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

[Sherridale71]

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

Sabistick you sound like a fab cat owner

Good for your neighbours. I'm another one who doesn't see why other people should have to deal with your cat's poo. If you own an animal you take responsibility for it. If you wouldn't go round and poo in your neighbour's garden yourself you shouldn't think it's acceptable for your cat to do the same.

People who say "There's nothing I can do" are wrong. Don't have a cat. Don't let it outdoors. Train it to use a litter tray. Let it out but only on a collar and lead. Lot's of options there.

It’s hard to think of any complaint you might have that would outweigh my disgust at your description of your neighbours.

To be honest op you made me laugh as well with immediate Over reaction 🤣

Your neighbours have not been unreasonable. It's fine for them not to want your cats or any other cats in their garden. Your five year old should be fine too, unless he also tries to get into their garden.

You could speak to your landlord to see who owns it, but ultimately as you are a tennant he may wish to maintain good relations with the neighbours who could be longer term than you and also agree your cats shouldn't have free roam in their garden, or that your son shouldn't be trying to scale the fence.

As such, I suspect you need to wind your neck in on this one. Maybe after you've retrieved the toys you chucked out your pram. 🤣

People who say "There's nothing I can do" are wrong. Don't have a cat. Don't let it outdoors. Train it to use a litter tray. Let it out but only on a collar and lead. Lot's of options there.

You don't have cats, do you? For most cats the only realistic option you've given there is not to have one.

@MargaretCavendish You mean the ONLY realistic option . Yes, that was indeed a case of spot the person who knows nothing whatsoever about cats.

Cats are bird murdering bastards anyway.

MargaretCavendish you don't know me or my cat. She did like to wander. She is unusual for a cat, more like a dog. But you obviously know better...

Pretty sure I've seem those plastic spikes in Kleeneze catalogues.
I'm guessing that also means they are legal...

We have three indoor cats and we use the spikes to stop the cats getting over a barrier stopping them from getting to the front door. They have free range over the house otherwise.
None of our cats has ever been hurt by the spikes although our little T/K can circumvent them if she is determined enough.

Do mumsnet just delete post because the OP didn't receive the answers they wanted?

I realise this is in lega matters.

legally you can't do anything.
you let your pets roam at your own risk. you could catproof your own garden or build a cat run to keep them safe and iffering them space outdoors or keep them as housecats.

@thecatneuterer
No one on this thread has wished harm to a cat. That would be despicable. I think you’re confusing annoyance at cat shit and mutilated/ dead wildlife with cat abuse. The problem these days is that the population of this country is high for the land mass coupled with high pet ownership. RSPCA stats estimate there are approximately 51 million pets in the U.K. and within this figure, that’s a hell of a lot of cats!

As a dog owner, I clean up after my dog and don’t let him attack wildlife. Cats are so prolific these days that for some, they do become pests. If we had a rat in our garden/house we’d call pest control. But we can’t because our neighbours cat is shitting all over our garden and leaving a trail of dead animals. As I have a dog, I don’t have this problem. But for many it is a serious annoyance.

OP

You were warned by your neighbours about their dislike for cat shit in the garden.

Maybe if you had worked to stop this you would have spikes on the fence now eh

*wouldnt

*My ex-neighbours put spikes on their fence. I contacted the RSPCA and made sure I had proof, they said if the cats were hurt then the neighbours would be responsible for costs.

I did, however, take the spikes off the fence. They were cunts and I didn't give a single fuck if they didn't like it. Years down the line they killed one of my cats. Scum of the Earth. Made their life a living hell until they moved. If I could get away with it, I'd quite happily kill them.*

What a weasel you are. If you feel so passionately about something that you’d actually kill for it, then at least have the guts to stand by your actions. But then again you can’t be alright in the head if you’d kill a person because of a cat 🙄

I think OP has found a friend on this thread 😀

I'm a cat hater. I can't stand the things. I don't one anywhere near me, or anywhere on my property. If I had a problem with cats in the garden I would definitely put up spikes or one of those spray things.

However it's a bit of a stretch to say that people like me who hate cats wish them harm. I ignore them. Do what I can to keep them out of my garden. But I wouldn't hurt one intentionally.

@mummyoflittledragons Please see one of the first posts on this thread simply stating 'I hate cats'. Lots and lots of people hate cats. Unfortunately I often meet them.

I have been telling the OP, for the sake of her cats, not to do anything about this as, apart from anything else, she doesn't know how far her neighbours will go.

This should be in classics as it's the perfect example of a thread not going the ops way with a superb meltdown thrown in.

However it's a bit of a stretch to say that people like me who hate cats wish them harm

It's not a stretch. I see what neighbours have done to cats. 'People like you' I'm sure wouldn't hurt them. But lots of people are less nice than you PolkerrisBeach.

I still think people only hate cats because of irresponsible owners.

If they at the very least offered to collect the shit out of neighbours gardens and whacked a bell or something on it to alert the wildlife then I think cat hatred in general would reduce massively.

There'd be a lot more dog haters if they were given this "right to roam" that people speak of.

My husband "hates" cats, but he doesn't really, what he hates is having to go out with a shovel and remove eight separate cat shits before we can let our toddler outside to play in his own bloody garden.

spinster sisters

Weren't they a pop group or something?

Good luck getting this thread deleted OP

Good for your neighbours! I have to spend time daily picking up my neighbour's cat shit before my kids can go out to play. It's bloody disgusting!