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Original poster

To want to throttle neighbour's cat and neighbour!!

239 replies

Helpme20 · 05/08/2021 14:24

My neighbour's cat spends her days on our cars. It has now left scratches on both our brand new cars - more mine than DH. I saw neighbour yesterday and mentioned about the cars and she just went 'oh naughty Simba'..and did a little laugh and walked off.
AIBU to say to her that she either keeps her cat away from my car or she can pay to sort out the scratched.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Original poster
Helpme20 · 05/08/2021 16:16

@nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome

www.thecatgroup.org.uk/pdfs/Cats-law-web.pdf

I've had a quick google OP and you may actually have legal recourse to seek compensation for the damages.

Under the Common Law Duty of Care your neighbour has to take steps to ensure that the cat does not cause damage to another's property.

If you get it on film and send it to her she has to take some measure to stop it from doing it, if not she may be liable for a breach of duty of care and you thus entitled to some compensation.

Have you had a quote to fix the scratches? If it's a sizeable amount see if it's financially viable to contact a solicitor.

Thank you 😊 We have got an appointment with the dealer next week. DH thinks it may well be covered by this insurance we have with the dealer about paintwork/alloys etc..we will find out next week
OP posts:
Rollercoaster1920 · 05/08/2021 16:17

Do you have foxes in the area? I know a fox scratched my car when it jumped up and then slid off the bonnet with claws out because I saw it!
I suspect some other scratches on the pillars are from animals climbing up to the roof too. The main one didn't T-cut out. Annoying, but nature.

Leftbutcameback · 05/08/2021 16:17

Also very entertained at the thought there are no narrow country lanes in Surrey! I must have missed that setting on my sat nav,,,

Alexdrake44 · 05/08/2021 16:17

@Whinge

Am definitely throwing a bucket of water next time i see it.

If you throw water on the cat when it's sat on your car then you'll cause a heck of a lot more scratches, as it will try and grip the surface as it scrambles to get away.

Crosses fingers…..🤞 yes cats can cause damage, I know from experience but sounds like OP is enjoying having the chance to be cruel, that’s not on.
1forAll74 · 05/08/2021 16:18

I have never known any cats who would scratch on metal, they might scratch on wooden fences etc. They might sit on cars, when the metal is warm from the sun, or after it's been driven. or you might get muddy footprints sometimes.. I have three cats, so never seen any of them scratch metal things.. One of them seems to like sitting under cars at times, like he is hiding away.

Soontobe60 · 05/08/2021 16:21

@Fancymice

Your obviously not THAT upset with the scratches if its too much effort to take a cover on and off. You're just enjoying feeling all indignant about a cat scratching your absurdly expensive car because it reminds you that you have an absurdly expensive car.

I am enjoying this thread though. It reminds me of a neighbour dispute I witnessed where someone was enraged because the neighbours cat had been scrunching his soft top convertible roof, and had taken and printed off a folder of 'evidence' photos of the cats sitting in the car looking innocent, which he was planning to go to the police with Grin

The OP said that the CARS - plural - were tens of thousands. A new car can cost £25k easily. Two would double that figure. Not absurdly expensive to many many people!
Original poster
Helpme20 · 05/08/2021 16:23

Thanks everyone for your suggestions..sorry I cannot reply to each and everyone
And to those think am being cruel..learn to take a joke...I'd rather rant here and de-stress as i was feeling really pissed off with neighbour laughing and walking off. If i wanted to throw a bucket., I would have done it already, a simple google search tells me that.
But to everyone else, thank you for your sensible suggestions. A lot of cat owners have suggested water pistols, so I will try that as well
Nonetheless I think cat owners should take more responsibility and own up and at least apoligise instead of getting on their high horse!!

OP posts:
chesirecat99 · 05/08/2021 16:28

I really wouldn't try a water pistol, the cat will do far more damage scrabbling about in a panic.

MurielSpriggs · 05/08/2021 16:31

@nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome

www.thecatgroup.org.uk/pdfs/Cats-law-web.pdf

I've had a quick google OP and you may actually have legal recourse to seek compensation for the damages.

Under the Common Law Duty of Care your neighbour has to take steps to ensure that the cat does not cause damage to another's property.

If you get it on film and send it to her she has to take some measure to stop it from doing it, if not she may be liable for a breach of duty of care and you thus entitled to some compensation.

Have you had a quote to fix the scratches? If it's a sizeable amount see if it's financially viable to contact a solicitor.

I haven't looked all through that document, and I don't know which bit you're referring to, but no one is legally responsible for a cat hopping over a fence and sitting on a warm car - that's what normal cats do! A duty of care might arise if the cat was behaving unusually, eg had a tendency to attack small children. Then the owner might be legally responsible if she knew about it and hadn't taken steps to stop it. But no chance of liability for a scratched bonnet.
Fancymice · 05/08/2021 16:32

@soontobe60 well lucky them eh. Maybe people who buy expensive cars should take at least some responsibility for protecting them, or accept the wear and tear.

Why someone would spend that amount on a car when they font have a garage is beyond me, but each to their own.

I think if I was OPs neighbour i would laugh at her!

Original poster
Helpme20 · 05/08/2021 16:36

[quote Fancymice]@soontobe60 well lucky them eh. Maybe people who buy expensive cars should take at least some responsibility for protecting them, or accept the wear and tear.

Why someone would spend that amount on a car when they font have a garage is beyond me, but each to their own.

I think if I was OPs neighbour i would laugh at her![/quote]
Great mentality @Fancymice
I should take responsibility for MY car on MY drive..whilst the neighbour laughs at her cat causing damage!
It is also irrelevant how much the car cost...whether 50k or 5k..doesn't mean it is ok for neighbour to laugh at the damage.
Also by your logic, people with no garage should drive a pile of junk because they dont have a garage.

OP posts:
nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome · 05/08/2021 16:37

@MurielSpriggs

Under the damage to person and property it states liability may arise if the cat is consistently damaging property, including severe scratches.

I imagine if the scratches are bad enough to damage the paint work on two brand new cars then that's quite severe.

By reporting the incident to the neighbour it's now the neighbours responsibility to do 'something' to stop the scratches be that take him for his nails to be trimmed or what but if she does nothing she's failing to intervene despite knowing her cat is causing consistent damage to another's property.

However OP would have to contact a solicitor to establish whether she actually has a case.

Bigassbeebuzzbuzz · 05/08/2021 16:37

Ide say there was more an issue with your car paint work than anything. If this was a common problem everyone would be up in arms about it and noone would buy a new car ever.
My cats (and ndn) sit on my 20 plate car and have never left a mark.

StapMe · 05/08/2021 16:39

Car paint these days ain't what it used to be, and it is more easily scratched. Even if you could ambush the cat with water, it will come back when you're not about. You might be able to get the scratches polished out. Cats claws, clipped or not, will penetrate any cover I've seen. To protect the car properly, it needs to be garaged. Seems to me that you're going to have to learn to live with those scratches. Sorry.

Muddydoor · 05/08/2021 16:44

Has no one seen cats clawing things? Yes, claws are retractable, but funnily enough, not when a cat feels like clawing something.

Whinge · 05/08/2021 16:48

@Muddydoor

Has no one seen cats clawing things? Yes, claws are retractable, but funnily enough, not when a cat feels like clawing something.
I don't think anyone is disputing cats claw at things, but it would be unusual for them to claw at smooth surfaces like car bodywork.
Fancymice · 05/08/2021 16:48

@helpme20 I think most people don't get high blood pressure from a few scratches on their car, so no, I don't think people should drive 'a pile of junk' unless they have a garage. What I don't understand is if you are extremely protective of your car, why you would buy a brand new one and then get so angry about wear and tear, that could be caused as well my many creatures other than cats. You will get wear and tear from other things too like grit and rain and weather. Your neighbour may have laughed because its such an absurd thing to get so worked up about in the grand scheme of things.

Bigassbeebuzzbuzz · 05/08/2021 16:49

That should read ndn cat sits on my car not ndn Grin

nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome · 05/08/2021 16:50

@Whinge

In the near twenty years I've known him I've never seen my husband move as fast as when out cat decided she liked the feel of his new PS5 under her claws.

They'll scratch whatever they like, the fuckers. She also likes radiators, I wonder if it might be a texture thing?

MurielSpriggs · 05/08/2021 16:51

[quote nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome]@MurielSpriggs

Under the damage to person and property it states liability may arise if the cat is consistently damaging property, including severe scratches.

I imagine if the scratches are bad enough to damage the paint work on two brand new cars then that's quite severe.

By reporting the incident to the neighbour it's now the neighbours responsibility to do 'something' to stop the scratches be that take him for his nails to be trimmed or what but if she does nothing she's failing to intervene despite knowing her cat is causing consistent damage to another's property.

However OP would have to contact a solicitor to establish whether she actually has a case.[/quote]
Ok, thanks @nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome

NoSquirrels · 05/08/2021 16:52

@Muddydoor

Has no one seen cats clawing things? Yes, claws are retractable, but funnily enough, not when a cat feels like clawing something.
They claw surfaces to sharpen their claws (wood, fabric, rough cardboard etc).

Smooth, polished metal isn’t going to attract them to claw.

They’re not furry vindictive vandals. They’re not keying cars on purpose.

NoSquirrels · 05/08/2021 16:53

[quote nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome]@Whinge

In the near twenty years I've known him I've never seen my husband move as fast as when out cat decided she liked the feel of his new PS5 under her claws.

They'll scratch whatever they like, the fuckers. She also likes radiators, I wonder if it might be a texture thing?[/quote]
You have an unusual cat, though!

Original poster
Helpme20 · 05/08/2021 16:55

Off to see the neighbour (in a very civilised way, before some starts on me) ..will keep you updated! Wish me luck 🙏

OP posts:
Whinge · 05/08/2021 16:56

@Helpme20

Off to see the neighbour (in a very civilised way, before some starts on me) ..will keep you updated! Wish me luck 🙏
I'm intrigued, what are you hoping to gain from talking with the neighbour?
Shitfuckcommaetc · 05/08/2021 17:01

"Thanks - will see if someone can do this for us"

You really don't need to get someone to tcut your car for you Confused
Just grab a rag and polish it in!