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The doghouse

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Original poster

My neighbours have got a kitten

71 replies

RIPWalter · 07/03/2022 10:26

Looking for some helpful tips to keep me sane please.

We have a 5 yo beddy x cocker spaniel neutured male.

We live in a little cluster of 3 properties (old farm) and until recently neighbours on the left had no pets, and neighbour on the right have a lovely collie who may dog occasionally talks to through the fence, with a little more noise rom both of them when she is on heat, but no real issues.

A few weeks ago neighbours to the left (semi detached with us) rescued a kitten (neutured male), which in the last week has started to go outside in their garden, and is also sneeking into our garden when our dog isn't out there.

My dog is not coping well with this, he is on high alert all the time, and barking constantly, trying to dig under the fence, sticking his head through the fence ( just stock proof fencing dividing the garden) but tail wagging all the time.

Our cottage is very tiny, with a open plan living room kitchen, so there is no escaping his (very loud and cutting) bark. Also DH works from home so it's really not ideal, and gardening is my hobby/passion and it is not at all enjoyable with a constantly barking dog, and he is also trashing plants in his excitement.

So far, we have hung a blanket up to cover the back door window so he can't see out (not working as he stood by the door barking as i type), bought a thundershirt, which has some short term effect, and i've been taking him out and about with me during the day when i can and leaving him in the car, so that he has time to calm down (but this won't be a solution for long as the weather warms up).

The only other thing i can think of is building a 6 ft solid fence, so he can't see the kitten (he's a very sight/movement orientated dog). But this will cost us £££, and piss off the neighbours as their garden is directly North of ours, so would cut out a lot of sun light to there garden & kitchen. So I don't really want to do this if it isn't likely to help, or if there is a cheaper solution any one can think of.

OP posts:

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MissMaple82 · 07/03/2022 22:55

He will eventually get used to the cat. And when the cat becomes older it will fear the dog so will then avoid your garden. Kittens just like to explore, they don't understand the dangers

MyDogTails · 07/03/2022 22:56

Don’t get a fence.
We have two cats either side of us and they jump over a 6 foot fence to —taunt— visit my dog every single day. Like yours he barks incessantly at them and whines to get out to chase them. It’s pathetic and annoying.

WetRainbowRoses · 07/03/2022 22:59

We have sheds butted up to next doors outbuildings, dry stone walls, mature trees on boundaries. Where we live is a 200 year old Welsh hill farm that has been divided into 3 properties, it's not a suburban estate with neat square gardens. If the cat gets into our garden it takes the risk of being chased, and then played with or killed depending on the opinion you've formed of my dog. I will however do everything in my power to keep my dog out of NDN garden (and I've succeeded for the last 5 years)
I see, that’s unfortunate.

I’d personally try and work on making your garden/you very unattractive and unapproachable to the cat then.

Throwing water at it for example when you see it approaching and making your garden a very unpleasant place to be (for the cat).

I wouldn’t let the dog out unsupervised and agree with a PP that a lead of some sort would be a good idea as the longer this behaviour goes on the more ingrained it’ll probably get.

Not sure I see any other solution really.
Aside from just leaving everything to chance I suppose and hoping the two either avoid each other or get along.

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 08/03/2022 07:25

Having been brought up on a Welsh Hill farm and now sadly living in suburbia I feel the rules are a bit different in the two places. Generally people are a bit less precious about animals in rural Mid Wales in my experience as most of them are working animals like collies and farm cats for ratting. I would not let my dog chase next doors cats here or bark all day in our terraced house but at my dads rural farmhouse if he barks he barks that's normal country noise and to some extent encouraged to deter thieves plus it seems a bit less irksome on a Welsh hillside. If he chases the farm cats then they either run or they fight back. They have to learn as that's the environment they live in where people are not going to protect them in the same way.

I would definitely speak to my neighbour about their expectations. This is a shared problem. I would warn them that if their kitten goes in my garden it will be taking a risk. They might come up with solutions or they might just be more laid back about it than people on Mumsnet.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 08/03/2022 07:37

I think you just have to work on your dog reacting to the kitten

Cats soon learn to avoid dogs . I had 3 and the new neighbour had a Northan Inuit , huge prey drive. He'd have killed them if he managed to catch them. They soon learnt that the garden was now off bounds.

Now he's died the cats have got cock again, one of them even went in ndn house and stole his chicken breast

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 08/03/2022 07:37

Cocky!

romdowa · 08/03/2022 07:41

Sorry to say but your dog really doesn't want to play with this kitten. I used to have a terrier who had a high prey drive and used to react this way to cats. Any time he managed to catch one he tried to kill it every time, thankfully he never did and usually came off worse. We had to rehome him when he started doing the same thing to my new born baby. Once they decide something is prey then that's it. They will be determined to catch it, not even newly having his eye scratched out cured My dog of his urge with the cat.

stillherenow · 08/03/2022 08:37

@RIPWalter I think it's been about 2 months. He does go bonkers if he sees it but the difference is it doesn't come it the garden during the day. He's used to a muzzle so I tend to put one on him when he goes out for a quick wee and I can't be bothered to check the garden - but take it off if he's playing or out there for a while , I just make sure there is no kitten! He doesn't have free access because he's a new rescue and gets up to no good if I'm not watching !

I used to have cats so I really don't want one killed by my dog but I do think all we are responsible for is keeping our dogs inside our own garden . If the cat comes in and is killed it's awful but it's not our fault .

stillherenow · 08/03/2022 08:41

Also I did speak to my neighbours to warn them and they just said the cat would run away (and then I found it trapped behind the bin!).

RosiePosie1977 · 08/03/2022 08:42

I have no good tips sorry for keeping them apart but what a gorgeous view from your garden. How beautiful to live there!

luckylavender · 08/03/2022 17:47

@Londoncallingtothefarawaytowns

Omg your dog is going to eat this cat

Judging by your responses, you’ve normalised the dogs prey drive Hope you’ve a good insurances and don’t mind falling out with neighbours.

I have a friend who had 4 separate kittens mauled to death by neighbouring, not fierce dogs. Your neighbour as a much right to a kitten as you do to a dog. You seem to forget this.

Msbobblysock · 08/03/2022 18:13

You could try using a super soaker on the kitten to try and deter it from your garden? Can do it near to not on the actual kitten until it gets bigger.

Handsnotwands · 08/03/2022 18:19

Another day be who’s neighbours cats sit atop the fence laughing at our dog. I don’t think a fence will help. You need to reward him for not going mad when the cat is around. It’ll be a looooonnnggg slow process

Handsnotwands · 08/03/2022 18:19

Wow typos. Another one whose neighbours cat

Iamkmackered1979 · 08/03/2022 18:29

I have film screens to stop my dog barking at people walking past. He is separated from my cats via stair gate as one really doesn’t like him
Dog doesn’t try to eat them or anything he just thinks they should play with him and their food is tasty.

If he’s easily distracted you could use high value treats when he starts to get wound up. So training games to keep focus on you, or licky mat or filled kong or long lasting chew, to give him something to do to distract - sniffing, licking and chewing are a dogs way of calming themselves. Take dog out on lead in garden if you know the cat is out, play with him and keep his focus on you. I’m sure when the cat is older it can look after itself and your dog is less interested in it, I’d work ok making you the thing he wants to be near and when he’s behaving - lying down and calm, reward him with nice treat (I just go over and calmly say niiiice or goood lay the treat between his legs and move off easier if they are beside you. Boundary training is also good, worth looking into.

Original poster

RIPWalter · 08/03/2022 20:11

@luckylavender

I have a friend who had 4 separate kittens mauled to death by neighbouring, not fierce dogs. Your neighbour as a much right to a kitten as you do to a dog. You seem to forget this.

Where have I forgotten this. I have already spent £40 this week on strategies to make my dog calmer in my garden when the kitten is about, and I'm considering paying for very expensive fencing if necessary. My dog has every right to be in our garden and in 5 years he has never escaped into NDN garden. If the kitten comes in to my garden it is not my responsibility to keep it safe, and NDN are fully aware of this (since they are reasonable and intelligent people).

What I want is for my dog to be the (mostly) chilled out dog, he was a week ago, and for me to be able to quietly enjoy my garden too.

OP posts:

CharlotteRose90 · 08/03/2022 20:25

Your neighbour is an idiot getting a kitten when they live next to or inbetween 2 young dogs . It’s calling for trouble. I have a spaniel and he absolutely hates cats. In your situation I would get a low fence. Maybe 4ft and teach your dog not to jump at it. Yes you will get the cat on the fence teasing but that’s normal. It isn’t fair the situation you have currently and the kitten doesn’t deserve to be chased. My dog used to jump at the fence and we rewarded him with treats now when the cat comes he ignores it and walks away.

ABitBesotted · 08/03/2022 20:29

I have a friend who had 4 separate kittens mauled to death by neighbouring, not fierce dogs.

Four? They shouldn't be roaming when they're absolutely wee, should they? After one kitten had died that way, no way would you be getting another, surely (assuming this was the same location).

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 08/03/2022 21:57

Sounds like they were too young to be out. Don't know why people don't keep them in the house until they are a little older (and have 3nough sense not to go near dogs )

luckylavender · 09/03/2022 10:48

@ABitBesotted

I have a friend who had 4 separate kittens mauled to death by neighbouring, not fierce dogs.

Four? They shouldn't be roaming when they're absolutely wee, should they? After one kitten had died that way, no way would you be getting another, surely (assuming this was the same location).

Two separate incidents, not close together. Two at a time. Friend is long standing cat owner and had taken extensive precautions. Also reassurance from neighbour. Kittens were not tiny little things. Young cats maybe better description.

stillherenow · 09/03/2022 22:27

Yes as long as the dog stays in it own garden that's all one can do. If a cat roams then it's at risk in all sorts of ways , and I say that as a cat lover but it's part of having a cat.

I was a bit when my neighbour got a kitten and let it out just a few weeks after I'd adopted a high prey rescue dog.

Hope things settle soon OP I felt exactly the same about ddog being on edge in the garden

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