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The litter tray

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Original poster

Cat pooing in neighbours garden.

67 replies

Doubledouble · 08/10/2013 09:32

Hi. This is my first op (although long time lurker). I have two cats who go out but don't roam too far. They have a litter tray in the house which they use when they are in. The cats are never out if we are not at home.

The problem I have is that we moved home a few months ago and now I am getting regular complaints from neighbours about the cats pooing in their gardens. They have done it before but I've never had so many complaints.

I really don't know what to do because to refuse to let them out would be unfair on them but if they continue to do this I am worried we will make enemies of our neighbours. I really don't want to re home them ( been with us for 10
years) but I'm not sure I see any other alternative. I have told neighbours to put pepper down and to throw water on them if they catch them at it but I'm at a loss as to what to do if it continues.

Please help. These are much loved pets. TIA.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2013 12:09

I think that Grennie. The cat poo in the garden thing is rife on MN. it wasn't something I heard much about before and I am a big cat person.

gamerchick · 08/10/2013 12:13

Not everybody sucks it up though.. every year, you get a spate of storys of cats being poisoned in various areas. Nobody should have to put up with the smelly stuff when they won't have a cat themselves and some people can get really cruel when they're being plagued by various pests.

cozietoesie · 08/10/2013 12:13

Keep an eye on the size and colour of the poo, Becca. It could be foxes.

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:17

I am not a fan of cats. But I get lots of cats coming into my garden. People need to be more tolerant IMO. Some people won't like the noise of your kids playing outside in the garden, others won't like the smell of meat cooking on your barbecue. As long as you are being reasonable, I do think people should suck it up.

But anyone who would poison a cat, is evil.

Eve · 08/10/2013 12:17

So, wondering.. if cats are allowed to roam and poo is natural and people need to suck it up.

Them dogs owners are allowed to do the same? leave dog mess where ever?

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:18

Nope. Because you can walk dogs. You can't walk cats.

gamerchick · 08/10/2013 12:21

cats are exempt from fouling laws.. but I disagree about sucking it up. Cat shit is vile, smelly and really offensive to the nose (just to hammer that point) nobody should have to put up with it.... and there are bloody loads of the damned things roaming about. It's the thing super soakers were made for.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2013 12:22

Talking of dog poo. i was walking down a country lane earlier and there was a plastic bag in the road. it had been run over a few times by cars. On closer inspection it was full off tied up sacks of dog poo. Why would you dutifully clear and bag up your dog's poo then dump it in a country lane?

Anyway I digress.

I don't own a fox but have fox poo in my garden i still don't know how to sort that out.

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:23

Yes cat poo is disgusting. I have stepped in it a fair few times in my garden. And yes I have used water pistols in the past with varying success to try and keep cats out of the garden. But I don't blame the owners or the cats.

Eve · 08/10/2013 12:23

'Nope. Because you can walk dogs. You can't walk cats.'

you can keep cats indoors and give them litter trays and teach them to poo there.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2013 12:25

Cats are not meant to live indoors.

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:25

Not fair to cats to keep them indoors all the time. Most owners do have litter trays. Cats will still poo outside.

I would rather we banned cats than everyone keep cats inside, because I do think it is cruel. And although I ma not that into cats, I do care about the welfare of animals.

cozietoesie · 08/10/2013 12:26

I don't know as you can, Sparkling. Most areas have large fox populations these days. (For those of you who think you don't, get up early one morning - say about 4 or 5 o'clock - and watch the goings on through a window for a bit.)

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2013 12:26

Keep the humans indoors. then they wouldn't worry about cat poo.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2013 12:28

The fox comes into the garden for food and has been known to nick the bread I leave for the birds. it came into the garden one night and Sparkling cat saw it off-very brave.
We live on the edge of open countryside, so not entirely unexpected. We also have grass snakes and hedgehogs in the garden. Not noticed their poo. Grin

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:29

We all get lots of animals going into our gardens, most of which we will never see. Some we would welcome, some we wouldn't. We have probably all had mice and rats run across our garden, even if we have never seen them. We can not control what animals come into our gardens, so we just need to try and relax about it.

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:32

We have a hedgehog in our garden too. And bats fly around at night - although I don't know where they live. Some foxes use our garden as their dining room. We have often woken up to a McDonalds box in the garden, or bits of tinfoil spread around. Nothing we can do about that either, except pick it up.

TheArticFunky · 08/10/2013 12:35

We shouldn't have to suck it up.

I know its cat poo because it only started happening once my next door neighbour got a cat. It does it in their garden too because my neighbour is always telling her that she is "a naughty girl". Hmm

I can not be bothered with other people's animals. Wild animals I can tolerate but not other people's pets.

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:40

So what should your neighbour do then?

TheArticFunky · 08/10/2013 12:43

I've asked my neighbour to come into our garden and remove the offending poo. She said she can't because her cat poos in all the neighbours gardens and she doesn't have time.

I said I would shovel it over the fence when I see it. She wasn't happy but would rather have that than remove it herself so that's what we do. I refuse to touch it.

Grennie · 08/10/2013 12:43

You sound like a nightmare neighbour

TheArticFunky · 08/10/2013 12:46

I 'me not a nightmare neighbour I just don't understand why I should have to remove cats poo from my garden when I don't have a cat.

The neighbour accepts it's her cat she doesn't try to pretend its fox poo or anything.

Compared to some people's reactions I think I'm reasonable.

IrisWildthyme · 08/10/2013 12:48

Could you buy them a box of this stuff: www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Roar-Lion-Manure-Repellant/dp/B0002B7OT2 - one box lasts about 3 months it says, so let them know you will deliver a box to them every 10 weeks so their garden becomes less attractive.

You should make it clear that you are doing this as a neighbourly kindness not through any legal obligation. You are not doing anything illegal in owning a cat and letting it roam outside. If they want it to be illegal they should take it up with the council not with you, and you are not obliged to make any attempt to force your cat to change it's habits.

TheArticFunky · 08/10/2013 12:49

I grew up with cats and was always embarrassed when the neighbours complained which probably accounts for my zero tolerance approach.

Vakant · 08/10/2013 12:51

There isn't much an owner can do about it, but that doesn't mean it's not hugely irritating. Every time my toddler wants to play in the garden I have to do a sweep to remove poo, and I've had many a plant destroyed by cats digging up the soil too. To be honest it really winds me up when I look over the fence and see my neighbour's beautifully pristine garden, her cats don't crap in or dig up her garden it seems!