To hate next doors cat with an absolute passion

[PostWar9]

Next door have this nightmare cat which I think is a nasty little creature. Constantly destroying my garden, going to toilet in it, hissing at us. It’s got to the point now where whenever it comes into the garden I specifically let the dog out to chase it to get it out and I’d never normally do that. Dog stays inside most of the year. A lot of cats are filled with love and you can see as friends or companions but this one is just not nice at all. AIBU to hate this cat?

Pretty shitty thing to do, setting your dog on it. It's only a small animal.

@BassoContinuo did you read the post she's purposely setting her dog on it. Fair enough if dog chased it and was in it's garden anyways, but she specifically letting her dog out to do that.

Also if you start encouraging dogs to go after small prey depending on size of dog they may think children are.

My neighbour's cat was a real pest - I could not leave a door open in the summer, even a crack, and it would be in like a flash; and I could not eat a meal in the garden as it would be clambering all over the bench and trying to get at the food.

Someone ran it over the pother week. It was a pain, but I would not have wished that on it.

@Ivyiris yes, but the dog is allowed to be in its own garden. If it chooses to chase a cat that’s also in there, you can’t stop that any more than someone can stop cats chasing mice and birds.

There are no bad cats. Just bad cat neighbours. And you are one.

I'm sure if the OP wanted to spend time, money and effort on cat-proofing areas of her garden and picking up cat-shit, she would have got a cat of her own.

I don't dislike cats but no fucking way would I want to 'I'd make friends with it, get some poo bags to clear up it's mess, basically learn to be a cat servant' and therefore have all the disadvantages of cat ownership without any of the benefits.

It's a bit like suggesting that the solution to a neighbour's dog barking during the day would be for the OP to take it to training classes herself and walk it for an hour every day.

I can sympathise we have a tom cat in the neighbourhood that has tried to claim my garden
He is just vicious and has attacked my two cats multiple times resulting in costly vet visits even chasing them into the house when our previous dog passed.
They won't get him done even though the poor thing is in a state

The cats have learnt to ask Ddog for backup if he's hanging about and she chases him off even though he could probably beat her in a fight

@BassoContinuo

You can avoid animal cruelty though, she's purposely encouraging it. I'm not saying it shouldn't be in it's garden, she says it rarely goes out there she's only putting it out to chase the cat.

An example why encouraging small prey is incredibly dangerous/cruel. A dog which had been encouraged to go after small prey in my area went into my neighbours garden and mauled their 18 year old cat in front of them. Dog has since bit multiple other dogs and is matter of time before it bites a child.

Cats will cat.

The best way to keep a neighbour's cat out of your garden is to get your own; preferably from a rescue shelter. Get yours to use a litter box and you'll forever be able to skip barefoot through the begonias.

As an aside, we looked at this totally amazing house with a stomping great garden in Norwich once. We had 6 cats and thought the back garden was wonderful. Then we saw the dove cot (working) next door. Even the estate agent knew it wasn't to be.

So your dog "doesn't enjoy" walks always more? For what reason? Seems strange he can't walk but can pelt it outside after a cat without issue. Does he enjoy that or do you?

A mesh system over your fences would easily stop it coming in. A quick Google also brings up lots of devices and products. Strange.

I'd stop sending the dog after it. I'm sure demon cat is already plotting his demise, and you'll be one her next complaining next doors cat has cost you £1000s in vet bills.

If you don't want your cat to be chased by other people's dogs, it's up to you to keep your cat out of other people's gardens. If you want to keep a pet that roams freely, you need to accept that other people are not responsible for changing their behaviour/lifestyles to keep it safe.

Letting a dog out when there's a cat in the garden is not 'setting a dog on a cat'. The cat can simply run away. It's not like a dog can climb up a tree or scale a fence.

Has it occurred to you that plenty of people keep rabbits or guinea pigs that spend time on the grass in their own gardens? How much of a misery do you think they should make your life if your cat kills their guinea pig?

Your cat is the centre of your universe, but it isn't and should not be the centre of everyone else's. Stop being so utterly selfish about YOUR choice to own a roaming animal.

@Ivyiris that dog doesn’t sound safe, and whoever allowed it to get into the neighbour’s garden should be held responsible. And if it’s biting other dogs while out it needs to be muzzled.

I still have no problem with a dog chasing a cat in its own territory though. If the cat doesn’t like it, it can stay away.

I am a massive cat lover - I adore both of mine - but I do think this is a really difficult situation. It's cruel to keep cats in all the time, and it's not really possible to keep an outdoor cat out of neighbours' gardens, but I am very sympathetic to people who didn't choose to own a cat but have to put up with shit in their gardens. I've told my neighbours that if they find cat shit, let me know and I will go straight round and clear it up. It's never happened - my garden is huge and my cats tend to crap in one corner of it - but if it did, I wouldn't just shrug and tell my neighbours to learn to love it, that's antisocial.

I do think deliberately setting a dog on it is out of order though. It's a living creature and will be terrified, hence the hissing. I think you should supervise your dog outside to make sure it isn't hurting or terrifying the cat, but I second the idea of a water pistol for deterring the cat, and orange peel on any bed etc where it has been shitting.

@ManateeFair

I've got indoor cats but ok....

A mesh system over your fences would easily stop it coming in

Send the bill to your neighbour if you do this, OP.

@sprigatito do you supervise your cats when they’re out to make sure they’re not terrorising or hurting birds or small animals?

I generally love cats but some are total dicks.

That doesn't mean that what you're saying about the OP's neighbours outdoor cat is even remotely reasonable, though.

@ManateeFair yep, a bill to the neighbour would be laughed at. Totally legal for a cat to roam free in this country (whether we agree or not), no normal person would agree to pay.

Have you tried a water pistol by the back door?

I bet the dog shits in your garden more than the cat.

I realise you think you've scored a great "gotcha" here, because of course with a freely roaming outdoor cat I'm not there to protect every rat and sparrow. The answer is that I do the best I can; they have bells on their collars, my bird feeders are located in areas that are well inaccessible to the cats, and I've certainly never spotted a magpie on the lawn and deliberately sent my cat after it, which is pretty much what OP is proposing to do with her dog.

I think you're unhinged. You HATE a cat? So much so you send a dog to chase it?

I really quite like cats but I would hate one shitting in my garden as well so I don't think you are being unreasonable.

@sprigatito

Finally someone that talks sense.

Completely agree