AIBU - my neighbour's flower bed is my dog's toilet

[SevenWaystoLeave]

I routinely let my dog wander unsupervised around the neighbourhood and he's taken to going into my neighbour's garden, digging up their flower bed and taking a massive stinking dump there. It's his favourite spot to go. This has become a daily occurrence, but I can't stop him, he's an animal and needs his freedom, and I'm not going to clean up after him either because they can't technically prove it's my dog, and not someone else's free-roaming unsupervised dog.

...Yes this would be really fucking unreasonable wouldn't it and people would be quite rightly calling the authories on me and I'd get fined and a control order slapped on my dog. So why why why the ever living fuck is it considered okay and normal when cat owners do this?!? It's absolutely disgusting and I am so so sick of cleaning cat shit out my garden on a daily basis. AIBU?

Look, just get a water pistol to deter the cats. They’re creatures of habit and will soon find somewhere else to go.

I’m a cat and a dog owner. My cats do not free roam (they’re all old lads in their teens now) and I have 2 completely indoor cats (they have idiopathic epilepsy). The next door neighbour has a veritable colony (upwards of 8 cats I can count lurking outdoors right now), and as annoying and disgusting it is, the law is on the side of the cat to roam free.

Our other neighbour had a 3am visitor this morning which has clawed through a blind (in panic by the look of it), broken vases in the ensuing chaos & scared the daylights out of her as she thought it was an intruder.

Of course it isn’t one of ours (she took photos, it’s one of the colony), and had to use the vacuum to drown out the expletive laden argument stuck between the bloody neighbours. A lovely start to my Easter break!

Cat owners need to take responsibility for their animals (neuter, microchip, keep in from dusk til dawn, worm, vaccinate, enclose their gardens etc.).

By the same token, the cat hating neighbour should’ve kept her front downstairs window shut (it’s not the safest of areas here, burglaries are rife) & take some responsibility in the night’s events.

Toxoplasmosis is a risk (and endemic in the fox population, which is huge here). That’s why good hygiene practice needs to be observed when gardening . The soil is teeming with all sorts of bugs & bacteria anyway!

I hope I’m a responsible cat owner. Until the law changes, and cats are considered domestic animals like dogs, it’s pointless arguing about it. The law is the law. Lobby your MP, start a campaign. Going in like a loon to attack cat owners doesn’t serve your interests as the law isn’t on your side. Unfortunately.

@SevenWaystoLeave cats rarely shit in their own gardens, or gardens where there is a resident cat.

On that basis, the simple solution is to get your own cat

@WithANameLikeDaniCalifornia

And no, it isn't "impossible" to control where they poo, you just won't take responsibility for it by actually controlling and supervising them

But it's impossible to stop your dog shitting in your neighbours garden? Yeah ok

Who has said that? It's not impossible at all. I don't let my dog shit in my neighbour's garden. My dog has never been in my neighbour's garden because I paid to secure the fences so he can't. I did that because he's my pet and my responsibility. If he ever did get into a neighbour's garden, I'd be mortified, I'd come and get him immediately, I'd clean up and pay for any mess or damage, and I'd take immediate steps to stop it ever happening again.

If a cat does the same, their owner goes "lol he likes to roam" and does fuck all, leaving all the clean-up and the costs to everyone else.

If a cat does the same, their owner goes "lol he likes to roam" and does fuck all, leaving all the clean-up and the costs to everyone else.

Wrong OP. As I have already stated. If a neighbor told me, I'd pick it up.

Yep I resent the fact that I still have to pick up shit from my garden, even though my dogs died years ago. YANBU.

@NancyDrooo

Look, just get a water pistol to deter the cats. They’re creatures of habit and will soon find somewhere else to go.

I spray them with the hose if I see them but I can't actually spend 24/7 on patrol. They come in over night usually. Or am I now expected to quit my job and stop sleeping so I can be on constant cat watch? Honestly, wouldn't be surprised if I am expected to do that, it's no less entitled than thinking I should be cleaning up your cat's shit.

@SevenWaystoLeave

You think only cats take risks going outdoors to be killed unnecessarily? Humans get killed every day on the roads, does that mean we shouldn’t risk going outside to be killed unnecessarily.

And telling people to control and supervise their cat whilst outdoors 😂

c.tenor.com/LO1VSallOe4AAAAC/lick-c-at.gif

Yanbu. Horrible things. We've had to move all the planters from under our front window to the back garden because they were getting crapped in EVERY night out the front.
I choose not to have animals and don't see why I should have to put up with the effects of other people's animals.

It’s funny watching OP getting more riled up and ridiculous with every post. No one can be this obtuse.

You’re creating obstacles OP. But while we’re here what should I do about my neighbours dogs barking? Insist they have their vocal cords removed? Pay for surgery to make myself deaf?

It’s just one annoying thing versus another. Live and let live.

@switswooo

It’s funny watching OP getting more riled up and ridiculous with every post. No one can be this obtuse.

I'm thinking the same. I wish I had their problems!!

I think the law should be changed to force cat owners to train their cats to do this

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@SevenWaystoLeave honestly OP, I would rather be an irresponsible pet owner and anti social neighbour than be bitter, aggressive and pedantic like you. This thread is full of people suggesting cost effective, simple ways to deter cats but you are choosing to ignore the helpful advice and just carry on ranting about how terrible cats and their owners are. Which suggests you just enjoy moaning.

My cat has a litter tray which he uses but he also roams outdoors as is his legal right. So I have no idea what he gets up to during that time. The only way to 'control' him as you say is to keep him indoors 24/7 and im not willing (or legally obliged) to do that. Thankfully my neighbours all fuss him and like to see him rather than being so unpleasant.

I can understand why it's annoying of course. It's also annoying when birds crap on my windows or mice get in my shed. You seem to think that because cats have owners there should be some magical cure to containing them but the facts are that they are free to roam just like wild animals are and if there weren't so many owners there would simply be a lot of wild cats procreating and shitting in even more flower beds.

You seriously need to chill. There are bigger things happening in the world.

@SevenWaystoLeave It's unlikely he'd catch a cat even if he is a greyhound if he can't get out of the garden, a cat can.

PS. If you read one of my previous posts you would see that my cat isn't a free roamer, he's a mainly indoor cat with an outdoor enclosure and he only goes in the garden with me. Saying that I'm not against free roaming cats, my cat is just a big idiot and probably would end up knocked down or something.

@NearlyHeadlessNick

Yanbu. Horrible things. We've had to move all the planters from under our front window to the back garden because they were getting crapped in EVERY night out the front. I choose not to have animals and don't see why I should have to put up with the effects of other people's animals.

Maybe animals feel the same about us and are getting pissed off by the effects of humans dominating their planet, if only animals could talk 🤷🏼‍♀️

Plant some lilies 🌸

Cat owners need to cat proof their gardens if they truly love their little darlings and not let them into other people's gardens!!

Get a water pistol, they'll soon get the message.

[quote Lady089]@SevenWaystoLeave

You think only cats take risks going outdoors to be killed unnecessarily? Humans get killed every day on the roads, does that mean we shouldn’t risk going outside to be killed unnecessarily.

And telling people to control and supervise their cat whilst outdoors 😂[/quote]
Why the fuck not control and supervise your cat when outdoors? People have to do this with literally every other type of pet. It's entirely possible, you're just choosing not to do it because you're entitled as fuck, and would rather make your pet other people's responsibility than take responsibility yourself.

As for the rest, obvious nonsense, cats aren't humans and are at much more risk. When cute little Tiddles can how to use a zebra crossing instead of bolting in panic directly under someone's wheels, we can talk again.

[quote AryaStarkWolf]@SevenWaystoLeave It's unlikely he'd catch a cat even if he is a greyhound if he can't get out of the garden, a cat can.

PS. If you read one of my previous posts you would see that my cat isn't a free roamer, he's a mainly indoor cat with an outdoor enclosure and he only goes in the garden with me. Saying that I'm not against free roaming cats, my cat is just a big idiot and probably would end up knocked down or something.[/quote]
I really hope we're not neighbours since seem very keen for me to let my dog kill your cat.

@XelaM

Plant some lilies 🌸

Cat owners need to cat proof their gardens if they truly love their little darlings and not let them into other people's gardens!!

Duh - lilies are also poisonous to dogs 🙄

OP your humiliating yourself, time to go offline 🤣

@XelaM

Plant some lilies 🌸

Cat owners need to cat proof their gardens if they truly love their little darlings and not let them into other people's gardens!!

Off course owners allow them in other peoples gardens, we even open the gate for them on their way in. Some posters are hilarious 😂

And how depraved you must be to encourage people to plant flowers you know are poisonous to cats.

I guess you have little effect on animals and also think your shit shines!

I really hope we're not neighbours since seem very keen for me to let my dog kill your cat.

Well I've just told you my cat isn't a free roamer so.........