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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is having 5 cats in a council house anti social?

87 replies

fattybumbum · 22/09/2009 20:01

We have had the same neighbours (semi) for 6 years. The woman in particular is a difficult woman but we have always made an effort and got on fine with her. We own our house but theirs is a council property. They have just acquired 2 more cats (kittens), putting their total up to 5. Their front and back gardens are beautiful but are all paved and full of tubs - so guess where the cats have come to shit? Yes you've guessed it!

We have recently done up our garden so it has a nice lawn and now it is full of cat shit on a daily basis. I'm 38 weeks pregnant so don't want to touch it and DS is 3 and has bad eczema. He is the type of child that if you told him to not go near a cat poo, he'd be over in a shot.

Dh said about it to our nieighbour tonight and she (rather sarkily) replied, 'Nothing I can do about it.'

Would it be very mean of me to report her 5 cats to the council as anti social? There is very obviously no place for them to poo in their own garden. I know we could go down the whole route of strips on the fence (though they own the adjoining one so could actually prevent us from putting strips on the most important one anyway) plus lemon plants, sonic devices etc but to be honest I am going to have a baby next week and we just don't have the time right now never mind that money is very tight. Any of the aforesaid purchases would have to be on a credit card.

Would I be an utter bitch to ring the council? They would know it was us for sure and I don't want to get into the whole war with nieghbours thing but I'm just really pissed off that they can have 5 cats in an 8m by 10m paved garden and act like it's OUR problem, not theirs. GRR!

OP posts:
thehairybabysmum · 23/09/2009 09:25

I have a cat, did have 2 until recently. I always offer to go and poop scoop in my neighbours gardens as it is nott fair on them otherwise. If i had a dog i would have to clear up after it so why not a cat?

Can you ask her to put a litter tray down?

Personally i would ring the council in case there is a clause as others suggest, though this may offend your neighbour so may try and talk to her again?? Could she pay for you to have the strips installed??

If all that fails i would be tempted to get hubby to return the shit to its rightful owner!

DoNotPressTheRedButton · 23/09/2009 09:27

Be aware OP as well that if the situation is anything like here, the catteries atm will be overfull becuase of people who can't afford to keep cat / have lost their homes, so cats won't just be rehoused they will quite possibly be euthanased.

Always worth knwoing what the consequences of your actions could be imo

AnitaBlake · 23/09/2009 12:53

Legally cats occupy a unique postition in law. While it is recognised that they are 'domesticated' it is also recognised that they cannot be prevented from wandering, they have a legal 'right to roam'. The council will not be interested in persuing anything under Env. Protection Act 1990 as there is nothing in there that allows cats to be considered a Statutory Nuisance.

To cause an animal unnecessary suffering leads to prosecution under animal welfare laws, so I wouldn't recommend it. Cats faeces does carry toxiplasmosis, but you would literally need to be eating the stuff from a cat in the infectious phase (10 dyas) to stand any chance at all of catching it, its that difficult. It doesn't carry diseases that lead to blindness like dogs faeces can.

The only way this could be considered an issue would be if she was breaching any tenancy agreements.

Rs5 · 22/12/2022 21:35

You’re only allowed 2 pets if you live in a council house for a start and you need to put you and your family first. I would report them x

JoyBeorge · 22/12/2022 21:44

Rs5 · 22/12/2022 21:35

You’re only allowed 2 pets if you live in a council house for a start and you need to put you and your family first. I would report them x

You're about 13 years too late.

Rs5 · 22/12/2022 21:47

omg lol. 😂

RambamThankyouMam · 22/12/2022 22:15

How did you even find this thread??

Mistlewoeandwhine · 24/12/2022 00:33

Wut? This is my thread 😂 The kid I was pregnant with at the time is thirteen now - he has a moustache!

NameChagaiiiin · 24/12/2022 00:44

Mistlewoeandwhine · 24/12/2022 00:33

Wut? This is my thread 😂 The kid I was pregnant with at the time is thirteen now - he has a moustache!

And I imagine the cats are long gone

Mistlewoeandwhine · 24/12/2022 09:25

@NameChagaiiiin We moved house in the end. The cat thing did actually get worse. In the end she had ten cats. We sprayed them with water and she became violent and absolutely demented, screaming through the walls, swearing at us, coming to my front door and screaming into my face.
I called the police on her twice then she lied and said that it was because my children were assaulting the cats (not true). Anyway, the last straw was when I had to listen to her beating up her husband and children on multiple occasions. It was all destroying my peace of mind.
We sold up, moved house and live quite far away. I do feel guilty about the nice young couple who bought our house. She’s probably putting them through all the same misery.

NameChagaiiiin · 24/12/2022 09:44

Mistlewoeandwhine · 24/12/2022 09:25

@NameChagaiiiin We moved house in the end. The cat thing did actually get worse. In the end she had ten cats. We sprayed them with water and she became violent and absolutely demented, screaming through the walls, swearing at us, coming to my front door and screaming into my face.
I called the police on her twice then she lied and said that it was because my children were assaulting the cats (not true). Anyway, the last straw was when I had to listen to her beating up her husband and children on multiple occasions. It was all destroying my peace of mind.
We sold up, moved house and live quite far away. I do feel guilty about the nice young couple who bought our house. She’s probably putting them through all the same misery.

Oh god thats terrible! So sorry you went through that.

Mistlewoeandwhine · 24/12/2022 10:02

@NameChagaiiiin Ah don’t worry about it, it’s all in the past now. I rarely think about it xx

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