AIBU to be feeling cat-related rage?

[IntoTheMystics]

We’ve been living in our home for 4 years and during that time, on and off, a neighbourhood cat has been using our front garden as a toilet.

I’ve used repelling methods from the internet- chilli powder and cocktail sticks, but it didn’t really work. I also used this green gel that you can get in pet shops which gives off a smell cats don’t like, but the cat keeps coming back.

I like gardening and keep the borders looking smart. The children play in the garden too, so the 💩 that we come across is just revolting and dangerous.

I had a suspicion as to which cat it was (there’s a few in our estate) and caught it in the act this morning, so I now know which neighbour owns the cat.

If it was a dog, I’d have no problem approaching the neighbour about the problem, but with a cat I feel unsure about it. I’m not sure why, but I suppose it’s because I thought cats used litter trays in the home, but maybe not all do. And if the neighbours cat doesn’t, how can she control where he does his business?

Not a pet owner so fully prepared to be educated here. What would you do?

I’d would like to see dog owners walk around with a bottle of dettol and a brush, then shitting in the middle of a pavement and pissing on everything makes me heave.

But I know that’s a ridiculous thing to expect of either owner or dog.

Them* I don’t want the owners to then shit

@Scrollonthroughtherain

Id rather have rats in my garden than cats.

Why? What makes rats a better option? They multiply a lot and you'd have loads in your garden?

I find that really odd!

Because my neighbors cats (4-6 at any one time) are a bunch of dickheads that shit everywhere, have very vocal fights in my garden, leave dead animals everywhere at least once a week where my children play, have been known to try and hunt the hedgehogs that live in my garden, hunt baby frogs and get their filthy paws all over my garden furniture. They crapped all over my vegetable patch despite every measure possible to keep them out. Disgusting. If i had rats in my garden, chances are i would have no idea they were there. I definitely know these fucking cats are there. After 8 years of living with it, i despise them. Hopefully my new dog will keep them out when he gets here.

@Loveshelly

Yeah dog piss. Dog piss everywhere. Every fucking dog I see is spraying I find that fucking disgusting And dog owners don’t always pick up shit.

So ban Pets all together or just face the fact in life that dogs and cats shit and piss. As do all the other incontinent creatures you don’t see that only come out at night.

Totally not the same tho. You cannot expect to rule street, a public space, to your standards. You should, however, not have to tolerate damage and nuisance to your private space.

While cats can roam in here, nuisance can still be caused and apply.

@Cazzovuoi

These threads always descend into cats vs dogs. Animals poo wherever they want. Foxes, cats, hedgehogs, badgers etc are constantly shitting in your garden. Just get your kids to wash their hands ffs

This - not to mention the birds who are shitting their horribly toxic waste all over their garden.

Anyone fancy stopping them?

A quick google will entertain with all the terrible things you can catch from mice, rats, foxes, pigeons, hedgehogs etc. Starting with relatively mild irritants like fleas and ticks, right up to seizures and death!

Cat's by comparison are pretty risk free.

Make friends with the cat, let it think it’s their garden too and they will start pooping elsewhere

I have the same problem! I have 2 small dogs and clean up after them on every walk. My neighbours cats however shit all over my front garden and it drives me mad! It makes gardening unpleasant and in the summer the smell is awful. I’d shoot the little shits if I could, I hate cats because of their mess, they are the laziest pets to own as there is literally zero responsibility for the owners!!

I've tried everything

If I catch the little bastard in the act it's getting a boot up it's arse

Ironically one way to stop them pooping there is to feed them cats don't poop where they eat they also don't drink where they eat either

Have you tried lavender? They don’t like strong smells. I filled my flower beds with lavender and they don’t go there now.

@Laufeythejust

Have you tried lavender? They don’t like strong smells. I filled my flower beds with lavender and they don’t go there now.

Planted lavender they took to shitting next to them.

The only plant which ever worked was the curry plant (not reall curry one).

@catsandhens

It never fails to amaze me that people think land ownership transcends species. We only own/rent/habit land in a human sense. Animals don't and shouldn't give a shit (literally) about our artificially constructed boundaries. Its a shame it causes issues for your children playing, but quite frankly given how many species humanity has driven to extinction, I think maybe we need to look to our own selfish behaviour before we start complaining about where animals choose to shit..

Hear hear! Can’t believe you used cocktail sticks, WTF?

Just get over it OP, in the nicest possible way. If it wasn’t this cat, it would be another - or a fox. It all decomposes anyway. There’s poo in compost.

“Cat proof your garden”

We have woodland next to our house, yet our cat keeps shitting in the neighbours nice garden. But then their frickin’ stupid dog pisses the whole street off with its constant yapping. Swings and roundabouts.

@Laufeythejust

Have you tried lavender? They don’t like strong smells. I filled my flower beds with lavender and they don’t go there now.

My cat sleeps in the lavender!

I think it is more of a case that you "filled" the bed with lavender. If your beds are full of plants, no bare soil, cats can't dig and squat. The best way to deter cats is therefore not to have any large areas of soil that are regularly dug over. Cats see that as an invitation, how nice of you to provide me with a clean, dry, dug over patch of soil in which I can easily dig and squat. Many thanks. Back tomorrow!

Hear hear! Can’t believe you used cocktail sticks, WTF?

Oh yeah plastic forks pushed into the ground, prongs up works too.

I've leaf geranium plants fill a flower bed nicely and it's weird I've never seen a cat in it and I've had loads of cats in my garden they avoid it

YANBU
There are various things you can use to deter cats, but why should you?
Cat owners should get better control of their cats. And before I get flamed to oblivion, I have had cats myself.
There is an utter cunt of a cat that keeps coming into my garden now. Shits in my beds, and is aggressive. No 'pstpstpst' noise and nose boops with him. If I approach him, he hisses and goes to launch at me.
I have a greyhound, and one day she might manage to catch him. Not my fault.