a terrible analogy, you’re comparing the cognitive ability of humans to animals.

Really? I'm talking about young kids - the sort who, in many areas, are allowed to wander the neighbourhood, parents never teach them any boundaries, don't care, kids know it's 'fun' - how would they know not to do it?

Same with drunks: it's not my style in any way, but it's extremely common for a lot of adults to at first use their human cognitive abilities to decide to render themselves incapable to continue to maintain these abilities. Anything apart from driving, if you challenge them, they'll respond "But I didn't know what I was doing - I was hammered!"

Lady08 · 14/08/2021 10:32

@Iom92 - Your dogs poo can cause blindness in children. I hope you fully disinfect the area after your dog poos in a public area?

Bloodypunkrockers · 14/08/2021 10:34

@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.
Well done

11 minutes must be a record for someone to post this utter bollocks

Femme99 · 14/08/2021 10:35

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

That’s a terrible analogy, you’re comparing the cognitive ability of humans to animals.

Really? I'm talking about young kids - the sort who, in many areas, are allowed to wander the neighbourhood, parents never teach them any boundaries, don't care, kids know it's 'fun' - how would they know not to do it?

Same with drunks: it's not my style in any way, but it's extremely common for a lot of adults to at first use their human cognitive abilities to decide to render themselves incapable to continue to maintain these abilities. Anything apart from driving, if you challenge them, they'll respond "But I didn't know what I was doing - I was hammered!"

Gosh we’ve reached a whole level of bizarreness, when we’re comparing cats who roam and poo to children throwing stones at cars and drunks being sick 😂😂😂
Original poster
HungryHippo11 · 14/08/2021 10:38

@Thefaceofboe

Ffs just pick it up it’ll take 2 minutes Hmm I have 3 cats but other cats poo in my garden (I’ve seen them!) and it’s just one of those things
If it will only take 2 minutes, why would the owner have an issue with coming and doing it?
OP posts:
nokidshere · 14/08/2021 10:46

As someone who will never own a pet I absolutely am enraged by having to pick up other peoples pets poo. It's revolting. If I had wanted to clear cat poo up I'd have my own at the very least.

But who knows who's cat it is, there are at least 10 in my street alone so it could be any one of them or another 100 from somewhere else.

My neighbour has put one of those noise emitting things in the front garden which seems to keep them off the front at least, although my teenage son says it hurts his ears and head when he's out there.

So no you can't ask anyone to clear up their cats poo but you are definitely not being unreasonable for being completely pissed of at having to do so.

Sillysuzie · 14/08/2021 10:46

I really don't understand why cat owners can't train their cats. Even my rabbit is litter trained.

Auntienumber8 · 14/08/2021 10:49

I am almost finished redoing my garden, I considered a zen garden under the laurel tree but realised it would just look like a giant litter tray. I have a cat who uses a litter tray and is a proper scaredy rescue cat who will only go outside if we are with her so I know she doesn’t poop in anyone else’s garden nor ours. I do think having her deters other cats from coming in. We did have an issue with bloody foxes, their absolutely reeks. DS now occasionally pees round the access points and they have never returned.

Hopeisallineed · 14/08/2021 10:54

These threads are always a complete bun fight. If you are so sure of your convictions then go round and talk to the owners face to face, not on Facebook or another bun fight will ensue. You will just cause dissent and drama. Have an adult conversation with them, and much good it will do you, or take control of the situation and put some deterrents down.

AngeloMysterioso · 14/08/2021 11:00

There is NOTHING you can do about this. Cat owners will defend to the death their right to own a cat that shits in other people's gardens. They don't care that it endangers pregnant women or toddlers.

Yep.

My next door neighbours have three cats that shit all over my garden, and they don’t care. They don’t care that it’s highly toxic and could harm my toddler. They don’t care that I’m pregnant and have to spend 20 minutes every morning inspecting my garden and picking up their cats shit. They don’t care about the clothes that have been ruined by their cats attacking them when I’ve had the audacity to hang them out to dry. They don’t care about the garden table that is being whittled down to matchsticks by their cats using it as a scratching post. My toddler also got treated to the sight of one of the cats running around my patio with a still-alive (but not for long) bird in its mouth the other day.

I’ve been putting Jeyes fluid out for a while now and to be honest, if it’s harmful to cats, well I don’t give a fuck. Cat owners don’t care that their cats shit could seriously harm my son, why should I care about harming their cats? If it’s a toss up between the welfare of one or the other, my son trumps their cat every damn time as far as I’m concerned.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 14/08/2021 11:07

@ChocAuVin

“ You won't get any sympathy from cat owners, they just don't care. It's disgusting and I want the garden to be a nice space for my children.”

^ I’m surprised and intrigued to read all the dismissive comments from the cat owners (probably a fox, not the owner doing it etc.) and it really does appear to bear out the above.

I totally get that cats will roam. Heck, I like cats. A lot. But why such a lack of empathy for those people/parents who just want to enjoy their spaces free of stinking and unhealthy shit?

This.

Some posters seem to even find it funny.

Thefaceofboe · 14/08/2021 11:13

If it will only take 2 minutes, why would the owner have an issue with coming and doing it?

Because you have no proof it’s their cat? I’d be happy to pick up my cats shit if they new 100% it was my cat but you can’t just say oh there’s cat shit in my garden and I think it’s yours, you’ll look batshit.

Peanutsandchilli · 14/08/2021 11:16

Orange peel, although I would want to post the shit through the owner's letterbox. I hate cats.

Ponoka7 · 14/08/2021 11:25

There's a few more male cats were I live. They have bin wars, fighting who sleeps were. Because of this my cat has started pooing on our bins. Logically I was thinking it was a new cat, but I caught him. It's a form of sent marking.

@Sillysuzie, only a small proportion of cats are trainable. Training isn't anything to do with intelligence. Cats do what they want, that's the type of animal they are.

@Lady08, only if dogs aren't wormed. Toxocariasis is exceptionally rare in the UK and it usually doesn't come from dogs. Children went blind and go blind in other countries because of a lack of treatment, which now we have in the UK.

OP get some tiger/lion poo and/or spiked squares.

@AngeloMysterioso, why not get cat deterrents? Jeyes is harmful to all wildlife and the environment. As well as not being great for your toddler.

MrsR87 · 14/08/2021 11:27

I’m a cat owner and if you could prove it was my cat, then I would happily clean it up for you. But if you couldn’t, then I wouldn’t as it could be a different car or a different species all together.

Ponoka7 · 14/08/2021 11:27

Just to add that the cat I have wasn't chosen. He would have ended up being PTS, so I took him. I do agree that they are antisocial.

SD1978 · 14/08/2021 11:58

I'm wondering if those who blithely state to pick it up and move one would feel the same if a dog was shitting in their garden on a weekly or daily basis....

Arrowheart · 14/08/2021 11:59

Cats bury their shit so unlikely it is that cat. Unless you have seen the cat do it I would not be posting stuff.

MoonlightWanderer · 14/08/2021 12:01

Cats really do pop on gravel. I’ve seen mine do it before.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 14/08/2021 12:07

@Arrowheart

Cats bury their shit so unlikely it is that cat. Unless you have seen the cat do it I would not be posting stuff.
They often don't fgs
Bloodypunkrockers · 14/08/2021 12:15

@Arrowheart

Cats bury their shit so unlikely it is that cat. Unless you have seen the cat do it I would not be posting stuff.
FFS

RTFT

BadMotherLover · 14/08/2021 12:25

I have literally seen a fox poo on OPs gravel! It was early in the morning and I laughed. Now OP is pursuing a vendetta against the new cat. OP needs to get a life and get a hosepipe. If I see that fox again I will feed it...WinkWinkWink

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 14/08/2021 13:12

For the benefit of those at the back / CATS VERY OFTEN DO NOT BURY THEIR SHIT.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 14/08/2021 13:14

Stats on my garden and side path are
95% don't bury.
And no. There aren't foxes here plus I've seen them fluffy bastards do it

Naunet · 14/08/2021 13:23

When I first moved, I had a cat shit literally on my doorstep every day, sometimes twice. It didn’t seem to care that it was a hard surface, couldn’t cover it or that it picked the same spot over and over again. I know it was a cat because I had it on video. I also have a dog, I think that’s what attracted the little bugger! It’s a myth that they always cover it etc.