To tell her to get lost?

[Sportycustard]

Just got home to find a note from my neighbour.

"Hi Sporty, just wanted to let you know that we're rehoming a couple of cats in the next week or two. I can see from our upstairs windows that you have some plants in your garden that are poisonous to cats so I will pop round in the next day or so and point them out so you can remove them in good time for our new arrivals"

I've just done a quick Google and it looks like she is referring to a rhododendron that was a gift from a friend who has now passed away and an azaelia that was a 50th birthday gift. Both are established shrubs and mean a lot to me.

AIBU to tell her my garden will be staying as it is?

I have cats, they are of the very dim kind, but even they aren't stupid enough to eat poisonous plants. Also, despite their distinct lack of sense, we have trained them to stay in our garden (they are easily won by a couple of Dreamies).

I’ve just had another thought about the strange passive-aggressive wording of her note - she’s assuming that the cats are going to go in your garden and that you’re okay with them shitting all over it! Entitled doesn’t even cover it. I’m a cat-lover by the way but this person’s attitude sucks.

How inconvenient that the plants in question have special sentimental value. What are the chances!

Those plants are, in fact, toxic to cats, but cats seems to avoid them like the plague. If everything toxic to cats killed cats on a regular basis, there would be no stray/feral cats at all. They have excellent instincts for MOST of them. That said, lilies are SO toxic that a cat can die from walking through the pollen and then licking its paws. Just DO keep that one in mind, and don't plant lilies outdoors, or bring them into your house if you have cats.

This is proper madness. She must have a screw loose.
Good on you for not bowing down (at all) to her. I'd be fuming. And her cats will be fine...

I’m a cat owning garden designer. Only thing which gives me the heebies is lily. Apart from that you’re grand. She’s bonkers.

And - your point is??!

She’s being ridiculous.

According to my vet, cat poisonings are actually quite uncommon, as unlike dogs they won’t just eat anything.

News of Neighbour harassing people in the area demanding they remove and replace plants in their own gardens, re-house existing pets, keep their kids locked up and their cars off the street under the guise of preemptively protecting cats she doesn’t even have could make it to the neighbourhood WhatsApp group. Maybe linked to a GoFundMe page to get her the MH help she is demonstrably showing she needs.

She sounds nuts. I have cats and dogs and the only thing I have ever asked my neighbours is if they’d let me know if they are putting poison down, we live rurally and only have two neighbours. Which I think is reasonable. I’d never even look in my neighbours garden to see what they have planted.

You should tell her to keep her cats in the house as you don't want themselves using your garden as a toilet or killing the birds who come into your garden feeder. My neighbour has 3 and all 3 kill birds.

We just ignore him. He’s informed me a few times I owe him for his couch. I say no. I’ve suggested he take it up with DH. Who he’s a bit afraid of.

I have a three-legged tabby! Who apart from me being mindful of what cut flowers I get has never shown the slightest interest in eating poisonous plants. Or any plants.

You point is what exactly? I wouldn't be digging up any of my plants, sentimental value or not, just because a neighbour is getting cats.

Let her knock & when she does just say 'Sorry, I won't be taking anything out of my garden'. Then say 'You're in for a busy day if you're going round the neighbourhood digging up everyone's dangerous plants & shrubs as I'm sure your cat will wander in to not just my garden. Also, good luck asking the neighbours not to drive in the street in case your new kitties decide to cross over the road as that's VERY dangerous' The entitlement of some people baffles me.

Wow. I’d pop a letter through her door saying that cats Rome…. They are known to travel streets away from their house… she can’t possibly think everyone should amend their gardens and keep their dogs tied up to suit her new purchase?! If she deems the neighbourhood she lives in to be unsafe for a cat then she shouldn’t get them!!!!

And we have 2 dogs…. Cats just don’t visit our garden…. Ever! It’s great because I don’t like them pooping everywhere!

I've always had cats and have never given poisonous plants a second thought.
In fact I buy lilies all the time and have them in the garden too and they have never shown any interest in them. Both cats are 16 and going strong.

Tell her she needs to teach her cats not to go in neighbours gardens. How entitled is she?!

Gotta be April fool! That's mental otherwise.

I’ve always had cats and both these plants, never had a problem so she’s being OTT.

Tell her they're a good deterrent for keeping unwanted cat poo out of your garden.

Vast majority of cats are far too sensible to eat random plants. I wouldn’t remove any plants for my own pets unless they show they have a habit of eating plants. Like my idiot dog with a death wish. I’ve had to fence off all my daffodils and tulips as she kept digging them up and chewing the bulbs. Moron.

Tell her you're allergic to cats and could she refrain from letting them onto your property.