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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

or is cat hating new neighbour batshit crazy?

206 replies

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 12:22

NC as obviously this is totally outing. New neighbours (a married couple, no kids) moved in a couple of months back and seemed perfectly OK and normal at first, went round to say hello and welcome them to the street and so on. Then I mentioned in passing I had two cats, at which point one of them started going on about how dreadful cats are for local birds. My cats are indoor cats so pose no threat whatsoever to wildlife - even if they escaped (which they have never done in over eight years of owning them), one of them is blind and the other one is so graceless and daft he can barely jump onto a chair, let alone catch a bird. I said this and then a few hours later the male neighbour sent me a whatsapp with links to several articles about cats damaging the local wildlife. Again I politely said, thanks very much, but this is irrelevant to me as my cats do not go outside and never have.

Anyway I thought they were weirdos but left it at that, until the other day when I received a very angry message saying there was a dead bird in their front garden and it was obvious that one of my cats had done it. They couldn't have done it as, again, they don't leave the house and they had not escaped. We live in a neighbourhood with plenty of other cats that do roam, plus foxes, so I daresay it was the work of a fox or one of the other neighbourhood cats. But my neighbour insists it must have been my cats because they are nearest, and that they must have escaped without me knowing (they didn't).

Anyway I think they are absolutely bonkers insane and the correct response is to ignore them but DH thinks we don't want to annoy them too much as they live next door. Surely - SURELY - I am not BU?

OP posts:
MyKindOfWonderful · 21/11/2023 16:32

They sound utter misery guts, as are most people who complain about cats.
Birds also attack and kill one another, send them a post back saying every year millions of birds are killed by other birds. Also what people tend to forget is cats aid in rat and mouse population management without using environmentally hazardous pesticides or traps. Rats can be repelled just by the presence of cats.

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 16:34

MyKindOfWonderful · 21/11/2023 16:32

They sound utter misery guts, as are most people who complain about cats.
Birds also attack and kill one another, send them a post back saying every year millions of birds are killed by other birds. Also what people tend to forget is cats aid in rat and mouse population management without using environmentally hazardous pesticides or traps. Rats can be repelled just by the presence of cats.

Sadly I think rats would run rings around my two 😂

OP posts:
ManateeFair · 21/11/2023 16:42

I'm a huge wildlife lover and and birdwatcher; have a feeder in my garden etc. Occasionally a neighbour's cat will kill a bird in my garden and I'm always really sad about that. However, your neighbours are clearly UTTERLY insane. Just block them. They're mad as a box of badgers.

If your cats were outdoor cats, then I might be concerned that the neighbours might try to harm them somehow, but as yours are indoor cats, that obviously isn't something you need to worry about.

LOL at your blind cat supposedly 'watching the birds' from the window. And even if he wasn't blind, how do they think he'd be killing them through the medium of looking at them through the glass? Telekinesis, perhaps? Do they think he's the feline equivalent of Carrie?

Also - and I know this isn't really the point - even though I'm a dog person, your cats sound absolutely brilliant to me and I love the fact that you care so much for them.

eurochick · 21/11/2023 16:44

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 14:10

Received message straight back

"we find that very difficult to believe as we have seen your cats watching birds from the window".

Don't think I will engage further.

I would respond:

"That seems unlikely but as my cats do not have laser beams shooting out of their eyes even if they watch birds they cannot harm them. "

bananablues · 21/11/2023 16:44

"we find that very difficult to believe as we have seen your cats watching birds from the window".

2 options here - 1) reply stating prove it - show me the photos or video. The window is exactly where my cats also watch the birds from. You have something in common with them.

  1. humour them and state you very sorry for their loss and you will get them replacement birds (might as well meet batshit with batshit)
PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 16:48

I feel like I should reply saying "if you have actually seen my blind cat "watching" birds from the window then I will be calling the police and reporting you for trespassing on my property, as the only way you could have seen this happen is if you were standing in my back garden".

OP posts:
viques · 21/11/2023 16:50

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 14:10

Received message straight back

"we find that very difficult to believe as we have seen your cats watching birds from the window".

Don't think I will engage further.

Say you have taken your cats to the vet and the vet has confirmed that your cats do NOT have opposable thumbs and are therefore incapable of opening the window. And furthermore that they are unable to transport themselves through glass.

viques · 21/11/2023 16:52

And say the vet has confirmed that your blind cat is still blind, so unable to watch anythin.

GuessItsANameChange · 21/11/2023 16:54

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 16:48

I feel like I should reply saying "if you have actually seen my blind cat "watching" birds from the window then I will be calling the police and reporting you for trespassing on my property, as the only way you could have seen this happen is if you were standing in my back garden".

Edited

I’m normally one for letting things slide but I’d definitely be replying here, what a pair of weirdos.

ImInACage · 21/11/2023 16:55

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 16:48

I feel like I should reply saying "if you have actually seen my blind cat "watching" birds from the window then I will be calling the police and reporting you for trespassing on my property, as the only way you could have seen this happen is if you were standing in my back garden".

Edited

You should. I'd also add that unless they have also developed the ability to teleport through the windows, there is no way that it was them.

Santaiswashinghissleigh · 21/11/2023 16:56

If they actually can see a window pop a huge card in with..
Fuck Off Nosey Cunts.. on it.

Birdcar · 21/11/2023 16:58

The only way you can fight crazy is with crazy.

Tell them they are mistaken. You've never had cats and you don't know where they got the impression that you had.

AIstolemylunch · 21/11/2023 17:01

Please reply: "They were looking at your dogs! Please keep them out of my garden! Dog poo is toxic!

AtomicPumpkin · 21/11/2023 17:05

Tell them 'sorry, didn't realise it was your bird, but really you should keep your birds indoors if you don't want them to be at risk from cats'.

whatfreshheck · 21/11/2023 17:10

This is bonkers. They are clearly nuts!

lljkk · 21/11/2023 17:10

I have no idea what OP should do, except keep us updated because I get great entertainment out of nutty people stories.

Girlontherailreplacementbusservice · 21/11/2023 17:17

If they have 'seen' your cats they will be able to describe them. If you have for example two black cats ask if it was the ginger one they saw and when they say yes or no it was tabby you can tell them they don't have a cat of that description so could they please stop blaming your cats. If they do say it was a black one reply that your black is blind so even if it was sitting on a window sill it wasn't watching birds.

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 17:19

I know I said I wouldn't engage further but I couldn't resist

OP posts:
cheddercherry · 21/11/2023 17:34

You should reply “you cannot possibly have seen my cats at the window as we have remodelled our entire interior to have a central vault leading down to our subterranean cat temple, of which the cats are compelled never to leave for fear they may awaken the dead. Good day”

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 17:37

whoops I didn't post properly last time

I said "my cats do not have laser vision and are therefore unable to kill birds through the window."

thanks to whoever upthread posted that!

OP posts:
pictoosh · 21/11/2023 17:46

Love your response!
Make it your last. You've said everything there is to say about it now. Anything more is just repeating yourself or getting sucked into semantics.

Caerulea · 21/11/2023 18:08

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 16:48

I feel like I should reply saying "if you have actually seen my blind cat "watching" birds from the window then I will be calling the police and reporting you for trespassing on my property, as the only way you could have seen this happen is if you were standing in my back garden".

Edited

Tell them only one was watching the birds, the other was operating their RC attack helicopter, how else will they get to the birds from inside the house?

PTSDBarbiegirl · 21/11/2023 18:11

Just wave breezily whilst going straight past them and inside. Weirdos.

Firefly2009 · 21/11/2023 18:12

My response would be:

”As I’ve said, I do not allow my cats outside. So what do you want from me?”

Take it from there. You might end up being forced into blocking them.

Firefly2009 · 21/11/2023 18:19

Omg i love your last reply to them and I sincerely hope this is all on a group chat! If you get anymore of these messages just repeat: “As I’ve explained before, my cats do not possess laser vision allowing them to kill birds through a window” Keep being friendly. You’ll show them up for being batshit crazy.

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