Neighbours knocking at cat

[Starrynight84]

Hello!

We have a one year old black cat, she loves to go out but doesnt go very far. At the back of our house are four houses in a row.

Over the last month Jean (the cat) has stopped using the litter tray so we assume she is going outside.

The last couple of weeks we've heard a neighbour knocking on their window - not often, but twice today already.

I'm thinking we should drop in a wee note with a water gun and just say, "sorry she's annoying you, give her a wee squoosh and she'll quickly learn" but my other half thinks I'm being ridiculous and cats will cat. I don't want to risk them harming her.

Any advice much appreciated, cat tax attached!

When we move house, we give our new neighbours super-soaker water pistols and tell them to use them if they want to stop our cats getting into the habit of going into their garden. Some give them back for the kids, some gather dust and some get used by the neighbours to deter the cats! I would pop round with a water pistol and let them know you don’t mind them using it on your cat. Super soakers are the best!

There could be a better solution still. What is your garden like? Are there any areas of soft earth that aren't crammed with plants? You need to create an area around 2ft square if possible that is just soft earth which you regularly turn/break up. She will then use that, rather than the neighbours' gardens.

How do you know they aren’t knocking hello?

No advice but she’s gorgeous! 🥰😻

No advice but she is a gorgeous little toots 😀

I'd do what TCN suggests, although I have a friend who's actually sunk a litter tray in to the ground for the cat to use.

However, I'd also offer the water pistol. They'll never use it - by the time they've got it, filled it, opened the door/window and taken aim any cat will be long gone! It does look like you're trying to do something though which generally makes people feel more congenial towards you!

Agree with cat neuterer. That advice worked a charm for us when our cat decided the neighbours front garden was their new litter tray.

Also they may appreciate you offering to pick up any cat shit. Running outside with a water pistol every time they see her is going to be a right pain for them.

Thanks for all the replies - I think she is super lovely but I am biased haha.

@EmmaH2022 unfortunately its definitely aggressive knocking, rapid and loud.

We do have some soft earth, probably a bigger area than that and she does pee there quite a lot - there are a good few cats round here and she is quite narky about her territory lol. We've not seen her doing a poo there but we've also not actively checked for it either. A couple of months ago my OH took some of her litter and poo and put it in the earth to encourage her to go there as well.

It could be that she's just dicking about with the neighbours plants? The neighbour at the end also has a very reactive dog so it could be that the cat is bothering the dog which I also would feel bad about.

I think thars a great idea. I'd do something to keep things amicable

No advice but he’s beautiful.

Or just keep it filled at the back door ready to shoot!

I was thinking I might give the water gun over filled...they are all very nice and I have knocked on before when we were getting our garden done to let them know about the noise. They are mainly elderly/no kids so it's very quiet and I definitely don't want to be the neighbour causing issues!

I like the idea of sinking a litter tray into the ground, maybe half litter and half soft soil so she gets used to it?

Such a beautiful cat!

I don't have any advice but what a gorgeous cat. 😻

Love the name too!

Sorry to disappoint you but i have a super soaker always filled in my kitchen for just this reason, another one in the bathroom. I use it mainly on undone Toms who do their opera on my back wall as it's the highest wall around.
You don't need to aim as the cats quickly associate the opening of the window, door and the sight of the super soaker with the one time you did hit them with it.
Very effective tool though.

‘It could be that she's just dicking about with the neighbours plants? The neighbour at the end also has a very reactive dog so it could be that the cat is bothering the dog’

Have you actually asked them? When they knock have you answered?

@HappyCup I havent asked them, but wanted to go round with a solution rather than just asking "are you knocking at the cat?".
The knocking comes from inside their house so I can't really answer apart from shouting over and I didn't think that was very friendly. I have stuck my head out once and called the cat and she's come over our fence from the direction of the knocking.

Ah got it! I was having a moment and thought you meant they were knocking at your door/window to get your attention. But they’re making a noise to (probably) scare the cat away. Ignore me!

When we found out our neighbours were having issues with cats (don't know if it was ours) we stopped letting one out totally (she used to wee and poo in our hall so a likely candidate) and the older one we kept in until he had used his litter tray. It wasn't hard and he quick learnt he wasn't going out until he had been so did it first thing.

I would be quite pissed off at this if I were your neighbour. And I love cats.

What you are essentially saying to them is, "If you don't want cat shit in your garden, we expect you to stay in and watch from your windows constantly, so you're ready to stop them."

What about people who work outside the home during the day? Or people who, you know, have lives?

Also cats are creatures of routines and habits. They’ll create a new routine that doesn’t involve a particular garden with a little bit of persistent squirting with a super soaker.

She's a beaut!