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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

357 replies

SevenWaystoLeave · 14/04/2022 12:36

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?

OP posts:
ElenaSt · 14/04/2022 13:30

Our neighbour had an area of his garden that was previously stone clippings, fitted with artificial lawn because of a particular cat from another neighbour who was doing his business was there on the stones.

After we were shown the latest landscaping in his very nice garden we went inside and had a pleasant time chatting. At some point he went into the kitchen and there was a scream. The kind of scream a young girl might make and not what you would expect from a fairly large manly man.

He came rushing back to us in a very agitated state as the cat had walked onto the new lawn as he looked out of the window and appeared to smile at him before having a poo on the lovely new ‘grass’.

That area is now replaced with slate chipping and so far so good. Cat apparently does like to sit on the fence and watch him in the garden or sit on his kitchen window ledge and watch him in the kitchen!

We reckon the cat is someone he wronged in a previous life that has been reincarnated!

ExplodingElephants · 14/04/2022 13:30

Eh?

7eleven · 14/04/2022 13:30

@Stabbitystabstab

Which reminds me, I need to take down the missing cat poster that's been nailed to the fucking tree outside my house
Now that’s just mean.
pussycatunpickingcrossesagain · 14/04/2022 13:31

I've never been mauled or frightened by a cat.

I have been pinned to a wall (aged 4) by an Alsatian.
I have been bitten (aged 6) by a Jack Russell.
Both times in MY home and the animals being "supervised" by their owners - I was reading a bloody book the second time!

Neither owner (one neighbour and one relative) was prosecuted, fined or in any way penalised for allowing their dog to attack me. Neither dog was put down.

Looking at things the other way...

My NDN has an outdoor only cat, he occasionally barfs grass on our drive, he might scent mark the garden - I still fuss him and feed/care for him when they're away.

I have 2 indoor only cats who have saved my MH. One will only ever use a red litter tray (even on the odd occasion he'd been outside).

dworky · 14/04/2022 13:31

Because cats aren't dogs.
I'm surprised you haven't noticed.

SierpinskiSquare · 14/04/2022 13:32

Yanbu
Cat shit is so revolting. I really hate it. I deal with fox shite because I have to. They are wild animals. Cat owners can and should get their cats to use litter trays.

Lady089 · 14/04/2022 13:32

@SevenWaystoLeave

*Disgusting filthy creatures because they shit? 😂😂😂 I’m sure you never poo hmm*

The person you replied to might well poo, but what I'm sure they don't do is poo in the neighbour's backyard.

How do you feel about contaminating the rivers and wildlife with your shit? Why don’t you bury your shit in your own green, rather than contaminating someone’s else’s habitat. The entitlement of humans Grin
Chely · 14/04/2022 13:33

If you drink filter coffee... keep the grounds and sprinkle them on your garden. It discourages cars from toileting there, have to do it often but works pretty well.
I sometimes let the dog chase the cats away too.

Chely · 14/04/2022 13:33

Cars not cars

7eleven · 14/04/2022 13:34

It absolutely is possible to train a cat to use a litter train or a nice cosy spot in the garden. I agree people should do so. I have.

LemonPledge555 · 14/04/2022 13:34

MN is typically v pro cats so you’ll get flamed - but I agree. It’s effing grim and even my 5 year old knows what cat shit looks like in our raised beds and she had done for years. I genuinely can’t imagine having an animal and not knowing/caring where it shits and that someone else will inevitably have to clear it up. It’s so unbelievably selfish.

Dacquoise · 14/04/2022 13:34

Don't know if this is suitable for your flower beds but I have put down membrane topped with chicken wire, covered with chipped bark on mine. Next doors fluffy white ninja still visits my garden but doesn't dig a toilet in my beds I have,also used short garden canes in large pots that she was having a go at (as well as the foxes). Understand your frustration but cats are wanderers by nature. Dogs are easier to manage regarding their toilet habits.

Chely · 14/04/2022 13:34

Cats oh ffs Blush

Mummywantsaweewee · 14/04/2022 13:34

I have cats and I agree with you. My cats are outdoor, but I have litter trays for them to use. One cat uses them. The other uses the garden and honestly I don’t know how I haven’t handed him to the rescue centre yet. I have to go round picking up cat poo so my child doesn’t stand in it. I tell my child it’s Poo Patrol.
The difference between cats and dogs is cats are twats and hard to train, and they can also climb and jump, dogs are better to train and not as agile as cats. Trying to keep a cat in their own garden is impossible!

LaMontser · 14/04/2022 13:34

I hate the “fire a super soaker at it” response to this. Who has the time to stake out someone else’s manky pet? How about the owners follow their fur babies about with a super soaker to deter them. Or stump up for lion dung or pepper or citrus or whatever? That would at least make them look halfway sympathetic.

BorisJohnsonsHair · 14/04/2022 13:34

I love cats, but hate them pooing in my garden.

Cover the area they use with prickly branches, chicken wire, material etc and eventually they will move on.

You can't stop them; ours have been provided with litter trays, inside and out and they still prefer to go in soil.

So yes, YABU .

catsoop · 14/04/2022 13:35

@Stabbitystabstab

Which reminds me, I need to take down the missing cat poster that's been nailed to the fucking tree outside my house
Cool story bro. Hmm
gingerscot · 14/04/2022 13:36

People who allow pet cats out to roam are anti social and entitled. It’s is disgusting to have to clear the shit up from a “pet” I didn’t choose. If a cat wanders into my garden, it can take its chances. It might have a right to roam, I have a right to a cat shit free garden.

Keep your goddam cats inside or don’t have one.

OldTinHat · 14/04/2022 13:36

YANBU. I have a pump action water gun that I use regularly - bastard cats were even using the flat roof on my extension as a litter tray. Hate them all - apart from the Cheddar cat on here who looks wonderfully angry all the time. If I had a cat, I'd want one like that. But I won't have a cat because I hate them!

gogohm · 14/04/2022 13:36

Dogs are usually excellent cat deterrents. Our cat is too lazy to even dig a hole in our garden let alone go over a fence, it's not all cats (she won't even use the cat flap

IndigoC · 14/04/2022 13:36

Dog shit is big. I have two cats that toilet in my yard and multiple others that visit and use my yard as a toilet but I have barely ever seen the evidence of this. Cat poo is smaller and usually buried because unlike filthy canines they are clean creatures.

7eleven · 14/04/2022 13:37

@gingerscot

People who allow pet cats out to roam are anti social and entitled. It’s is disgusting to have to clear the shit up from a “pet” I didn’t choose. If a cat wanders into my garden, it can take its chances. It might have a right to roam, I have a right to a cat shit free garden.

Keep your goddam cats inside or don’t have one.

Oooh. You’re hard.
gettingolderandgrumpy · 14/04/2022 13:37

My cat likes to do a poo in my garden unfortunately so does the neighbours cat. My cat just stares at bloody cat .
I’m interested op what do you suggest cat owners do ? Put them on a lead walk to local park while they do said business and bag it up like a dog ? . They are cats they wander mine doesn’t leave my garden but I get a lot of cats do.

Stabbitystabstab · 14/04/2022 13:37

The posters are all falling off in the rain, littering the street.
I doubt they will be picked up by the person that put them there.
Just the same as they don't pick up thier cat shit.
Why nail a poster to a living tree?
It's selfish and the cat is long gone.

Original poster
SevenWaystoLeave · 14/04/2022 13:37

@Dacquoise

Don't know if this is suitable for your flower beds but I have put down membrane topped with chicken wire, covered with chipped bark on mine. Next doors fluffy white ninja still visits my garden but doesn't dig a toilet in my beds I have,also used short garden canes in large pots that she was having a go at (as well as the foxes). Understand your frustration but cats are wanderers by nature. Dogs are easier to manage regarding their toilet habits.
I do this where stuff is planted but I can't put chicken wire over the entire garden - and nor honestly should I have to.

And I'm sorry, but "cats are just wanderers by nature" is rubbish - any pet would "wander by nature" around the neighbourhood if allowed to, the point is with all other pets this is recognised to be nuisance and dangerous and irresponsible.

OP posts: