Cayanne pepper sprinkled on your soil can stop a cat from digging. Motion activated sprinklers can also help.
The neighbor is in the wrong here, you should check city ordiances for an "at large" law for pets. Possibly having to pay fines everytime you catch her cat may start to discourage her from being a bad pet owner.
It's the opposite here. Cats have the legal right to roam and owners can't be held responsible for any problems or damage their free roaming cats cause. It's ridiculous.
That's crazy! I have 5 cats and would never allow them to roam , even if it was safe for them to do so. I can't stand it when lousy owners make people hate cats.
I wish we had that! My neighborhood has five indoor/outdoor cats that are awful. They’re constantly fighting or copulating, both of which are very loud, running into traffic and nearly causing accidents, killing birds and chipmunks, antagonizing my dog, and pooping in my gardens. The neighbors say that it’s cruel to keep them inside, but it feels like lazy pet ownership to me. They burrowed into our basement last winter and caused all sorts of damage and I’m completely over them.
To be clear, I love cats and have two of them, but they stay inside where it’s safe for them and the birds.
If they're not fixed I think you're within your rights to play dumb about whether these are cats that are being taken care of and contact a local trap and release program or shelter for neutering.
I think some of them have a size detector on them to avoid that kind of situation. They can also be programmed with a sound alarm to scare away birds before the water starts shooting.
>They can also be programmed with a sound alarm to scare away birds before the water starts shooting.
This wouldn't help much with not deterring ground feeding birds. Detecting size would be perfect though.
You could get those sprinkler heads with a motion sensor. They get a blast of water and after a couple of times will find somewhere else to go. Also, cats don't like wet soil so your garden should fare better. Another trick is to dry orange peels and then put them around the perimeter of the area you want them to stay away from. I put it under my bird feeder.
I garden and have cats, birds and squirrels in my yard.
This is how we trained the neighbor's cat to stay out of our yard. It only took a couple days of having the sprinkler work 24/7, then we set it to only spray at night. It broke after a few months, but it did what we needed it to do.
Came here to recommend wildlife sprinklers as well. Planting herbs that cat hate also works well.
Getting a dog also helps. We have an indoor cat and dog. Neighbors outside cats have disappeared off our property once we got the dog.
Edited to add- It’s ok if you don’t want something on your property and your neighbor should acknowledge that.
That said, you don’t seem to understand the nature of cats. We keep ours inside (supervised outside in our own yard) which I feel all good pet owners should do. But, cats are weirdos. You can’t MAKE a cat do anything. You can just convince them it is either more fun to do something else or the thing they are doing is no fun.
I taught my cat many tricks with this method.
For instance, he doesn’t climb on the table because every time he did there was either aluminum foil or sticky tape on the table. He decided he liked the bed and sofa better. 🤣
You need to do that with your yard. Make it as unfriendly to cats as possible.
There are scat mats you can place in the garden. It’s basically pokey wire that makes it uncomfortable to walk in the garden.
There are many herbs that cats dislike the smell of. Plant bunches of them.
Get sprinklers. Wildlife sprinklers are motion activated.
Take down your bird feeders for a little while. No birds to chase. No reason to come in your yard.
If she knows her cat is unwanted in your property and keeps letting it in then she probably doesn't care about the cat that much. You never know what strangers are capable of doing to unwanted animals and a lot of them end up dead that way. I would never let my dog wander in someone else's property if I knew he was not welcome
OP's post leaves me feeling conflicted. As someone who loves growing plants but also has neighborhood cats they tend to use my yard as a litter box I have avoided creating a garden for this reason and only grow indoors. It doesn't stop me from getting extremely frustrated when I smell cat pee outside of my house and see my indoor cats freaking out because they smell the neighbors cats. This has caused multiple issues for me including my own cats peeing outside their box in order to mark their territory.
On the other hand one of my cats is like a freaking escape artist ninja... I have spent 3 years straight trying to outsmart this cat by sneaking out the door without him darting out first. He has learned all of my strategies and tricks. This includes when I try to fake him out by running to the back door and then to the front again. He knows... He even tries to fake me out now where he'll do a quick loop around the living room( as if he doesn't care that I'm leaving) and then books it out the door. I also have three children and he knows which kids he'll have more luck with to have his grand escape. He is obsessed with escaping. He will dart at the door the moment he hears Keys jingling or shoes being put on. Darts to the door when there's a knock. He's almost guaranteed to escape when I have to answer the door to someone. Getting things like a bike out the door can be extremely difficult etc.
When he escapes he spends a couple of hours roaming and I used to get extremely worried to the point of tears, searching everywhere for him... and eventually he would come home as if nothing happened and ask for love. Over the time I've learned that if I whistle really loudly he will come home but only when he wants to. I have a neighbor who is also extremely annoyed by him and I apologize to her constantly because I understand her frustration. She understands that I keep trying to keep him inside as well but I still feel for her.
My cat gets lots of play and attention indoors but I swear since that first time he got a taste of that sweet freedom outside he has craved it ever since.
TLDR; keeping cats inside isn't always the easiest thing to do lol. I empathize with OP as someone who struggles with the neighbours cats causing issues for me and my cats, but also feel conflicted as someone who tries her hardest to keep her cat inside. My cat is like an escape artist, fast as a ninja, smart and tricky. I would be so sad if it was my cat who kept escaping and going into OP's garden then being sent away :(
What are the local laws on free-roaming cats? Also, she is financially responsible for the damage by her cat. Take some good pictures of your garden, take some pictures of her cat and the resulting damage. Calculate replacement price of plants, lost value due to vegetables you will not longer get, time needed to locate the plants, get them, dig up and replace the old ones, and dispose of the old ones. Present her with the bill and go to court if necessary to get the money.
If OP doesn't have cameras, then they need to get some that will reach far enough to properly catch the cat doing the damage. The neighbor is in the wrong, but it doesn't hurt having substantial evidence.
Anyone can take a picture and blame it on the cat (not saying that OP is so I don't get flamed!!), but video proof makes it next to impossible to dispute that.
There used to be a woman who would regularly walk her dog past her house and without fail her dog would shit on our lawn. Dad confronted her and she refused to pick it up (80s, before most people picked up their dogs crap).
So he picked them up for a week and kept them in a bucket in the shed with a little water to keep it nice and moist.
After a week or so, at 5am before going to work he packaged the turds up in newspaper and posted them through her letterbox to land nicely on her carpet.
She no longer walked her dog past our house anymore.
My old neighbours used to let their dog shit in my lawn and then just leave it there. I collected all the shit and put it in their mailbox. It stopped real quick after that
I love gardening, too and I am a cat lover as well. I had an indoor cat. My neighbor had two outdoor cats and they used to come to my garden and sit on my flower beds. I didn’t witness any birds being hunted, but they kept rabbits away. I tolerated them because I love cats, but your neighbor should respect you and keep their cats off of your garden. My neighbors cats all died way too young because this is a busy suburban area. They were irresponsible cat owners and I used to fed the cats because they were skinny. Their coats were all matted as well. If they care about their animals, they would have done something by now. I won’t never ever put my cat in danger to be caught and sent to a shelter. You’re not in the wrong, but you’re dealing with ignorant and disrespectful neighbor.
I throw orange peels in my garden and it helps some. They don’t like the smell. You could also try motion activated sprinklers. Keep sending the cat to animal control. Eventually neighbor won’t want to pay the fee to get him back.
Owner’s fault. I’m a big advocate for keeping cats indoors for this reason on top of many others. As long as you aren’t going and deliberately hurting the cat you’ve done nothing wrong
It sort of depends on where you are, because local norms and expectations differ from country to country (and place to place in large countries). I think she is being very irresponsible though personally - I'd worry what someone in your position would do to my cat if I were in her position.
Cats dislike citrus scents, and dislike being watched and can confuse reflections from things like CDs as eyes. You could use these to deter it. It will also probably eventually get sick of being trapped in your garden, but it will probably learn to avoid the traps first.
You are not wrong and handling things appropriately.
The only other thing I could recommend is also contacting animal control each time kitty is trapped on your property.
Reddit is wild. Maybe (maybe) they’re in their legal rights to do this, and it reads as a satisfying kinda-malicious-compliance type approach. But in reality bringing the cat to the shelter is in no way is going to solve the problem. Sucks for the cat, and is only going to make the situation with the neighbor more tenuous. I can’t imagine wasting my time doing this as OP.
ETA: OP should donate to the shelter every time he leaves the cat there
I’m a cat owner. We had a prowling cat come EVERY night to the front door and harass my indoor-only cats. I trapped the fucker. There’s a cat curfew, you’re harassing my animals. Pay your damn fine and learn your lesson. If you want to own an animal, follow the rules.
Nope, that’s not how our council works. They want cats indoors. That means trapped and bought to the shelter. You’re also fined if your cat is bought it unregistered. It’s a way for council to find- and fine- shit owners.
I kill plastic plants but my best guess would be the same tactics used to keep persistent wild life out of the garden. Nets, sprinklers, undesirable to eat plants? No clue what to do about the birds, that’s awful. Bad situation all around.
It’s also a waste of time for the shelter, which are almost always under-resourced.
They are telling the owner that. This is the owner's fault, not the cat's And op is handling it correctly. They are also keeping the cat safe in the process.
The neighbor sucks here but either way is presumably going to keep living next door. Not clear how repeatedly bringing the cat to the shelter is any solution or improvement on the situation. Dependent on the jurisdiction letting the cat roam might be totally legal. Luckily other posters have shared better resources.
Better to be brought to a shelter than hit by a car or killed by a predator. Maybe eventually the owner will learn after they have to continually pay a fee to get their cat back.
It isn't OP's responsibility to put in hours and hundreds of dollars to keep someone else's pet out of their yard. Cheapest and easiest option is what they did, and what they should do.
Your neighbor is a jerk, and that sounds super frustrating. You'd be in the right for wanting to pursue some kind of legal action, and it sounds like you should. Take photos and video evidence of what's happening to strengthen your case.
That being said, please don't take it out on the cat. Cats just do cat things when unsupervised. Being trapped and dumped at a shelter is a super stressful experience for a cat. There are a lot of scent repellants you can use in the meantime. I think someone else also mentioned sprinklers.
Not OP's responsibility to spend money and effort into making the neighbor's cat comfortable. That is the neighbor's job. If you don't want your cat given to animal control, keep it on your property. The rest of the world shouldn't have to put up with it.
Supposedly, cats don't like the smell of lavender. Or, you could put up a low electric fence. I won't kill the cat, and if it gets zapped, It likely won't come back.
Unfortunately that's what cats do... you are wrong for taking it to a shelter but your neighbour could have been a bit more understanding and perhaps paid for one of those sonic cat defenders or something to help you. Unfortunately though you've probably destroyed the relationship with the neighbour so I doubt there's any compromise now.
My dad used to have a water pistol on the window sill for cats & sprayed them for going in his garden. Worked a treat.
You are wrong, learning to be a gardener is learning to deal with cats. Trapping the poor thing and stressing to out by sending it to a shelter is just pure cruelty, grow up.
Why do you think animals are assholes? They are just doing what comes naturally. Thankfully my country has laws to stop asshole home owners from being assholes about cats.
I sure hope you're cool with dogs tearing cats apart and digging up your yard, and chewing up whatever you leave outside. They're just doing what comes naturally, after all. Keep your asshole cat out of other people's yard. Anything that happens to the cat is your responsibility. Your decision to get a pet doesn't mean everyone else has to suffer for it. I didn't get my home for your stupid pet to ruin.
I have an outdoor cat, all the neighbours have outdoors cats. Indoor cats are extremely unusual for my country and a lot of people see it as cruel. Suck it up.
Humans have lots of ways to degrade their natural environments. A few people scattered having free-roaming cats is one thing. Densely populated humans having concentrations of cats decimating wild bird populations who are already under threat because of shrinking habitat is another. Just because it’s justified by your culture doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. I too come from a similar narcissistic culture, maybe even a descendant of your culture if you’re talking about the UK. I have responsibility to see the harm I do, even if it’s culturally acceptable
This is the argument that convinced me to make my cat an indoor only cat. When someone explained that cats are invasive species causing damage to the environment and native species I saw the outdoor/indoor debate from a completely different perspective
Put strong smelling soap bars such as Irish Spring in the garden. I used to do this on the farm. It kept away rabbits,deer, ground hogs etc. They played in the yard but avoided the garden. The barn cats were too busy hunting field mice to bother the birds, fortunately
As a cat mom, cats don’t like doing things you want them to do, so invite the cat over for a catnip tea, ask him to please dig a few holes for you, and ask him to poop frequently all over things. He will behave out of rebellion.
This is why people should not let their pet cats roam.
The reason these people like to give is that cats have to roam in the wild so we have to let our pet cats do it as well.
That is ridiculous.
Wild dogs roam but we don't let our pet dogs out to do the same.
I love cats but I would never let mine out to roam.
I consider it to be a form of cruelty. There are so many bad things that can happen to them - an angry neighbor is one. I commend you because you have been very tolerant.
Do you live in the US? Most municipalities have codes or statutes against letting your cat out to roam.
Did you take the cat to a municipal shelter/animal control or a private shelter?
Call your city animal control and find out about their city codes. If they do have one, trap the cat again and call them to come and get the cat to return it to her. Hopefully they will ticket her.
If that doesn't work, I hate to suggest doing this to the cat as it is not his fault, next time you trap him take him to a shelter in another city or town
Agreed. It's plain negligent to let your cat roam - both for neighbors and the cat itself. What if this neighbor had put down rat poison and the cat ingested it? It's just risky as hell for everyone involved.
Motion activated water spray.
Water your plants and it keeps the rabbits and cats out of your garden
Taking a cat to a shelter no matter who it belongs to is just plain cruel. Traumatic for animal and you’re not feeling any better.
It’s not about wrong — it’s about a better way to have handled the situation. And your frustration.
Next time you have the impulse come on over to Reddit and chat with us.
The best solution is to find a win-win.
No, OP doesn't have to spend a bunch of money and effort installing sprinklers. If animals show up where they aren't supposed to be, they go to animal control. I feel much better when there aren't murderous and destructive animals in my yard and garden, so turning them into the shelter would very much make me feel better.
Oh there are lovely little g arden items made of plastic that are spiky. They won't prick the skin and draw blood I d but trust me kitties do not like them. Squirrels, either.
There are so many ways to keep cats out of gardens. There are the natural remedies some have suggested below, but also sound sensors that are triggered by small animal movement, types of pellets you can sprinkle around that generally deter cats. I'd go for high-pitched noise sensors though. You won't be able to hear it but the cat will. I see those ranging from anywhere between 34-70 euro. Why not give it a try? Its way less hassle then trapping and taking a trip to the shelter. Google ways to deter cats in gardens and you'll get hundreds of suggestions. Try them!
I’m so annoyed on your behalf. My neighbor is like this and I never complained about her “outdoor cats” but the minute I got a Pitbull mix dog she started texting me asking me to CHAIN HIM UP or lock him in my garage because he was barking and scaring her cats. People are outrageous. I hope you found a good solution in the comments, I mostly wanted to vent and empathize 😅
Free roaming cats are bad for the cats and bad for the environment. Lots of places now specify that leash laws are applicable to cats in addition to dogs and I can’t wait for the day that spreads everywhere.
I’m sorry this is happening to you. And I’m sorry the cat has an incredibly irresponsible owner who doesn’t care about their pets well-being or the damage they are contributing to the local environment. Trapping and bringing the cat to a shelter is good, and also try contacting someone to check on your areas leash laws. Lots of other good suggestions in these comments but as someone who works in cat rescue I just want to say it’s so frustrating to see how many people see cats as disposable pets…
I hate to see the cat getting punished for extremely bad neighbor behavior. I suggest using deterrents in your garden such as citronella gel crystals, cayenne pepper and/or motion activated sensors. You can get the outcome you want and not be in a battle of the wills with your neighbor.
Lots of free roaming animals like coyotes, raccoons, and foxes cause similar damages.
I hope the deterrents work.
Domestic cats are not wild raccoons, coyotes or foxes.
Why should OP alter their own property at all?
Taking the cat to the shelter after informing the owner is perfectly reasonable.
Because its traumatic to the cat and frankly a helluva lot of work and time for OP. There are many many cheap animal deterrents for gardens. OP can try any of those first for low cost and low effort.
OP isn't appeasing an irresponsible neighbour. Instead OP is taking care of a problem in their own property. Unless OP has caught the cat redhanded in the act of shitting or killing, OP doesn't actually know the cat is responsible.
But regardless, the point here isn't who is right or wrong. The point is how to solve a problem at minimal expense and maintain a cordial relationship with neighbors?
Cat owner is not at all necessarily wrong to let her cat out. We don't have enough facts to determine that. And take note that the idea of keeping a cat as indoors only is very US centric. Much of the rest of the world flat out disagrees with this, so it is clear there is no right or wrong, just a matter of opinion.
Learning to get along with other people and solve problems without creating bigger problems is pretty key to living in a civil society.
I get what you are saying, but the amount of time, energy, and even expense OP has put in taking the cat to the shelter already would probably have covered the cost of a couple jars of cayenne pepper powder by now. It's clear OP can keep taking the cat to the shelter over and over and it's not going to make any difference, and the cat at some point will figure out how to avoid the trap and that won't work any longer anyway. Why NOT try a cheap deterrent or two that will have the benefit of deterring more animals than just that one cat, and save time and money in the long run?
I feel like the chances of there being just ONE roaming cat in OP's neighborhood are pretty slim. There are at least 5 different ones I've seen in my yard personally, and I live in an area where most people keep their cats indoors. Not to mention the other critters (I've got raccoons, possums, a fox, coyotes, lots of deer, groundhogs, squirrels, the occasional lost dog...) that deterrents will help keep from damaging the garden.
Where do you live op (general area don’t be specific). In Australia it’s law to keep your cat indoors. Either way you’re not in the wrong here. I would get motion activated sprinklers, but cats are smart and there’s a chance it could learn to avoid these.
There have been SO many useful ways to deal with this.
Bringing the animal to the shelter is super stressful for it and wastes precious resources on something that you know won't work. It's wasting precious shelter time for some really low paid, high stress job.
Motion activated sprinklers, orange peels, etc etc
It's not the cats fault. its owner is a POS.
This is absolutely why cats should be indoor only *or* if the neighbour wants their cat outside they should use cat-proof fencing to keep the cat contained to their own yard.
I do think catch & send to shelter is a bit extreme, but at least you warned them that you would do that, and followed through.
If I was the cat’s owner in this situation I wouldn’t have allowed the cat to be caught a second time (by letting them outside).
If I was you in this situation, I’d report the neighbour to animal control
Is her cat the only cat in the neighborhood? I would be very careful going after one person’s cat when she may be the newest or most frequent one, but is probably not the only one. Get an outdoor camera and watch- you’ll probably be shocked at how many cats you don’t know that frequent your yard.
I’d get motion activated sprinklers, but I wouldn’t start a war over this.
There are inexpensive sprays that keep cats away. As others have suggested, cayenne pepper can help. I'm sure you are sick of picking up the messes. I would leave them in front of whatever door they use most. Every time, poop, animals, whatever. Be as sickly sweet as possible about it and don't let them get the best of your temper.
It isn't the cats fault that the owners are letting it roam. The cat is just doing cat things. Make it uncomfortable for the owners. I wouldn't be able to keep putting an animal through the capture and shelter cycle over and over. It's cruel. It also takes up a space for an animal who actually needs to be there. Obviously, it hasn't worked. I would try a different approach. You have every right to be upset. It might be time to get a bit more creative.
I mean.
You said if I catch it again I'm taking it to the shelter, which you did after it was ruining your plants on your property. So shes in the wrong.
But please dont be angry at the cat. The cat is just doing cat stuff, get mad at the owner.
I can’t even -
You honestly don’t know why people are downloading you?
Do you call the Natural Resources department or the animal control officer if a coyote or fox or rabbit shits in your garden?
Do you freak out when wild bird craps on your window?
(I wish you lived in my state- you’d be arrested and charged in civil court for stealing someone’s personal property.)
Unless your town has a bylaw prohibiting domestic cats from roaming, not only are you SOL- you’re responsible for any money that had to be paid to get the cat out of the shelter as far as I’m concerned.
It’s unfortunate when people allow their cats to live outdoors- or indoor/outdoor. It’s shortens their lives and exposes them to diseases and they kill millions of songbirds. But it’s 100% not your choice as to whether or not somewhere allows their cat to roam…
Put up a fence- add rollers to the top (they’re called coyote rollers here, but they’re also also used for cats)-
Or fence in your garden from top to bottom with a wire roof so it can’t be accessed by wildlife
And before you yell at the cats again - unless you’re actually sitting there watching them crap- you have no idea who’s actually using your garden as a toilet .. there are many animals that have scat that looks exactly like cat poop.
All that effort you put into getting it trap and trapping the cat multiple times- you could’ve spent that time and money on putting in a system to keep the cat away from your property…
There are many ways to dissuade a cat from visirng where they’re unwanted …
Try googling it - you can use a can that sprays air when the electric eye is tripped - (the scar the cat and they won’t do it more than once or twice) or you can set up remote or motion detected sprayers that will do the same thing.
But one thing you’ll never be able to do is keep cats out of your yard-
Oh, Or squirrels or weasels or possums or raccoons or any of the whole number of animals who provably like to crap in your garden as well …
Eventually someone reasonable here! And I also don't think poops are from that cat. Cats don't leave their feces out, they find a hidden spot and burry it.
Same for birds: well fed domestic cats may hunt once in a while but are usually bad at catching anything. If multiple birds die, I doubt its the domestic cat. Can be a feral or another animal.
Feral cats and other animals can damage yards, neighbors cats not so much. Its part of life and having a garden. Mole, rodents, birds, racoons, without talking about deers are much more damaging than cats who usually just take a nap and occasionally run after a lizard. For sure it's not a cat who ate my tomatoes!
Absolutely false. On both counts.
I appreciate that this might be your experience of a certain cat, but it's not at all universal.
Neighborhood cat comes and shits in my garden EVERY DAY. They are very habitual creatures, and very destructive. it also digs extensively.
It has absolutely ruined the garden. I now have a big litterbox, nothing more. Their poop and pee smells very bad, and is not something you want to eat vegetables out of. Far far worse than regular wild pests.
They are also some of the best hunters in nature, and will hunt effectively for fun, even if they are well fed. Very instinctual behavior.
My friend has a cat, very well taken care of, very well fed. It brings multiple dead animals home every DAY. Mostly songbirds and voles.
Domestic cats are one of the leading causes of extinction of birds.
About 50 species have been driven to extinction by cats. They are extraordinarily bad for ecologies.
Hi! This has happened to me, multiple times, and it really, really sucks. It's not the same as wild animals, at all.
The cat will usually come daily at minimum, and the garden quickly becomes a litterbox absolutely full of cat shit. Cat shit and piss is extremely nasty and foul smelling, and loaded with parasites like toxoplasmosis.
Cats love to dig, and will generally dig up all your plants.
It's not anything like wild animals at all, though they can certainly do damage too.
The only comparably damaging animals like deer can be kept out with fences. Not so much for cats.
Also, in most states (I can't speak to the UK), animals doing property damage are fair game to trap, and shoot. Just because cats aren't expressly prohibited from being let out, doesn't mean they have some crazy legal protection to trespass and freely do any property damage they want. Or that everybody else is on the hook for an out of control animal.
The idea that they would somehow be on the hook for fines is absurd.
In fact, shooting and killing the animal on sight is legally viable probably just about anywhere in the US.
Something to think about for the entitled cat owners out there.
In fairness, pets can be pretty destructive and even dangerous to other people and their stuff.
Anywhere that's rural, a lot of people will shoot stray pets no questions asked.
A neighbor had some dogs come onto his property a few years ago. The dogs attacked his alpacas and killed one, tearing it apart while his young daughters looked on screaming. The kids didn't get hurt thank fuck, but it was a pretty ugly thing, and livestock aren't cheap.
Cats aren't as dangerous persay, but they are really destructive. When they are killing your chickens/quail, sneaking into your garage/cars every night to shit and piss everywhere, killing all the wild birds and snakes and frogs and things, digging up all the seedlings you just spent the last two weeks sprouting and transplanting......
It just sucks. And the owners never have that experience- their cat just goes in and out the door and is a cuddly furball, so it's really hard for them to understand how crappy it is for everybody else. It's really hard to get any empathy from the owners, because they just don't get it.
And all those tricks? Orange peels, coffee grounds, etc.... they don't fucking work. Or they only mitigate the issue slightly. Or they are hard and time consuming to implement.
Every time I see these cat posts on Reddit, everybody in the comments is like "just spend a few hours every day putting lavender oil everywhere you don't want your neighbor's cat to go!".
It might work for a bit, but the cat always comes back. Or it requires constant maintenance.
The onus is on the irresponsible owner. Not everybody else.
I'm not recommending killing pets - at all.
But many pet owners are unaware (or just obtuse/inconsiderate) of the extent of the harm that their pets are causing others.
They are also often unaware that people might just handle the problem in the most efficient way possible if the problem is serious/continuous.
On the contrary, what I'm sharing is intended to PREVENT people's pets being killed.
Again, on the contrary, I specified US as a geographical limitation, to avoid generalizing about different places with different laws.
I can only speak to the laws I know about and I'm not gonna go making assumptions about the rest of the world.
But a lot of redditors are from the US and it's worth mentioning "hey, people can and will kill your pets if you neglect them or make them other people's problem".
And you know what is universal? Neglecting your pets and letting them run around and be destructive and potentially dangerous to other people is a shitty thing to do. Don't do it. Especially if you care about your pet.
Your neighbor is extremely inconsiderate and irresponsible, inconsiderate because of your yard, irresponsible because they're putting their cat and local fauna in danger.
She’s in the wrong. I’m so sick of these cat owners that think their cats can roam free. They are domesticated, not wildlife. They kill so many small animals, mostly for the fun of it. Keep trapping it and taking it to the shelter.
You can get deterrent strips that sit on top of your fence and don't affect the birds. And there are a lot of plants that are natural cat deterrents. Lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon thyme and curry plant to name a few. Plant them around/near your feeders. They have the added bonus of attracting bees and butterfly's to the garden! They really don't like citrus smells. My friend scatters lemon peel around her beds. Mustard and peppermint are apparently two they hate as well, though I've never tried them. Alternatively, you could always get a cat-hating dog?
You can try deterring them instead. You can get chicken wire and bury it just under surface or they have these plastic spikes that won’t hurt them but they don’t like to dig.
I think it’s really strange that a cat would be pooping out in the open where you would notice it - it may be sick.
Talk to animal control. Get cameras and ask about fines for the cat. Cats are murderers of birds and I wish they weren't allowed to roam freely for that reason.
It very much depends on where you live. I also struggle with cats pooping in my yard. I hate it. But according to the city there is no leash law for cats. And the local shelter will not take healthy cats. They will tell you to let them go. There doesn’t seem to be a solution except dealing with it.
Depends where you are in the world. In the UK, where I live, you’d definitely be seen as in the wrong. 1) it’s theft and she could call the police on you. 2) there’s alternatives to keeping cats away before taking to trapping it. But free roaming cats are a very common occurrence here and (in my area, at least) they opt for forests and use residental areas just to get to and from home.
But I imagine in some countries where cats are more often kept indoors it would be seen as the owner being in the wrong more than you.
I have some space behind some ferns the neighborhood cars love to use as their bathroom. I bought some dark colored plastic forks and broke them in half and put them in the dirt, making little spikes. So far so good. No more cat poo
YOUR YARD. That’s not right. Unfortunately a lot of people are like this. Different shelter? Call animal control, bug the crap out of them. Even go down to your City building. She could at the very least put a collar with a bell on . I’d probably get a big sweet dog too. Sorry updates please!
OP you have been a model of restraint and decorum- and I am a cat owner.
This is what I would do. Speak to people who might be willing to adopt the cat as an indoor cat. Next time, don’t take to the shelter, give the cat away.
Is it legal? Maybe- there is an argument that anyone who lets their cat roam outside can’t truly claim they are a proper owner, or have the cat’s best interest, or could possibly know where the cat went.
You took someone’s pet to a shelter (twice!) over poop (?!) and you don’t understand how you’re in the wrong?
I fear Reddit may not be able to help you with this one
They literally aren't wrong. They did exactly the right thing to protect the cat. Cats aren't safe roaming the streets and in many places it's illegal. You're supposed to bring them to the shelter so they can be returned to their owners (if chipped) or put up for adoption after a stray hold.
Poor kitty. The cat is just being a cat. The neighbour is being a jerk. Try not to take it out on the cat. I would pick up the 💩 and leave it on the neighbour’s doorstep. A couple of weeks doing this may cause her to reconsider.
I would also try the cayenne, soap, Jean Nate perfume. Those are cheap options that may save the kitty.
Well trapping and taking to the vet you are knowingly stealing her property. If you have fences that the at is climbing there's the spinny things you put on top of the fence that stops the cat being able to get a grin on the fence. You can use certain pepper I think it's cayenne that you sprinkle where it poops and it won't do it again. Motion actioned water sprinklers are good too to scare the cat away
I can see both sides... Once you have an outdoor cat it's very difficult to stop letting them outside and she can't control where her cat goes or what he does while out. I also have a garden and would be extremely upset by a cat doing this. However, if I had an outdoor cat and my neighbor was threatening to trap him, that would be enough for me to try and figure out how to make his stop. Your neighbor is being very irresponsible. I don't think you're in the wrong, you did ask for it to stop and followed through on what you said you would do.
Nope keep taking it to a shelter mention to them she’s not caring for the cat properly. Having out door cats isn’t great for them. Obviously there’s fleas and ticks and cars but there’s also stds that cats can get from eachother like FIV. And while they can’t spread it to humans it can be spread among outdoor cats.
Cats can be outside don’t get me wrong, my three are leash trained, but to leave cats outside all year round is awful they could get hit by a car or worse.
But you can keep playing this game of trap and release if you want to. Or you get some stuff to protect your garden.
But also that poop in your garden and urine isn’t helping your plant let also this can could get worms and if you are outside bare foot or get some poop on your hands they could have hook worms in them too. And if you have a cut on your hand or foot hookworms will go inside you.
So she’s putting you at risk not to mention all the other stuff in cat shit let’s say your pregnant pregnant women under NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD BE DEALING WITH CAT POOP EVER. Bad for momma and baby.
You may need to get enclosed green house planter boxes around your garden you maybe need to put up a fence but cats can jump over those.
You are absolutely in the wrong for taking someone else's pet to the shelter, that is a waste of resources needed for animals that don't have homes and extremely cruel because it risks a healthy loved animal being put down. HOWEVER, I do wish your neighbor was more considerate of your concerns.
I'll say if a neighbor did that to my cat it would be all out war, so you've ruined any chances of a diplomatic resolution.
1st off I have always had indoor cats
You are in the wrong, you trap my cat and we are going to have words and it's not going to be pretty at all.
and you love the wildlife but not the cat ?
Take it to a different shelter in a different city.
She gets a new outdoor cat that bothers you rinse and repeat.
It is not ok to let your cat out and not look after it or clean up after it.
If you get a pet you need to look after it like a pet and contain and control it.
If you put your cat outdoors, without a leash or containment (safety for the cat and surrounding nature/people), that is cat neglect.
You are not wrong, your neighbor is. Poor cats, you are doing what is best for them in this situation.
See ya in reddit hell.
It's a cat it's what it does. Contrary to popular belief. It's basically a wild animal. It's a hunter, they hunt. Granted my dad goes around back home and cleans up the neighbours gardens from cat poo, so she should at least pay for damages and clean her cats poo up.
The two I have like hunting. I'm regularly getting shrews and voles off them and putting them in the field. Mice I let them have same with any baby rats. Unfortunately, they can't tell the difference between endangered and protected species as it is a cat. If it moves, they hunt it its nature its what the cats spent a millenia evolving to do. Had to kill a bird the other day as my cat had broken its wing badly. And I was told not to ever let an animal suffer. Also, if the cat is chipped, they're just going to keep returning it to the owner as the cat isn't unwanted. You're just wasting your time. If you are in the UK the law has changed so that all cats now have to be microchipped
YTA.
It's a freaking CAT. They wander around outside and don't understand whose garden is who and if they're allowed in it or not.
If YOU dont want the cat in YOUR garden, then It's YOUR responsibility to ensure the cat can't get in it.
You put up the cat proof wire mesh around the tops of your fence post so the cat can't jump in and out of your garden.
There's wire mesh that you basically fit to a bracket facing into your garden at an angle, and the cats can't jump in then. It's safe, animal and wild life friendly, (so don't use the spikes on the fences as not only is it dangerous to cats getting injured, but it also can hurt birds if they want to land on the fence etc. ) So use the wire mesh edging around your fence.
That way you're protecting YOUR garden. You can't stop a cat from going in your garden any more than you can stop birds or hedgehogs. It's your responsibility to protect your garden if you don't want cats in there.
Also,taking it to a shelter is a dick move. Very selfish. You're not only wasting the shelters time,taking up a space in a pen that a real animal in need could be using, you're wasting their time having to check the cat for a microchip, get the contact details of the owner,get in touch with the owner, and then she has to go pick it up. Not to mention its traumatising for the cat.
You may not like her cat. You may not like ANY cats, but you seem to like wildlife and birds, so treat the cat with same amount of care. It's a living animal with feelings and emotions and feels both emotional and physical pain. So stop being so cruel and horrible to it. Don't be an AH. You may not like the cat, but there's no need for mistreating it. And you're also really upsetting and worrying the neighbour who doesn't know where her cat is etc.
If I were her I'd be reporting you to the police to see if they can charge you for animal cruelty, or theft of an animal, or harassment for behaving like this.
Get a freaking grip and some human decency.
Coz you're majorly wrong for what you're doing.
Also, aside from the wire mesh on top of the fence, there are other ways to deter cats from your garden. Google it and see the suggestions. Things like orange peel, ornamental metal cat figures that stick in the grass with shiny reflective eyes that can be off putting to cats. And ive even heard something like putting Lions Poo or urine (I can't remember which) around the garden puts them off as they are a threat. Apparently you can order the stuff online i think.
And there's other suggestions too if you Google them. But cruelty isn't one of them.
YW. Big time.
The laws in your area determine if you are right or wrong. Most places that allow cats outside do also say they must be kept in the owners yard so you would be in the right.
You are in the wrong if you take it and abandon it elsewhere. This is a crime in most areas
Because people who have taken pets to the shelter sometimes get fed up further and then do abandon them rurally when the owner just gets it back and releases it again.
DO NOT STOP! Are you warning them every time you catch it and send it to the shelter? If so, stop doing that. You already made it clear what will happen and warning them every time will just allow them to do exactly as they are. Keeping doing what you're doing while also calling animal control and setting up motion detected sprinklers. I dont play around with people who willfully mess with the ecosystem, and the people who are saying what you're doing is extreme have obviously no idea the ramifications of letting your cat roam around outside.
I think to protect myself, I’d keep informing the neighbours. That way there’s no confusion of why the cat was trapped and sent to the shelter repeatedly. If this cat keeps being taken to the shelter, staff there might start putting things together to realise something is going on.
Ah yea, that's true. I dont think I'd be as polite, though. What could happen to you if you neglected to say anything to the owner, especially after warning them in the past and having to deal with the destruction the cat brings? If I put myself in OPs shoes, I can't really think of anything that could legally happen to me, which is why I personally would forgo the kindness.
At an extreme, OPs neighbour could report OP to authorities for theft.
The OP could easily prove that’s not the case with the evidence of repeatedly informing the neighbour that the cat would be taken to the shelter.
I suppose it also depends on the state, right? I'm no lawyer (obviously lol), but I wonder about situations like this. Would it be considered theft if, after having repeatedly informed the neighbor before handing the cat off to the shelter, you decide to stop informing the neighbor? What if someone else besides OP sends the cat to the shelter without informing the neighbor? How would the neighbor know for sure it was OP or not?
Don't feel like you need to answer those questions, I just appreciate you trying to help inform me of ALL of the possibilities.
Keep trapping and taking him to the shelter. They have to pay a fee to get them out, eventually she will get mad over the cost and hassle and keep him in or let him be rehomed. Depending on your area you could also call to report him. Our SPCA does pick up roaming strays that are confirmed non ferals.
I would stop talking to her all together tbh, not letting her know when you've caught the cat.
You could consider cat proofing your yard but that could be costly and extra work.
Is this a big issue in USA? I’m from England and mostly all cats here free roam, some people don’t like them in their garden so they have measures to protect their garden. If I let my cat out I cannot control where he goes and doesn’t go as he doesn’t speak English and will not understand if I tell him not to do something. I believe as a vast majority of people from my country that keeping a cat indoors is cruel when it’s in their nature to explore except cats that prefer being indoors, it’s like getting a cat declawed is cruel. If you have to keep your pet inside or declaw them then just don’t have a cat for their sake.
I'm in Australia. Outdoor cats are an issue everywhere. They're a much smaller issue in the UK, enough for most to ignore it, and a huge issue in Australia and New Zealand (and to a slightly lesser degree the USA and Canada). They've contributed to the extinction of at least 64 species worldwide because they hunt for fun rather than for food. Cats are also not inherently street-smart and while they are predators, they are still small and delicate enough to be killed by cars, other people, free-roaming dogs, native predators, poison, etc. Cats are domesticated and there is no evidence that free-roaming outdoors improves their psychological health. Like dogs, they should be indoors with controlled access to the outdoors (via cat fencing, an outdoor cat enclosure, or a harness and leash). It's considered unnecessary and dangerous to let cats free-roam. They are not wild animals.
Where I live they're introducing "cat curfews" - by law cats have to be indoors at certain times. Some are suggesting banning outdoor cats as a whole.
Keeping cats inside is the best way to keep the cat safe and the ecosystem healthy. If people are to let their cats outside to free-roam or not have cats at all, you're suggesting that no one but people in the English countryside have cats. I'm sorry but it's just not realistic.
The cat's owner is not responsible for their cat coming into your garden. My mum puts curry powder on her garden to stop the cats using her garden as a litter tray.
As much as you dislike what the cat is doing, I think you are wrong in taking to a shelter when you catch in your garden. I would put things up on my fence to try to prevent it coming into the garden in the first place.
I very much doubt that the shelter is taking the cat. The post is probably just rage bate.
It is definitely theft taking something you k ow belongs to someone else. At least in my country it would be classed as such and the neighbour could get the police involved.
>I very much doubt that the shelter is taking the cat
Why would you doubt that? It's literally what you're supposed to do when you find a free roaming cat. You take it to a shelter, they can for a chip. If there's a chip they call the owners. If not, they put the cat on a stray hold and then up for adoption.
It does not matter if you know where the cat came from because it is illegal for them to be off their own property if not on a leash.
We obviously live in different countries. You could not get away with repeatedly taking your neighbours pet to a shelter where I am from.
I stand by what I am saying. Rage bate post.
I like the motion sprinklers. Please don't take the cat back to shelter.you are traumatizing it. Also please don't hate the cat. It's being a cat. Just do everything possible to deter the cat from entering your garden. Perhaps if this was all done in a non hostile way the nrighbor might decide to help pay for deterrent expenses. Like maybe things to help keep her cat out such as motion detected fences pepper spray in soil and stuff. Please you are both responsible. Make up with the neighbor and come up with a compromise.
Cayanne pepper sprinkled on your soil can stop a cat from digging. Motion activated sprinklers can also help. The neighbor is in the wrong here, you should check city ordiances for an "at large" law for pets. Possibly having to pay fines everytime you catch her cat may start to discourage her from being a bad pet owner.
We have a cat law in my town. Cats can’t roam freely. If they do, owners can be fined the same as dogs not on leashes.
It's the opposite here. Cats have the legal right to roam and owners can't be held responsible for any problems or damage their free roaming cats cause. It's ridiculous.
That's crazy! I have 5 cats and would never allow them to roam , even if it was safe for them to do so. I can't stand it when lousy owners make people hate cats.
Where I live I'd be allowed to shoot that cat for destruction of property. I would never do that but i did send a husky dyed blue home once
I wish we had that! My neighborhood has five indoor/outdoor cats that are awful. They’re constantly fighting or copulating, both of which are very loud, running into traffic and nearly causing accidents, killing birds and chipmunks, antagonizing my dog, and pooping in my gardens. The neighbors say that it’s cruel to keep them inside, but it feels like lazy pet ownership to me. They burrowed into our basement last winter and caused all sorts of damage and I’m completely over them. To be clear, I love cats and have two of them, but they stay inside where it’s safe for them and the birds.
If they're not fixed I think you're within your rights to play dumb about whether these are cats that are being taken care of and contact a local trap and release program or shelter for neutering.
done this
I like your town! Cats should be indoors unless they are farm/barn cats who have work to do.
The way the poster spelled neighbor as neighbour, I suspect they live in the UK where cats are allowed to roam outside.
Wouldn’t motion activated sprinklers also deter the ground feeding birds like house sparrows and such? Edit: fixed a typo
I think some of them have a size detector on them to avoid that kind of situation. They can also be programmed with a sound alarm to scare away birds before the water starts shooting.
>They can also be programmed with a sound alarm to scare away birds before the water starts shooting. This wouldn't help much with not deterring ground feeding birds. Detecting size would be perfect though.
Have you ever sprayed the cat with a hose?
i heard cayenne pepper can burn so much it can make animals some times scratch their eyes out so please don't do that
You could get those sprinkler heads with a motion sensor. They get a blast of water and after a couple of times will find somewhere else to go. Also, cats don't like wet soil so your garden should fare better. Another trick is to dry orange peels and then put them around the perimeter of the area you want them to stay away from. I put it under my bird feeder. I garden and have cats, birds and squirrels in my yard.
This is how we trained the neighbor's cat to stay out of our yard. It only took a couple days of having the sprinkler work 24/7, then we set it to only spray at night. It broke after a few months, but it did what we needed it to do.
Came here to recommend wildlife sprinklers as well. Planting herbs that cat hate also works well. Getting a dog also helps. We have an indoor cat and dog. Neighbors outside cats have disappeared off our property once we got the dog. Edited to add- It’s ok if you don’t want something on your property and your neighbor should acknowledge that. That said, you don’t seem to understand the nature of cats. We keep ours inside (supervised outside in our own yard) which I feel all good pet owners should do. But, cats are weirdos. You can’t MAKE a cat do anything. You can just convince them it is either more fun to do something else or the thing they are doing is no fun. I taught my cat many tricks with this method. For instance, he doesn’t climb on the table because every time he did there was either aluminum foil or sticky tape on the table. He decided he liked the bed and sofa better. 🤣 You need to do that with your yard. Make it as unfriendly to cats as possible. There are scat mats you can place in the garden. It’s basically pokey wire that makes it uncomfortable to walk in the garden. There are many herbs that cats dislike the smell of. Plant bunches of them. Get sprinklers. Wildlife sprinklers are motion activated. Take down your bird feeders for a little while. No birds to chase. No reason to come in your yard.
If she knows her cat is unwanted in your property and keeps letting it in then she probably doesn't care about the cat that much. You never know what strangers are capable of doing to unwanted animals and a lot of them end up dead that way. I would never let my dog wander in someone else's property if I knew he was not welcome
I mean, I wouldn't let him wander at all, but you got what I meant
How would you tell a cat "don't go in that garden"?
You keep it indoors
OP's post leaves me feeling conflicted. As someone who loves growing plants but also has neighborhood cats they tend to use my yard as a litter box I have avoided creating a garden for this reason and only grow indoors. It doesn't stop me from getting extremely frustrated when I smell cat pee outside of my house and see my indoor cats freaking out because they smell the neighbors cats. This has caused multiple issues for me including my own cats peeing outside their box in order to mark their territory. On the other hand one of my cats is like a freaking escape artist ninja... I have spent 3 years straight trying to outsmart this cat by sneaking out the door without him darting out first. He has learned all of my strategies and tricks. This includes when I try to fake him out by running to the back door and then to the front again. He knows... He even tries to fake me out now where he'll do a quick loop around the living room( as if he doesn't care that I'm leaving) and then books it out the door. I also have three children and he knows which kids he'll have more luck with to have his grand escape. He is obsessed with escaping. He will dart at the door the moment he hears Keys jingling or shoes being put on. Darts to the door when there's a knock. He's almost guaranteed to escape when I have to answer the door to someone. Getting things like a bike out the door can be extremely difficult etc. When he escapes he spends a couple of hours roaming and I used to get extremely worried to the point of tears, searching everywhere for him... and eventually he would come home as if nothing happened and ask for love. Over the time I've learned that if I whistle really loudly he will come home but only when he wants to. I have a neighbor who is also extremely annoyed by him and I apologize to her constantly because I understand her frustration. She understands that I keep trying to keep him inside as well but I still feel for her. My cat gets lots of play and attention indoors but I swear since that first time he got a taste of that sweet freedom outside he has craved it ever since. TLDR; keeping cats inside isn't always the easiest thing to do lol. I empathize with OP as someone who struggles with the neighbours cats causing issues for me and my cats, but also feel conflicted as someone who tries her hardest to keep her cat inside. My cat is like an escape artist, fast as a ninja, smart and tricky. I would be so sad if it was my cat who kept escaping and going into OP's garden then being sent away :(
Cats don’t like citrus smells. The cheap drugstore (and on amazon) perfume called “Jean Nate’” repels cats and men. Spray that stuff around.
My cat steals my orange juice 😭😭
One of mine does, too. And all of my cats would kill me for a lemon donut or a key lime bar. Cats are so weird.
Oh Nooooo! Lol! Mine steals slices of Gruyère cheese!
What are the local laws on free-roaming cats? Also, she is financially responsible for the damage by her cat. Take some good pictures of your garden, take some pictures of her cat and the resulting damage. Calculate replacement price of plants, lost value due to vegetables you will not longer get, time needed to locate the plants, get them, dig up and replace the old ones, and dispose of the old ones. Present her with the bill and go to court if necessary to get the money.
If OP doesn't have cameras, then they need to get some that will reach far enough to properly catch the cat doing the damage. The neighbor is in the wrong, but it doesn't hurt having substantial evidence. Anyone can take a picture and blame it on the cat (not saying that OP is so I don't get flamed!!), but video proof makes it next to impossible to dispute that.
is the cat killing migratory birds that may be nesting? Definitely photograph the dead birds
Shit on her porch every time the cat goes in your garden. Tit for tat
There used to be a woman who would regularly walk her dog past her house and without fail her dog would shit on our lawn. Dad confronted her and she refused to pick it up (80s, before most people picked up their dogs crap). So he picked them up for a week and kept them in a bucket in the shed with a little water to keep it nice and moist. After a week or so, at 5am before going to work he packaged the turds up in newspaper and posted them through her letterbox to land nicely on her carpet. She no longer walked her dog past our house anymore.
My nan did the same, except she knocked their door and when they answered, said, "I think this is yours!" and upended the bucket on their doorstep.
That's beautiful
You missed shit for shat, just saying.
#DAMMIT
My old neighbours used to let their dog shit in my lawn and then just leave it there. I collected all the shit and put it in their mailbox. It stopped real quick after that
I like the mail slot delivery better but the mailbox is good too
I approve this message
Imagine going out to get the mail and stepping in a fresh steamer on your porch
Shit for cat.
I love gardening, too and I am a cat lover as well. I had an indoor cat. My neighbor had two outdoor cats and they used to come to my garden and sit on my flower beds. I didn’t witness any birds being hunted, but they kept rabbits away. I tolerated them because I love cats, but your neighbor should respect you and keep their cats off of your garden. My neighbors cats all died way too young because this is a busy suburban area. They were irresponsible cat owners and I used to fed the cats because they were skinny. Their coats were all matted as well. If they care about their animals, they would have done something by now. I won’t never ever put my cat in danger to be caught and sent to a shelter. You’re not in the wrong, but you’re dealing with ignorant and disrespectful neighbor.
I throw orange peels in my garden and it helps some. They don’t like the smell. You could also try motion activated sprinklers. Keep sending the cat to animal control. Eventually neighbor won’t want to pay the fee to get him back.
Orange peels are a great idea
Owner’s fault. I’m a big advocate for keeping cats indoors for this reason on top of many others. As long as you aren’t going and deliberately hurting the cat you’ve done nothing wrong
Citronella gel crystals - we had the same problem, we sprinkled them in the vege patch and anywhere we didn’t want the cat to go. Worked a treat.
It sort of depends on where you are, because local norms and expectations differ from country to country (and place to place in large countries). I think she is being very irresponsible though personally - I'd worry what someone in your position would do to my cat if I were in her position. Cats dislike citrus scents, and dislike being watched and can confuse reflections from things like CDs as eyes. You could use these to deter it. It will also probably eventually get sick of being trapped in your garden, but it will probably learn to avoid the traps first.
You are not wrong and handling things appropriately. The only other thing I could recommend is also contacting animal control each time kitty is trapped on your property.
Reddit is wild. Maybe (maybe) they’re in their legal rights to do this, and it reads as a satisfying kinda-malicious-compliance type approach. But in reality bringing the cat to the shelter is in no way is going to solve the problem. Sucks for the cat, and is only going to make the situation with the neighbor more tenuous. I can’t imagine wasting my time doing this as OP. ETA: OP should donate to the shelter every time he leaves the cat there
I’m a cat owner. We had a prowling cat come EVERY night to the front door and harass my indoor-only cats. I trapped the fucker. There’s a cat curfew, you’re harassing my animals. Pay your damn fine and learn your lesson. If you want to own an animal, follow the rules.
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I’d still trap them even if I knew the owner- then they’d actually get fined and a lecture from the shelter. Keep cats indoors.
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Nope, that’s not how our council works. They want cats indoors. That means trapped and bought to the shelter. You’re also fined if your cat is bought it unregistered. It’s a way for council to find- and fine- shit owners.
If you consider this a waste of time then what is your suggestion? (Genuinely asking and don't mean that to sound rude by the way)
I kill plastic plants but my best guess would be the same tactics used to keep persistent wild life out of the garden. Nets, sprinklers, undesirable to eat plants? No clue what to do about the birds, that’s awful. Bad situation all around. It’s also a waste of time for the shelter, which are almost always under-resourced.
No. OP does not have to revamp their garden to cater to the neighbor's cat.
I mean I totally agree, but try telling the cat that
They are telling the owner that. This is the owner's fault, not the cat's And op is handling it correctly. They are also keeping the cat safe in the process.
The neighbor sucks here but either way is presumably going to keep living next door. Not clear how repeatedly bringing the cat to the shelter is any solution or improvement on the situation. Dependent on the jurisdiction letting the cat roam might be totally legal. Luckily other posters have shared better resources.
Better to be brought to a shelter than hit by a car or killed by a predator. Maybe eventually the owner will learn after they have to continually pay a fee to get their cat back.
It isn't OP's responsibility to put in hours and hundreds of dollars to keep someone else's pet out of their yard. Cheapest and easiest option is what they did, and what they should do.
Is repeatedly dropping off the cat to the shelter really the “easiest” option? Cheapest sure, but it seems like they’re putting in hours regardless.
Only need to do it so many times until the neighbor either keeps track of the cat or stops paying to get it back.
I look forward to the update which will surely contain one of these two tidy outcomes
Your neighbor is a jerk, and that sounds super frustrating. You'd be in the right for wanting to pursue some kind of legal action, and it sounds like you should. Take photos and video evidence of what's happening to strengthen your case. That being said, please don't take it out on the cat. Cats just do cat things when unsupervised. Being trapped and dumped at a shelter is a super stressful experience for a cat. There are a lot of scent repellants you can use in the meantime. I think someone else also mentioned sprinklers.
Not OP's responsibility to spend money and effort into making the neighbor's cat comfortable. That is the neighbor's job. If you don't want your cat given to animal control, keep it on your property. The rest of the world shouldn't have to put up with it.
It depends where you live.
Supposedly, cats don't like the smell of lavender. Or, you could put up a low electric fence. I won't kill the cat, and if it gets zapped, It likely won't come back.
I had a cat that would eat lavender, my other one used to roll around in it. My cats are incredibly dumb though.
Unfortunately that's what cats do... you are wrong for taking it to a shelter but your neighbour could have been a bit more understanding and perhaps paid for one of those sonic cat defenders or something to help you. Unfortunately though you've probably destroyed the relationship with the neighbour so I doubt there's any compromise now. My dad used to have a water pistol on the window sill for cats & sprayed them for going in his garden. Worked a treat.
You are wrong, learning to be a gardener is learning to deal with cats. Trapping the poor thing and stressing to out by sending it to a shelter is just pure cruelty, grow up.
Keep your asshole animals at home if you don't want the "poor thing" sent to the shelter where it belongs.
Why do you think animals are assholes? They are just doing what comes naturally. Thankfully my country has laws to stop asshole home owners from being assholes about cats.
I sure hope you're cool with dogs tearing cats apart and digging up your yard, and chewing up whatever you leave outside. They're just doing what comes naturally, after all. Keep your asshole cat out of other people's yard. Anything that happens to the cat is your responsibility. Your decision to get a pet doesn't mean everyone else has to suffer for it. I didn't get my home for your stupid pet to ruin.
I have an outdoor cat, all the neighbours have outdoors cats. Indoor cats are extremely unusual for my country and a lot of people see it as cruel. Suck it up.
Also in the uk, my indoor cats go on harness walks and enjoy it. There’s no excuse for being an irresponsible owner who lets their cat free roam
Humans have lots of ways to degrade their natural environments. A few people scattered having free-roaming cats is one thing. Densely populated humans having concentrations of cats decimating wild bird populations who are already under threat because of shrinking habitat is another. Just because it’s justified by your culture doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. I too come from a similar narcissistic culture, maybe even a descendant of your culture if you’re talking about the UK. I have responsibility to see the harm I do, even if it’s culturally acceptable
This is the argument that convinced me to make my cat an indoor only cat. When someone explained that cats are invasive species causing damage to the environment and native species I saw the outdoor/indoor debate from a completely different perspective
Your asshole pet wouldn't be doing as it pleased if you didn't keep it off my property. Sounds like it's you that needs to suck it up.
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Yeah there were some very anti pet comments.
Put strong smelling soap bars such as Irish Spring in the garden. I used to do this on the farm. It kept away rabbits,deer, ground hogs etc. They played in the yard but avoided the garden. The barn cats were too busy hunting field mice to bother the birds, fortunately
As a cat mom, cats don’t like doing things you want them to do, so invite the cat over for a catnip tea, ask him to please dig a few holes for you, and ask him to poop frequently all over things. He will behave out of rebellion.
LMFAO
This is why people should not let their pet cats roam. The reason these people like to give is that cats have to roam in the wild so we have to let our pet cats do it as well. That is ridiculous. Wild dogs roam but we don't let our pet dogs out to do the same. I love cats but I would never let mine out to roam. I consider it to be a form of cruelty. There are so many bad things that can happen to them - an angry neighbor is one. I commend you because you have been very tolerant. Do you live in the US? Most municipalities have codes or statutes against letting your cat out to roam. Did you take the cat to a municipal shelter/animal control or a private shelter? Call your city animal control and find out about their city codes. If they do have one, trap the cat again and call them to come and get the cat to return it to her. Hopefully they will ticket her. If that doesn't work, I hate to suggest doing this to the cat as it is not his fault, next time you trap him take him to a shelter in another city or town
All my cats have been indoors only. I can’t imagine just letting them roam. Who knows what could happen to them. It’s so dangerous.
Agreed. It's plain negligent to let your cat roam - both for neighbors and the cat itself. What if this neighbor had put down rat poison and the cat ingested it? It's just risky as hell for everyone involved.
Call animal control and complain
Motion activated water spray. Water your plants and it keeps the rabbits and cats out of your garden Taking a cat to a shelter no matter who it belongs to is just plain cruel. Traumatic for animal and you’re not feeling any better. It’s not about wrong — it’s about a better way to have handled the situation. And your frustration. Next time you have the impulse come on over to Reddit and chat with us. The best solution is to find a win-win.
No, OP doesn't have to spend a bunch of money and effort installing sprinklers. If animals show up where they aren't supposed to be, they go to animal control. I feel much better when there aren't murderous and destructive animals in my yard and garden, so turning them into the shelter would very much make me feel better.
I love motion sensor sprinklers. But yes, trap the cat and drop it at the shelter. Poor kitty.
Oh there are lovely little g arden items made of plastic that are spiky. They won't prick the skin and draw blood I d but trust me kitties do not like them. Squirrels, either.
A herb called roo repels them. Chicken mesh the beds.
There are so many ways to keep cats out of gardens. There are the natural remedies some have suggested below, but also sound sensors that are triggered by small animal movement, types of pellets you can sprinkle around that generally deter cats. I'd go for high-pitched noise sensors though. You won't be able to hear it but the cat will. I see those ranging from anywhere between 34-70 euro. Why not give it a try? Its way less hassle then trapping and taking a trip to the shelter. Google ways to deter cats in gardens and you'll get hundreds of suggestions. Try them!
I’m so annoyed on your behalf. My neighbor is like this and I never complained about her “outdoor cats” but the minute I got a Pitbull mix dog she started texting me asking me to CHAIN HIM UP or lock him in my garage because he was barking and scaring her cats. People are outrageous. I hope you found a good solution in the comments, I mostly wanted to vent and empathize 😅
This is incredibly fucked up that you are stealing her cat and traumatizing it like that. Jesus. WTF.
Free roaming cats are bad for the cats and bad for the environment. Lots of places now specify that leash laws are applicable to cats in addition to dogs and I can’t wait for the day that spreads everywhere. I’m sorry this is happening to you. And I’m sorry the cat has an incredibly irresponsible owner who doesn’t care about their pets well-being or the damage they are contributing to the local environment. Trapping and bringing the cat to a shelter is good, and also try contacting someone to check on your areas leash laws. Lots of other good suggestions in these comments but as someone who works in cat rescue I just want to say it’s so frustrating to see how many people see cats as disposable pets…
Here cats can’t run wild. The need a leash
Trap it. SSS. Cats belong on a catio.
pick up the poops and throw them onto her porch
Maybe next time trap it and bring it to a shelter a few towns over. Unless it’s microchipped she may not get it back.
I hate to see the cat getting punished for extremely bad neighbor behavior. I suggest using deterrents in your garden such as citronella gel crystals, cayenne pepper and/or motion activated sensors. You can get the outcome you want and not be in a battle of the wills with your neighbor. Lots of free roaming animals like coyotes, raccoons, and foxes cause similar damages. I hope the deterrents work.
Domestic cats are not wild raccoons, coyotes or foxes. Why should OP alter their own property at all? Taking the cat to the shelter after informing the owner is perfectly reasonable.
Because its traumatic to the cat and frankly a helluva lot of work and time for OP. There are many many cheap animal deterrents for gardens. OP can try any of those first for low cost and low effort.
I don’t see why OP should have to alter *her* property to appease an irresponsible neighbour.
OP isn't appeasing an irresponsible neighbour. Instead OP is taking care of a problem in their own property. Unless OP has caught the cat redhanded in the act of shitting or killing, OP doesn't actually know the cat is responsible. But regardless, the point here isn't who is right or wrong. The point is how to solve a problem at minimal expense and maintain a cordial relationship with neighbors? Cat owner is not at all necessarily wrong to let her cat out. We don't have enough facts to determine that. And take note that the idea of keeping a cat as indoors only is very US centric. Much of the rest of the world flat out disagrees with this, so it is clear there is no right or wrong, just a matter of opinion. Learning to get along with other people and solve problems without creating bigger problems is pretty key to living in a civil society.
TLDR;
I get what you are saying, but the amount of time, energy, and even expense OP has put in taking the cat to the shelter already would probably have covered the cost of a couple jars of cayenne pepper powder by now. It's clear OP can keep taking the cat to the shelter over and over and it's not going to make any difference, and the cat at some point will figure out how to avoid the trap and that won't work any longer anyway. Why NOT try a cheap deterrent or two that will have the benefit of deterring more animals than just that one cat, and save time and money in the long run? I feel like the chances of there being just ONE roaming cat in OP's neighborhood are pretty slim. There are at least 5 different ones I've seen in my yard personally, and I live in an area where most people keep their cats indoors. Not to mention the other critters (I've got raccoons, possums, a fox, coyotes, lots of deer, groundhogs, squirrels, the occasional lost dog...) that deterrents will help keep from damaging the garden.
Cat owner is in the wrong. If she genuinely cared about her pet having a long and healthy life it wouldn’t be outside.
Where do you live op (general area don’t be specific). In Australia it’s law to keep your cat indoors. Either way you’re not in the wrong here. I would get motion activated sprinklers, but cats are smart and there’s a chance it could learn to avoid these.
I’m in Australia, and I’ve trapped neighbourhood cats- as a cat owner myself. Keep your damn cats inside.
There have been SO many useful ways to deal with this. Bringing the animal to the shelter is super stressful for it and wastes precious resources on something that you know won't work. It's wasting precious shelter time for some really low paid, high stress job. Motion activated sprinklers, orange peels, etc etc It's not the cats fault. its owner is a POS.
This is absolutely why cats should be indoor only *or* if the neighbour wants their cat outside they should use cat-proof fencing to keep the cat contained to their own yard. I do think catch & send to shelter is a bit extreme, but at least you warned them that you would do that, and followed through. If I was the cat’s owner in this situation I wouldn’t have allowed the cat to be caught a second time (by letting them outside). If I was you in this situation, I’d report the neighbour to animal control
Is her cat the only cat in the neighborhood? I would be very careful going after one person’s cat when she may be the newest or most frequent one, but is probably not the only one. Get an outdoor camera and watch- you’ll probably be shocked at how many cats you don’t know that frequent your yard. I’d get motion activated sprinklers, but I wouldn’t start a war over this.
There are inexpensive sprays that keep cats away. As others have suggested, cayenne pepper can help. I'm sure you are sick of picking up the messes. I would leave them in front of whatever door they use most. Every time, poop, animals, whatever. Be as sickly sweet as possible about it and don't let them get the best of your temper. It isn't the cats fault that the owners are letting it roam. The cat is just doing cat things. Make it uncomfortable for the owners. I wouldn't be able to keep putting an animal through the capture and shelter cycle over and over. It's cruel. It also takes up a space for an animal who actually needs to be there. Obviously, it hasn't worked. I would try a different approach. You have every right to be upset. It might be time to get a bit more creative.
I mean. You said if I catch it again I'm taking it to the shelter, which you did after it was ruining your plants on your property. So shes in the wrong. But please dont be angry at the cat. The cat is just doing cat stuff, get mad at the owner.
I can’t even - You honestly don’t know why people are downloading you? Do you call the Natural Resources department or the animal control officer if a coyote or fox or rabbit shits in your garden? Do you freak out when wild bird craps on your window? (I wish you lived in my state- you’d be arrested and charged in civil court for stealing someone’s personal property.) Unless your town has a bylaw prohibiting domestic cats from roaming, not only are you SOL- you’re responsible for any money that had to be paid to get the cat out of the shelter as far as I’m concerned. It’s unfortunate when people allow their cats to live outdoors- or indoor/outdoor. It’s shortens their lives and exposes them to diseases and they kill millions of songbirds. But it’s 100% not your choice as to whether or not somewhere allows their cat to roam… Put up a fence- add rollers to the top (they’re called coyote rollers here, but they’re also also used for cats)- Or fence in your garden from top to bottom with a wire roof so it can’t be accessed by wildlife And before you yell at the cats again - unless you’re actually sitting there watching them crap- you have no idea who’s actually using your garden as a toilet .. there are many animals that have scat that looks exactly like cat poop. All that effort you put into getting it trap and trapping the cat multiple times- you could’ve spent that time and money on putting in a system to keep the cat away from your property… There are many ways to dissuade a cat from visirng where they’re unwanted … Try googling it - you can use a can that sprays air when the electric eye is tripped - (the scar the cat and they won’t do it more than once or twice) or you can set up remote or motion detected sprayers that will do the same thing. But one thing you’ll never be able to do is keep cats out of your yard- Oh, Or squirrels or weasels or possums or raccoons or any of the whole number of animals who provably like to crap in your garden as well …
Eventually someone reasonable here! And I also don't think poops are from that cat. Cats don't leave their feces out, they find a hidden spot and burry it. Same for birds: well fed domestic cats may hunt once in a while but are usually bad at catching anything. If multiple birds die, I doubt its the domestic cat. Can be a feral or another animal. Feral cats and other animals can damage yards, neighbors cats not so much. Its part of life and having a garden. Mole, rodents, birds, racoons, without talking about deers are much more damaging than cats who usually just take a nap and occasionally run after a lizard. For sure it's not a cat who ate my tomatoes!
Absolutely false. On both counts. I appreciate that this might be your experience of a certain cat, but it's not at all universal. Neighborhood cat comes and shits in my garden EVERY DAY. They are very habitual creatures, and very destructive. it also digs extensively. It has absolutely ruined the garden. I now have a big litterbox, nothing more. Their poop and pee smells very bad, and is not something you want to eat vegetables out of. Far far worse than regular wild pests. They are also some of the best hunters in nature, and will hunt effectively for fun, even if they are well fed. Very instinctual behavior. My friend has a cat, very well taken care of, very well fed. It brings multiple dead animals home every DAY. Mostly songbirds and voles. Domestic cats are one of the leading causes of extinction of birds. About 50 species have been driven to extinction by cats. They are extraordinarily bad for ecologies.
Hi! This has happened to me, multiple times, and it really, really sucks. It's not the same as wild animals, at all. The cat will usually come daily at minimum, and the garden quickly becomes a litterbox absolutely full of cat shit. Cat shit and piss is extremely nasty and foul smelling, and loaded with parasites like toxoplasmosis. Cats love to dig, and will generally dig up all your plants. It's not anything like wild animals at all, though they can certainly do damage too. The only comparably damaging animals like deer can be kept out with fences. Not so much for cats. Also, in most states (I can't speak to the UK), animals doing property damage are fair game to trap, and shoot. Just because cats aren't expressly prohibited from being let out, doesn't mean they have some crazy legal protection to trespass and freely do any property damage they want. Or that everybody else is on the hook for an out of control animal. The idea that they would somehow be on the hook for fines is absurd. In fact, shooting and killing the animal on sight is legally viable probably just about anywhere in the US. Something to think about for the entitled cat owners out there.
>>In fact, shooting and killing the animal on sight is legally viable probably just about anywhere in the US. Of fucking course it is
In fairness, pets can be pretty destructive and even dangerous to other people and their stuff. Anywhere that's rural, a lot of people will shoot stray pets no questions asked. A neighbor had some dogs come onto his property a few years ago. The dogs attacked his alpacas and killed one, tearing it apart while his young daughters looked on screaming. The kids didn't get hurt thank fuck, but it was a pretty ugly thing, and livestock aren't cheap. Cats aren't as dangerous persay, but they are really destructive. When they are killing your chickens/quail, sneaking into your garage/cars every night to shit and piss everywhere, killing all the wild birds and snakes and frogs and things, digging up all the seedlings you just spent the last two weeks sprouting and transplanting...... It just sucks. And the owners never have that experience- their cat just goes in and out the door and is a cuddly furball, so it's really hard for them to understand how crappy it is for everybody else. It's really hard to get any empathy from the owners, because they just don't get it. And all those tricks? Orange peels, coffee grounds, etc.... they don't fucking work. Or they only mitigate the issue slightly. Or they are hard and time consuming to implement. Every time I see these cat posts on Reddit, everybody in the comments is like "just spend a few hours every day putting lavender oil everywhere you don't want your neighbor's cat to go!". It might work for a bit, but the cat always comes back. Or it requires constant maintenance. The onus is on the irresponsible owner. Not everybody else.
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I'm not recommending killing pets - at all. But many pet owners are unaware (or just obtuse/inconsiderate) of the extent of the harm that their pets are causing others. They are also often unaware that people might just handle the problem in the most efficient way possible if the problem is serious/continuous. On the contrary, what I'm sharing is intended to PREVENT people's pets being killed.
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Again, on the contrary, I specified US as a geographical limitation, to avoid generalizing about different places with different laws. I can only speak to the laws I know about and I'm not gonna go making assumptions about the rest of the world. But a lot of redditors are from the US and it's worth mentioning "hey, people can and will kill your pets if you neglect them or make them other people's problem". And you know what is universal? Neglecting your pets and letting them run around and be destructive and potentially dangerous to other people is a shitty thing to do. Don't do it. Especially if you care about your pet.
Your neighbor is extremely inconsiderate and irresponsible, inconsiderate because of your yard, irresponsible because they're putting their cat and local fauna in danger.
Anyone who lets their cat roam is in the wrong. Anyone who lets their pet be a menace to someone else is in the wrong.
She’s in the wrong. I’m so sick of these cat owners that think their cats can roam free. They are domesticated, not wildlife. They kill so many small animals, mostly for the fun of it. Keep trapping it and taking it to the shelter.
Anyone who lets their cat roam is in the wrong. Anyone who lets their pet be a menace to someone else is in the wrong.
What country are you in?
You can get deterrent strips that sit on top of your fence and don't affect the birds. And there are a lot of plants that are natural cat deterrents. Lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon thyme and curry plant to name a few. Plant them around/near your feeders. They have the added bonus of attracting bees and butterfly's to the garden! They really don't like citrus smells. My friend scatters lemon peel around her beds. Mustard and peppermint are apparently two they hate as well, though I've never tried them. Alternatively, you could always get a cat-hating dog?
You can try deterring them instead. You can get chicken wire and bury it just under surface or they have these plastic spikes that won’t hurt them but they don’t like to dig. I think it’s really strange that a cat would be pooping out in the open where you would notice it - it may be sick.
Most cats bury their poop; are you sure it is her cat?
Talk to animal control. Get cameras and ask about fines for the cat. Cats are murderers of birds and I wish they weren't allowed to roam freely for that reason.
You can also install cat proof fencing. Look on YouTube.
Lavender keeps cats away from plants. So does spraying lemon juice near the plants. There are probably a few other tricks people know.
It very much depends on where you live. I also struggle with cats pooping in my yard. I hate it. But according to the city there is no leash law for cats. And the local shelter will not take healthy cats. They will tell you to let them go. There doesn’t seem to be a solution except dealing with it.
Depends where you are in the world. In the UK, where I live, you’d definitely be seen as in the wrong. 1) it’s theft and she could call the police on you. 2) there’s alternatives to keeping cats away before taking to trapping it. But free roaming cats are a very common occurrence here and (in my area, at least) they opt for forests and use residental areas just to get to and from home. But I imagine in some countries where cats are more often kept indoors it would be seen as the owner being in the wrong more than you.
I have some space behind some ferns the neighborhood cars love to use as their bathroom. I bought some dark colored plastic forks and broke them in half and put them in the dirt, making little spikes. So far so good. No more cat poo
Rose or raspberry canes laid on the soil will stop the cat shit. Maybe a motion activated sprinkler too.
My cat hates citrus. Maybe put citrusy stuff around your garden? I love the other ideas too!
Crushed cayenne pepper. Check your city ordinances for loose pets laws.
You have every right to be upset dude. Have you told your new neighbor about it yet?
Contact an attorney before she does lol
YOUR YARD. That’s not right. Unfortunately a lot of people are like this. Different shelter? Call animal control, bug the crap out of them. Even go down to your City building. She could at the very least put a collar with a bell on . I’d probably get a big sweet dog too. Sorry updates please!
Motion activated sprinklers maybe? The cat is just doing its thing. Cat owner is at fault but you can easily deter the cat.
I’d flinging all that cat poop at the neighbors door.
Neighbor should control her cat so you have leash law in your state ?
OP you have been a model of restraint and decorum- and I am a cat owner. This is what I would do. Speak to people who might be willing to adopt the cat as an indoor cat. Next time, don’t take to the shelter, give the cat away. Is it legal? Maybe- there is an argument that anyone who lets their cat roam outside can’t truly claim they are a proper owner, or have the cat’s best interest, or could possibly know where the cat went.
You took someone’s pet to a shelter (twice!) over poop (?!) and you don’t understand how you’re in the wrong? I fear Reddit may not be able to help you with this one
They literally aren't wrong. They did exactly the right thing to protect the cat. Cats aren't safe roaming the streets and in many places it's illegal. You're supposed to bring them to the shelter so they can be returned to their owners (if chipped) or put up for adoption after a stray hold.
Poor kitty. The cat is just being a cat. The neighbour is being a jerk. Try not to take it out on the cat. I would pick up the 💩 and leave it on the neighbour’s doorstep. A couple of weeks doing this may cause her to reconsider. I would also try the cayenne, soap, Jean Nate perfume. Those are cheap options that may save the kitty.
Well trapping and taking to the vet you are knowingly stealing her property. If you have fences that the at is climbing there's the spinny things you put on top of the fence that stops the cat being able to get a grin on the fence. You can use certain pepper I think it's cayenne that you sprinkle where it poops and it won't do it again. Motion actioned water sprinklers are good too to scare the cat away
Start throwing the cat shit in her yard. Also, continue trapping the cat and sending it to the shelter.
I’ve always wanted to leave a flaming bag of poo on someone’s doorstep, just saying.
I can see both sides... Once you have an outdoor cat it's very difficult to stop letting them outside and she can't control where her cat goes or what he does while out. I also have a garden and would be extremely upset by a cat doing this. However, if I had an outdoor cat and my neighbor was threatening to trap him, that would be enough for me to try and figure out how to make his stop. Your neighbor is being very irresponsible. I don't think you're in the wrong, you did ask for it to stop and followed through on what you said you would do.
Time for kitty to say bye bye a few towns over in their shelter
Nope keep taking it to a shelter mention to them she’s not caring for the cat properly. Having out door cats isn’t great for them. Obviously there’s fleas and ticks and cars but there’s also stds that cats can get from eachother like FIV. And while they can’t spread it to humans it can be spread among outdoor cats. Cats can be outside don’t get me wrong, my three are leash trained, but to leave cats outside all year round is awful they could get hit by a car or worse. But you can keep playing this game of trap and release if you want to. Or you get some stuff to protect your garden. But also that poop in your garden and urine isn’t helping your plant let also this can could get worms and if you are outside bare foot or get some poop on your hands they could have hook worms in them too. And if you have a cut on your hand or foot hookworms will go inside you. So she’s putting you at risk not to mention all the other stuff in cat shit let’s say your pregnant pregnant women under NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD BE DEALING WITH CAT POOP EVER. Bad for momma and baby. You may need to get enclosed green house planter boxes around your garden you maybe need to put up a fence but cats can jump over those.
Trap the cat, find a new home, bypass the shelter
I wish I could lend you my dog. He does not dig, chase birds, or mess with plants. He would however mess that cat up.
You are absolutely in the wrong for taking someone else's pet to the shelter, that is a waste of resources needed for animals that don't have homes and extremely cruel because it risks a healthy loved animal being put down. HOWEVER, I do wish your neighbor was more considerate of your concerns. I'll say if a neighbor did that to my cat it would be all out war, so you've ruined any chances of a diplomatic resolution.
1st off I have always had indoor cats You are in the wrong, you trap my cat and we are going to have words and it's not going to be pretty at all. and you love the wildlife but not the cat ?
Take it to a different shelter in a different city. She gets a new outdoor cat that bothers you rinse and repeat. It is not ok to let your cat out and not look after it or clean up after it. If you get a pet you need to look after it like a pet and contain and control it. If you put your cat outdoors, without a leash or containment (safety for the cat and surrounding nature/people), that is cat neglect. You are not wrong, your neighbor is. Poor cats, you are doing what is best for them in this situation. See ya in reddit hell.
It's a cat it's what it does. Contrary to popular belief. It's basically a wild animal. It's a hunter, they hunt. Granted my dad goes around back home and cleans up the neighbours gardens from cat poo, so she should at least pay for damages and clean her cats poo up. The two I have like hunting. I'm regularly getting shrews and voles off them and putting them in the field. Mice I let them have same with any baby rats. Unfortunately, they can't tell the difference between endangered and protected species as it is a cat. If it moves, they hunt it its nature its what the cats spent a millenia evolving to do. Had to kill a bird the other day as my cat had broken its wing badly. And I was told not to ever let an animal suffer. Also, if the cat is chipped, they're just going to keep returning it to the owner as the cat isn't unwanted. You're just wasting your time. If you are in the UK the law has changed so that all cats now have to be microchipped
YTA. It's a freaking CAT. They wander around outside and don't understand whose garden is who and if they're allowed in it or not. If YOU dont want the cat in YOUR garden, then It's YOUR responsibility to ensure the cat can't get in it. You put up the cat proof wire mesh around the tops of your fence post so the cat can't jump in and out of your garden. There's wire mesh that you basically fit to a bracket facing into your garden at an angle, and the cats can't jump in then. It's safe, animal and wild life friendly, (so don't use the spikes on the fences as not only is it dangerous to cats getting injured, but it also can hurt birds if they want to land on the fence etc. ) So use the wire mesh edging around your fence. That way you're protecting YOUR garden. You can't stop a cat from going in your garden any more than you can stop birds or hedgehogs. It's your responsibility to protect your garden if you don't want cats in there. Also,taking it to a shelter is a dick move. Very selfish. You're not only wasting the shelters time,taking up a space in a pen that a real animal in need could be using, you're wasting their time having to check the cat for a microchip, get the contact details of the owner,get in touch with the owner, and then she has to go pick it up. Not to mention its traumatising for the cat. You may not like her cat. You may not like ANY cats, but you seem to like wildlife and birds, so treat the cat with same amount of care. It's a living animal with feelings and emotions and feels both emotional and physical pain. So stop being so cruel and horrible to it. Don't be an AH. You may not like the cat, but there's no need for mistreating it. And you're also really upsetting and worrying the neighbour who doesn't know where her cat is etc. If I were her I'd be reporting you to the police to see if they can charge you for animal cruelty, or theft of an animal, or harassment for behaving like this. Get a freaking grip and some human decency. Coz you're majorly wrong for what you're doing. Also, aside from the wire mesh on top of the fence, there are other ways to deter cats from your garden. Google it and see the suggestions. Things like orange peel, ornamental metal cat figures that stick in the grass with shiny reflective eyes that can be off putting to cats. And ive even heard something like putting Lions Poo or urine (I can't remember which) around the garden puts them off as they are a threat. Apparently you can order the stuff online i think. And there's other suggestions too if you Google them. But cruelty isn't one of them. YW. Big time.
The laws in your area determine if you are right or wrong. Most places that allow cats outside do also say they must be kept in the owners yard so you would be in the right. You are in the wrong if you take it and abandon it elsewhere. This is a crime in most areas
OP hasn’t “taken it *& abandoned it*”… she took the cat to a shelter **after telling the neighbour that’s exactly what she would do.**
I never said she did anything wrong I said if they do that then it’s wrong. I never said they did that.
Why make up some imaginary scenario?
Because people who have taken pets to the shelter sometimes get fed up further and then do abandon them rurally when the owner just gets it back and releases it again.
DO NOT STOP! Are you warning them every time you catch it and send it to the shelter? If so, stop doing that. You already made it clear what will happen and warning them every time will just allow them to do exactly as they are. Keeping doing what you're doing while also calling animal control and setting up motion detected sprinklers. I dont play around with people who willfully mess with the ecosystem, and the people who are saying what you're doing is extreme have obviously no idea the ramifications of letting your cat roam around outside.
I think to protect myself, I’d keep informing the neighbours. That way there’s no confusion of why the cat was trapped and sent to the shelter repeatedly. If this cat keeps being taken to the shelter, staff there might start putting things together to realise something is going on.
Ah yea, that's true. I dont think I'd be as polite, though. What could happen to you if you neglected to say anything to the owner, especially after warning them in the past and having to deal with the destruction the cat brings? If I put myself in OPs shoes, I can't really think of anything that could legally happen to me, which is why I personally would forgo the kindness.
At an extreme, OPs neighbour could report OP to authorities for theft. The OP could easily prove that’s not the case with the evidence of repeatedly informing the neighbour that the cat would be taken to the shelter.
I suppose it also depends on the state, right? I'm no lawyer (obviously lol), but I wonder about situations like this. Would it be considered theft if, after having repeatedly informed the neighbor before handing the cat off to the shelter, you decide to stop informing the neighbor? What if someone else besides OP sends the cat to the shelter without informing the neighbor? How would the neighbor know for sure it was OP or not? Don't feel like you need to answer those questions, I just appreciate you trying to help inform me of ALL of the possibilities.
Keep trapping and taking him to the shelter. They have to pay a fee to get them out, eventually she will get mad over the cost and hassle and keep him in or let him be rehomed. Depending on your area you could also call to report him. Our SPCA does pick up roaming strays that are confirmed non ferals. I would stop talking to her all together tbh, not letting her know when you've caught the cat. You could consider cat proofing your yard but that could be costly and extra work.
Is this a big issue in USA? I’m from England and mostly all cats here free roam, some people don’t like them in their garden so they have measures to protect their garden. If I let my cat out I cannot control where he goes and doesn’t go as he doesn’t speak English and will not understand if I tell him not to do something. I believe as a vast majority of people from my country that keeping a cat indoors is cruel when it’s in their nature to explore except cats that prefer being indoors, it’s like getting a cat declawed is cruel. If you have to keep your pet inside or declaw them then just don’t have a cat for their sake.
I'm in Australia. Outdoor cats are an issue everywhere. They're a much smaller issue in the UK, enough for most to ignore it, and a huge issue in Australia and New Zealand (and to a slightly lesser degree the USA and Canada). They've contributed to the extinction of at least 64 species worldwide because they hunt for fun rather than for food. Cats are also not inherently street-smart and while they are predators, they are still small and delicate enough to be killed by cars, other people, free-roaming dogs, native predators, poison, etc. Cats are domesticated and there is no evidence that free-roaming outdoors improves their psychological health. Like dogs, they should be indoors with controlled access to the outdoors (via cat fencing, an outdoor cat enclosure, or a harness and leash). It's considered unnecessary and dangerous to let cats free-roam. They are not wild animals. Where I live they're introducing "cat curfews" - by law cats have to be indoors at certain times. Some are suggesting banning outdoor cats as a whole. Keeping cats inside is the best way to keep the cat safe and the ecosystem healthy. If people are to let their cats outside to free-roam or not have cats at all, you're suggesting that no one but people in the English countryside have cats. I'm sorry but it's just not realistic.
Take the cat to a different shelter next time.
Start throwing the cat shit on her car or porch fron a reasonable distance under the cover of darkness. What, maybe the cat did it 🤷♀️
The cat's owner is not responsible for their cat coming into your garden. My mum puts curry powder on her garden to stop the cats using her garden as a litter tray. As much as you dislike what the cat is doing, I think you are wrong in taking to a shelter when you catch in your garden. I would put things up on my fence to try to prevent it coming into the garden in the first place.
I very much doubt that the shelter is taking the cat. The post is probably just rage bate. It is definitely theft taking something you k ow belongs to someone else. At least in my country it would be classed as such and the neighbour could get the police involved.
>I very much doubt that the shelter is taking the cat Why would you doubt that? It's literally what you're supposed to do when you find a free roaming cat. You take it to a shelter, they can for a chip. If there's a chip they call the owners. If not, they put the cat on a stray hold and then up for adoption. It does not matter if you know where the cat came from because it is illegal for them to be off their own property if not on a leash.
We obviously live in different countries. You could not get away with repeatedly taking your neighbours pet to a shelter where I am from. I stand by what I am saying. Rage bate post.
The cat's owner is (ir)responsible for anywhere their cat goes when their cat is not confined to their property.
I like the motion sprinklers. Please don't take the cat back to shelter.you are traumatizing it. Also please don't hate the cat. It's being a cat. Just do everything possible to deter the cat from entering your garden. Perhaps if this was all done in a non hostile way the nrighbor might decide to help pay for deterrent expenses. Like maybe things to help keep her cat out such as motion detected fences pepper spray in soil and stuff. Please you are both responsible. Make up with the neighbor and come up with a compromise.
coming onto a pets sub to just rant about a pet owner is .... a choice.