Neighbour says I have to keep my cat in

[keepmehappy]

... and I'm starting to think he's right. DCat will not stop pooing on his lawn (middle of grass, won't bury it). Have tried two types of sensor, one worked well for a while but then got less effective.

Have also tried digging loose earth in my garden, introducing him to it, scattering his litter (clean and soiled) on it.

I have tried so hard not to let him out until he poos in the litter tray, then let him out immediately so he associates the two things in his mind (tho is he even capable of that?!). But often he just does it anyway.

At the end of my tether, and neighbour getting annoyed, saying he'll just have to be an indoor cat. What other option do I have? Please help!

is a cat run or a cat proof fence feasible?

sorry to say, I'm with your neighbour. cat shit is disgusting.

Is your NDN 100% sure it is your cat's pooh?

My NDN have a cat that practically lives in my garden ( they have a dog too but the cat/dog are harmonious ) . I find cat pooh but I know there are other cat visitors (at least 3 that mosey through on the way to somewhere more interesting)

So unless I see the cat in full flow (and I get the cold water out to chase him so he goes back to his own garden) , how do I know it's him?
Apart from the fact he looks smug ?

Presumably your neighbour deals with other unwanted visitors (as most Gardners do) like pigeons, foxes etc. I take steps to protect my own garden - why wouldn’t he?

How does he know it's your cat? My mum's car never had a litter tray, spent a lot of time out and about, we have no idea where she did her business. Do people really try to stop their cars leaving their garden so they know what they are doing all the time?

Cats...

Surely there's more than one cat roaming around the area!?

Your neighbour needs to be more realistic about wild animal behaviour. Cats are only semi-domesticated and can't be trained. They use a litter tray and/or cover their poo if they perceive themselves as on another cat's territory. Your cat is pooing in the middle of the neighbour's lawn and not covering it because your cat is the toughest in the neighbourhood and your neighbour's garden is perceived in local cat society as a critical spot to claim.*

If you keep your cat in, a different cat will become top cat in the area and will start pooing there.

Agreed. We never got free roaming cats in our garden because OUR free-roaming cat had claim to our garden. As soon as she died, all manner got brave enough to come in.

I’m on the fence a bit here. Your neighbour knows this is your cat so is putting the responsibility in you to sort it - fine. But he won’t always know whose cat (and of course no-one owns a fox) is pooing - there could be other cat poo in his garden - if your cat stops pooing there another animal will probably move in.

So, to an extent he does need to take responsibility for his garden as well.

Cats exist. Gardens exist. If you have a garden chances are there is an animal of one kind or another pooing in it. And the cats will be sorting the rodents out.

If your neighbour is going to refuse to look into any solutions himself then I think you say you’ve done all you can. Because you have.

The best thing he can do is get a very territorial cat like a Bengal himself - that’ll keep ever cat in the neighbourhood out! We had one next door and our cats took to pooing in one of our flowerbeds, so we’ve left that as a designated cat loo.

Maybe buy your neighbor some cat deterring items?

My cat has being pooing in neighbours garden. They have a happy dog which doesn’t seem to deter her.

I am trying a few things - have created a poo area in my garden - which other neighbourhood cats now poo in but not my little princess!

Last resort is cat proofing the garden - would cost about a grand, but it is possible.

I don't know what the solution is but it's good to see a cat owner that actually cares and agrees that it's not acceptable to let their cat poo in a neighbours garden. Wish my neighbours felt the same, we spend too much on various devices and products which don't seem to work.

Can you build a large cage in the garden for him? He could get fresh air, and not bother anyone.

Ime, building/buying a sandpit for dcs is a cast-iron guarantee that your cat will use it as a lavatory.