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?

@Chattanoogachoo :I sincerely hope they get caught. I presume you’ve quoted me in error as I am shocked that anyone would be cruel to animals even worse encouraging children to do so. Loo

Multiple cats round here shit in plain sight. There’s one that does it on the local playing field.

Maybe not everyone's lives revolve around cats and maybe not everyone is interestedc n being "educated" about cats. They are not native wildlife, they are introduced by irresponsible people and there are too many of them. And people have the right to not want them in their garden or their homes. I don't care about any other argument. You wanr people to put in sustained efforts to do right by cats, it is mindblowing

one thing that works is getting men to pee in the garden where the cats toilet.

Lol. I'm single with no local male friends/family. I wonder if perhaps the postman would oblige?

No idea why you’ve quoted me. I presume you’ve done it in error. I’m absolutely shocked that anyone could be so awful as to abuse animals and even worse encourage their children to do so. I do hope they are caught

My neighbour’s cat digs a big hole, poos in it and leaves the poo uncovered. I have it on camera, so what you say is completely untrue. He’s only a year old, so maybe he’ll learn, but he is a great digger and wrecks my plants and uncovers my bulbs.

But it doesn't help the argument.

It's a bit like me saying "this snake is venomous"

And then you saying "but there are also venomous spiders!!!!"

Like.... OK? I know?

Dog owners being irresponsible with their dogs is a seperate issue to cat owners being irresponsible with their cats.

These issues exist simultaneously and do not cancel each other out.

Even if he does- do you complain about foxes? Hedgehogs? Birds? I live in London and there is often fox poo dotted around the place. I remember the school playground would often have some in the mornings when we came in that the caretaker had to clear up.

it is unusual for cats to not cover their poo up. I can only assume that the cat is going around marking its territory if it is the local playing field. However, It may not be able to do it due to the hard ground. You might find the cat tries to bury it with the dirt that it can find but since there isn’t much it will be a cursory effort.

OK I think you've made your point, I already explained myself.

Exactly that. And it is the thing that seems to be vanishing very fast. Responsibility, owning your impact.

I need to try this! Thank you.

You don't know cats do you? Thats a challenge!

My neighbours three cats used to come into my garden but my little black girl cat has turned out to be a demon and sees them off. They are all scared of her.

I absolutely love this idea. It's perfection.

But sadly, the reality is, they will not find solutions because they absolutely cannot be bothered and they do not beleive they should have to take a shred of responsibility.

What they will actually do in reality is go on a local Facebook group and moan like HELL that someone is feeding their cat and can they PLEASE STOP 😭😭😭
All the other cat owners will agree with them in their hundreds, making them feel completely validated, until one person suggests that they could, maybe, possibly do something about it and keep their animal contained?
This lone voice will be immediately pounced on with laughter reactions, angry reactions and a chorus of CATS ROAM HOW DO YOU KEEP A CAT CONTAINED THATS CRUUUUEEEELLLL ad infinitum, while the owner continues to feel completely justified in their irresponsibly lazy pet ownership and will moan and play the victim until tiddles inevitably runs into the road while chasing it's latest murder victim, gets flattened by a mean old car driver, and is from that moment forth no longer a wild free roaming animal no one can control but something someone should have taken responsibility for by swerving or giving it it's last rites or something, and will be forever immortalised with a Facebook post where it picture it's edited onto a clouded background.

Such is the reality of the cat owner's mentality. And such it will remain while the majority agree with the completely batshit attitude we have to cats in the UK, which is complelty at odds with that of the rest of the world.

But there are good reasons why cats have the right to roam - if there weren't then the legislation would be different.

It's not remotely the same as gratuitously parking across someone's access or any of the other offered comparators.

It is annoying, but I’m amazed to hear how forward the cars are at entering windows and doors of places they don’t know or haven’t been invited. We had various cats passing through our garden and a swift bang in the window or opening the door and going out seemed to see them off.
Anyway….the solution for us came indirectly by buying a cat!

Why is it ok? Because no one can reasonably be expected to follow their roaming cat around all day and wait for them to poo then pick it up .

If you have a problem with this there are only two solutions:

• No cats
• Removing the right to roam for cats.

Sounds like threatening us with a good time

@Blessthismess2 so that makes it OK for your cat to shit on everyone’s property?
It really isn’t. It’s so awful.
Nothing worse than the stench of cat shit, especially when you don’t actually own a cat!

Cat proofing your garden often traps other wildlife in so is pretty dangerous. I have known of foxes falling in and not having the ability to get out. Netting over the top of your garden is firstly, unsightly for all your neighbours, but dangerous for birds and other animals. I actually think it’s very selfish to put things in your garden that affect other wildlife. Catios aren’t practical for most small gardens nor is keeping cats in the house, particularly in the summer months. There is no realistic solution other than to not have cats which is never going to happen.

YANBU - it’s a nightmare when they destroy your garden! We had one who used our garden as a toilet and we had to have it re-turfed!

Tried everything but the best things were trellis about the fence to make if more difficult for the cat to walk along the fence and jump down, spiky plants, sprinkler on as they hate water and the kids running out shouting and chasing it away.

We finally have our garden back but it was miserable as we couldn’t use the garden.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/environment/gardens

so that makes it OK for your cat to shit on everyone’s property?

Yes. Just like other animals do.

this

Unfortunately you’ll just need to keep scaring it away, get a water pistol or failing that throw a bucket of water over it. It will soon get the message.

Failing that buy the car a collar with your name and address on it since it seems like you have unofficially adopted it. I’m sure once it goes home and your neighbour sees it, they will find a way of keeping it away from your garden.