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Original poster

Neighbour/cat problem

33 replies

Hayls · 20/01/2004 15:24

I've been really upset about something that happened earlier today. The woman who lives 3 doors down from me came round and had a real go at me about our cat, who has apparently been digging up her front garden. She was really rude and said that it had been going on since the summer and she'd had to keep going out to buy new plants after he'd dug them up. Her attitude was horrible- I understand how frustrating it must be and I'd also be angry but I had no idea it was going on and it's taken her since the summer to say anything. I apologised repeatedly and said I would keep an eye on him but wasn't sure what else I could do and her response was that if it didn't stop she'd be taking it further. She said that he'd been in this morning already but when she came round I'd only just got up and he hadn't yet been outside. I said to her that there was more than 1 black and white cat on our street (in fact there are at least 5 on a very small road) but she said her neighbour had been watching and told her it was ours.
I'm upset that it got to the stage where she couldn't discuss it first. We have a bit of garden with just earth in it that we have encouraged the cats to use and do regularly see them in it so assumed they didn't go in anybody else's garden.
IS there anything we can do to try and stop him from going in there? SHe doesn't have a gate or hedge or anything and the garden opens onto the street. We're going to block our back gate off to try and deter him from leaving the back garden but I'd realy appreciate any advice on how to make her garden cat-unfriendly.

ALos, what could she mean by 'taking it further'? IS there anything she could do? I'm so mortified that this has been going on without my knowledge and am still upset about it. I have this image of our neighbours all talking about it and complaining to one another about us.Dh is going to speak to her about it tonight and ask her to speak to him about it in future because I was in such a state. I just can't stop thinking about it. WE've lived her for 2 1/2 years and never had any problems and I don't want any to start now.
I'm 39 wks pg and would really like this sorted ut before baby comes. Suppose this could also be making me hormonal and liable to overeact...

OP posts:
Original poster
Hayls · 20/01/2004 15:24

Just realised how long that post was. Sorry!

OP posts:
Helsbels · 20/01/2004 15:29

I don't see what she can do. We have 2 cats - they can not get out of our garden due to age and disability but following incidents when I was pg i.e they were peeing in the house I refuse to have them in the house so we converted the shed for them, they seem okay - they are not cuddly and never were. However, next door have a dirty great bloody thing that continually uses our garden for a toilet, eats our cats food and last year cost us over £200 in vets bills for damage done to our cats in our garden. I feel completely useless - there is nothing I can do other than throw hot (not boiling- all you cat lovers) water over it and make loads of noise when I see it. It is so frustrating - I don't even like our own cats - but there is nothing she can do so don't let it upset you especially not at this stage. Cats are dirty, inconsiderate creatures as a general rule but they are a law unto themselves and you can not stop them going wherever they like (unless they only have 3 legs like mine!!)

Helsbels · 20/01/2004 15:30

Sorry - just read that - it was meant to be supportive to you! Or at least reassuring - she can not hurt your cat!!

dinosaur · 20/01/2004 15:32

You could offer to buy her a cat scarer. I got one for our garden because the neighbours' cats kept pooing everywhere, which was disgusting and made me rather concerned for the health of DS1 and DS2. I've always been too cowardly to tackle the neighbours about it though.

Pepper dust also works quite well but you have to keep reapplying it and it doesn't look very nice.

dinosaur · 20/01/2004 15:33

I should add, you can get them via the RSPB's magazine - or they might have a website.

bunny2 · 20/01/2004 15:35

What's a cat-scarer? We have problems with some local cats using our front garden as a toilet.

Debbiethemum · 20/01/2004 15:46

Hayls - As the owner of 3 cats, I don't think there is an awful lot you can do. You could suggest water pistols to your neighbour, a deterrent I've used on mine when house training or encouraging them NOT to sharpen their claws on the furniture.

Water pistols are supposed to be a good way of training without cruelty and it will probably make your neighbour feel better - relieve the frustration.

Also comfort yourself that your cat is a lot better than one of mine, she used to go next door (through the cat flap) and terrorise the neighbours cat in their own home !!!!!

Good Luck
Debbie

bran · 20/01/2004 17:33

I have a feeling that you can't be held legally responsible for the actions of your cat (although you can for a dog). I'm sure there was some court case that set a legal precedent that cats were basically uncontrollable, so I don't think your neighbour can take it any further.

I think you can buy cat scarers that have a motion detector and send out a spray of water, you would only need to use it for long enough for the cat to change it's habits. So you could lend it to the neighbour for a couple of weeks and then take it back so that you can lend it to the next neighbour that you cat moves on to.

Tokra · 20/01/2004 17:56

When you see cats coming into your garden, digging up the plants and leaving little 'presents' dotted across your lawn it is very easy to get upset about it. If the neighbour is not there when it happens she would not have known that it was your cat. The resentment has probably been building up for a long time. Now that another neighbour has blamed your cat she has finally found an outlet for the anger that has probably been simmering away for months -you!
I think she could have been a bit more sensitive to the fact that you are heavily pregnant but she probably didn't stop to think. I doubt she deliberately tried to upset you. At least now that the issue is out in the open you will be able to discuss it rationally.
I'd better not let dh see this thread. I don't want to give him any ideas about 'picking off' the local cats with a giant water-gun!

Original poster
Hayls · 20/01/2004 18:16

Thanks for all your advice. I spoke to another neighbour who has lived here for longer than we have and apparently this woman is notorious for complaining about everything and anything and a few people have had experiences like this. I really do appreciate how annoying it must be for it to be happening to you and do sympathise but still not sure what I can do. I'm still not convinced that it's only my cat that's been doing it, although I'm not saying that he never does- interestingly the neighbour who told her it was my cat has a black and white one as well.
Tokra, unfortunatley I don't think there's much chance of us discussing it rationally. We're going to keep him indoors as much as possible (he won't mind) as well as trying to block the exit from our garden and just have to hope that she doessn't complain again.
Sorry for going on earlier, it was the last thing I needed after yet another sleepless uncomfortable night. I'm already worried about how our cats will react when the baby is born and I suppose this brought all those fears galloping out!

OP posts:
Tokra · 20/01/2004 18:23

The neighbour has a black & white cat too? Hmmmm...Very suspicious.

You don't need this kind of stress at the moment (or any other time!). I think the woman was really inconsiderate to upset you like this. Your dh sounds lovely, going round to talk to her so that she doesn't upset you.

I hope you'll soon be posting in the Birth Announcements section. Good luck, xxx

BadHair · 20/01/2004 18:27

Hayls, sorry to hear you're having all this stress and hassle. My parents had the same problem a few years ago when a cantankerous old bag of a neighbour told them that their cat had been digging in her garden. My mum went to tescos and bought a jar of chilli powder, then quietly handed it to the neighbour and told her to sprinkle a thick layer of it round the garden to deter our cat. We never had any more complaints from her, so I assume it worked.
My folks also checked with the local police if the neighbour could sue them or anything, but as cats are classed as wild animals they are not trainable in the way that dogs are, so you are not responsible for your cats behaviour.

Original poster
Hayls · 20/01/2004 18:30

Oh, I'm getting all emotional again because someone's being nice to me! Who would have thought pregnancy hormones could be so vicious? Hving spoken to our neighbour, we decided dh wouldn't go round because the consensus was that it would make things worse but if she comes back round (which neighbour thinks is quite likely)I've to tell her to come back when dh is in or not answer the door to her. Really hope she doesn't, especially as dh is so p*d off about it. Assertiveness is not my strong point!
Cat is downstairs snuggling up with dh while the other one (who I hope doesn't do it as well) is out socialising so he's lapping up the attention!

OP posts:
Tokra · 20/01/2004 19:00

You'll have to re-train the cats as guard-cats. Put a big "Beware of the Cat" sign up and see if the neighbour is still as keen to come and hassle you.

eddm · 20/01/2004 19:01

Lots of sympathy for you. I know how awful it is when someone upsets you when you are this pg. Cats often get blamed for visible faeces but actually usually cover up after themselves (and then get blamed for digging). Poor things can't win. Animals follow their instincts ? how on earth do we expect them to understand the human concept of ownership of land? Given the mess we are all making of the planet I really do wonder how any of us have the cheek to complain about animals doing what comes naturally!

fairydust · 20/01/2004 19:09

there is some sort of pellets your neighbour can get apparntly they smell really bad to animal not humans which stops them from going in certain areas.

I'm a cat owner and we had them at the old house to stop the cat eating the plants.

We got them from wilko's but believe B&Q do them to.

SueW · 20/01/2004 20:27

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

Paula71 · 20/01/2004 20:43

I think the chilli powder idea is better than the cat scarer as you don't want to be going to any expense for the old biddy (or young biddy!) I have a neighbour like that but what makes it priceless is that she is the local drug dealer! She picks fights with other neighbours none of whom take any of her nonsense.

About a year or so ago she came to my door with the same story, my cat pooing at her front porch. There are dozens of cats in the area and the cat she described was nothing like the fat lazy oaf currently making a dent in the sofa. Rather than correct her I told her it was more damaging to the neighbourhood the amount of police raids there have been (on her house!) She started shouting at me to which I replied if she would like me to call the police there and then as I knew she had taken delivery of more "stuff" earlier that day.

Soon got rid of her. And for anyone who remembers my first post, yes, this is the woman who I reported to the NSPCC about the way she treats her children. Needless to say puss-cat poos in the box we have outside as he was a house-cat before we moved to the "countryside" and doesn't like the whole digging in dirt experience.

eddm · 20/01/2004 20:43

Sue, you reminded me, where I live in South London (pron. SAAAAFF) the squirrels are so hard they chase the cats! Some loss of dignity being chased by a rodent, I imagine

Paula71 · 20/01/2004 20:44

Sorry meant to say placing orange peel around the garden is also a deterent.

jac34 · 20/01/2004 20:54

I have a fore court in front of my house, and wandering dogs would come in and poo. A friend told me about a spray you can get. Foget the name now, but it's in a bright yellow bottle with a dark blue handle.You can get it it garden centres/ garden part of B&Q etc... it also repells cats, we spray it on our bin bags when we put them out as our naibours cat was always going in our rubbish.

Why not buy her some, just to shut her up !!

Linnet · 20/01/2004 21:53

We have a problem with cats pooing in our garden. When we go out in the summer to hang out the washing we have to watch where we step. These cats, there are 2 and they both come from the same house, have not been trained to bury their business. If I see them in the garden I open the window and squirt them with water, we have a little water pistol and a household sprayer that I use. One of the cats has learnt that if I open the window that is what I'm going to do so it runs the other one just looks at me. If it's on the far side of the garden I can't reach it so I think I might need to get one of those big pump action water pistols, lol
We've tried orange peel, pepper powder, chilli powder none of them worked

Hayls, Cats have the right to roam there is nothing you can do to stop your cat going into other people's gardens and there is nothing, apart from trying pepper/chilli powder etc, that your neighbour can do either.

Chandra · 21/01/2004 01:12

I would forget about both the cat and the neighbour, you already have enough with the worries of the incoming baby.

I'm going to be bit evil on this but I can resist it ;0, if she comes again to complain tell her that you have sent your cat away to live with your family so you don't have a cat anymore, but also tell her that you have seen a black and white cat digging in your garden (your nosey neigbbour's perhaps?) I'm sure it will do the trick Good luck

FairyMum · 21/01/2004 08:20

We've got cats and she is too lazy to go into the neighbour's garden to poo (unfortunatly). Otherwise that is sometimes I would encourage
Seriously, cats live and poo amongst us. That's life!

Metrobaby · 21/01/2004 09:51

Hayls - I wouldn't worry about it. You can't control cats and it could have been any one of the other cats. Hopefully your neighbour has got it out of her system anyway by having a rant at you (although it is completely un-called for IMO), and won't bother you again. Cats will go wherever they please - they are good at getting over fences and bushes anyway so I would think it's pretty hard to restrict them to just your garden.

If you want to pacify your neighbour, you can get some cat and dog repellent stuff from B&Q. Also Robert Dyas have an electronic sonic one that costs £20. Otherwise as others have suggested buy a water pistol or a bag of red chilli powder - pref from local Indian shop as it comes in lethal strengths