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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:
EvilElsa · 22/11/2023 08:17

Well any "action" won't effect you as your cats will be in your house. I would be tempted to warn neighbours with cats as we had a horrible neighbour when I was a kid who poisoned and disposed of any cats he caught. You never know what people are capable of -this was an elderly man who was very kind on the surface and took part in local activities and went to church. Get a ring doorbell/camera if you don't have one so they don't stick anything through your door. I don't mean to be alarmist but they are bonkers.

GoingOffOnATangent · 22/11/2023 09:40

Threatening you with litigation now.
Nice.
I would tell your neighbours what has happened, you all need to be aware that a friendly welcome has been met with accusations of lies and then threats.

CrunchyCarrot · 22/11/2023 09:51

Wow they're totally nuts. Seems like they spend all their time watching what the neighbourhood moggies are doing instead of getting on with their own lives. I had to chuckle at them thinking your cats are killing via looking out the window at birds! 😂

I would warn your neighbours with felines as this could escalate.

SinnerBoy · 22/11/2023 10:28

I like the idea of some of the suggestions!

That said, I think that blocking them was the best course of action. They may now speak to you in person, if so, ask them politely not to speak to you again.

TenderDandelions · 22/11/2023 11:05

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 22:10

They're young, no more than early 40s at most.

I received a reply "if birds and other wildlife continue to be decimated we will be forced to take official action against you and other local cat owners. your cats should be kept inside and off others' property".

I have blocked them now. Mad as a box of frogs.

Lol! If they want to waste their money on fruitless solicitors' bills, let them!

Perhaps warn your other neighbours though that do let their cats out. Something tells me they wouldn't be beyond trying to keep cats away from their property by means that could harm them.

You are most definitely right in that it was likely them that were the nightmare neighbours in their last property!

fearfuloffluff · 22/11/2023 11:09

Maybe a spot of front garden topiary would help

or is cat hating new neighbour batshit crazy?
TenderDandelions · 22/11/2023 11:13

Added my post without reading the final posts from others.

Seems we're all as suspicious of your new neighbours as each other!

Perhaps a pre-emptive strike is needed on behalf of all neighbours? Solicitor's letter to the neighbours from all of you to explain that cats have a protected legal right to roam and that while they are entitled to discourage cats from their own property, by legal methods (as per the RSPCA link I provided previously) that they mustn't cause injury to any local animals, including cats.

If I were your neighbours that let my cats out I'd be very worried.

MouseMinge · 22/11/2023 19:20

Your neighbours would hate my cats. Well, they'd hate one of them anyway: Django. Francis they'd hate too but with no good reason because he's a lover, not a fighter, never killed anything in all the time I've had him. Django is just over a year old and brings in mice a few times a week and after some torture eats them whole. Ditto a couple of sparrows. Not ditto a starling - a starling, FFS! - which was too big for him to eat so he gave up on it. Or it tasted bad. Either way, he didn't eat it.

I'm not keen on his serial killer ways either and I totally get that people hate cats being all killy, but when he's not a murderer he is a very loving cat indeed, so, you know, swings and roundabouts.

Your neighbours are batshit mental, obviously. I mean, maybe my lover-not-a-fighter, Francis, does kill on the quiet and I don't know about it because he's an outdoor cat. Your felines would have to work marvellous feats of pure magic to kill a bird and leave it in their front garden given, as you have told them over and over and over again, they are INDOOR cats. Block and laugh at them behind their backs.

Missingmyusername · 22/11/2023 19:29

PugginBaby · 21/11/2023 12:33

I've had cats my entire life and as an adult have always adopted ones who have to be housecats for various reasons - had a long line of FIV positive cats, blind cats, deafblind cats, cat amputees and so on.

That’s a lovely thing to do.

Sorry your neighbours are batshit.

TryAgainWithFeeling · 22/11/2023 19:44

jlpth · 22/11/2023 01:13

I would reply one more time, for the sake of neighborly relations.

I would reply:
"I am sorry that there seems to have been a misunderstanding. When I told you my cats were indoor cats, I meant that they never, ever go outside. Therefore, there is absolutely no way my cats have every been on your front lawn. The bird has not died due to my cats. I hope this clarifies things for you."

Unfortunately I don’t think there’s any message she could send that would enable happy neighbourly relations!

Id also be tempted to warn cat-owning neighbours. Cat-haters can get violent. Our village has one who attempted to attack a cat with a firework.

CrunchyCarrot · 22/11/2023 19:48

fearfuloffluff · 22/11/2023 11:09

Maybe a spot of front garden topiary would help

😂😂😂😈

PugginBaby · 22/11/2023 21:06

To update, I saw the neighbour on the other side of "new neighbours" at school pick up today and apparently they've been giving them grief because "debris" from the tree in their front garden had fallen onto bonkers neighbours' driveway. So they are clearly just bananas and I will pay them no heed. But I will warn the other cat owners as advised.

OP posts:
SomeCatFromJapan · 22/11/2023 21:12

Well aren't they just going to be Mr and Mrs Popular!

Poor you getting crazies move in next door OP.

Catsmere · 22/11/2023 21:15

Leaves on the driveway! The horror! 😱

CaramacFiend · 22/11/2023 21:49

Nutters

PugginBaby · 22/11/2023 21:51

not leaves - "debris"!

OP posts:
Catsmere · 22/11/2023 22:01

PugginBaby · 22/11/2023 21:51

not leaves - "debris"!

You mean ... bark?

::faints::

TenderDandelions · 23/11/2023 15:02

Catsmere · 22/11/2023 22:01

You mean ... bark?

::faints::

Or worse... twigs?? [clutches pearls]

Hopefully they'll prove reasonably harmless but bonkers. Will you and your other neighbours something interesting to talk about at least!

sueelleker · 23/11/2023 18:39

If pigeons poo on their car, will they blame that on you too?

CruCru · 23/11/2023 18:49

sueelleker · 23/11/2023 18:39

If pigeons poo on their car, will they blame that on you too?

Yes, that will totally be your fault.

TryAgainWithFeeling · 23/11/2023 18:50

sueelleker · 23/11/2023 18:39

If pigeons poo on their car, will they blame that on you too?

Well obviously the pigeons will be on their property out of fear of OP’s laser cats, so entirely her fault.

QueenBean22 · 23/11/2023 18:53

Fuckin ell, but do your cats have an alibi!?

Catsmere · 23/11/2023 19:40

TenderDandelions · 23/11/2023 15:02

Or worse... twigs?? [clutches pearls]

Hopefully they'll prove reasonably harmless but bonkers. Will you and your other neighbours something interesting to talk about at least!

Let's hope the batshit neighbours never move to Oz - they would never cope with the mess big gum trees make year-round!

HeckyPeck · 23/11/2023 19:52

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!

🤣🤣🤣

HeckyCat dreams of having laser eyes and shooting birds out of the sky.

TenderDandelions · 24/11/2023 13:45

Catsmere · 23/11/2023 19:40

Let's hope the batshit neighbours never move to Oz - they would never cope with the mess big gum trees make year-round!

Or the massive rat infestation I was reading about yesterday! [shudder]

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