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Original poster

Neighbour has blocked hedgehog holes in the garden?

144 replies

staceyslatericeskater · 02/10/2025 00:14

My next door neighbour has blocked the hedgehog holes on our shared fence.

The holes were already there when we moved in which was done by the housing developer.

My cat was pooing in her garden and roaming there and from what I understand she didn’t want her toddlers stepping on the cat poo.

Is this even legal?

OP posts:
PGmicstand · 02/10/2025 09:30

staceyslatericeskater · 02/10/2025 09:04

The cat goes by her back kitchen door and poo’s in the gravel on the side by the front door.

She has seen the cat do it as well and apparently would shoo it off.

Basically she just dosent want cats roaming in her garden.

As a former cat owner, I agree.
I don't want cat shit in my garden. Mine were taught to use the litter tray, and kept within my own garden. They were too slow to catch any other wildlife, thankfully, otherwise they'd have had a catio.

TeeBee · 02/10/2025 09:33

Your neighbour is perfectly entitled to try and stop YOUR pet coming into HER garden. Take responsibility for your shitting pet.

spicetails · 02/10/2025 09:34

It’s not going to work very well - cats are gymnastic masterminds

RedToothBrush · 02/10/2025 09:36

Has no one worked out that cats climb?

Lostworlds · 02/10/2025 09:46

You can’t blame her for not wanting to clean up after your cat. Your cat is the issue here, not the neighbour.

BumpyWinds · 02/10/2025 09:55

Two issues here - the cat and the hedgehog holes.

On the hedgehog holes front, if they were put in by the developer, there may be a covenant in place to say they need to remain unblocked. It was likely a planning permission condition when the properties were built. The neighbour is mad if they think this is how your cat keeps getting through! They can climb/jump fences after all! We have concrete base boarded 6-foot fences all the way round our garden and our cat gets out perfectly well!

Onto the cat. Cats do have a right to roam. I have a cat and our neighbour has mentioned that she has poo'd in their garden. We told the neighbour that she should scare her/spray her with water, if she catches her doing it. She'll soon learn that her garden is out of bounds.

BusyMum47 · 02/10/2025 09:57

Ruggerlass · 02/10/2025 08:17

Cat’s bury their poo so if her toddlers are stepping on poo it’s more likely to be hedgehog poo which does look similar to cat poo. I’d explain this to her and reopen the hole. Her closing the hole is not going to stop your cat which in any case has the legal right to roam. My cat thinks nothing of jumping climbing over 6’ high fences. He has a litter test but won’t use it.

They don't bury it at all! My neighbours' cats regularly shit all over my garden & it drives me bloody insane! Of course blocking fence holes won't deter cats from getting into gardens but I imagine OP's neighbour is making a point & fair play to them! They shouldn't have to be worried about their toddler coming into contact with cat shit from a cat they don't own - in their own garden!!!!

AOIFEmissingUalways · 02/10/2025 10:01

staceyslatericeskater · 02/10/2025 09:04

The cat goes by her back kitchen door and poo’s in the gravel on the side by the front door.

She has seen the cat do it as well and apparently would shoo it off.

Basically she just dosent want cats roaming in her garden.

You're surely taking the poo piss now? You don't see a problem with your cat pooing by your neighbour's door?

Original poster
staceyslatericeskater · 02/10/2025 10:03

As PP mentions the hedgehog holes were part of a convent taken these houses were first built a few years ago as this is semi rural area.

Yes the neighbour is aware they are hedgehog holes and she basically says she dosent want to be clearing any kind of animal poo in her garden as her kids play there.

She did mention to me that she does like cats and has owned some in the past but she just doesn’t want them in her garden because of her kids and the pooing which is understandable.

She has put those black prickly things on the tops of the gates so my cat doesn’t really bother now (her words).

OP posts:
SeaAndStars · 02/10/2025 10:03

Cats definitely don't always bury their poo. They might have a half hearted attempt, scratching up a few seedlings in the process, but mainly they leave a smelly turd that a terrier would be proud of right on top of the soil.

Hedgehog poo is smaller and very often glittery (!!!) because of the shells of the beetles they eat.

Such a shame the hole is closed up.

For anyone as interested in the wellbeing as hedgehogs as I am there's loads of stuff here https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

Link your garden with a hedgehog highway

Hedgehogs travel between one and two kilometres a night, so linking your garden to its neighbours is the most important thing you can do to help them.

https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/

SeaAndStars · 02/10/2025 10:04

Perhaps your neighbour could create a hedgehog hole elsewhere but not into your garden OP?

5foot5 · 02/10/2025 10:05

SeaAndStars · 02/10/2025 10:03

Cats definitely don't always bury their poo. They might have a half hearted attempt, scratching up a few seedlings in the process, but mainly they leave a smelly turd that a terrier would be proud of right on top of the soil.

Hedgehog poo is smaller and very often glittery (!!!) because of the shells of the beetles they eat.

Such a shame the hole is closed up.

For anyone as interested in the wellbeing as hedgehogs as I am there's loads of stuff here https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

I usually find it is more torpedo shaped. The hedgehog poo that is

Flossflower · 02/10/2025 10:15

Ruggerlass · 02/10/2025 08:17

Cat’s bury their poo so if her toddlers are stepping on poo it’s more likely to be hedgehog poo which does look similar to cat poo. I’d explain this to her and reopen the hole. Her closing the hole is not going to stop your cat which in any case has the legal right to roam. My cat thinks nothing of jumping climbing over 6’ high fences. He has a litter test but won’t use it.

This is totally untrue. Some cats do. Some cats don’t.

SprayWhiteDung · 02/10/2025 10:15

Cats must have some top-notch propaganda agency, for enough people to believe and insist that cats always bury their own poo - and so any unburied poo cannot possibly have been dumped by a cat.

And that's ignoring the fact that, even if they did fully bury it every time, it's still disgusting form people to have to find it when they're tending their plant beds.

Can I come and poo in people's gardens, as long as I maybe make a bit of a token effort to bury it, if I can be bothered?!

5foot5 · 02/10/2025 10:17

This is hedgehog poo

Neighbour has blocked hedgehog holes in the garden?
FuzzyWolf · 02/10/2025 10:19

I have four cats and have always had several at any one time. Cats don’t always bury their poo and plenty will never bury it in certain garden layouts.

SumUp · 02/10/2025 10:21

Could you offer to clean it up a few times a week? And buy some of that cat deterrent powder to put around her garden?

If maintaining hedgehog holes are in the house deeds, she can’t just block them.

TheatricalLife · 02/10/2025 10:24

Flossflower · 02/10/2025 10:15

This is totally untrue. Some cats do. Some cats don’t.

Show quote history

It's ALWAYS mentioned at least once on cat threads (usually by cat owners) who just won't accept that cats shit everywhere, and that it must be another animal. Usually a fox is blamed. Oh, and also that any cat that doesn't bury it's poo must be ill.
I can say with 100% certainty that not every cat will bury their poo, backed up by the steaming lumps that used to be by my front door daily, down my drive and also on top of neighbours flowerbeds. Some cats are lazy and don't make more than a half hearted effort to cover, some don't bother at all. Some don't even cover up in a litter tray. Who cares anyway?! I don't want half covered shit down my drive any more than I want exposed shit down my drive. I'm sure my neighbour doesn't want to dig his hands into semi buried shit while weeding his flower beds.

MrsSkylerWhite · 02/10/2025 10:24

RedToothBrush · 02/10/2025 09:36

Has no one worked out that cats climb?

Indeed they do! We’ve moved into a flat with a large terrace but it only has a low, glass panel separating it from our neighbour’s terrace. She has lots of lovely pots and I knew the cats would be straight in them pooing if they got the chance.
Found an excellent solution. It’s a pull out privacy screen, like a tall, upended roller blind that pulls out and locks in place, then just rolls away again. It’s completely stumped the cats, they can’t climb it. Result!

LlamaNoDrama · 02/10/2025 10:25

Ruggerlass · 02/10/2025 08:17

Cat’s bury their poo so if her toddlers are stepping on poo it’s more likely to be hedgehog poo which does look similar to cat poo. I’d explain this to her and reopen the hole. Her closing the hole is not going to stop your cat which in any case has the legal right to roam. My cat thinks nothing of jumping climbing over 6’ high fences. He has a litter test but won’t use it.

Hedgehog poo looks nothing like cat poo. Do you have mutantly large hedgehogs or something?

AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 02/10/2025 10:25

My biggest wish is that rules are brought in one day that stops cat owners allowing their PETS off their property, either have a catio, keep them in or don’t have a cat it’s that simple, I don’t have cats or dogs because I don’t want to deal with 💩 so don’t want to have to deal with it from other people’s selfish choices

those same owners twine when their cat gets run over or hurt, just seen a post on my local Facebook page calling a driver a very unsavoury word for not stopping after hitting their cat, I couldn’t muster up the 💩 to give because it was their choice to let their beloved pet out in the first place

Spookygoose · 02/10/2025 10:31

This is the most classic Mumsnet post I’ve ever read 🤣 annoying for the neighbour to have your cat shitting in their garden but don’t take it out on the poor hedgehogs :(
Can’t the cat just climb the fence anyway?

SprayWhiteDung · 02/10/2025 10:35

5foot5 · 02/10/2025 10:17

This is hedgehog poo

Thanks muchly - that's the photo for my Christmas cards sorted now for this year!

Vitriolinsanity · 02/10/2025 10:42

5foot5 · 02/10/2025 10:17

This is hedgehog poo

But that looks exactly like my cat’s poo, or my mum’s wee terrier’s.

godmum56 · 02/10/2025 10:46

Ruggerlass · 02/10/2025 08:17

Cat’s bury their poo so if her toddlers are stepping on poo it’s more likely to be hedgehog poo which does look similar to cat poo. I’d explain this to her and reopen the hole. Her closing the hole is not going to stop your cat which in any case has the legal right to roam. My cat thinks nothing of jumping climbing over 6’ high fences. He has a litter test but won’t use it.

this is total (ha) crap! I have got video footage of cats crapping in my garden and leaving it unburied.