Rescue cat upsetting my neighbour

Can you just keep him indoors? I have a couple of friends who have 'house cats', one because she is too timid to go out and the other because they live on a road where drivers tend to speed.

I know cats like roaming and it seems rather unkind to me, but these two cats seem perfectly content.

We don't have a cat but we tend to get all the neighbourhood cats walking through our garden and using it as a toilet - it is very annoying.

OP I am not verbally abusive and I don’t spread lies or gossip, but I would be annoyed if your cat repeatedly came into my garden to poop.
You need to separate the issue of your neighbour’s unpleasant behaviour from the issue of your cat’s behaviour.
Deal with it as you would if the neighbour had asked you nicely to stop your cat going into your garden.

You can enclose your garden by fixing an inward leaning barrier to your existing fence. google "containing a cat within your garden"

janeainsworth Genuinely how do you stop a cat from going into a garden! Other than the suggestion of a house cat I can’t see a way out of this one

I lost 2 cats to being run over within 18 months and was absolutely gutted, and wanted to protect my lovely remaining cat so I looked online and found various companies selling and fitting netting and brackets to keep a cat in the garden. One company, not sure if I'm allowed to mention it, were very helpful on the phone and they sell the netting and brackets separately. I bought these and found a local handyman to fit them with the aid of photos downloaded from the website.

This has been excellent. It keeps my lovely cat in my back garden, and also keeps out other cats which is good as there's an aggressive cat in the neighbourhood who frightens mine.

Also it's so much less stressful for me. I don't have to worry about the recycling collection trucks reversing down our cul-de-sac and I always know where she is.

She did try to get out and made several attempts but the netting did what it claimed.

I will send you a PM with the website.

Read the post above yours Jenpax
I hate the thought of indoor cats as it’s for them to be out and about exploring but you can train a cat to use a tray outdoors by putting their tray nearer and nearer the back door then just outside
I too hate the pooping cats that came into my garden so I understand from both sides but feel for the poor little rescued cat and would never fall out with a neighbour over it although I do swear at the cats when I step in it

PS. The netting doesn't look particularly obtrusive and there are plenty of photos on the website to get an idea of what people have done. If anyone else wants the website address, please PM me.

My cat settled down perfectly well once she had got used to the netting, and it means I know she is safe and can relax. I couldn't bear to go through the heartbreak of losing another cat so soon.

Are you sure that it is your cat doing it's business in the middle of her lawn. It could be some other animal, a dog or fox or something.
I'm only saying this as it is very unusual for a cat to poop in the middle of a lawn, they usually make for a flower bed so that they can scratch around and cover it up.
Ask her if she has specifically seen your cat doing the mess, as you don't think it is him.
She will probably lie anyway if she is a bit odd.
In any case, you can't stop cats wandering , that is what they do but if your neighbour wishes to deter your cat, you could suggest she gets a powerful water pistol and spray him with water when she sees him.
The only way to stop a cat coming into your garden is to be pro-active and stop it.
It is not illegal to let cats out to roam but it is illegal for your neighbour to shout abusive language at you.
Next time, record her and report her to the Police.
Do not let her intimidate you and upset you.

Would your cat be happy staying indoors? One can be prosecuted if a dog did what your cat did in your neighbour's garden but a cat is a free spirit. You are so unlucky with your choice of neighbour.

I personally wouldn't want my cat sprayed with a water pistol. It would scare her terribly, and as you say jacalpad that he had a sad life before you adopted him, you won't want him frightened or made more nervous. Have a look at the netting on the link I sent you. It is the best thing I have done for my much-loved cat.

Sparkle the water spray is supposed to scare the cat, so that he will learn not to go in that area. It does work and will be a lot cheaper to do.

Not the cats that come in my garden Buffybee I always thought they dug and covered but they don’t I m afraid
I even put some bulbs in a pot a few weeks back and the next day right in the middle of the pot was a big old roll

Buffy I appreciate it's supposed to scare him, and obviously it would cost the cat owner nothing because actually the neighbour would have to do the spraying, (which may make relations between neighbours even more difficult ... I personally wouldn't want to have to keep watch to catch someone else's cat in the act) but spraying could easily make a very anxious cat even more so. He isn't doing it to be awkward.

Admittedly the netting costs money but an awful lot less than a vet's bill for a cat injured on the road in my case.

Disgusting, I know BlueBelle the cat doing it in a pot but I've never seen one do it in the middle of a lawn.
The pot, I presume had soil in it, similar to a flower bed.
It's just the "middle of the lawn" that doesn't ring true.
Quite honestly, I don't believe the odd neighbour!
Btw. I'm not a crazy cat lover, I have dogs, but I do remember this from my Mothers cats. They don't like to poop in the open.

Have you tried Feliway for cats? It has a calming effect and that may reduce tension amongst local cats. If your cat doesn't feel he has to defend his territory he may stop using your neighbour's garden. It is annoying and upsetting for everyone when pets come into conflict.

www.feliway.com/uk

I haven’t got a lawn but I ve had it in the middle of my pebble path no scratching to cover it over but hey ho I do bang on the window if I see them so I m probable a mad woman too
I bought one of those electronic devices and sent it back with a photo of the neighbourhood cat doing its business at the foot of the device ??I got my money back
I don’t dislike cars though just wish they wore nappies

The netting sounds like a really good idea but usually house cats are cats which have never been let out and know nothing else.
All this fighting belongs to the establishent of a cats heirachy. If your cat is at the bottom of this heirachy then you have to help him defend his territory. Go out and shout at the other cat and eventually your cat will learn to defend his territory himself and the fighting will stop.
There is usually a boss cat in the area which could be quite large. You can tell them because they swagger and stare and show no fear. If it is bosscat - an alpha animal- who is fighting then it will pass over eventually and he will find another cat to bully.

budfybee there are many cats around us, several use the garden as a toilet. I assure you they can and do poo on the lawn. We chase them away when we see them doing it, doesn’t stop them.

Your neighbour sounds a nasty old boot. What does she expect you to do? You've said you'd clean up after your cat, and that's more than most people would offer to do. I've had cats for 38 years, and my latest cat was feral, so had been used to being out and about. He goes off and does his business somewhere, despite having 2 clean trays in my house (he's never used them).

My cat who I'd had for 18 years (PTS April) used to poo on MY lawn and leave it...

Your cat has had a horrible life, and now that he's found you to be nice to him, he's in trouble with the neighbour. I don't agree with cats being kept indoors - they are meant to roam and explore. If someone lives on a main road, it's best not to have a cat at all.

Tell your miserable neighbour that she could perhaps squirt some water at your cat when he's in her garden. Other than that, there's nothing you can do.

Has your boy been neutered? He needs to be - although some cats (mine, occasionally) will still get into fights. Feliway had no effect at all on my cat.

Try feeding your cat at the same time each day. Mine is fed 3 or 4 times, always at the same time (give or take 20mins), so that his last meal is at about 10pm. He stays in all night - best in this weather, too.

My Mr Cooper (he was feral for 7yrs or so, until I took him in 7yrs ago) at the top - and the 6-month-old kitten from next door, who loves him.

Bluebelle I wish they wore nappies

personally wouldn't want my cat sprayed with a water pistol. It would scare her terribly,
That's the general idea Sparklefizz!

But - it's not very nice to have a cat pooing in the middle of your lawn, on your plants, in your nice soft soil in the tubs, particularly if you have DGC visiting.

Well! As they say, you live and learn.
I stand corrected BlueBelle and cornergran!
Cats can and do poop on lawns!!
It was what I had always been told and I have no experience of cats pooing on lawns as I have two dogs.
That made me laugh about the electronic device with the cat doing it's business right in front of it.

^personally wouldn't want my cat sprayed with a water pistol. It would scare her terribly,
That's the general idea Sparklefizz!^

Jalima I'm not stupid, I know that, and said as much to Buffy about 20 minutes ago who also wanted to point out the obvious if you read a few posts further back. I don't need it repeated, but I wouldn't want it done to my cat who is also a rescue cat and very timid. Sorry if I'm protective over my pet, but there you are! She can't get out of my garden so she is not guilty of offending.

Lovely cat photo Lynne59