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?

But it's not what I'll say to the nice copper when they come and I can't shoo it out the door fast enough 😉

Sorry @Noshadelamp I was reading up not down and now realise you have pointed the noise at your own house but from further away. Thank you for not being like my neighbour. Grrr.

At 3am when my neighbour’s cat chooses to crap everywhere in my garden?

For the 'right to roam' folks..

Yes your cat can roam - however if your cat causes damage to property/injury to a person, you absolutely can be held responsible for that.

The chances of this increase hugely if there is a pattern of behaviour, and it can be proven you're aware of this - ie your cat is frequently lurking out front, launching itself aggressively at passers by, or your cat is repeatedly going into peoples homes to steal food/scent mark etc.

I agree with you OP. Cats are pretty to look at but they are bit grim in my opinion. I would go ape if they just came in my house, shat in my garden, killed small birds (which I love), or hurt me. Can your husband or you use the hose not a spray?

I have beautiful lollies in my garden. Although the slugs got at them a bit this year but I nursed them through it

And I might be your neighbour.

Such a shame there is NO WAY of not letting your cat out

It shouldn't hurt them but will hopefully annoy them enough to not come back

Seems like there are a few options for you to take that would make your space better considering the cats can’t be kept out. Have you thought of installing a screen on the door? Cheap and easy solution that would keep the cats out. In terms of the patio, I believe you could get a spray to put on the patio that would deter the cats: not toxic, not poisonous to cats or kids, just a smell they don’t like. In terms of the small birds, that’s really hard and I would find it upsetting too. I can’t think of something - other than the collar with a bell - and that they could get as they have snap release so that if the cat gets stuck, it won’t choke.

I've made my point. I can't be bothered to engage with your provocation any further. Have a pleasant evening.

Yeah, cats do roam, sh!t in other people's gardens, and kill birds unfortunately. It is in their nature.

I absolutely love doing the weeding and finding a lump of buried cat sh!t.🤢

You can buy strips of spikes for the top of fences - they are designed specifically for deterring cats.

Get a few water pistols and squirt them when they come into your garden.

Encourage the family dog to visit more often.

See you soon, on my doorstep. maybe.

Cause it absolutely can't be avoided, apparently

xx

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask, I know my friend's mum's neighbour refused though.

We have cats coming onto our driveway (less annoying) and into our garden, one did a massive stinky poo on the lawn the other day that my husband had to clear up. We have a baby who'll be mobile soon, it's bloody annoying - we don't have pets so aren't anticipating cat/dog poo on the lawn if we let him run around as he gets older.

We might look at motion activated sprinklers if it gets worse. We love birds and have a really nice variety of wildlife where we are, I would miss seeing the birds picking through the lawn and don't want them scared off either

Built a small slope over your fence to stop them climbing in. Secure all holes too.

No we don't have cats. Knowing this person I am 90% sure that the front one is only there to irritate youngsters not for cats.
I am 100% sure the one at the back is nothing to do with cats either. He is not a nice person and has discovered these legal torture devices, presumably from reports of them being used to deter teens from hanging around malls.

Now I do think it's more responsible and safer to keep cats in at night. Mine come in before it's dark. They often use the litter tray before they go out in the morning as well, particularly if the weather isn't very nice.

Cat owner here. Ours are indoors or in their outdoor run.

Unfortunately local cats visit and taunt ours and shit in our garden. Noise repellants would affect our cats and the angled fencing makes a property look a bit like a prison and is quite expensive so we have put plastic spikes along the top of our fences. As previous posters have said you have to bung up gaps etc.

Another poster has posted a link to the new legislation regarding theft of cats and dogs so I'd be careful not to cross that. Also, if you try to kidnap and pass a cat off to a rescue organisation the first thing they will do is check its microchip and before you know it the cat will be back next door.

Please recognise there are responsible cat owners who don't want their pets to impact on other people, wildlife etc.

Don't block up fence holes that it's disastrous for hedgehogs.

Who I will be leaving catfood out for.

We should be adding hedgehog holes not blocking them.

All these "tips" harm other creatures that are REALLY wild. And welcome in my garden

My neighbour has a one year old Tom cat. He’s immune to everything. I’ve tried sonic devices, coffee grounds, citrus peel, spiked mats and he tries to kill the birds and just stares at me. I have given up on growing fruit and veg as he crapped all over the plants. I grew a little memorial garden for my mum with all her favourite flowers. Yesterday he had ripped up the lot including the spring bulbs. There were three poos stinking in the sun. I was heartbroken. Today only two poos making my garden smell disgusting. I’ve just installed a water sprinkler that detects movement. It’s my last hope before my garden is destroyed. DD is very allergic to cats so I’ve had to have mesh put across my patio doors and windows. My neighbour has the attitude that cats can do what they want. I think it’s irresponsible.

Get the hose on them

You need to spend the money and cat proof your garden OP.

Is there a limit to how many times you can take the same "stray" to vets and rescues just to double check whether it is a stray. (Might just be very similar looking to the last one I brought, GENUINELY believing it might be a stray this time!!!)

Before the owner gets some sort of extra microchip checking charge?

Asking for a friend

Not baity, I just don’t want to be dictated what I can and can’t plant in my garden in case an unwelcome cat wandered in.
It wouldn’t be malicious if I had lilies (I don’t currently but I’m doing up the garden and think they’re beautiful), but equally I wouldn’t be thinking of the neighbours cats if I decided to get some.

We tried all the traditional cat deterrents in the past, including Silent Roar, and none made the slightest difference. If you have the time to do it, sit and watch, either with a garden hose with a trigger operated end on it, or one of those big super soaker water pistols, and give them a good blast of water whenever you see them. Won't hurt them, but if you do it a few times, they will be much more wary, and hopefully give your garden a wide berth.

It's a wild wild thing, isn't it,

How non cat owners are assumed to have the space and resources to reverse catio THEIR gardens

But cat owners cant catio theirs, cause reasons.

So strange.

Hmmm
Maybe if their cat starts getting locked into places they roam to... That just happened to have cat food in it ..

When I found the cat in my baby’s nursery it badly scratched my arm and drew blood when I lifted it out. Was a bit worried about infection risk with being pregnant. Would agree cats are less likely to cause life changing injuries than a dog but if that had been my toddler’s face it could have been nasty.