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?

Unfortunately not much you can do. You can try deter them, my parents used to stick upright sticks in flower beds where cats used to go toilet.

We have two dogs which keep the cats out of our garden, it’s the only solution that I’ve found effective. But obviously having a dog isn’t for everyone.

There's a different set of LAWS for cats and dogs.

HTH.

OP, there's a gadget you can buy that makes a high pitched noise that cats can hear but humans can't. It will stop them coming into your garden.

You can plant what you like in your own garden. If some people let pets roam unsupervised you surely can't be surprised if the eat something dodgy. God, if I let our dog out alone she eat anything and everything.

Get dogs.

Wasn't there a poster a while ago who threatened to set her dogs on the neighbours cats if they kept shitting in her garden (after the neighbour complained about her dog barking)? She came back about a week later and said she thought the cats were now indoor cats as they hadn't been seen in a week. It's one of those threads I think about often...

FYI human kids can hear them, just not human adults.

They can be quite loud and distressing for kids

This being Mumsnet just a FYI

I’d be lobbing the shit back over their fence into their garden.

Perhaps then the owners will think more about getting their cats indoor litter trays. If you can I’d also be putting up spiky things on the fence and cocktail sticks in your flower beds.

I would be actively squirting them with water and hissing at them every time I saw them in my garden. I would also buy the magnet attached fly screens for the window and door to keep them out.

They also deter foxes and bats which lots of people enjoy having in their gardens. And affect insects to as they often also flash bright lights in the nighttime

And why is it the non cat owners making all the adjustments?

Same goes for dog culture. See The Cult of dog thread. I suppose at least no cats are maiming or murdering humans, pooing on streets and public paths, taken into shops and restaurants and everywhere else or jumping up onto strangers who are minding their own business. So there's that!

We have two dogs which keep the cats out of our garden, it’s the only solution that I’ve found effective. But obviously having a dog isn’t for everyone.

This. A fast cat-hating dog means we don’t get unwanted visitors, any cat stupid enough to come into our garden would be unlikely to survive.

I'm definitely keeping the next cat that shits in my garden.

Since they're wildlife n all. And shitting is how wildlife mark their territory.

I'm serious. And I might be your neighbour! So maybe invest in your own adjustments / catios before telling us to sterilise our gardens of all wildlife just to keep your pets out. I'm gonna be keeping them IN instead. You have notice.

I covered my garden in spikes. They are plastic and have blunt tips. I have black brown ones on my borders and green ones in my planted areas. The cats really don’t seem to like these.

When I first put them down I noticed them and thought it spoiled the look of the garden slightly, but 1 year on its tremendous and I have not had to clean up poop once.

The only downside is that the cat has started to go on my other neighbours Astroturf and she has two little girls who play on it. Not her cats either. Not sure what she can do about it though.

It is disgusting, and many (not all) cat owners think it’s just tough luck.

If they are interested in birds you can be sure they are killing mice and rats.

'She came back about a week later and said she thought the cats were now indoor cats as they hadn't been seen in a week.'

Indoor cats, sounds perfect! Owners could get a little leash and walk them down the street for exercise as dog owners manage to do.

This is not true in my case, I had a rat problem, 5 cats next door and they went for the birds.

Why on earth should they? By law cats have the right to roam and that includes in other people's gardens.
If other people don't want cats in their garden then it's up to them, not the cat owner, to cat proof their own gardens.

What if someone planted lilies, not to keep cats away but just because they like them?

I think you can get some sort of spikey things to put on a fence to stop them coming in. You could try sonar scarers too. It is awful when cats come and sh1t in your garden, you have my sympathy. I used to chuck it back over the fence in our last house.

I have cats, there is really nothing they can do. I can't see where my cats go and can't stop them. If you keep shooing them out they might take the hint but otherwise no ideas.

Neighbour should keep it

Since we keep being told, nobody can help if their cat roams into your garden, then into your house, then stays there once you close the door

We keep getting told this!

Owner'll be round in no time to collect their now indoor cat, mark my words

Maybe decide that you suddenly want to become a falconer, and keep your birds in your back garden? Not sure moggy would be too keen to visit if you had a Harris hawk or such like on guard...

YANBU.

They are the bane of my life. We are surrounded by them.

Some tips:

• Attach wire mesh under gate gaps.
• Attach plastic spikes along the tops of fences.
• Plant things that climb over the top of fences (my wonderful neighbour one side did this to keep her cat her side, so considerate).
• We got advice from the garden centre about plants to put in our soil beds out the front which are very hardy and will grow and spread.
• Lay prickly holly leaves all over flower beds.
• Keep beds well watered.
• Throw old orange, lemon peel and bananas over beds.

The most effective we did was blocking off the underneath of our gate leading round to the back- they just used to walk in straight under it. Less out the back now thank goodness!

I feel your pain though- beyond sick of picking up cat poo when we have decided not to have pets. Hate the double standards for dog owners too.

I have an outdoor cat and have to accept the risk that comes with allowing him to roam, I wont moan about it and certainly wouldn’t blame anyone else for something bad befalling him…but I’d obviously still be upset?

As part of that, I also accept that not everyone likes cats, nor wants them around their house or garden. As long as no one purposely caused him harm, I don’t care frankly what measures they take to keep him away. Use the hose, hiss at him, high pitched deterrent, nerf gun…give it all a go.

And no, I wouldn’t like your dog entering and toileting in my garden, but seeing as I have to put up with them absolutely everywhere else I think it’s swings and roundabouts really. Bit rich these days saying cats are the ones who roam, when dogs get taken everywhere.

Well then they're my cats now

Still nothing you'll do about it?

My neighbours put up those low frequency sound things that stopped cats getting into their garden. Was really effective

Motion detection water sprinkler, Amazon sell them