Neighbours Cat Repellent...

kg182

My neighbour has purchased a cat repellent (I assume to stop my cat from going into her garden) which isn’t a problem, but the problem I have is that’s she has aimed it directly at my window - the one which the cat uses to enter and leave. Because of this, throughout my house during the day all I hear is the high pitched noise that comes from it constantly. 

She previously used to spray water at my window (getting water inside my house) to scare the cat away when he wanted to go out. He ended up refusing to leave the house and would hide indoors. I noted down all the times it happened so I could approach her and prove it wasn’t just an “accident” while she watered her garden, although there are no plants there but still. She stopped doing it before I could ask her about it.

She hasn’t come to me to discuss any issues, my cat barely uses her garden as he prefers the gardens to the right hand side (other cat owners).

How exactly do I approach her about this? I don’t want her to be difficult about this, so far it seems very passive aggressive.
My friend suggested that I call her and walk by the window saying I can’t find the source of the noise so I might need to get an electrician out or contact the council and see if she admits it or turns it away. 

Advice welcome

Martin_the_Unjust

Show her that you are aware of and understand her concerns by purchasing and using a suitable cat run (https://www.amazon.co.uk/FeelGoodUK-Galvanised-Chicken-Cover-Included/dp/B00UXBS2QK for example) 

kg182

Martin_the_Unjust said:

Show her that you are aware of and understand her concerns by purchasing and using a suitable cat run (https://www.amazon.co.uk/FeelGoodUK-Galvanised-Chicken-Cover-Included/dp/B00UXBS2QK for example) 

My garden isn’t big enough for that unfortunately! 

sarahandme

You might find that cats are a protected species and are allowed a free reign of any house or garden they like. Pretty sure I read that somewhere. Bit like bats.  And that wasent being sarcastic either. 

onwards&upwards

Knock on the door and talk to her like an adult. 

Offer to put some sort of barrier along the fence that's on her border so the cat can't get over. 

Pollycat

sarahandme said:

You might find that cats are a protected species and are allowed a free reign of any house or garden they like. Pretty sure I read that somewhere. Bit like bats.  And that wasent being sarcastic either. 

Cats really aren't a 'protected species'.

You may be referring to these sorts of things:

The five welfare needs

All animals are protected from harm by law. In addition, animal owners are responsible for ensuring that their pets have all of their needs met.

Criminal Damage Act 1971

If a person kills or injures a cat belonging to another person, they may have committed an offence under this act, because the law regards cats as property.

The Common Law Duty of Care

It is often thought that cats have a right to roam wherever they wish. This idea is based on the fact that dog and livestock owners are obliged by law to keep their animals under control - but these duties do not apply to cat owners. The law recognises that cats are less likely to cause injury to people or damage property than some other animals.

However, cat owners do have a duty at law to take reasonable care to ensure that their cats do not injure people or damage property. Cases involving damage to property or injury to people by cats are rare.

Source:

https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/getting-a-cat/cats-and-the-law

As you say, bats really are a protected species.

So although it's perfectly acceptable to use a high pitched deterrent for cats - in an appropriate manner - it is not acceptable to use it on bats. Even inside your own house.

Back to the OP:

I thought these devices were so high pitched that humans couldn't hear them.

I think her previous spraying of water directly at your window was wrong and I would have attempted to talk to her at that time.

It's one thing to try to deter cats from coming into your garden but totally another to try to stop it coming out of its own house.

How long ago did she stop spraying? Months? Weeks? Days?

I would try to talk to her and ask her to direct the sound towards her garden.

You could offer to provide her with a home-made deterrent spray to spray on her garden:

Try mixing 3 parts water to 1 part peppermint oil into a spray bottle and apply to necessary areas. You will need to reapply the solution as it wears down from the outside conditions. I'm going to try this when my Wilko spray deterrent runs out as I have peppermint oil.

Or any of these options:

https://catsbanned.co.uk/ultimate-homemade-cat-repellent-spray/

Please do not try these deterrents on bats. They are a protected species.

I write as an ex cat owner and as someone who is currently clearing at least 4 lots of cat mess from my front and back garden every day.

My current method of dealing with it is to clear it up, spray the area with repellent and shoo every cat away with a hissing sound every time I see one in my garden.

Pollycat

onwards&upwards said:

Knock on the door and talk to her like an adult. 

Offer to put some sort of barrier along the fence that's on her border so the cat can't get over. 

I had one cat that used to get up on the outhouse flat roof, then run up the house wall (rough pebble-dashed) and sit on the apex of the roof (Victorian semi so pretty high). It was scary watching her come down.

No fence would keep her out no matter how high.

She was very agile though but even my old boy could climb over a 6 foot high fence.

I agree with the talking like an adult, although it sounds like the neighbour may not be very receptive.

kg182

I went round and knocked on the door. When she answered I asked if it was okay to discuss my cat. She slammed the door in my face 

Now I really feel at a loss. I don’t want it to become wars!

Pollycat

Oh dear.

She obviously can't discuss it like an adult.

You may like to have a read of this:

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes

I'm not sure that a high pitched noise would be classed the same as playing loud music, dogs barking etc though.

sarahandme

kg182 said:

I went round and knocked on the door. When she answered I asked if it was okay to discuss my cat. She slammed the door in my face 

Now I really feel at a loss. I don’t want it to become wars!

Cant you hire a carpenter to make a cat run purposely designed for your garden? I know cats like to rome freely, our cat was being fed by quite a few neighbours around here. But it seems that isnt working out with your neighbour. You need to do sonething or not let your cat out at all. 

sheramber

 If you can hear it it is probably faulty as you shouldn't hear it.
Since she is not willing to  discuss you can report it to environmental health.