To want cat-owner to acknowledge impact on me?

[SafetyLady]

My neighbour's cats use my garden for a toilet. I'm sick of having to deal with it. On top of plant pots, in my veg bed, etc. They make no attempt to bury it so it sits there stinky until I pick it up. Properly turns my stomach and spoils my enjoyment of my garden on a daily basis.
I know they can't be kept out or trained not to. I'd never want to harm them - they're just being cats! I'd just like some acknowledgement from neighbour that their choice to keep outdoor cats is causing this.
I did ask if they would be willing to take a turn dealing with it, and got told no, cats bury it so you can't even see where it is (some do - theirs doesn't), and anyway that's why they don't keep them in - they don't want to deal with litter tray (were originally indoor only kittens).
AIBU to be upset?

Oh, and when I lived elsewhere, the cats repeatedly pooed on the concrete in a corner by my kitchen window.

Water pistol (or auto targeting one like others have said) - won't harm the cat, will hopefully annoy it enough to go elsewhere.

I own both terriers & sighthounds. They work as a team if allowed to hunt, which they aren't. There's a cat taken to hunting my chooks but I do check for it before I let them out to toilet but it is causing me some anxiety.

Who asked you?

That might be worth a try. In my teens my Mum had one of those things+ it gave me a headache, but now I'm old it might not bother me. I've held off in case the sound bothers other (younger) folk, but I'm getting desperate!

You dont say. I'm sure she super appreciates it. The support of an internet stranger is worth two in the bush.

My neighbour's cat was shitting in my garden and killing birds (and not covering the poo, saw it on my security cam) and bothering my dogs so I got cat netting up, it was more than worth it to stop my dogs eating cat shit with god knows what in it and dealing with mangled fledgelings. Neighbours don't let their cat out much anymore incase it decides to try my netting and get stuck in my garden with the dogs. You could also use cat rollers.

But literally continued it anyway. Thou art so superior.

Can someone please tell cat rescues that people don't want them crapping in their gardens? My garden is cat proofed, mainly for the safety of my last cat than any consideration for the neighbours but it serves both purposes. Unfortunately a lot of rescues won't rehome to me as 'cats should be allowed to roam'. That was after telling me how many cats they had for rehoming and how many were on the waiting list. I felt like asking them if they preferred the cats to be run over or piss off all the neighbours!

Have a dead of night shit lobbing session.Her cat,her shit.

You're being both childish and obnoxious @Screwballs
Having failed to sway us with your non arguments as to why your neighbours should accept your cat's shit because you fail to prevent deer coming into your garden.

😻

My neighbour said similar to you when my dogs chased cats out of the garden and the only thing it meant was that if anything did happen she'd be thinking her cat had found somewhere else to live.

I have heard that they don't like orange peel. Maybe put some around your garden and maybe spray an orange scent around. Worth a shot

Eh? I don't shit in next door's garden if that's what you mean.

This is exactly it.
Not kitties' fault at all.
Problem is neighbors taking no responsibility.

Others have asked about foxes - I do sometimes get them in the garden, and their leavings are not the same. Also I have literally seen neighbour's cats doing this many times - with my own eyes and caught on nature-cam. I chase them off when I can.

Humans kill all sorts of animals and they definitely shit too!!

@eggsontoastnbeans if humans did all of their business outside and scraped shallow dirt over it and started breaking the wings of songbirds you might have a point, but both of those things are illegal

I totally agree with you op.
I actually find the situation we are in with cats in this country ridiculous. People often say “well you can’t expect me to keep my cat inside it’s cruel”. I have several issues with this…

1. They aren’t wild animals existing in a natural state. They’re animals people have domesticated and chosen to have. So when you buy a cat you are choosing to have an animal you intend to allow to shit on other peoples spaces.
2. actually plenty of countries have rules around cat owners allowing their cats to free roam. I’m Australia they recognise the impact on wild animals and cat proof fencing is common.

Cat ownership seems to have massively
increased since I was a child. I would go so far as to say that in some places I have lives they’re pests. people seem to choose to own cats, take no responsibility for where they roam and poo and they get upset when they inevitable get killed on the busy main road 100ft away. It’s the only animal that people own and there seems to be a social acceptance they can’t be controlled.

Pestbye® Battery Operated Motion Activated Waterproof Cat Repellent - Quick Fix Ultrasonic Cat Scarer with Ground Stake - Set of 2 amzn.eu/d/dbr72EX

These work for me

The easiest way to keep cats out of your garden is to get a cat.

I've had cats, and have every sympathy I'd second the Supersoaker idea They don't like it if you hiss at them either. Also look at lion poo granules. To deter tom cats spraying, sprinkle men's urine round the area. Good luck!

Unless you have my cat who seems to hand out invites to all the local cats 😸

I second chucking it back over fence and putting bamboo sticks/old forks etc in the borders and in the plant pots.

Anti cat spikes (plastic, soft, but not enough space for a cat to get comfortable - they are dark too, so not that visible)

We had this & apparently they don't like citrus. So I cut up lots of lemons & put in borders & kept splashing almost neat lemon floor cleaner on patio & they did avoid garden.