How to keep cat away from my neighbour?

Pont

Person_one wrote: »

How do you stop the wild animals crapping in your garden? That's quite a trick!

You don't, you can't! But...is a cat a wild animal or is it a pet? What 'wild' animals are you suggesting? Bird carp happens! But bearing in mind I live in the countryside I've never experienced any other issues - simply doesn't occur.

Pont

notanewuser wrote: »

We aren't talking about wild animals. But as it happens we've spent £££££s keeping foxes etc out. We have trees so obviously birds, but I've never found any bird poo anywhere other than my car bonnet.

After £££££s I think we've finally made it impossible for the neighbourhood cats to get in. If they do, I hope they are very careful of the lillies. Now to get the front garden cat/dog proofed and perhaps my daughter can have her garden back.

Wasn't going to raise the 'Lily' point :-) But...

pawsies

Person_one wrote: »

As a dog owner, I really don't want cats on leads potentially round every corner.

But loose cats are fine?

Loose cats are more of a problem as they run so dogs want to chase

Person_one

Pont wrote: »

You don't, you can't! But...is a cat a wild animal or is it a pet? What 'wild' animals are you suggesting? Bird carp happens! But bearing in mind I live in the countryside I've never experienced any other issues - simply doesn't occur.

Birds, mice, squirrels, foxes, hedgehogs, all the millions of bugs and insects that live there.

Gardens aren't clean places, they aren't supposed to be.

Person_one

pawsies wrote: »

But loose cats are fine?

Loose cats are more of a problem as they run so dogs want to chase

A loose cat will disappear long before the dog sees it.

It would be an absolute nightmare in more urban areas, walking the dogs would become massively stressful. Could you ever let your dog off lead again even in wide open spaces and parks?

delain

Pont wrote: »

You can only be responsible for 'your cat'. I don't think anyone is suggesting you should take reponsibility for every cat in the neighbourhood. You state that 'I don't have that sort of money' to cat proof your garden. However, many non cat 'owners' are having to fork out heaps to keep cats out of their gardens - hardly fair! Cactus spikes on top of your 4ft fence would go someway to help (and your neighbour could see you were trying to actively do something to remedy the problem). £30 on Ebay?

My neighbour has done nothing that would cost her, only complained to me and more or less ordered me to keep it indoors so I don't see what other people have spent because of other cats has got to do with it.

A fence between our gardens, although visible would be less than useless and a waste of £30? I want to actually help, not just put up a mickey mouse fence.

I have stated numerous times i can't 'cat proof' my garden. There is a tree overhanging a garage block at the other end of the garden so no amount of fencing will keep my cat in or othe cats out.

Pont

delain wrote: »

My neighbour has done nothing that would cost her, only complained to me and more or less ordered me to keep it indoors so I don't see what other people have spent because of other cats has got to do with it.

A fence between our gardens, although visible would be less than useless and a waste of £30? I want to actually help, not just put up a mickey mouse fence.

I have stated numerous times i can't 'cat proof' my garden. There is a tree overhanging a garage block at the other end of the garden so no amount of fencing will keep my cat in or othe cats out.

But your neighbour should be doing nothing that would cost her! She is not causing the nuisance it seems that your cat is! I wouldn't/couldn't 'order' you to keep your cat indoors but I would expect you, as a reasonable human being, to take measures that negates the nuisance.

Cactus strips are not a Mickey Mouse fence, they are plastic 'spikes' that attach to the top of the fence that make it uncomfortable for a cat to jump onto (without causing harm to the cat). Some people suggest metal carpet grippers - I do not - as said previously I don't wish to cause harm.

Overhanging trees can be accommodated by the use of a £15 roll of chicken wire. Also a £5 tub of vaseline on the overhanging branches (from chemists) which causes no harm (but cats don't like to step in 'sticky' stuff), together with well appointed citronella spray. All doable at cat owners expense when the onus of responsibility lays.

I'm not here 'to have a go' at cat owners - I'm merely stating that there IS a problem and suggesting remedies to address such.

Again, you are NOT responsible for all of the neighbourhood cats - only your own.

helenthemum

I would suggest to your neighbour that the next time your cat goes into their house they trap it in the room. Have an empty 2ltr fizzy drinks bottle handy and bang it again a solid surface (not the cat). Then let the cat out. This should frighten your cat but not harm it.

We did this we a cat the used to come into our house even though we had 3 of our own.

I don't have a problem with cats coming into my conservatory unless they spray as the smell is horrible.

My 3 cats seem to know which houses they can visit as one neighbour told me mine visit him everyday. Luckily he loves them visiting him.

1 of my cats also comes on walks with me and my dog. Bit of a strange sight and always gets commented on by other dog walkers.

Pont

Person_one wrote: »

Birds, mice, squirrels, foxes, hedgehogs, all the millions of bugs and insects that live there.

Gardens aren't clean places, they aren't supposed to be.

Birds - as stated previously.
Mice - have never seen one (or evidence of one) in either my house of my garden. Fully accept that they are there - but not in my house nor have ever seen droppings in the garden (anyway chalk lines are the answer if a problems to others).
Squirrels - yep as a country person do witness the grey variety (considered vermin) occasionally when on woodland walks - never seen in my garden.
Foxes - as stated previously - never (despite 50 years in the countryside) seen within the village/garden.
Hedgehogs - occasionally (talking about 2 sightings within 3 years of living at this address). Usually spotted when the air temperatures are up the spout and the little blighters don't know what's happening!
Spiders/flies, a little pedantic perhaps, nonetheless spray, fly paper which will put an end to the little pests.
Surely you're not suggesting cats are among the above????

Never had a squirrel, fox, hedgehog etc come through my house window. Are you advocating (yikes!) poisonous means to get rid of ...cats, should they be deemed, and spotted as, wildlife?

Again it boils down to are cats 'pets' or are they not?

adouglasmhor

Pont wrote: »

No more than I should walk my dog through rivers, up mountains, through blizzards etc. I take my dog for a walk on a lead - he'd would love to do all of the above, but I don't!

Should I walk my dog through the streets on a lead? Yes?
Do I know there are potential dangers of doing so? Yes.
Do I monitor the situation as to what is safe/sensible etc? Yes.

My, very docile, lab would also have no way of escaping either in the same circumstances that you describe.
Does this devolve me of all responsibility of my lab?
Let him enter the property of others?
Poop in their gardens?
Expect others to go to the time and expense of keeping him out of their properties rather than me keeping in mine etc? - NO!

The law is different for dogs than for cats.