Neighbor Upset About Cat Poop In Yard.

mapper

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So I know finding poop in your yard for people that don’t have pets is a nuisance. We have 3 cats that are all indoor/outdoor and our next door neighbor has an indoor/outdoor cat and the people next to them have an indoor/outdoor cat and the person kitty corner from me has the same. We’ve all been there for 5-6 years and we’ve never had any complaints from anyone. Last year a couple moved into a new house that was built across the street. I introduced myself to the husband a few weeks after they moved in and he didn’t seem overly thrilled to meet me. My husband got the same lukewarm response from him as well a few days later. The woman is friendlier, but I don’t think either of them are too happy with us. They are both hugely into fitness and have been fitness models so I don’t’ know if they think we are below them or what. He came over last summer saying that they had a bunch of cat poop in their yard and they thought it was from our cats. I told him that there are several cats that roamed and then pointed out that next door and next door to them and kitty corner from us all have cats that roam. I told him that if he sees it’s our cats to let us know and we will come over and pick it up. He sort of rolled his eyes because I’m sure he doesn’t even want us in his yard. My husband spoke to him the following day and didn’t make much headway with him. We haven’t heard anything more from them about the cats. Well yesterday they both went next door to us and told them that they found their cat’s collar in their yard and that this was a “freebie warning” and that next time if they have evidence of anybody’s cats pooping that they will file a report with animal control. My neighbor texted me and told me all of this. She said they also pointed out our house and a house that is behind where the complaining couple live. Well we could keep them in, but they would go nuts and tear up the house. We’ve all been here 5-6 years and they just moved in a year ago and all of a sudden they are threatening all their neighbors with tickets and animal control. We’re afraid he’s going to end up poisoning the cats or something. I wish they didn’t go over there, but their whole side yard is dirt and they probably see it as a litter box, just like they do with our garden. We’ve also heard them complaining about the pigeons roosting on their roof because I have a birdfeeder in the tree in the front yard. Well I don’t want pigeons either, but they come. They should have moved to a secluded area then if they didn’t want all these animals in their yard. Nothing like alienating every single one of your neighbors with the threat of animal control and tickets!

We are all on edge now because of this one neighbor who has become the “hall monitor” to the neighborhood. Are we all supposed to change the way our cats live because of this new guy to the neighborhood? If he does decide to have animal control give us tickets, what good is that going to do? The cats are still going to poop in their yard and we’ll all be paying fines but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to keep our cats in.
 

javannalynn

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I know a lot of people here will tell you not to let them outside. I have 4 cats that all go outside. 3 are not smart enough to jump the fence and stay in the yard. But my Ninja runs the neighborhood. I haven't had any issues with my neighbors (knock on wood).
I know that some areas animal control will not ticket you for having indoor/outdoor cats. I would check your area. I would also try to talk to the wife. There are plenty of ways they can deter the cats from their yards if they don't like them. They could get some motion censored sprinklers that would spray them. It would not take more then a few sprays for the cats to figure out that's not where they want to be. There are tons of home remedy things to keep cats out of gardens but i don't know how many work. Maybe buy them one of these sprinklers and take it to them as a gift would help.
Some petless humans (and even some cat lovers) don't realize how much we love our babies even if they do go outside. Keep being friendly and offer some suggestions about how to keep the cats out of their yard. Nicely :)
 
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Jem

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While I'm personally not a fan of letting cats roam the neighborhood because of all the dangers (they become roadkill, fights with other cats, being hurt of killed by pissy neighbors, wild animals, roaming dogs, fleas, ticks, toxic anything, infections, parasites...and the list goes on) and it can also be a nuisance for others (peeing and pooping in gardens/yard (nothing better than finding cat poop in my lettuce and cucumbers!)), peeing and spraying around the house, which really upsets the resident indoor kitties, could you find a happy medium and build a catio in your yard? At least your kitties will be safe and outdoors, and everyone is happy.
You could then go to your neighbor, and tell him if he has any other issues, that is it not you. I'll agree that this new neighbor seems to have taken this to the extreme with threats and such, and should have at least tried to express his concerns first (nicely) and try to find a compromise, (although he does have the right to do what he is threatening to do). I honestly think you guys have had a good run with no neighbors complaining, so it may just be time to compromise and not let them roam. Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.
Other than that, you'll have to surrender yourself to the fact that your going to get fines and by-law on your butt, or worse, your neighbor takes things into his own hands.
I've been on the receiving end of nuisance neighbors, with dogs pooping in my yard and the owners not picking it up, other cats marking around my house making my cats VERY stressed to where they then peed all over the inside of my house, finding cat poop in my vegetable gardens, the dumb kid with his stupid stereo system and car with an after market exhaust that he insisted on revving, All. The. Time. as he worked on it every day, and his father (apple didn't fall too far) who seemed to think is was OK to use my yard as a dumping ground for his junk. So I guess I'm a bit biased, but it really does make things uncomfortable and the last thing you want is a war between neighbors.
 
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mapper

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I know a lot of people here will tell you not to let them outside. I have 4 cats that all go outside. 3 are not smart enough to jump the fence and stay in the yard. But my Ninja runs the neighborhood. I haven't had any issues with my neighbors (knock on wood).
I know that some areas animal control will not ticket you for having indoor/outdoor cats. I would check your area. I would also try to talk to the wife. There are plenty of ways they can deter the cats from their yards if they don't like them. They could get some motion censored sprinklers that would spray them. It would not take more then a few sprays for the cats to figure out that's not where they want to be. There are tons of home remedy things to keep cats out of gardens but i don't know how many work. Maybe buy them one of these sprinklers and take it to them as a gift would help.
Some petless humans (and even some cat lovers) don't realize how much we love our babies even if they do go outside. Keep being friendly and offer some suggestions about how to keep the cats out of their yard. Nicely :)
I'm sure they won't do anything to deter them because I'm sure their excuse would be why should they buy stuff to get rid of them when it should be our place to keep them home! I've looked on their Facebook page and they are both into hunting and shooting guns so they don't appear to "like" animals, even through I learned she grew up on a farm.
 
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mapper

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While I'm personally not a fan of letting cats roam the neighborhood because of all the dangers (they become roadkill, fights with other cats, being hurt of killed by pissy neighbors, wild animals, roaming dogs, fleas, ticks, toxic anything, infections, parasites...and the list goes on) and it can also be a nuisance for others (peeing and pooping in gardens/yard (nothing better than finding cat poop in my lettuce and cucumbers!)), peeing and spraying around the house, which really upsets the resident indoor kitties, could you find a happy medium and build a catio in your yard? At least your kitties will be safe and outdoors, and everyone is happy.
You could then go to your neighbor, and tell him if he has any other issues, that is it not you. I'll agree that this new neighbor seems to have taken this to the extreme with threats and such, and should have at least tried to express his concerns first (nicely) and try to find a compromise, (although he does have the right to do what he is threatening to do). I honestly think you guys have had a good run with no neighbors complaining, so it may just be time to compromise and not let them roam. Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.
Other than that, you'll have to surrender yourself to the fact that your going to get fines and by-law on your butt, or worse, your neighbor takes things into his own hands.
I've been on the receiving end of nuisance neighbors, with dogs pooping in my yard and the owners not picking it up, other cats marking around my house making my cats VERY stressed to where they then peed all over the inside of my house, finding cat poop in my vegetable gardens, the dumb kid with his stupid stereo system and car with an after market exhaust that he insisted on revving, All. The. Time. as he worked on it every day, and his father (apple didn't fall too far) who seemed to think is was OK to use my yard as a dumping ground for his junk. So I guess I'm a bit biased, but it really does make things uncomfortable and the last thing you want is a war between neighbors.
I understand that. A catio WOULD make me much more at ease, but I just don't think it's going to work with our house layout. We have a pet door that they can go out at their leisure and if we could somehow build it around that, but that would interfere with us going in and out the back door. Plus, my husband is somewhat absent minded about closing doors and it always leaving the front door open for them to go in and out. We leave it open during the summer and have a magnetic screen over it, but the cats can go right through that.
 

javannalynn

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I'm into "shooting guns and hunting" that doesn't mean I kill cats. most on this site will just tell you to keep them inside. They are going to tell you all the horrible things that can happen if you let them out and how awful you are for doing it. If you don't think they would buy one, get them one as a gift maybe they would be willing to try it.
 

Jem

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Instead of using the back door as the entrance/exit for their catio, where it would interfere with your comings and goings, could you use a basement or main floor window as their "door" and keep your door as the "human" door? Would you also be willing to get a real screen door instead of using the magnetic screen? Obviously I don't know your yard/house layout so I don't know if this would work, but it's a thought.
 

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Check with Animal Control about the cat poop. There may be ordinances about dog poop, but I doubt there is one on cats. These people are over the top, and if you get some facts behind you, there may be nothing they can do about it. Like the pigeons. Ridiculous.
 

rubysmama

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I'm a cat owner, and love cats, but it DRIVES ME CRAZY when I find someone else's cat's poop in my yard. (Ruby is indoor only, so it's not hers)

Yes, I know it's not a big deal to clean it, but I also seem to find it when I'm mowing the lawn, then I have to stop, go inside, get a plastic bag, clean up someone else's cat's poop, and then watch till I've mowed past that spot to ensure the mower cord doesn't run over where the gross, mushy cat poop had been. :barfgreen: (what do some people feed their cats?!?!) Sometimes if I'm really lucky, it's been there long enough that it's sun dried and doesn't leave residue on my grass when I pick it up.

So, I do sympathize with non-cat owners who find cat poop in their yards.

If you should consider keeping your cats inside, here are some TCS articles that might have some tips for you.

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside
How To Prevent Your Cat From Darting Out The Door | TheCatSite
How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats) | TheCatSite
Cat Enclosures | TheCatSite
7 Proven Ways To Get Your Cat To Be More Active | TheCatSite
Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips) | TheCatSite
Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know | TheCatSite
 
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mapper

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Check with Animal Control about the cat poop. There may be ordinances about dog poop, but I doubt there is one on cats. These people are over the top, and if you get some facts behind you, there may be nothing they can do about it. Like the pigeons. Ridiculous.
Well he said to our neighbors that he called animal control and if he has evidence they can get a ticket. I love how he's the new guy in the neighborhood and the only time he has spoken to me, other than coming to our door and complaining about the poop, is when I introduced myself to him and he was less than thrilled about that. My neighbor just told me the same thing today. The wife introduced herself to them a while back then later that day they were walking the trail and they ran into them and she said the only thing he said to them (first time meeting them) was "Pleasure" with a blank stare and he hasn't spoken to them since except for coming over to their house yesterday and complaining about the poop and giving them a "freebie warning".
 

1 bruce 1

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I understand that. A catio WOULD make me much more at ease, but I just don't think it's going to work with our house layout. We have a pet door that they can go out at their leisure and if we could somehow build it around that, but that would interfere with us going in and out the back door. Plus, my husband is somewhat absent minded about closing doors and it always leaving the front door open for them to go in and out. We leave it open during the summer and have a magnetic screen over it, but the cats can go right through that.
Even a cheapo dog kennel outside the pet door (covered of course, a tarp or some OSB) would work, and panels can be moved around so you could make it as big or small as you wanted.
Same with the back door, or make some kind of reminder system to not let the cats out or leave the door open for your husband.
Cats like vertical space more than horizontal, so even a small space from both places would be fine so long as they had some old tree branches to climb around on.
We wouldn't really care if we found cat crap in our yard from someone else's cat, but stewardship is about making people who don't like cats like them a little bit more because they meet good owners who do what they can to make their non-cat friendly neighbors happy. I'm glad you're looking for a solution. You're being a good neighbor in trying to find a solution to make everyone happy, something you don't always find these days :hellocomputer:
 

DreamerRose

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Maybe it's not the neighborhood cats leaving the poop. Other animals leave it, too, like skunks, opossums, and raccoons. Cats usually cover up their poop, so if it's left in the open, it's probably not a cat. I've seen people mistake Canada geese poop for dog-do. They look very similar. You might point this out to the unfriendly neighbor.
 

LTS3

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Instead of using the back door as the entrance/exit for their catio, where it would interfere with your comings and goings, could you use a basement or main floor window as their "door" and keep your door as the "human" door? .


:yeah:

Attach the catio to your house via a window like in this picture:

 

1 bruce 1

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If your yard is fenced you could try adding cat fencing. The idea is that the angled or curved portion at the top of the fence makes it very difficult to jump or climb over.
If the yard is big and depending on your weather, wind can be an issue and bring down the top part of the fence so a walk through on the daily is a good idea to make sure no one does a jail break :lol:
Also, catproof any area you see that could be used as a get away, like trees, sheds, or anything near a fence. Go a foot or more higher, angle that fence, and you'll be A-OK :thumbsup:
 

danteshuman

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I think a catio or fencing that keeps your cat inside your yard is a great idea. Cats kill cats and it is impossible to prevent if they roam. Plus coyotes, dogs, cats, etc. can kill injure your cat to.

I also think your neigbor has some serious emotional/boundary issues. If you don’t like cats roaming in your yard, buy motion activated sprinklers and make your yard unappealing to cats. That is all on the neigbor not you. Why do I say this? Because I highly doubt that no other cats beside yours come into your neighbor’s yard. There are cats that belong to other people plus feral/community cats. That is beyond your control.

I disliked picking up dog poop in my driveway flower area by the garage. I got fed up and sprinkled chilli powder on the ground.... no more dog poop. (I did warn my next door neigbor that I talked to and had dogs.)
 

Leomc123

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As far as i know, when a cat poos, they poop in soil or find leaves and branches on the ground, they dig a hole poop and then cover it up , what is your neighbours problem. There are people who come by my house with their dogs and let their dogs poop on our lawn, or they collect the poop in the poop bag and instead of throwing it in the big, they throw it into our shrubs at the front of the house. One day i found this poop bag in the shrub, and went to the corner of the street and placed the poop bag in the center of the road straight in line with the foot path where they will walk, then when i went to work i drove over the bag to mush it into the ground so they will walk on it when they pass lol
 

Leomc123

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oh yeah i have a neighbor who will use a leaf blower in a wind storm to clean the leaves in his backyard, all the leaves and rubbish was being blown everywhere by the storm and still he was there leaf blowing his yard LOL. There was a fight once where he claimed that our leaves were going into his backyard, never mind the fact that there are many houses around him with trees and leaves , but no... its only our leaves in his yard. We told him to F off, it came to the point were he would leaf blow when we have guests over to annoy us so we couldn't enjoy the back yard. And every afternoon exactly at 4.30 pm he leaf blows his yard when he comes home from work. Then it progressed to him chopping our trees and throwing rubbish into our yard, so my dad would get up in the morning at 6 am and start leaf blowing to piss him off for a while. We ended up calling the cops on him several times. Now he is a little normal now. We even had to draw a line at the front lawn to show him which part of the foot path was his side and which one was our side.
 

Maria Bayote

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It is always preferable to keep the cats as indoor only, but some cats get too unhappy with this set up so a catio as what was suggested will do the trick. Or, as also suggested, put something on the fence and gate that would deter them from climbing over. I for one am planning to install those spinning paddles on my fences to keep my cats from escaping. You should check it out.

You really cannot stop this neighbor from complaining, as this is their yard even if they are just newbies. There will always come a time when we encounter neighbors such as yours, unfortunately. No amount of reasoning or explaining from your end will do the trick.

Goodluck. I hope things would be resolved soon.
 

Leomc123

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Your neighbor sounds exactly like my next door neighbor which is a new one, and the 2 new neighbors down the street. They buy a house , move in, and think they own the entire street even though everyone else on the street has lived here for 35 years without any issues all lived civilly. And then one blue moon these newbies come along and claim BS because they think they can, but they dont realize that when you buy a house, you look around at the neighbor hood and the house surroundings before you buy it. The other 2 new neighbors who moved in last year, think its their god given right to start their motor bike engines in front of our house, even though they live down the street. My dad recorded them gave it to the police and council and now they go down the other end of the street and rev their engines every morning. 1 of the neighbours said to us " our son deserves to be happy, and that my brother is a lawyer" my dad told them ok, and called the police on them and showed the video. We had another neighbour of 10 years when he purchased the house he didnt check or noticed that his house was 50 cm lower than ours at an angle so what when it rained all the water goes into his yard. Somehow he thought it was our fault. We told him to f off as well and to open his eyes when he buys a house next time LOL .
 
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