Neighbour doesn’t want cats walking on her fence

[Mowyourlawn]

My next door neighbour came round today and said that she’s getting annoyed that our two cats keep walking along the fence in her back garden. She said that it upsets her dog and makes it bark. She has a huge dog that barks at everything.

It took me a bit by surprise as I am not sure what she expects us to do. We still have litter trays that the cats come inside to use and we don’t intend to train that out of them, but that’s not her complaint anyway. She doesn’t want them on the fence or walking in her garden.

We left it as if she can think of anything to let us know but I’m just a bit confused. DP thinks this is the start of bother but I really want to avoid that if I can. Has anyone else had this?

Picture of the main offender, who I don’t think is too concerned…

This is typical cat owner, has free roaming pet that by definition cannot be controlled and then complains about the dog owner keeping their pets supervised and under control.

I agree with this.

What will you post on Mumsnet when your neighbour pops over to tell you that your cat has been hurt by her dog and you end up with vets fees, or worse?

Outdoor cats live significantly shorter lives than indoor cats. An average of 2-5 years according to a quick Google. Why do people not love their animals enough to cat proof their gardens and extend that lifespan to in some cases 10+ years?

Cat proofing is easy to do. We’ve done it in the past when we had cats.

If I had a cat and my neighbour had a big aggressive dog, I would 100% be protecting my cat by cat proofing my garden.

Put some plastic spike up and some trellis.

One of these should reinforce the message for your cats if having a word doesn't work.

Tell your neighbour to get those plastic spikes that you nail to the top of the fence. And then watch your cat still climb up there avoiding them 🤣 you can’t stop a cat from doing this, no matter how hard you try!

Edited to add picture

I think how I'd handle this depends on your relationship with her and cordial you are. Legally there's nothing she can do and you aren't under any obligation to prevent a cat doing normal cat activity, but from her perspective I can see why it is stressful. Falling out with neighbours can be hell so I'd be inclined to cat proof the top of the fence on your side. Determined cats have been known to get around it but at least they will see you tried. You could also give them the go ahead to spray them with water, though again, some cats will be deterred by this and others don't care. Anecdotally citrus peel is a good harmless deterent as well.

We had similar when our neighbours asked us to stop our cat looking at her chickens, as they were getting stressed.

Nothing we could do.

We don't have fences, we have hedges. Completely free for all to come and go as they please.

This. I've seen a little Jack Russell catch and kill a cat. From many dogs' perspective, a cat is a small, furry animal - fair game.

Protectapet and Katzecure are two companies that do it.

My neighbour put spikes on top of his fence to keep my cats out. They just walk along the fence with paws either side of the spikes, and I love them all the more for it as I know it drives him mad!

Tell her you've had words with the cats and they've pinky promised not to walk on the fences.

As an owner of dogs I feel her pain! My neighbour complains my dogs bark at everything when in fact they bark at the cats that come strolling through our Garden. Oh and dog get me started on cat s#%*

The average lifespan of a UK pet cat who has a comfortable home and is allowed outside is much higher than 2-5 years.

I've seen that claim before and never seen the actual study that apparently found this, but regardless it's obviously not true in the context of UK pet cats since the vast majority of UK pet cats go outside and the average lifespan is about 12.

I can believe that feral cats have a lifespan of about 2-5 years. Perhaps that was what the study that spawned this myth was about (it also seems to have been US based from descriptions, which is completely different to the UK - lots more predators for one).

The law concerning cats and dogs is different as they are different animals.

I know it is hard for you to understand but people who have live or lived with both find this concept very easy to understand.

I keep finding some people in the UK now have very old cats. These cats up until they were 15 or 16 years use to roam. They live in urban, suburban and rural environments, and stopped roaming due to their old age. My DP who has one such cat thinks it is due to having better diets. (One of our cats isn't allowed to roam as he is thick.)

I wonder if the neighbour would get her dog to stop barking if you told her that it upset your cats...? 🤔 This is a case of cats being cats, and a dog being a dog 🤷🏻‍♀️

Next door's yappy dog barks if my cats dare walk in their own garden. Or if I do. Or is my (late) dog did.

I live in an urban environment and one of my roamers will be 17 next birthday! My mums cat, who lives round the corner and roams will be 19!

I don't think I'm really adding anything to this discussion that hasn't already been said, but - she is bonkers. Cats do this and in law they're expected to 'roam'. That isn't yet illegal (though I do see the day coming when cat owners will be legally obliged to restrict their cats' movements) and they're not going into her garden with the big scary dog, they're walking harmlessly on the fence top. If her dog is a barker she could possibly train it not to... or, let it bark. Is it that big a deal unless it's barking for ages?

I would do as others suggested and tell her you've asked them nicely not to.

This may actually be something we have to address soon, too. Our 9 mo boys only go out supervised at the moment but LOVE sitting on the neighbour's shed roof and staring at their chickens, which thankfully are behind two layers of mesh! I don't think the chickens are overly bothered as yet, but once the cats get bolder I think they'll be on the grass on front of the chicken run. I should probably give the neighbour a big water pistol, right?

Outdoor cats live significantly shorter lives than indoor cats. An average of 2-5 years according to a quick Google. Why do people not love their animals enough to cat proof their gardens and extend that lifespan to in some cases 10+ years?

Because this stat is bullshit maybe??

US study based on feral cats. Not really relevant to the UK is it??

It's not to the same extent, but there's no way that pet cats in the UK who are allowed to roam don't live shorter lives.

And you know that how?
My childhood cat roamed everywhere and lived to 20. My previous roamers lived to 15 and 17, my now cat is 12 and spends a huge amount of time outside, day and night. My sibling's cat recently died, he was 19 and was a day and night roamer.
I know plenty of people whose roaming cats lived to 17 to 20. I actually don't know anyone who has an indoor cat, but I doubt they'd be living longer lives than the roaming ones I have known.

Wrap the fence in tin foil. Cats don't like tin foil - I've seen it on Tiktok.

Of course there will be some roaming cats that live to a good age. However, there's posts on here all the time about squashed outdoor cats. It's not an uncommon fate.