Topic: Local cats are ruining my veg

[betula]

The two are in no way comparable and sorry to say you are talking rubbish.

Kill a beautiful animal just to save a few veg.................get a life.

[Glen]

Obviously Betula you are a cat person. But would you feel the same if you didn't have a cat and then all your neighbours cats came to do their business in your veg beds?

Why shouldn't cat owner's be responsible for their pets? If you have to clean up after your dog then why not your cat? If the argument is then one of "who knows where their cats goes" - then shouldn't the cat be kept indoors? If a dog strays on the street it gets taken to the pound, why does this not apply to cats?

I do not agree with the killing of cats as I like all animals, however I find the method that works best for me is a quick shout and a kick up the bum! The cats soon get to know you and stay away!  ;D

[betula]

Meet Tilly,local cat,not mine who parades with a fine air.

I have two dogs so am not particularly a cat person but Tilly does make me laugh with her antics and yes she has been on my small veg bed but one day I caught her and shouted at her and clapped my hands and she does appear not to have been on again.

In my experience over the years I have never had a huge problem with cats so I suspect some people maybe prone to a little exaggeration.

Long live cats.And dogs.   ;D

[Old bird]

Surprisingly - as I have now three large dogs - two of my earlier dogs dislike cats and have chased them from my front garden over the road and they have had to run for their lives (I have a lurcher who is Very very fast) they still chance their luck in my garden.  I would dread the dogs catching and killing/maiming one - how embarrasing would that be.

I had a dead baby bird - which had been eaten and then sicked up so you could see the beak and other bits of bird - right in the middle of the garden and the following day there was just a dead bird left - not having been eaten or anything.

I think it is the cat's way of sticking up one finger to the dogs.

I would imagine if you have this problem - I don't grow veg and my garden is not titivated - what about one of those powerful water guns or a blast from the hose.
Neither of which will hurt the cat but they certainly don't like powerful water jets.

Unfortunately the cats have learnt that the dogs are shut in over night so that is when they make merry - but luckily no pooing - I think that goes to my next door neighbour who has immaculate beds and the like!


Old Bird

[grannyjanny]

Our cat poos in our garden. Possibly because she hasn't always lived with us. She adopted us about 9 years ago. She lived at the back of us.

[Plum]

I'm sorry but it is not exaggerating. We are surrounded by lots of cat owners except for police couple next door. I have watched cats balance on my pots to use them as a toilet, they will leave parcels on lawn, dig up new plants and use all raised beds as litter tray. I have a sonic scarer which does keep the lawn clear. Recommended  one to police couple when them moved in as their front lawn was like a litter tray. That now stays clear. They dig up their pots too. I put bamboo skewers in any clear piece of soil, the cats can see them and seem to avoid them. On the advice of one of my really nice neighbours we have used water  guns, they don't hurt the cats and they have learnt to keep away. Though we only need to be away a couple of days  and they come back. ( my neighbour has asked me to spray her cats when they walk along our fence to try and get to her bird box)
It has taken alot of effort to claim back my garden( I do not have an allotment so want to grow at home). I do not want to have may grandchildren unable to play on my lawn or dig in the soil with me. Small gardening gloves covered in cat poo is not funny.

[Digeroo]

My next door neighbour used to have lots of cats  They particularly like carrot seeds and if I sowed them you can be sure that they come a do something right in the middle.  I find hawthorn cuttings very useful. 

Also the garden hose is very useful once a cat has had a good wetting it does not come back very quickly. 

Cats can be very useful when it comes to soft fruit, I never had any problems with birds eating the red currents when a large cat decided it was a good place for a kip.

[SamLouise]

On the advice of one of my really nice neighbours we have used water  guns, they don't hurt the cats and they have learnt to keep away.

That really works for you?  I've been using a super soaker on the neighbourhood cats for quite a while now, with hopes of knocking 'em off the other side of the fence, but they're so used to it they all run for their shower gel now instead.

[Jeannine]

No of course it is not an exaggeration, cats are territorial and sadly if they choose your garden as their place you are in for trouble BIG TIME.. no exaggeration, it is folly to even think that unless you have been one of the chosen.It is  simply a case of you know  how bad it can be if it has happened to you, if it hasn't happened to you then  you are not in a position to comment about it.

Cats especially pick the recently dig soft loamy soil so   but they will use anywhere in their chosen spots if need be.

I couldn't condone killing a cat but I sincerely believe that owners should be responsible for damage that they cause, what ever it is. No pet should be allowed  if your neighbours have to put up with dirt, smell damage, fear or noise. It is just basic courtesy.

I had cats and dogs for years,,showed both, and would not allow my animals to annoy my neighbours,who have a right to a pet free life within their own boundaries and would contain them if need be in order to be fair to those around me. While I believe some animals have a right to roam I also think in a dense area that pushes the animal to roam in private areas then the roaming right has to be taken away .  Sad ,but a reality, as far as I am concerned..my choice to keep an animal should never spoil the rights of my neighbours in their own private space.

XX Jeannine

[Borlotti]

So I should sue my neighbour at the end when her kitten came in and pulled down my net curtains.  I must admit have lost a few bedding plants as cats do love a newly dug flower bed, had one cat that liked digging up bulbs, great fun.  Suppose you either love them or hate them, the hose trick does seem to work and next door puts pepper down as her old cat has a cat litter tray and the terrible twins use her garden as a toilet.  I hate idea of indoor cats as they do so love to explore.  Have given up planting anything in my window box (which is on the earth) as Dulcie loves it to sleep in, and Dulcie is not my cat, although he thinks he is.  I just love him to bits.  Too many cats in small gardens in town is the problem, perhaps we should market nappies for cats to solve the problem.  Don't blame the cats, they are very clean and most haven't learnt to use the toilet.

[OllieC]

The legal position is fairly clear - cats are expected to (and the owner has a legal right to let them) roam, dogs are not. That's why, whatever anyone's views, the owner of a cat is not legally responsible for what it does on someone else's property, but a dog owner is.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Can you quote us the legal basis for that?

[macmac]

To echo Borlottie there are far too many cats,we have so many in our street and given that we cultivate our garden for veg we are a speciific target mmmm lovely fresh soil Grrr.I'ts little better on the lottie as one lovely cat dissappeared and several million took it's place  >:(we have to net most things .
CATS there are just too many  >:(

[betula]

No of course it is not an exaggeration, cats are territorial and sadly if they choose your garden as their place you are in for trouble BIG TIME.. no exaggeration, it is folly to even think that unless you have been one of the chosen.It is  simply a case of you know  how bad it can be if it has happened to you, if it hasn't happened to you then  you are not in a position to comment about it.

Cats especially pick the recently dig soft loamy soil so   but they will use anywhere in their chosen spots if need be.

I couldn't condone killing a cat but I sincerely believe that owners should be responsible for damage that they cause, what ever it is. No pet should be allowed  if your neighbours have to put up with dirt, smell damage, fear or noise. It is just basic courtesy.

I had cats and dogs for years,,showed both, and would not allow my animals to annoy my neighbours,who have a right to a pet free life within their own boundaries and would contain them if need be in order to be fair to those around me. While I believe some animals have a right to roam I also think in a dense area that pushes the animal to roam in private areas then the roaming right has to be taken away .  Sad ,but a reality, as far as I am concerned..my choice to keep an animal should never spoil the rights of my neighbours in their own private space.

XX Jeannine

Many things do not happen to many people but it does not stop them commenting on it so I do not understand your logic.

People do exaggerate.........Adele are you sure several million took that one cats place ?? ;D

[:(]

The legal position is fairly clear - cats are expected to (and the owner has a legal right to let them) roam, dogs are not. That's why, whatever anyone's views, the owner of a cat is not legally responsible for what it does on someone else's property, but a dog owner is.

Theres no legal right to let them roam, theyre just not specified in legislation that applies to eg dogs or livestock. Theres a common law duty of care to make sure cats dont cause injury to persons or damage to property.

http://www.cats.org.uk

[OllieC]

Can you quote us the legal basis for that?

I found something a couple of years ago which I can't find now... it was an online resource clearly(ish) laying out who was legally responsible for what & also where lots of the confusion comes in. Of course, when you look now all you get is people repeating opinions they've read elsewhere... It went along the lines that there is specific legislation requiring dog owners to keep the animal under control in public, and nothing similar for cats. Therefore, as a cat owner, you are not responsible for what they do as long as you are being reasonable (and you have to let them exhibit normal behaviour such as wandering around freely or it is cruel!)... So, clearly not as clear as my previous post suggested!

[Baccy Man]

Section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 does apply to cats. A code of practice for the welfare of cats can be downloaded from the DEFRA website. That is the only specific legislation I know of relating to cats other than the trapping legislation which allows trapping of feral cats but not pet or stray cats.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/cruelty/index.htm

[Jeannine]

Weher or not the law says responsible or not for me it is a question of neighbourly decency, I would be mortified if a cat of mine fouled a child's sandpit or pooped in someones strawberries and certainly if a tom decided to spray everything around a doorway,,runners, umbrellas etc, the smell is unreal.

How could one explain to a neighbour.."well I am not responsible"

XX Jeannine

[OllieC]

How could one explain to a neighbour.."well I am not responsible"

XX Jeannine

Um, well you're a nicer person than me! When my neighbour complained about Maggie digging up a couple of little bits of his lawn a couple of years ago (and, in fact, the reason I looked into it then), that's pretty much what I said. Mind you, he got his own back with one of those bloody sonic things - the cat didn't care about it but it made me jump every time I went outside (high range of hearing!).

[Borlotti]

Reading the code of practise it says "it needs to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns", which means crapping in your garden, sorry but cats will be cats, and I am a cat person and much more concerned about child cruelty or neglect than a bit of cat poo.  The only thing I will say is that too many cats, dogs in London, small gardens causes a problem. My dog when he needed a wee could kill a plant instantly, cats not too much of a problem and the hose does work but perhaps people with cats and a small garden should train their cats to use a litter tray.  If you have a sand pit, cover it, as cats seem to love them, as I know from experience and that is dangerous for children.  My cat is 18+ and has never pooed in the house, he walked about with crossed paws when it was snowing and got so upset I had to go and buy cat litter and he was upset about pooing inside. Don't blame the cats, blame the owners.