Cats making a mess of neighbour's garden

[QueenJane]

We have two free-range cats, and live rurally. Our neighbours have recently come to us to say that the cats are crapping all over their garden. I feel awful, they are great neighbours and I didn't realise the cats were causing such a mess. We bought sensor activated cat deterrent thingys for them a couple of years ago, and we assumed that they were working, obviously not...

My plan is to reinstate at least one litter tray in the house, maybe a fancy covered one? In the hope that they will prefer to do it here. We can also limit their outside time as the cat flap can be programmed to lock at certain times.

Our cats have always been free-roaming, hunting cats and any time we've kept them in for vet appointments etc. they've been literally climbing the walls. They would be extremely unhappy if we had to keep them indoors all the time. Is there anything else I can do? Cat-proofing the garden would be difficult, and I feel that I wouldn't be able to give them enough outdoor space to keep them content.

I completely understand why my neighbours are unhappy, they don't even have cats and should be able to enjoy their garden without finding cat poo! I'd love to hear some success stories please.

I think the only thing you can really do is look at fencing in all or part of your garden with cat proof fencing.

In the short term I would make a bit of your garden very cat toilet friendly. I largish patch of plant-free, soft earth should attract them and so persuade them to use your garden rather than your neighbours'.

And you could give supersoakers to your neighbours to discourage your cats from their garden? I wouldn't object if somebody squirted mine to keep them from coming in their garden.

Do people never stop whining, perhaps they would also like the birds, hedgehogs and foxes, rain, wind, snow, falling leaves to go away too.
Jeez if I find cat crap in my garden I just bag it and get on with enjoying my day rather than start a witch hunt, seriously first world problems.
My neighbour wanted me to cut down my gianr ash tree which was there when she moved in becasue it made her garden too shady and was annoying in autumn.
She has already butchered the four lovely ancient trees in her garden.
Why the hell didn't she move into one of the many treeless estates in this town instead?
I told her to bugger off, I have no time for this nonsense at all these days.

Thanks for the replies. I don't think it's a witch hunt, they were very reasonable about it. I suppose I wouldn't like picking vegetables to eat that the cat has pooped next to either. If I had a vegetable patch...

So I've been to the pet shop and purchased a lovely large covered corner litter tray. I've put a few handfuls of leaves/moss from the garden in it with the litter. Both cats are on lockdown. Little cat has already been climbing my curtains in an attempt to pressurise me into unlocking the cat flap They're grounded until they take a dump in the lovely new tray!

I can't eradicate the poo, but I can try and minimise it. I've heard that coffee grounds sprinkled on the soil around plants stops them? Any other natural things I coud use?

You sound a very considerate neighbour. The usual advice is one cat tray per cat plus one extra, so I fear that one between two cats may not be enough. Also some cars really don't take to covered trays as they keep the smell in (mine hates them)