How can you possibly stop a cat pooing in other people's gardens? It's not very nice, admittedly, but really aren't things getting a bit out of proportion.

The animals that create the most havoc and pollution are human beings - given that we've destroyed the lives and habitats of many animals can't we be a little more lenient?

Cats usually defecate in nice soft soil then bury it, so that if you have prepared soil for planting then go to plant you may find it. It's unpleasant but if you wear gardening gloves not too hazardous.

Dogs just poo on the grass where children may play.

By the way, I am a dog lover, not a cat lover, but I am realistic.

given that we've destroyed the lives and habitats of many animals can't we be a little more lenient?

But it's not the dogs we are blaming, Eloethan, it's their irresponsible owners, presumably human!

The cats don't bury it in our garden. (Well, one does and I generally find it when it's stuck to my gardening glove.) The others leave it all over the place. Garden beds, lawn, veggie patch. They sneak in at night and booby trap the place. I keep having to borrow the DC's dogs to discourage them. At least they stick to the lawn and we're looking out for it. There's no way of telling when a cat will strike!

How can you blame the owner for a cat pooing in someone else's garden? It would mean that they would never be able to let their cat out of the house.

Cats bury their own poo. Show me a dog who can do that!

Our last dog used to do a sort of ineffectual scratching of the lawn in a vain attempt to cover it up, mrsmopp

Perhaps cat owners could train their cats to use a litter tray so that the cat owners have the bother of dealing with their mess perhaps? I am fed up of having to clear piles of cat mess off my lawn every week - and I've tried every method of deterrent, but still it appears. When I had a cat I trained it to use a litter tray, so I don't see why others don't.

Maybe my memory is playing up but didn't we have a thread about surviving village life a year or so ago? I'm sure it was linked to somebody's book or blog.

Same author?

I don't remember dog poo being mentioned though.

MrsMopp it's really NOT an advantage if a cat buries its poo. I would rather see it where I can deal with it than meet up below the surace when I'm planting bulbs etc

..meet it...

grannyactivist, I've had several cats over the years and all were trained to use a litter tray - in the house.

I don't think a cat could be trained to only use a litter tray, especially when it's out and about sometimes far from home!

I take a bag everywhere I go, when I have the dog with me. I clean up after her wherever we are. I used to have a cat when I was a child. My Dad hated planting in the garden, as he was never sure where the cat had been! My dog's poo is usually quite solid and picks up easily, the cat poo remained quite liquid, eugh!

My neighbour has a dog He leaves it alone all night whilst at work Every morning when he arrives home from work it is let out off the lead & it goes straight onto my grass no fence He used to pick the pooh up but no longer does this I am sick of having to clear up after his dog. I dread the warmer weather. I like to sit in my garden & I have grandddaughters who come to play there. Can any one suggest a deterrent I can buy to put on the grass ?

Do hope no one else is reading this whilst eating their supper (me)....... One way of reducing how much you eat I guess!
It's an offence not to clear up after your dog in public places, shouldn't it apply to other people's lawns too Hymnbook?

Have pmd you with a suggestion, Hymnbook

Yes I agree more notices put up on walks etc I think would help with the problem and would not cost to much.

Hymnbook - the only deterrent I can think of is a large fence. I'm taking it as a given that you have asked your neighbour not to allow his dog to do this?
There is also the alternative option - become a very unpleasant snooper and photograph this man and his dog, over the course of several days. Present the "evidence" to your local dog warden and community police person. This course of action won't endear you to your neighbour and you'd need to consider the possible longer term consequences. Good luck

I have posted this suggestion before, but maybe Hymnbook has not seen it.

Pick up the offending poo and place is in a large paper bag. Place said bag upon neighbour's doorstep - light the paper bag at the same time as ringing their doorbell. Neighbour will emerge from front door, see the burning bag and proceed to try and stamp out the flames - you then have to hope he gets the hint!

Hymnbook a land mine should do the trick.

I live in London, and dog fouling is a huge problem. Apart from the obvious disgusting mess - the residue from bagged poo, may not be easy to spot, particularly at night.
I am saddened by the fact that when I take my grandchildren out, instead of encouraging their curiosity and delight in nature and architecture, and running around the park without a care,our eyes have to be on the pavement (or grass) all the time. The thing is, once a dog poo has already been stepped on once, it is harder to identify it before it's too late! Our enjoyment is so often ruined by the selfish behaviour of dog-owners.

I lived in London for many years, and grew more and disgusted by the state of pavements, grass verges, parks, etc. Personally, I think there are far too many dogs in the UK generally and in London particularly. I would urge any future government to reinstate dog licences, at a realistic figure for today, say £20 renewable annually (with obvious allowances for guide dogs, OAPs' dogs, etc). All dogs to be fitted with a microchip at birth, which would record whether the licence fee for the year had been paid or not. All non-licenced and stray dogs to be culled. The British have had for many years a reputation throughout Europe for liking their dogs more than their children - and I'm afraid it's justified.

I've moved temporary to a smallish village. Plenty of dog walks around and most people have multiple dogs. I have never seen a stray or any dog on it's on and yet the pavements are covered in dog pooh. It's the worst I have ever seen. My friend came to visit and parked her car on the road outside my house when she was going home she had to step over dog mess to open her car door. I myself have a German Shepherd and he poohs in the garden before we go out but I always take bags to clean up after him. Something has to be done it's disgusting.

There was a time twenty or more years ago when our street was persistently fouled by a couple of dogs, neither of which was ever seen without a lead on. One day I was looking out of the front window when one man allowed his dog to poo a lead's length up my drive, in the very centre, while he stood and watched it. When he saw me looking he hauled on the lead so that the poor thing had to stagger across the pavement, pooing as it went - more mess.

I started taking out a watering-can of strong disinfectant every day and pouring it over the pavement, in the hope that the smell might put the dogs off, and the wet patch give a broad hint to the owners. One woman led her doggie out into the road to that his delicate paws would not be comtaminated by it, so perhaps it had some effect (She saw me watering and remarked "You should get a good crop" to which I answered "I should do, it has had plenty of fertilizer" )

It stopped when the man owning the first dog died - they like to poo where others have marked the spot, and when the worst offender had gone, the others did not persist.

I live in a small village and the dog poo issue often causes apoplectic rumbles amongst the residents. The pros and cons have been well considered here but there is one bizarre activity that we have experienced: someone has been out and spray painted said turds in bright blue. I'm not sure whether this has been done by a dog-owner - to assist walkers and stop them treading in it or by an anti-poo campaigner to make a point. Has anyone else come across this phenomenon?