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Original poster

Neighbours have put cat spikes along fence - what are my rights?

274 replies

Sherridale71 · 02/06/2018 06:19

My next door neighbours, two spinster sisters, have put sharp plastic spikes intermittently along the fence surrounding their back garden. The spikes are in strips of about 5cm long and they’ve placed them on either side of the concrete posts holding the fence up with big gaps in between. The fence separating our gardens is about 4m high.
I’m so angry about this that I haven’t been able to approach them to find out why they’ve done it although I’m pretty sure it’s to deter cats from going into their garden (I’ve read that they can also be a pigeon deterrent). We have two beautiful cats so I’m disgusted about this and worried that they’re going to injure themselves. We live in a neighbourhood that has many cats roaming around so they’re a danger to them as well.
My neighbours have made comments in the past about cats “crapping in the garden” and also told me last year that if they saw my new kitten in their garden they would “boot it”.
I’ve phoned citizens’ advice but they said I’d need to contact my landlady to determine who owns the border of the garden and said I’d need to speak to a solicitor as they can’t give legal advice...the internet is coming up with all sorts of confusing information.
Does anyone know what my rights are before I go and speak to them about it? My 5 year old son could easily hurt himself on them.
TIA

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
BarbaraWarpecker · 02/06/2018 08:35

Also, do you live next door to Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker?

NotAgainYoda · 02/06/2018 08:36

Barbara

The OP said she made a mistake in her first post, in her second post

Fatted · 02/06/2018 08:36

I'm with your neighbours on this one.

We regularly have our neighbours cats shitting in our garden and our next door neighbours on the other side. We both have young children who want to be out playing, we don't want to have to put up with anti social behavior from animals that don't belong to us.

Why don't you go and offer to clean up your cat's poo from their garden for them instead?!

viques · 02/06/2018 08:38

I put them on my end fence when my cats were too old for climbing to deter the neighbourhood chancers who sat on the end neighbour's shed before coming into my garden to menace my oldies.. They walked over them ,carefully, but with determination.

Excited101 · 02/06/2018 08:39

The small plastic cat deterrent spikes won’t hurt them, it’ll just stop them climbing on top of the fences. My old bosses Installed them themselves to stop their cats getting out of the garden.

I don’t blame your neighbours, why should they deal with your cats if they don’t want to?! I’m a total cat lover, you’re being ridiculous.

DragonMamma · 02/06/2018 08:40

I didn’t know about these spikes, I will have my to get some as ndn’s cat is forever shitting in our garden and I always have to check before going out there. She’s also left decapitated mice and birds on the lawn. I hate that cat.

GertrudeCB · 02/06/2018 08:40

Thank god I don't live next door to you op, you sound batshit and eye waterlingly entitled.
I completely understand why your ndn's have out the cat deterrent up.

ThisCannotBe · 02/06/2018 08:40

I would guess that the spinsters have had a word with the OP already and been met with a response along the lines of "oh they only delicately defecate in MY garden, it is probably another cat doing it in yours. It's wonderful for your veg patch though".

PinkDotsAndPurpleSpots · 02/06/2018 08:42

Seriously?

I have 3 cats, all indoors, one of the reasons being so they don't annoy my neighbours by crapping in their garden. I would not let my dogs do that, so why should I let my cats out to do that? My cats, my responsibility, and I cannot be responsible for them if I don't know where they are or what they are doing.

PlatypusPie · 02/06/2018 08:42

Our neighbourhood policeman is actively encouraging putting these strips up as a deterrent to burglars ie making it less attractive to fence jumpers, so doubt that it it illegal.

mintich · 02/06/2018 08:43

My cats still walk on my next door neighbours spikes!

Gottokondo · 02/06/2018 08:43

I have two indoor cats who I adore. I looove cats. Off to buy catstrips. Cat poo in the garden is horrible.

I am bewildered that you obviously had a conversation previously to the strips where your neighbours were complainjng about the poo and you offered no help. I think that that is why they had to do this.

HeyDolly · 02/06/2018 08:44

If it’s their fence there’s not a lot you can do.

I wouldn’t want your cats crapping in my garden either. What on earth makes you think that it’s ok for them to do that?

Cat shit is more dangerous for a 5 year old rather than spikes on a 4ft high fence.

Faithsock · 02/06/2018 08:46

Hi OP, sorry you have had so many nasty anti cat replies on this thread. I have cats too and would also be worked about this. Hopefully the spikes are just plastic and the cats will soon learn to avoid them without getting injured.

MaireadMacSweeney · 02/06/2018 08:46

Re the pictures of the lovely cats reclining on top of the spikes, I'd just like to point out they are called "cat" spikes so householders can use them to deter intruders.

I was advised by a police officer to install them after my home was burgled. If they were called "anti burglar spikes" you could be sued if the poor dear intruders hurt themselves, they're not harmful to cats.

Better than the pieces of broken glass people used to cement to the top of their garden walls when I was young.

Fluffy40 · 02/06/2018 08:49

It would be a challenge for my cat, would take him five seconds !

auntyflonono · 02/06/2018 08:52

If it's your fence you can take them off, if it belongs to your neighbours you can't.

Irksomeness · 02/06/2018 08:53

🐈

CaitlynsCat · 02/06/2018 08:59

"Hi OP, sorry you have had so many nasty anti cat replies"

You mean 'cattist'. Soon to be made a hate crime.

"Hopefully the spikes are just plastic "

Yeah the OP said that in the first post

CAAKE · 02/06/2018 09:00

A snarky cat shit AIBU thread. What jolly good fun!

TheMaddHugger · 02/06/2018 09:03

@MaireadMacSweeney Sat 02-Jun-18 08:46:36
Re the pictures of the lovely cats reclining on top of the spikes, I'd just like to point out they are called "cat" spikes so householders can use them to deter intruders.

Ahhh That makes sense

Sparklingbrook · 02/06/2018 09:05

An AIBU cat poo in the garden bunfight in 'Legal Matters'. Shock

CaitlynsCat · 02/06/2018 09:08

This looks quite good. Perhaps a bit underpowered though. Add a catapult for extra firepower.

Neighbours have put cat spikes along fence - what are my rights?
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 02/06/2018 09:08

My neighbour put these on her fence and I found one of the local cats happily sitting on them so they can't be that bad. They didn't worry me as they are plastic, and my cat wouldn't have been affected as he's not good with heights!

I wouldn't be happy if my neighbours threatened to 'boot him' though and if I heard anyone say that about any animal they'd get a mouthful.

I'm so glad we catproofed the garden, it may not look pretty (no doubt some cat haters would moan about that as well) but at least I know he's safe and not upsetting anyone.