To suspect my neighbour killed my cat

[Mani2024]

Three years ago we moved to our new house. Day one we met one of our neighbours and he asks whether we have a cat because he hates them. We didn’t at that point but we had planned to get one as we and our children really wanted one. neighbour begged us not too even though there are many many cat in the area. We reluctantly agreed to keep the peace but after a terrible year with lots of heartache we decided it was non of his business and got two kittens.

When he found out we had cats he made a passive aggressive comment to my six year old child about how one of the cats in particular had been in his garden and on his bird table. Some months later I heard our cats squealing. I thought they found themselves in a fight with another cat so called out to stop it but turned out to be my neighbour doing something to them to get them out of his garden. He said they were stalking his bird house.

We tried to settle things down with him, said feel free to spray them with water if they come over, we would look into a fence with a slope and if they ever mess in his garden (which they doubt they had as they still used litter trays) he could put over the fence with a spade. That conversation went well but he did say he’d killed a cat previously because it had chased a bird and that the killing had been unintentional.

fast forward some weeks and one of our kittens was found at the end of the road dead in the road with a sever head injury. This is the cat that both neighbours had said was the main culprit of jumping on their bird tables. Initially I was extremely upset and couldn’t think clearly but after a week or so I remembered that morning I had heard a cat scream that was worse than you would usually hear and had looked out my window to see what was going on. My husband saw my neighbour around that time walking up the road away from where she was later found and when asked what he was up to today said he was going for a long walk. I saw the neighbour in his garden briefly a week later, when our eyes met he went straight back into his house which is unusual as he usually chats to me. Generally he has been quite friendly apart from the issue with the cats.

i have spoken to my husband and a few friends about this and generally the consensus is that I’m overthinking and that this theory is just generally wild. Im
absolutely convinced he killed her and placed her at the end of the road to make it look like she got run over. Then again, I’m so desperately upset by it all that I’m not sure if the grief is clouding my judgement

I’d plot something and make him
pay dearly I couldn’t let it drop without revenge , he would be very sorry

Our neighbour killed two of my cats and my neighbours cat on the same day. Poison suspected.

His next door neighbour moved into their house, and their cat was poisoned the same night, they were distraught, as it was very much their baby.

Ours were killed after this, then we realised that their other neighbour had lost two cats and a neighbour one door from us, had also lost their cat, since the “cat killer” had moved into our quiet cul de sac

We sent our remaining cat to my parent’s house until we moved house.
His young daughter told us her Dad had killed the cats, but there was no proof.

Once people realised there had been a lot of cat deaths, they ( cat killer family ) bought themselves a pedigree cat, that they kept indoors.

I hope he hated that cat, not for the cats sake, of course.

I dare say he’s still at it, he and his wife divorced a few years later. She was just as horrible though 🤣🤣

I would get cameras put up back and front. Too coincidental not to think otherwise! This is awful. If someone can do this (allegedly) to an animal then what else are they capable of?

I think often gut instinct is right about these things. I feel sorry for the cat and your kids. Do any of your neighbours have ring doorbells?

It is reasonable to suppose that your neighbour, who had expressed hatred of cats, might have harmed the cat, but you have no evidence to prove that.

I wonder why he asked you if you had cats when you moved in, and said he hated them. When you bought the cats, perhaps he thought it was a challenge to him. He had warned you he didn't like them, and hoped you would not get one. Then you did. That is unusual. People who don't have cats rarely get one out of the blue like that.

Best not dwell on such thoughts, and certainly not gossip about it. He could sue for slander.

You should have had a post mortem on the cat's body to see how the cat died. A vet would know the difference between a road accident and a deliberate killing, even as far as the head is concerned. If there was a head injury, there would most certainly have been injuries to the body as well.

Firstly,I’m really sorry for you and your poor cat. That’s absolutely heartbreaking. If you really think that he killed your cat then you may wish to keep your other one as an indoor cat. You could set up a Catio and also walk the cat on a harness. This is what a number of my friends do, and it is very successful.

We spent 14 years creating a large wildlife garden. A new neighbour arrived with 5 cats. They caused devastation. It broke our hearts finding dead ,chewed up birds,voles,field mice,grass snakes, slow worms etc. Not much left now. It would help if neighbours saw you making an attempt to prevent the carnage.

Once again,I’m very sorry for such a dreadful outcome.

Yes I imagine he has. I believe my old neighbour killed one of mine. The police were involved but there was no proof. I would be asking neighbours for ring footage. Sorry for your loss it’s very upsetting.

Cats should be treated like dogs in my opinion. They should be on leads and not left to roam the streets leaving their crap all over my garden or leaving dead or worse half dead birds in my garden or killing my plants by spraying the pee. Your poor neighbour has probably had enough of trying to protect the birds in his garden. I would never kill a cat though.

When I was pregnant my husband was having to clear the crap out of the garden everyday. It can be dangerous to unborn babies.

Cats are a pest. They were never intended to be pets. All they do is decimate our native garden birds.

It sounds like he did. He sounds unhinged. Lots of people don't like cats but to intentionally hurt one is bloody sick.
Can you look at cat proofing your garden? You can get things that go ontop of fences. I wouldn't let the other cat out

If someone's dog was allowed to run amok in the neighbourhood, crap in neighbours gardens, kill wildlife, kill pets, chase livestock for fun, I'm guessing everyone here would have something to say about it. Why do cats get special dispensation?
Most dog owners (not all) go to great lengths to keep their dogs under control, while most cat owners make no effort whatsoever (except those with house cats that never go outdoors).
So your neighbour may well have killed your cat, which is undeniably cruel. However, how many birds have your neighbours had to watch your cats kill?
Our neighbours (both sides) had cats that regularly left dismembered mice, frogs, birds in our garden, and plentiful piles of shit for my kids to find - it seems they prefer not to shit in their own back garden. Wasn't very nice for my kids to find or to bring in on their shoes / clothes when playing, their response was "what do you expect me to do, it's a cat?".
Eventually when kids were old enough, we got a dog, we walk it, we pick up its mess, we don't kick it out the front door to shit where it likes or terrorise the neighbourhood. Neighbours don't like that the dog chases the cats out of our garden over that it barks while doing it, but what can id do about it, he's a dog ;-)

@Mani2024 your neighbour sounds horrific and has admitted to doing similar in the past. It is too much of a coincidence surely. I would be contacting the police as this is severe animal abuse and is illegal. I’m so sorry for your loss.

Honestly, I’d be making his life a living hell. Animal abusers are the lowest of the low.

There is zero proof he's killed the cat.

You'd be found guilty of aggravated harassment and possibly sent to jail.

The Brighton 'cat killer' was sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment for killing cats. Whether people like cats or not, it's a criminal offence to kill one and anyone who does kill a cat is likely to have sadistic or psychopathic tendencies.

I would certainly be reporting the death of your lovely cat to the police and encouraging your neighbour to do the same. Whilst it may not result in an investigation now, it may form part of future investigations.

And I'd seriously be considering whether to move house.

So sorry to read this .... don't think you are being unreasonable but unfortunately don't think there's any way to prove it. He sounds an unpleasant man though.....how can anyone hate cats .....we all adore ours..... don't think I'd better say anything else.....

Yes it is possible but you can’t prove it. We went on holiday a few years ago and had a lady coming in to feed our cat. When we came back she wasn’t there. We looked for days none of the farmers said: oh the farmer down the road hates cats as they pee in the jay, he shoots them and puts them on the railway line. And that’s where we found her :(
i has to stop my husband to sort him out as there was no proof.

So many people hate cats. It's really sad.

You can't prove it but I'd never trust him again and I think I'd have to tell him that.

I'd be getting a 'security' camera that covers your gardens.

Sounds like he probably did it sadly, horrible bastard. Try and see if anyone has Ring Camera footage that you can look at and report him. I'd suggest building a catio in your garden and/or keeping your other kitty indoors.

OP sorry you've had this. I would put cameras up pointing into your garden. Also only let your cat out at dawn and maybe in the afternoon. Very short but necessary for the cat but so you can monitor their safety? I've had to do this after one of mine was attacked 8 months ago.

Tempting to set fire to his birdtable and then, if he asks, say 'I have no more set fire to your birdtable than you have killed my cat. Hmmm?'

Not possible, I know but very, very tempting. Personally, I reckon he's done it, the rotten bastard. I hope his dick drops off.

My advice is keep your remaining cat indoors or rehome them somewhere safe asap.
when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
I personally would move away!

Not sure you will ever be anle.to find the truth, and it wont help your poor dead cat anyway. As other posters have said, you absolutely need to keep the other cat and any future cats safe. Can you cat proof you garden?

It is well known that outdoor cats are much more likely to be killed by the age of 4 years than cats kept indoors.

My 6 and 13 year old would disagree. As would my previous 17 year old.

Cats are the biggest target of cruel behaviour in my experience - when I worked in MH facilities, it was always cats that had been harmed by the people with psychopathic tendencies. He may dislike them - so what? I dont much like birds, but dont go around killing them.

Karma is going to get him good and proper and he will deserve it.

What a monster.

If it would put your mind at rest, by all means ask those with ring door bells. You don't have to tell them your suspicions - just that you wondered what had happened to your cat.

Going back to the initial conversation with your neighbour, just because he doesn't like cats doesn't mean you can't have them - would it stop him having something because you didn't like it - no.

My neighbour hates cats - we had 9 when we moved into this house - we still have 9. She has said & shouted numerous times when she has any visitors that our cats are shitting in her garden - she's going to effing kill them - only last week she announced this in front of her grandchildren - facing our house & the window was open - I just shut the window. Been going on 5 years - everything we have & everything we do is a bloody issue 'to her', we haven't spoken for 5 years but she still rants at every opportunity - she's a total nut job. She's a compulsive liar, a jealous insecure control freak & can't keep her big nasty mouth shut.