Major trouble with neighbor who hates cats!

My mom is having major trouble with her next door neighbor, who has always been a bit of a problem. She complains about the dogs looking out the windows at her, insisting that "they going to come bite me!" (They're golden retrievers!) and now she's complaining about mom's cats.

Now, they live on a crowded street where the houses are fairly close together, but everyone gets along well and everyone agrees that this lady has nothing better to do than to complain about everyone's pets and make everyone miserable.

She stopped my mom after a she got back from walking her dogs and came right out and INSISTED she keep her cats inside or get rid of them. Mom said she was not going to keep them inside, that they've been indoor/outdoor cats all their lives and that she was ABSOLUTELY NOT going to get rid of them. Then the old lady threatened to call someone and have her cats taken away. She did say she'd never hurt or be mean to them, and frankly I think she's just full of hot air. She gets mad when the cats walk through her back yard or sit on her porch. And yes, the probably have pooped in her yard a time or two.

My question is, is there some sort of cat repellent we can buy for her to put in her yard? I know there's stuff for inside the home but I didn't see anything for outdoors.

Grrr! Why do people have to be so miserable!

I sympathize with your belief that cats are safe outdoors alone (rather than in a special enclosure, but whatever you might think of your neighbour, she has a right to clean property and no trespassers, including cats, never mind whatever smelly stuff you want to put there. If you care about your cats, you'll encourage your mother to get or make a safe enclosure (there are lots out there to get inspired by) and respect the neighbours.

Originally Posted by TickyTat

She did say she'd never hurt or be mean to them

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I would take that remark with a pinch of salt, because i think she would hurt them if she gets annoyed as what you say she is.

With neighbours it's about compromising, so like Larke has said i would really consider building an enclosure, for the safety of the cats, and to keep the neighbour off your mums back, because i really think something might happen to them

When I was trying to get a bunch of ferals away from the house and just in the field, I put a small amount of used kitty litter around the yard to show territory. It worked like a charm and you really could not see it. We are not really supposed to have cats, but are on the don't ask, don't tell plan. Maybe you could approach your neighbor about something like that. We never stepped in it or smelled. At least she will know you are trying. It might make her a little less of a miserable witch You will need to get some litter from someone else's cat so yours will stay away from it.

Originally Posted by TickyTat

My mom is having major trouble with her next door neighbor, who has always been a bit of a problem. She complains about the dogs looking out the windows at her, insisting that "they going to come bite me!" (They're golden retrievers!) and now she's complaining about mom's cats.

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I Lolâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ed at that quote. About 10 years ago I ended up with three dogs a Rottie, German shepherd and a pitt/lab. They were dysfunctional dogs that no one wanted to deal with so feeling bad for them i took them in. We had a neighbor once that actually rang our doorbell and asked me for 50$ a week for taxis to take her to the park because my dogs ruined her daily walk because they looked at her THROUGH the window… Ya lol I laughed at her and shut the door… I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even say a word. Thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s off topic though, just reminded me of that.

My dad is a huge sucky animal lover BUT he is also a very “army†type guy when it comes to cleanliness. He freaked out when his neighbors cat was pooing on his lawn he would pick it up and fling it on their car… ya he can get a bit crusty… immature but hey, there was poo in his lawn he felt he had a right. The neighbors ended up buying him some sort of repellant after getting tired of poo flung on their car (Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sorry, I forgot what it was but Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sure thereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s tons of things out there for this type of thing).

My dads a very nice guy. Once the neighbors came over to his house, apologized, gave him a bottle of wine and the repellant along with a funny sympathetic card that said “Im sorry for your loss†With the “for your lose†crossed out and they had added in pen “For the poo on your lawnâ€. My dad laughed and now they are friends.

I know long post, but id say buy the repellant, apologize sincerely (get more with sugar they say, though some people are just a lil crazy and any bad situation with them cant be helped) and see where it goes from there. Good luck!

Cats can roam the city loose on their own, it is generally legal. Your neighbor cannot have animal control take the cat away until the cat bites her or shows other aggression. The cat walking through her yard will almost never constitute trespassing. Owners reasonably expect some animals will intrude on their yard, no matter how fenced up it is.
Be sure to properly identify your cat while he's outside, for example by putting a collar on him with a pet tag, that includes your contact information. Otherwise animal control might think he's a stray and take him to the shelter.
As for your dog, make sure when he's outside, he's either tied up or on a leash.

Sounds like she is a bit paranoid. Nevertheless, I understand her not wanting your cats in her yard. As you all know, I love animals and cats in particular, but I had a neighbour who allowed her cat outside freely. Her cat loved to dig and poo in my roses which irritated me greatly. My own cat was not allowed out so I didn't think it was fair that her cat was destroying my garden.

I would also recommend some type of enclosure for your mom's cats.

I agree with both sides. IMO I would not want someone else's pet to be coming in my yard, bothering my flowers, pooping on the lawn etc.

Since your mom doesn't want to make them inside cats (which would be better) then she is responsible for keeping them on her property and not bothering others.

So I strongly suggest she either build/buy a cat enclosure for them to sit in and enjoy the outside or train them to a harness/leash and take them outside for a few mins several times a day.

The only cats that I would not have a problem with in being outside is barn cats on a farm. If you are in a neighborhood you have to respect other's property. Your mom doesn't let the dogs roam the neighborhood - so that should apply to the cats as well!

Some others have suggested enclosures, which is a good idea, but there are several different outdoor repellents as well. I've included the links to a few (some more gross than others), so I hope this helps.

CatStop Ultrasonic Outdoor Cat Deterrent

PredatorPee

KeepOff (must be applied daily)

<Cats can roam the city loose on their own, it is generally legal. Your neighbor cannot have animal control take the cat away until the cat bites her or shows other aggression. The cat walking through her yard will almost never constitute trespassing>

This depends on the laws in your area - in my county and town, cats (and dogs) are not legally allowed to 'roam' unleashed, without an owner present. And Animal Control will come if called in our area if a stray is found in someone's yard. Or, they'll give you an humane trap to catch your uninvited guest.

I agree with the above suggestions about building an enclosure, an apology, and maybe sweeten things up with a bottle or wine or whatever the lady may want. Sure, she may be a pain, but she does deserve to have her yard to herself - or at least to know you're trying your darndest to make sure no one's visiting without an invitation!

Originally Posted by Yosemite

As you all know, I love animals and cats in particular, but I had a neighbour who allowed her cat outside freely. Her cat loved to dig and poo in my roses which irritated me greatly. My own cat was not allowed out so I didn't think it was fair that her cat was destroying my garden.

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There's an easy fix for cats digging and pooping in flower beds and gardens. Lay down lattice work on top of the soil. For established plants, cut pieces to fit around the bottom of it.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I agree with both sides. IMO I would not want someone else's pet to be coming in my yard, bothering my flowers, pooping on the lawn etc.

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As pet owners we, hopefully, develop a certain of tolerance for the annoying things they can do. We really shouldn't expect the same tolerance from our neighbors. It could be the reason they don't have pets is exactly because they don't want to deal with these annoyances. It would be nice is everyone could just be easy going about these things but it just doesn't always happen that way.

When I was young our cats were indoor/outdoor and we had a neighbor that didn't like cats. She broke the back of one shooing her away with a broom. I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt the cat but they are small animals and it is easy to accidentally hurt them especially if she was mad about something the cat had done.

I hope your mother finds a solution that works for all!

I can understand your neighbor not wanting someone else's cats in her very own yard. I am sure they probably do poop in her yard, which is not only a health hazard but nasty. If she wanted cat feces on her property she would probably own cats that went outdoors. I like cats a lot but wouldn't be happy if I had someone else's kitty visitors all over my property every day. And I respect those that don't want my animals in their yard (why I have a fence) and don't want animals at all, that is their choice, just like it is mine to have animals at my property.

I had a neighbor growing up that got sick of people's cats that were allowed outdoors. We lived in an area where everyone had at least 2 or more acres. But it still wasn't enough space I guess. One night that neighbor killed all of them, he complained about them on his clean cars and in his garden and stuff like that. The issue built up over time. So if you know this neighbor has an issue with your cats all over her property, please take it seriously for the sake of your cats. Better safe than sorry. I would build an outdoor enclosure of some sort, get a cat safe fence, or try to keep them inside somehow.

I hate to bring up bad stories but there are some really mean people out there. When I lived with my mom I was taking my German shepherd out for a walk and my new neighbor came up to me and asked if he could pet her. He was with his little brother, they were younger guys probably 8 and 15 years old. Anyway he told me that at their last house his dog (a German Shepherd) would always find a way out of his backyard. It was a good dog and was known by the area and most people would just play with her then bring her back home. This one neighbor would always call the police and would always write them notes and complain about the dog. Anyway one day the dog got out and come home really sick. He was weak, kept falling, vomiting, drooling heavily, couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t breath… I wont go on its just too sad. His dog died and the lady told them “told you not to let him outâ€. They had no proof so couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t charge them. It was sad, the little kid was all teary eyed petting my dog.

Just be careful… not all people are normal.