Woman in feud with neighbours over cats using her garden as a toilet

A woman has revealed tensions between her neighbours over their cats using her garden as a toilet, with her frustration escalating due to their refusal to do anything about it.

In a thread on Mumsnet called ‘Am I Being Unreasonable? (AIBU)’, the userposted voicing her annoyance and distress regarding the cat’s toilet habits.

‘My neighbour’s cats use my garden for a toilet,’ she wrote.

‘I’m sick of having to deal with it; on top of plant pots, in my veg bed, etc.

‘They make no attempt to bury it so it sits there stinky until I pick it up. It properly turns my stomach and spoils my enjoyment of my garden on a daily basis.’

While the woman is irritated at the cats, she believes the neighbours themselves are more at fault and should at least acknowledge the situation.

‘I know they can’t be kept out or trained not to,’ she continued. ‘I’d never want to harm them – they’re just being cats! I’d just like some acknowledgement from neighbour that their choice to keep outdoor cats is causing this.’

When she spoke to the pet owners asking if they’d be ‘willing to take a turn dealing with’ the mess left, they refused, arguing that it was an unnecessary task since cats bury their excrement.

They also told the woman ‘that’s why they don’t keep [the cats] in, as they don’t want to deal with their litter tray (they were originally indoor only kittens).’

Seeking advice on the situation, she asked whether she was being unreasonable to be upset – and Mumsnetters were largely supportive.

Many said it was the responsibility of the owners to take care of their pet’s droppings, including one user who commented: ‘I have cats and when our neighbour said they were pooing in his garden we took action to stop them…

‘You can’t just shrug your shoulders about your pets sh***ing all over someone else’s property.’

Others also pushed for a very forward move to prove a point.

‘Get a beach spade or big old spoon to scoop it up and put over the fence into theirs,’ one user urged, while another added: ‘If my neighbour’s cats did this I would scoop it up on a spade and fling it over into their garden.’

Meanwhile, though, some had practical tips to help deter cats from future messes – and we feel these choices may fare better for the woman.

‘A cat motion activated sprinkler and garden hose is good,’ a commenter advised. ‘Place bamboo skewers or cutlery upright in the soil – the cat won’t get comfy position to leave a deposit.’

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