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

If we're not allowed to care about cats killing birds, why should we care about cats being killed?

@Mani2024 this sound so terribly sad. Your neighbour sounds awful but wild birds in the UK are struggling so I can see some of their point, but to go from "cats are a nuisance" to full on harming a cat is a huge leap and if they are responsible for the death of your kitten that is reprehensible.

Sadly, however, as a previous cat owner for many years, there are just some young cats that do not stay out of trouble and it is also entirely possible your cat was hit by a car.

Our very last cat was a prolific huntress. We adored her. But it was while hunting she leaped in front of a neighbours car while it was reversing. After that we said no more cats. We now have a wildlife garden. And if we ever get another we will be cat proofing the garden to keep them on their own patch and away from vehicles.

It's not. They are not native predators in the UK. Nature would be a Scottish wild cat killing a bird. Not non native domestic cats killing dozens,

This is suspected murder of a cat.

A cat hunts because thats their nature.
Can you not see the difference? 🤦🏻‍♀️

A cat can't be murdered. A domestic cat killing birds is not "nature". Is it also nature when dogs kill stuff, because we don't tend to tolerate that?

Pet slaughter is a known precursor for psychopathy and directly linked to human murder.

Report it to the police, keep your cat inside - not because you should have to, it's absolutely normal to want your cat to play outside, but because you now know you are living next door to a possible psychopath.

And keep your kids, well well away from him.

In fact, I'd move. And I am not joking.

"We found not only have most animal abusers been exposed to violence and abuse, but that this has resulted in reduced empathy and a normalisation of aggression,” he says. “So there is a high likelihood that this violence will be enacted against spouse, children and within society against people and property.”

www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/domestic-violence-animal-cruelty-abuse-neglect-murder-children-dogs-a9018071.html

Fine, not murder but deliberate and premeditated killing of an animal which is what op suspects.

I maintain that cats have the killer instinct and that is what they do.

I understand you don't care about cats being killed, but I suspect most people simply hate cats for being a nuisance or crapping in their garden, rather than genuinely caring about birds.

Indeed. A cat's nature is to hunt birds. A human's nature is NOT to slaughter beloved pets.

Cats who kill birds are normal cats and can be safely trusted around humans.

Humans who slaughter pets are monstrous, possibly psychopathic and absolutely dangerous to be around.

www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/domestic-violence-animal-cruelty-abuse-neglect-murder-children-dogs-a9018071.html

I realise I'm in a minority and won't change any minds, but to me it feels as if cats just shouldn't really be kept as pets in residential areas. If your pet can't be controlled and needs to be allowed to roam free, including in the gardens of people who don't want them there, then they're just not great animals to keep as pets really.

You will never know for sure. Keep your other cat inside or catproof your garden.

We have cat proof fences to keep them out because I care every bit as much about a killed bird as you do about your cat. I would never kill one but I wish owners were more responsible.

I don't disagree that pets can be contained and not be nuisance animals, but there's a huge difference between hating cats and finding them annoying, and actually killing them deliberately. I could never do that no matter how much they annoyed me.

Did he do it? Probably but you'll never prove it. The cat could conceivably have been clipped by a car for example.

we would look into a fence with a slope

Did you?

Cat proof your garden to stop your cat getting out to protect it.

Speak to the police he's a dangerous, unhinged, weirdo. He told you he had killed a cat before as a warning/ threat to keep your cat away, he didn't just mention it in jest. I'd be going round telling him I know he's killed my cat and see his reaction. I'm furious on your behalf, how dare he take it upon himself to kill someone's pet? Can you take your cat for a post mortem and have evidence to prove what's happened? This bastard needs his comeuppance if he has!!!!

You already know this man has killed a cat, he admitted it, so it isn't a stretch to think he has done the same to your poor kitty. Despicable man. I am so sorry for your loss.

"I don't disagree that pets can be contained and not be nuisance animals, but there's a huge difference between hating cats and finding them annoying, and actually killing them deliberately. I could never do that no matter how much they annoyed me."

I completely agree. To intentionally kill a pet suggests a personality disorder and is absolutely wrong. I could never hurt an animal. I guess I just know a lot of people who really hate having cats in their gardens, and having to pretend they're ok with it, because society says we have to. I'd never get a cat for that reason - knowing I'm kind of forcing them on other people.

I’m really sorry, it’s so heartbreaking.

i heard one of our next door neighbours once say loudly, as she walked to her car parked on the road outside our house about our old cat; “if I see that bloody cat again I’m gonna kill it”. She said it deliberately as she saw I was in my front garden. At that point our cat was very old and didn’t really wander anymore anyway. Neighbour is not a nice person and notorious.

After our old cat died of an age related natural cause, we got 2 new kittens. One went outside at about 6 months. A few weeks later we found a row of evenly spaced plastic brown plant pots buried in the ground up to their tops filled with blue rat poison cakes under our boundary hedge on our property. It was definitely the same neighbour as no one else would have access to that part of our garden. We removed the poison and sent a cease and desist via a solicitor.

but, we now keep both cats in. The one that was going out goes into the garden supervised sometimes but sadly people do and will harm cats.

in a neighbouring village a good number of cats disappeared over the same time period and then came home a few days later covered in creosote

I'm really sorry to say this OP but I do think he killed your cat. This happened to one of my friends, their neighbour hated cats and another neighbour witnessed him moving the cat onto the road near there house with a spade tucked behind him covered in blood. To make it look like an accident.

He admitted it apparently when pressed and said it was to save the birds. The police never did anything.

If I were you I'd keep your other cat as an inside cat, get a big cat pen that keeps them safe for the garden and never interact with that evil bastard ever again. Someone that does that is a total evil psycho. Sending you love. I'm so sorry.

This evil creature living next door to the OP needs to be reported to both the police and the RSPCA. He will try to wriggle out of it but it will frighten him and make him think again. OP I have cats and I am so sorry for you. I hope that your cat was hit by a car rather than at the hands of this revolting specimen.

Also do what PPs suggested about the ring doorbells, make the neighbours aware just what a monstrosity lives amongst you.

And some PPs should be ashamed of their posts on here. It is very distressing. I really hope this vile specimen gets his comeuppance.

Also I would do some sneaky things like sprinkle weed killer on his outdoor plants. Does he have a coconut type mat outside his house? If so sprinkle with warm water and mustard & cress seeds. Accidentally brush by his car with a bag over your shoulder that has a large buckle.

If he has a ring doorbell though don't bother! Be a bit more creative instead. But DEFINITELY POLICE AND RSPCA.

I am so sorry about your moggy. 😿

The fact he admitted killing a cat before is also what confirms to me he has killed the OPs cat. It sounds exactly like my friends neighbour who did this. It's awful. He's an evil bastard who will never change and sadly unlike dogs, the police won't do anything. My friend did call when it happened to her but nothing came of it.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that I don't care about cats being killed. But it's infuriating to see people be so dismissive of the damage they cause to actual wildlife (domestic cats are not "nature"). It may be "in their nature" to hunt, but their presence is not natural.
A cat roaming free is always going to be destructive and vulnerable.

I don't know about this. As tempting as it would feel, he doesn't sound like the kind of neighbour to get into a war with.

It's weird to me for people to care about birds being killed because "the environment" and not even caring about animals lives

I think you should definitely get the ring footage

He sounds deranged, I would want to move personally.

Can you cat proof your garden so your cat can’t get out?