To not want neighbours cats in my garden?

[Rainbow3210]

Our neighbour has cats and they keep coming into our garden. They have also made their way into our house several times through the window and back door. I’m currently pregnant and have two young children. The children get upset when they come in as they don’t understand why they come and go (they want them to stay to play with). We have a lot of songbirds birds that sit in a bush in our garden and the cats are constantly trying to hunt the birds.

The cats are also doing the toilet in the garden which my husband has to clean with a hose. I believe it’s not entirely safe to clean up cat mess when pregnant.

I spoke to the neighbour and asked if they could stop the cats coming into my house and garden. They said there is nothing that can be done.

Is it unreasonable that this is bothering me?

Hosepipe

Spray them with water whenever you see them. Not near them, on them. It won't hurt them, but they won't enjoy it. Haven't had a cat in the garden for years since installing sprinklers. Also, those rubber spikes that go on top of walls and fences. They don't enjoy the sensation on their feet, so tend to avoid them. My neighbours are totally okay with this, as they describe their cats as total assholes!

That’s life 🤷🏼‍♀️

There is.

Close the door.

Rename it, get it a new collar with it's new name. Feed it.

Suddenly it's owner will have a much stronger case of the "mines" than they had before

Try shouting at them to go away

Please don't get one of those noise torturers. It is not true that people can't hear them. I am nearly 60. I can hear them, and for anyone in their cone of sound it is torture. My neighbour has one pointed out from his front wall which goes right in my son's bedroom window so he has to stay with friends when it's too hot to sleep with the window closed. It is motion triggered pointing to the pavement and road.
They have another pointed out across the back garden but only spring to autumn that is constant rather than motion triggered making even hanging the washing really unpleasant.
They should be banned imo. If you want to try one then point it at your own house.

The Big Cheese Mega Sonic cat repellent works, I have two.
The only problem with them is if they are too close to the house it's possible children can hear it.

Adults don't, I'm just going on what my youngest young adult dc says.

I have it at the top of the garden furthest away from the house and she can't hear it unless she goes close to it.

I absolutely hate how cats are allowed to toilet in our garden and we're supposed to be ok with it!

Just found the order, they are called PestBye.

Exactly this!! Oh and the “dogs are dirty brigade”, my dogs dont walk all over my kitchen sides and furniture!

Cats will shit openly for a variety of reasons:

• as a visual territorial marker
• as a scent marker
• because they are habituated to shitting on hard ground
• because there is nowhere to bury it
• because the soil texture is unpleasant to them
• because they're very stressed.

Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

You can cat proof your garden. My cat can’t get out. I blocked the ground part of the fence and then added plant boxes and grew stuff up my fences so she can’t jump out. Seems to have stopped other cars coming in

My cat is timid and wouldn't go into someone else's house. Sometimes other cats wander into my house, I just tell them to get out and they do, no big deal.
I'm just glad I don't have lunatic neighbours like you.

I've never enclosed my garden in the 40 years I've owned cats and I never will. You don't like them, your problem.

Our back neighbours cat used to come in our garden and shit in all our planters. I use coffee grounds and honestly everytime I saw them I ran after them shouting. It soon out them off our garden

You're right to be concerned about coming into contact with faeces from cats that hunt due to the risk of toxoplasmosis for your unborn child. I certainly wouldn't want someone else's cat wandering about in my house. Thankfully my dogs don't allow cats on our land.

Have you got a cat? That might be the reason they have these devices.

Just stick some barbed wire on top of the fences.

https://www.thecatbutler.co.uk/cat-care-guides/new-pet-abduction-act-2024-what-it-means-for-cat-owners-in-england-and-northern-ireland/#:~:text=Locations-,New%20Pet%20Abduction%20Act%202024:%20What%20It%20Means%20for%20Cat,4%20min%20read%20(720%20words)

I have two and point them towards my house. None of the adults in our house can hear them but my youngest young adult dc can if she goes outside close to them.

I can imagine how annoying it is to hear them from the neighbours.

The problem isn't the deterrents imo, it's the cats.

Jack Russells will easily catch and kill a cat - the cats probably know that.

You might have, you don't know that I am not your neighbour

And there is a very very timid cat that has EXTREMELY SLOWLY taken a like to DH when he has his morning coffee in the morning. ... Give it another couple of months and it might just follow him inside!!

"Didn't steal it nice copper, didn't even notice that the fucker had let itself in AGAIN till you came to the door and I looked! Please take it away it is NOT mine"

I'm not really sure the purpose of your question, it seems baity.

Obviously anyone can plant whatever they want in their garden. A lot of people don't know about lilies, hence why I always share this information.

Once you know that it could cause harm I would judge you for making an aesthetic choice for which an animal could end up suffering 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is what you said upthread. And stealing cats is now a criminal offence.

So does that mean it is pointed towards someone else's house/garden?
My DH can't hear them and he is several years younger than me, but I can and so can my young adults.
This is why they should be banned. People point them at their neighbour's property because they can be heard and are nasty.

Nobody likes their neighbour’s cats coming into their garden: no one can stop it.

Having said that it is extremely odd these cats come into your house despite being chased by your dog. I wonder whether perhaps an issue is that they are not being adequately fed at home & are looking for food. For that reason I might contact Cats Protection & ask for advice.

I would also speak to neighbour about a collar & bell. Most collars nowadays are automatic release - my cat gets through them regularly. You can get extra loud bells which help a lot.