Neighbour keeps asking us to chase her cat out of our garden

[summershere78447]

Our neighbour has a rescue cat that was abused by its previous owner, so I completely understand why she’s protective of it.

However, around 80% of the time we’re in our garden, she’ll call over the fence asking us to shoo the cat out if it’s wandered in. When I say shoo, I don’t just mean a little shoo as she’s a friendly cat and not frightened by us at all. It therefore ends up a big performance essentially chasing the cat out of the garden.

Yesterday it was just lying quietly in the sun while I was outside playing with my one-year-old and stepdaughter. It wasn’t bothering anyone, if anything it was keeping both of the kids happy but she was looking through the gap in the fence to see if it was there.

She knows us well and knows the cat is perfectly safe with us.

We’ve had our garden done this year, so understandably we’re spending much more time outside and making the most of the nice weather. We’d just like to be able to enjoy our own garden in peace. She’s also complained about us having barbecues in our own garden.

I’m happy to move the cat if it’s causing a problem, but I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect us to interrupt whatever we’re doing every time it wanders into our garden.

AIBU?

If this cat is an abused rescue, being asked to shoo it out of your garden is seriously out of order! As for your neighbour putting in a cat deterrent - what is that about?!
She sounds seriously unhinged.

God how annoying. Outdoor cats go where they want and I wouldn't monitor and chase puss back either.

Without sounding dramatic it's a form of control on your neighbour's part isn't it? She's determined to insert herself into your garden time, looking through the fence, asking you to send the cat back to her specific instructions and complaining about barbecues.

She may well be lonely and seeking connection or whatever, but she's going the wrong way about it. She'd irritate me being stupid and demanding about her bloody cat. I'd resolutely ignore it.

Is there any way you can pointedly screen her from looking through? Do that.

The cat deterrent is just...what??
Is that for real?

Well - durr! - no surprise why her car does not want to stay in her garden! Your neighbour sounds a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Does she think that the cat deterrent can discriminate between her cat and other cats?

If she wants to keep her car in her garden and other cats out of her garden then she needs to catproof her fences.

YANBU to leave the cat in peace.

God no you’re not being a cow. Neighbour sounds unhinged and I bet the cat picks up on it. Hence it spending time with you, your DD and stepdaughter. Like I said before it must be very relaxed if it’s in a garden with young children. My cat runs a mile from DB’s toddler son who is loud and prone to screaming which is a pity as he loves cats and pointing them out to us on walks.

I find the cat deterrent hurts my ears and gives me migraines. My cat doesn't care about it. But she could easily be hurting her poor kitty. No wonder it prefers you!

In the old days, I'd have made a polite call to the RSPCA asking them to contact her about the cat deterrent and her having a kitty. Not sure they still help with things like that though.

"No, sorry, I'm enjoying the garden and she's fine here."

Spot on...but without the sorry.

She’s probably stressing the cat out so much it prefers being in your garden. Cats do what they want and if she’s a cat person she should know this. Bet the cat ends up moving in with you 😹

Tell her you've had a traumatic past where you were harassed by a neighbour when you were in your back garden and she's triggering you. Could she stop at it's ruining your time outside.

We have a cat and she goes wherever she likes, I would feel bad if she was bothering our neighbours, luckily they're fond of her

With a smile: ‘She’s perfectly happy when she’s relaxing in our garden, and we’re happy to leave her be. And I don’t want to be stopping what I’m doing all the time to shoo her away.’

It’s horrendous there are some in the front of her garden as well and we can’t sit and watch tv in the front room with the windows open as our road gets a fair bit of footfall past the house so is CONSTANTLY going off

Tell her to buy cat proof fence

Or

A catio

"Hello again Sue, that cat deterrent is working, eh?!"

Maybe I'm just a spiteful old hag, but I'd laugh in my neighbours face if they did this! So you aren't bothered enough about maybe me not wanting my child to play in cat shit in his own garden to actually keep your cat out of my garden, but you want me to make the effort to get her back when she goes in my garden, because you don't like her going in my garden! Lazy mite...!

Perhaps your neighbour is fussing over the cat too much at home and not giving it 'space'. Cats like to choose when they want snuggles or being close to a human or not, and often just like uninterrupted 'me time'. Perhaps she isn't giving it that and it likes coming to your garden for some peace!

How about.
You want it.
Come and get it.

Cat owners are generally fine. We’re not all certified nut cases like this woman neighbour of OP’s!

All of my cats have roamed, my neighbour 2 doors down tells me when my Tilly visits her for a quick stroke but to sit in the shade and on her grass and eat the grass. Cat is slightly perplexed when neighbour visits but perfectly friendly in her (the cat’s) own house.

Cats are territorial and always look to increase their area! Your garden is now part of the cat’s turf whether you, or the neighbour likes it or not!

I wish people would do a bit of research on cat behaviour before they adopt a pet.

I find having an animal and letting it roam weird tbh 🤷🏼‍♀️

If a cat has been allowed to roam from being very young, it will become extremely stressed if kept in.

Are you in the UK?

Yeah I am. There's lots of options now like catios and cat proof Gardens.

Yes of course and those are absolutely fine and great for kittens growing up in. You can even leash train them. However, an adult cat is a very different matter.

Why? That’s what cats are designed to do. I’m not putting my cat in a cage aka a catio. She doesn’t need it and doesn’t want it.

Then don't complain if she gets run over, is injured by an animal, ingests poison, someone feeds her etc like the majority of cat owners in Facebook groups. Let them out alone, take the risk.