Neighbour problems - help!

jovichick123

Hi all,

Not been around here for ages but am really at the end of my tether here

Our neighbours have had an issue with my family since they moved in about 3 months after we did. At first it was just the little things like, I would say hello and they would ignore me - not a big deal, I can live with that, each to their own and all that!

Recently it has got worse. It started when my DS, climbed under their car to retrieve his ball. Apparently he *somehow* managed to damage their car and we had a not very happy neighbour swearing on our doorstep that we should keep DS under control etc etc. (Just to mention, he's not a bad kid by any stretch of the imagination, albeit a little cheeky lol). Anyway, we offered to pay towards the cost of repair - neighbour declined. We promised it wouldn't happen again and all was quiet for a week or two.

Last night I had another knock on door from said neighbour. He started with 'we have a problem with your cats'. I asked what the problem was and apparently, despite my two cats not being the only cats on the street, he can definitively say that MY cats have been pooping in his back garden. I asked how he knew it was one of my cats, he said he saw it happening.. (just a side note to say that the cat he accused is the biggest fraidy cat ever and rarely ventures out of house let alone out of garden and also the cat in question has suddenly out of nowhere developed a limp). I'm not saying it wasn't one of my cats, just that there is an element of doubt.

Anyway, I guess I am after some advice, there have been other things that have happened but me and my family pretty much keep ourselves to ourselves. I always let on to people as I was brought up to believe it polite to do so and really don't know what I can do to resolve this with them.

I mean, what am I supposed to do? Cats have been neutered, are not content to be housecats and DS is really attached to them

TIA

Plans_all_plans

Not being harsh, but I don't think you have neighbour issues.

So they complain from time to time, but at the moment it shouldn't be making your life a misery. I'd just say to them that you want to all get on, there's nothing you can do to stop cats pooing where they want and leave it at that.

Tippytoes

Cats are free to roam, but I have a similar problem with cats carping in my garden. Next door neighbour has at least four cats who all come into my garden to poop. In turn, his cats attract all the other neighbourhood cats and they also carp in my garden. On a hot day, it positively stinks, to the extent that I don't want to use my own garden. Other half sorts it though.....dons rubber gloves, picks it up and dumps it over neighbours fence. Why can't they get litter trays and train their little darlings to do it in there?

Judith_W

I would say about about not being able to control where cats go, and suggest they try some of the many tricks/gadgets to stop cats pooping in your garden.

Tippytoes

Judith_W wrote: »

I would say about about not being able to control where cats go, and suggest they try some of the many tricks/gadgets to stop cats pooping in your garden.

Like............?

onlyroz

Your neighbours could get those sonic mog-off things to get the cats off their garden. And if your son damaged their car then you should rightly pay for all the damage (not just contribute towards a repair).

jovichick123

onlyroz wrote: »

Your neighbours could get those sonic mog-off things to get the cats off their garden. And if your son damaged their car then you should rightly pay for all the damage (not just contribute towards a repair).

I would have paid for the repair however, the day he said my son caused the damage, we were not at home therefore my son was not out playing. We live in an area with quite a lot of children and in all fairness, it could have been any one of them.

The sonic thingie is a good idea, I might buy one for them :-D

Tropez

jovichick123 wrote: »

I would have paid for the repair however, the day he said my son caused the damage, we were not at home therefore my son was not out playing. We live in an area with quite a lot of children and in all fairness, it could have been any one of them.

The sonic thingie is a good idea, I might buy one for them :-D

In your OP you said that you son had been under the car though.

jovichick123

Thats what our neighbour told us, DS said he did climb under car but touched nothing other than ball and this was about a week before the damage to the car

Tropez

jovichick123 wrote: »

Thats what our neighbour told us, DS said he did climb under car but touched nothing other than ball and this was about a week before the damage to the car

Well it is possible that your son did cause some superficial damage to the car which went unnoticed for a period of time. I'd be annoyed if I saw someone's kid climbing under my car for any reason. If there was a ball under there I would expect either the kid or the parents to approach me about retrieving it. With some unfortunate timing, it would be far too easy for an accident to occur and I don't need a child's crushed limbs, or worse, on my conscience.

As for the cats, they can be a nuisance to some people. The sonic devices are rather hit and miss and can also effect dogs and some smaller animals that some people might have/want in their garden so may not be ideal.

There's a local cat that comes into my garden at times which I consider to be a minor pest given that it does cause damage and has occasionally pooped in it too. I have dogs but they all know to poop in specific areas, whereas for the cat it is a free for all. I don't know who the cat belongs to but I probably wouldn't be bothered kicking up a fuss about it anyway because there's nothing I can do - my main concern is that I have seen my dogs chase it before and although I'll call them off if I'm in the garden at the time, I can't be wholly sure of what they might do to the cat if they were to catch it and I wasn't around. I'm sure it is someone's beloved pet and I don't need that on my conscience either.

If possible, you should probably try to work out a reasonable fix that is suitable for all while taking into account any specific problems your neighbours may have with installing cat repellant devices.

mpet

The problem with cats is they will choose various toilet spots and poo. I have 2 cats and I know they poo in my garden, but I don't doubt they do it in other gardens as well. My cats also have a habit of visiting my neighbour at dinner time (they eat in the garden a lot when the weather is nice) in the hope of a 'treat'. They also sleep on the bonnet of my other neighbours car when he comes home - nice and warm - I shoo them off if I see them doing this.

I have told my neighbours to shoo them away if they are a nuisance - I wouldn't want anyone to hurt my cats, but I fully understand they are not everyones cup of tea. Perhaps you can tell your neighbour you are happy if he shoos them away - if he does this regularly, they should get the message and not visit his garden too much.