Cats!

artbaron

The only solution is to sell your house and move to a flat on or above the first floor. Cats can't climb walls and I assume they're not permitted to wander the hallways of these establishments so you should be safe. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the reason flats were first conceived of. That, and saving space in urban areas.

I'm considering moving too you know, on account of witnessing a vole out by the bins yesterday. Now I admit my knowledge of voles is limited but I assume they defecate and I doubt they use little vole toilets, thank you very much, so they must be doing... you know... their business right there on my borders. And they have teeth too, and fleas. It's just a furry little animal, you might say, and you'd be right, but can you honestly say you know what they're capable of? Because I can't. Nope, I won't be swayed on this, that vole has ruined my summer and anybody who has to deal with unwanted mammal incursions onto their property has my heartfelt sympathy.

Eejay

I love cats, but I think it's bad to let them poo wherever they like.

Our cats are indoor only - in the past this has been choice (they were occasionally allowed supervised time outside), but our current cats are rescues and we were told to keep them inside because of their history (we do let one of them out on a lead occasionally though - the other would almost certainly not tolerate it). Years ago my Mum would let her cats roam freely outside but they'd always come back to use the litter tray - she only allows them supervised time outside now because of a few incidents with owners encouraging their dogs to attack cats in the area

However, I hate irresponsible pet owners. My MIL refuses to provide a litter tray for her cat because she can't be bothered with it, but she also doesn't want the cat doing it's business all over her garden. She put bark down around her plants and the cat sees it as a giant litter tray, so now she's trying her best to deter it from pooing in her garden with lemons, upturned plant pots etc. It really winds me up - her neighbours have young children but she's adamant the cat does not use their garden either, and instead goes across the road to use the area near a little stream. I don't know how she can be so sure of this - if it uses her flower beds I suspect it would happily use the neighbours' too. I'll certainly be very wary about letting our baby play in her garden!

I feel a bit sorry for the cats in the situation outlined by the OP - after all they don't understand that they have become a nuisance now, but I can understand the frustration that non-cat lovers have when they have to deal with other people's pets. When people tell me I'm cruel for keeping our cats indoors, I remind them that you wouldn't let any other pet roam freely around without supervision, so why should cats be any different? I don't mind what people choose to do with their cats (as long as they take some responsibility when it comes to ensuring they don't annoy the neighbours!) but I get tired of people judging us for what we do with ours.

GwylimT

Mrstickle wrote: »

We have had this problem since we moved into our new house 12 months ago. And its getting worse with the nice summer we are having.
I have a three year old child, who loves to run around the garden, rolling in the grass, roly ploys, bare-footed, and she should be able to. But she can't. She's trod in cat poo. She has run her little toy pram though it.
They squirt against my decking and it smells foul no matter how much it gets hosed down.
We have a large lawn, and I can't physically check it all before she gets in the garden. And why should I have to?!
Cat repellant is expensive and doesn't work, but ACG I like the look of those sonar things, do they work?
I have a water pistol, but I've yet to get the cats with it as they move to quickly. I wouldn't think anything of tipping a full bucket of water on one if I could.
Gwylim obviously can't have young children. Cats are a plague in my garden, and I feel very angry towards owners that let them roam. I can't imagine they would like cleaning cat poo off a child's foot.

I have two young children, if I suspect somewhere has faeces like the park my children don't play there, as after all even when dog poo is removed some will remain and the associated bacteria.

I don't know if sonar works, lion dung pellets prevents our car from going on the garden.

J_i_m

ACG wrote: »

But im more annoyed at cat owners who just let their cats do what they want, sod their neighbours... very selfish people.

So what if the cat doesn't actually belong to anybody? What if it's a stray? It's effectively a wild animal... like any other that may use your garden.

So who is then being selfish for letting them do what they want?

If any other wild animal makes a nuisance of itself in your garden, is there some almighty power being selfish and inconsiderate towards you?

This is the tricky area, when we begin applying the same logic to animals as we would to people.

Cats generally aren't animals that can be kept in a confined space.. it's not like a hamster or a fish which you can keep in a tank or cage.. and you might find that taking it out on a lead like a dog would be very difficult and actually.. I don't know if it occurs to people who don't like cats.. but unlike dogs they tend to bury their excrement.

I think what debates like these illustrate is just how self-centered and intolerant of reality some people can be.

ACG

J_i_m wrote: »

They could do that anywhere... just in the same way a cat could possibly do it's business just about any where.

But if cat owners kept them in their own garden they would not do it in my garden and so there would be no risk to kids playing in my garden?

Mrstickle - they dont like it I dont think. It keeps some away, the others it just stops them hanging around.

Mrstickle

Yes, I agree about parks, I am more careful. But my child should be free to play in her own garden without fear of somebody else's mess. And my hygiene is flawless.
I haven't tried lion dung. I might try that around the borders where they get in, as I assume it would hang around longer than the powder.

ACG

J_i_m wrote: »

So what if the cat doesn't actually belong to anybody? What if it's a stray? It's effectively a wild animal... like any other that may use your garden.

So who is then being selfish for letting them do what they want?

If any other wild animal makes a nuisance of itself in your garden, is there some almighty power being selfish and inconsiderate towards you?

This is the tricky area, when we begin applying the same logic to animals as we would to people.

Cats generally aren't animals that can be kept in a confined space.. it's not like a hamster or a fish which you can keep in a tank or cage.. and you might find that taking it out on a lead like a dog would be very difficult and actually.. I don't know if it occurs to people who don't like cats.. but unlike dogs they tend to bury their excrement.

I think what debates like these illustrate is just how self-centered and intolerant of reality some people can be.

Wild animals do not belong to anyone, so I would not expect them to be kept out my garden by their owners. Wild cats are not an issue around here, but if they were I would call RSPCA.

My point is that if you own a cat/dog/gerbil/goldfish/giraffe - look after it. Keep it on your property and dont leave it to others to clean up after.

Foxes/hedgehogs etc are nobodies pet, so if that comes on to my property then its up to me to sort out.

J_i_m

ACG wrote: »

But if cat owners kept them in their own garden they would not do it in my garden and so there would be no risk to kids playing in my garden?

Mrstickle - they dont like it I dont think. It keeps some away, the others it just stops them hanging around.

So you're proposing people either turn their garden into a cage so the cat can't get out.. or don't actually let the cat out doors at all?

Because you realise cats tend to be more agile than people, can jump up fences, climb trees and generally out maneuver a person right?

And while we're at it... I suppose the RSPB ought to feel ashamed of themselves for not preventing birds from crapping all over the streets and people's cars Well... I mean, how very dare they?

jjlandlord

Between that and the recent other thread where it was suggested that artificial grass is so great...

Some people would better off in a flat, on the middle floors, in the town's centre, to be as far as possible of all land, water, and flying animals. And of grass.

ACG

People have house cats.

Read my post above, wild animals are different. If I had kids climbing in your garden - would you complain? If I took a dump in your garden would you complain? of course - this is no different.

I dont want a flat, I want a house with a garden I can enjoy without fear of stepping in something.