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Ethical dilemmas

2 of my cats are using next doors lawn as a toilet, she's ready to fall out with us, wtf am I supposed to do?

38 replies

Lovesgiantbuttons · 12/07/2016 07:04

This is a a bit long but think history will make clear the issue.
I've had 2 cats for almost 10 years. They were instead of children until we had a very lucky surprise 5 yrs ago.
We also got a rescue kitten at the beginning of this year which my dd adores and calls her own.
The problem is the older female isn't normal and has always done her 'business' on the grass. Unpleasant, but duly cleared up after like you would a dog. My neighbour would occasionally complain she had done same in their garden and I could only apologise.
Now that the kitten is older it has been made apparent by my neighbour she is using their garden too (aswell as ours). When they've been away and asked us to look after their rabbits we have cleared the garden for them.
Neighbour recently has sent graphic photos whilst I've been out to a meal. She has called me round to express her disgust full force and I have done things like delivered teabags dowsed with tea tre oil to her garden to help put them off. I've stopped trying to prevent them doing it in our garden so they don't feel they have to go next door. I've apologised til I'm blue in the face but a watery bucket of excrement outside my gate this morning has me at a loss! (Rained a lot yesterday)
The cats are part of our family but I do appreciate where she is coming from. She isn't an animal person (her rabbits had matted hair and very long claws - they didn't live all that long, which she suggested was down to the presence of our cats) and had a dog once for about 4days that went back.

I don't want world war 3 and am looking for constructive suggestions of how to remedy if anyone has any??! Sad

OP posts:
CatherineDeB · 12/07/2016 21:12

The law, or lack of it, surrounding cats recognises their right to roam (and, my default, poo), unlike dogs where we are expected to have them under control/on a lead and pick up their poo!

The cat is marking what it sees as its territory, not trying to get one over on the neighbours! There is little an outdoor cat owner can do to stop it, other than making it an indoor cat!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 12/07/2016 21:16

I've never known this hysteria about cat shit IRL, by the way. Forty two years of living around neighbours' cats and I've never even noticed if one has shat in my garden. Who cares? Foxes, hedgehogs, birds and god knows what else are merrily crapping away, too. It's life

Completely agree.

CharlieSierra · 12/07/2016 21:23

I'm aware of the lack of law CatherineDeB, I nevertheless consider it unreasonable of anyone to choose to own an animal and then say they can't do anything about it causing problems to their neighbours. It is antisocial to own an outdoor cat and certainly any garden modifications should be done by the owner to their own garden.

RiverTam · 12/07/2016 21:30

GirlWithLionHeart is this the kind of outdoor litter tray you have? Our two crap all over our garden but won't use an indoor tray (plus we have now where to put one) so I've been thinking of an outdoor one for a while now. I guess I would need two, one for each cat - £90 yikes!!

mangocoveredlamb · 12/07/2016 21:36

We have a problem with this, ultimately there are two many urban/suburban cats and they're all shitting everywhere to mark their territory.
I'm not sure there's much you could/should do about it. (Although keeping them in overnight would help!)

CatherineDeB · 12/07/2016 21:37

Clearly we will have to disagree then Charlie, cats have been pooing outside for ever, like posters above I have all sorts of poo in my garden, in fact we have just been outside feeding our family of four hedgehogs Sheba chicken in gravy!

Life is much too short for bad feelings about something so trivial. Just pick it up and put it in the bin! This neighbour appears to know that it is the OP's cat but most people wouldn't have a clue if there were cats all over the place and they didn't see them.

LizardBreath · 12/07/2016 21:48

How much are your neighbours on grass? Is it a particular area the cats do it on? We had this issue, and got a load of long wooden kebab Skewers and put them where the cats pooed so that the cat couldn't get on it if you get how I mean? Left them for a week or so and cats stoped coming!

Otherwise I'd consider equipping them with a water pistol...

GirlWithTheLionHeart · 13/07/2016 01:09

Yes that's exactly it. They don't mind sharing!

GirlWithTheLionHeart · 13/07/2016 01:09

It's really big so fine for two cats

sizeofalentil · 13/07/2016 20:20

how many litter trays do you have? You should have four or five if you have three cats. Extra litter trays might help as well as cat deterrent powder.

KindDogsTail · 13/07/2016 21:20

I agree with Kittiinsane about the cat netting in your garden so your cats can go out, but leave your neighbour alone.
This video will give the gist of how it works. There are lots of companies making it. If you do not have fences, you can also get special poles from other companies. It is very doable.
protectapet.com/instructional-videos/

Amaried · 06/01/2017 21:35

My sil cat did this to the neighbours on both sides. She refused to act citing right to roam. After a particularly Bad run in with neighbour . The cat disappeared - she had her suspicions but could prove nothing
Who know what people are capable of if you push them far enough

wallowinwater · 09/02/2017 18:42

We had the same complaint from our neighbour- we bought her an Infra-red water sprinkler that would spray the cats to keep them out. No idea if this worked. A few months after she got a cat...😂maybe suggest this to your neighbour 😂

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