Keep your cats to yourselves

We have far more of a problem with dog poop than cats doings, despite having a fair little gang of roaming cats who gather on our "communal garden" as its so quaintly called.

I expect its all those nice people walking their well behaved dogs, and waving their poop bags for everyone to see.

How do you think cat owners can control their cats? Put nappies on them and ankle chains?

I love cats, mainly because they choose to live with us.
You can let them out and they'll come back, or not, if they don't fancy it.

I agree though, its horrible coming across a pile of poo in your prize pot plant.

Nice bit of alliteration there Miss A. You're not a slogan writer by any chance?

Oh I never noticed.
Perhaps I could look at a career move to slogan writer.
After all, I've still got years left to work. Ugh!

It looks like this discussion has run out of steam, so I shall attempt to sum up. Thanks to everyone for their inputs - but I have to say that the response from cat lovers/owners was pretty much as I expected, ie "I do appreciate that my cat's behaviour when it goes beyond the bounds of my home may cause distress, cost and inconvenience to people living nearby; not to mention the deaths of small birds and mammals. However, I take the view that nothing can or should be done to constrain my cat's freedom to roam, so I choose to absolve myself from any responsibility for its actions. It's entirely up to other householders to spend their own time and effort in feline deterrents - which must (of course) not cause my cat any real harm or distress. When pressed on the matter, I will bring up the matter of dog-poo - even though this is an entirely separate issue to the topic under discussion. In sum, I hold my cat's perceived rights over anyone else's feelings." Does that sound familiar?

What do you think the answer is?
Should all cats be kept indoors?

A cat poops everywhere, has no loyalty and plays with small vulnerable things before killing them.

reminds me of......

Miss adventure - yes please.

What a miserable, mean spirited thread.?

If you Google 'cat fence' you will see there are ways that owners can keep their cats contained although it doesn't look wonderful. They simply won't bother!

You can always put those plastic spikes on top of your fence.

The hose sounds fun but you'll never get it switched on in time. The cat will be gone. Try a powerful water pistol. That is great fun. You can stalk the cat or even hide somewhere and shoot them with a powerful jet of water. It's not easy to get your target but at least you'll have fun trying and great satisfaction if you get them.

I like having cats around the garden as they seem to keep the rabbits away and don't eat the plants. Either they are very well trained and use a litter tray, or they go discreetly behind a jaggy bush where I am not likely to garden, or I am just such a careless gardener that I don't notice piles of cat poo...

Most cat owners that I know aren't the least offended by people squirting them (the cats!) with water.

Bodach Perhaps you could consider getting a dog.

Dear lemongrove - no need to apologise; I don't think all cat owners are miserable and mean spirited - just a bit myopic about their pets' effect on others.

Is it true one can buy lion faeces from a zoo or somewhere and these deter cats?

Some time ago we had a cat, he was a feral cat who decided to adopt us. It isn't true you can't train cats - it takes a while but it is possible. Ours would always use the litter tray, sometimes coming back indoors to do so before going back out again.

Now I have dog owners around me and as I live next to a field often find piles of dog poo on my drive, on my pathway and even on the steps, I don't like it but I don't make a big fuss about it.

Our little zoo near here used to sell bags of 'Zoo Poo'.
Presumably you stepped out to admire your pansies and stepped in a pile of tiger shyte which was much better?

We have a cat, but I have a lot of sympathy for you Bodach, I know my neighbors don’t like our cat, as they love their birds, frankly I don’t think getting a cat was a very smart move.

But he’s a really feral little cat, wants to be outside all the time, is sometimes gone for days, and it would seem mean to try and keep him in.

I don’t really know what the answer is, but I often feel like a bad neighbour, won’t be getting another one for sure.

Thank you, Sara65.

We have a neighbour who has FIVE cats and THREE dogs-the place pongs☹️ Surely one should be enough? I’ve put down netting and spiky cuttings on my veg plot. If I see one I make a loud song and dance which makes them scarper (wonder what the neighbours say about that!)

Since cats and dogs are domestic pets there is NO reason they cannot be domesticated to the extent they are walked on leads. Cats do NOT need to be allowed to roam free. Plenty of people live in flats are there cats live indoors.
Why should cats not be subject to the same rules as dogs? It is laziness and sheer incivility to expect other people to clean up after your animals, not to mention unhygenic and selfish.
I have lost count of the plants dug up by other peoples cats and the mess and stink the horrible creatures leave behind.

I don't have a cat because I think its cruel to keep them in, unless they're naturally timid.

Dogs and cats are nothing alike at all, and should be accommodated, if we insist on having them as pets.

Bodach.....nice try, but as you know I was really thinking of your own posts and a few others.
What pets do you like I wonder, none at all?
It’s idiotic to moan about cats coming into your garden.