I'm in a feud with my neighbor over my cat. What should I do?

[DoctorDeelon]

I have an outdoor cat, I let him out to do his cat things and he comes to the back door when he wants to come in and eat or sleep. I always had outdoor cats since I was a kid, now I'm in my mid 30s.

Anyway yesterday a guy a couple doors down (I have no relationship with this person other than saying "hi" on the off chance I see him) rang my doorbell and launched into this big rant about how my cat goes in his front yard and (he believes) shits in his flower bed. I'm trying not to laugh and just kinda being half apologetic and saying "are you sure it's my cat", etc.

THEN he says "I'm going to start setting traps on my lawn and if your cat is going in my flower bed I'm going to catch him and bring him to animal control". Upon hearing that I got angry and the conversation went south and ended with me insisting he get off my property and not come back.

So what do I do? The cat has been going outside for 6 years, he's used to it, so I can't just start barring him in. But if he does go out, it's not like I can control where he goes or what he does. He's a cat, cat's are going to do cat things and if that involves shitting in flower beds, to me that's small stuff because they bury their shit anyhow. It's not like it's a dog leaving huge stinky logs on this dude's property.

But we left off on a pretty heated note and if this dude hurts or traps my cat I think this situation is going to end poorly. What would you do in my shoes?

 

[Zinger]

Nothing.

 

[Tone C]

Tell him that you'll have a sit down ,grown up talk with your cat and explain to him where he is and isn't allowed to excrete and why and how it emotionally affects your neighbour?

 

[LEWIS540]

Getting your head kicked in by your neighbour will only cause your cat to lose further respect for you.

 

[mjmj]

Keep your fucking cat in the house or accept the fact it could end up dead or at the pound. Its your responsibility to take care of your pets, and that does NOT include letting it roam free. Free roaming cats are the single biggest invasive species the world over, yet no one wants to do anything about it. They kill millions upon millions of song birds and rabbits every year, but piece of shit owners just say "they're just doing cat things". Fuck that. Keep your pet at home or accept the fact that there will come a day it doesn't come home. And it's your fault when it doesn't.

 

[Tone C]

Maybe buy the guy a bottle of scotch and apologise and explain that you don't have any say in where your cat goes to but if he sees it regularly going to the bathroom in his flower beds and gets some proof then you'll pick it up?

Normally I would suggest uppercuts but I'd be concerned about my cat and what he might do.

 

[MicroBrew]

I have an outdoor cat, I let him out to do his cat things and he comes to the back door when he wants to come in and eat or sleep. I always had outdoor cats since I was a kid, now I'm in my mid 30s.

Anyway yesterday a guy a couple doors down (I have no relationship with this person other than saying "hi" on the off chance I see him) rang my doorbell and launched into this big rant about how my cat goes in his front yard and (he believes) shits in his flower bed. I'm trying not to laugh and just kinda being half apologetic and saying "are you sure it's my cat", etc.

THEN he says "I'm going to start setting traps on my lawn and if your cat is going in my flower bed I'm going to catch him and bring him to animal control". Upon hearing that I got angry and the conversation went south and ended with me insisting he get off my property and not come back.

So what do I do? The cat has been going outside for 6 years, he's used to it, so I can't just start barring him in. But if he does go out, it's not like I can control where he goes or what he does. He's a cat, cat's are going to do cat things and if that involves shitting in flower beds, to me that's small stuff because they bury their shit anyhow. It's not like it's a dog leaving huge stinky logs on this dude's property.

But we left off on a pretty heated note and if this dude hurts or traps my cat I think this situation is going to end poorly. What would you do in my shoes?

Contact a lawyer specializing in pet issues ?

 

[MarloStanfield]

Do you want me to have a word with him?

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Keep your cat indoors. Otherwise your neighbor is going to kill him. He won’t set traps. He’ll just poison him, sick a dog on him, run him over with his car, or kill the cat himself.

Your cat won’t like being indoors at first. But you just have to deal with it. You need to keep him indoors if you want to protect him. Otherwise that neighbor will kill him.

Dumb shits like your neighbor are insecure and hate cats to the point where they just consider them the same as roaches or mosquitoes. So he will have zero conflict over doing it.

 

[jrleclerc88]

Cat shit is bad for plants

 

[Fox by the Sea]

ownership comes with responsibility. be a man and do the right thing.
nobody wants asshole neighbors.

 

[MicroBrew]

I am assuming this is a house and you own it, since you mentioned "lawn" ?

Set up CCTV
Put up fencing so the cat can not leave your yard.
Contact local humane society and police and ask them what you can do.

 

[Texan6533]

Get rid of the cat and get a dog

 

[cowboyjunkie]

Your neighbor is not going to set traps to catch your cat (he might poison him though). Don't do anything until your cat gets murdered and then it's time for a civil lawsuit.

In the meantime, take lots of photos and videos of you and pussy having fun. You can later use this as evidence of how that cat was your soulmate.

 

[HereticBD]

If you want to hang on to your cat, you best keep it indoors. Your neighbor is a prick, but he can totally do what he's saying he's gonna do, or worse. It's a cat. If your neighbor wants to get rid of it, he can, and there will be no legal recourse for you. At least he warned you, though. Some would just do it, and you wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what happened.

 

[Vergilius]

Kill your neighbour and bury him in his own flower bed. Then let the cat shit in there.

 

[DoctorDeelon]

Keep your fucking cat in the house or accept the fact it could end up dead or at the pound. Its your responsibility to take care of your pets, and that does NOT include letting it roam free. Free roaming cats are the single biggest invasive species the world over, yet no one wants to do anything about it. They kill millions upon millions of song birds and rabbits every year, but piece of shit owners just say "they're just doing cat things". Fuck that. Keep your pet at home or accept the fact that there will come a day it doesn't come home. And it's your fault when it doesn't.

This snowflake here crying over song birds and rabbits loool thanks for the laugh kid

 

[DoctorDeelon]

nobody wants asshole neighbors.

I agree, that's why this dude should stop crying over fuckin cats and bugging me while I'm trying to watch Squid Games

 

[jx820]

Go shit in his flower beds. See if you get caught in the trap. This will provide some baseline data on how big a threat they are. Report back your findings and we can strategize from there.

 

[William Huggins]

Cat owners in the UK aren't responsible for their cats actions, dog owners are.

Let your actions be guided by the law of your country and your own moral judgement........

Some people will not feel anything about destroying your pet to protect their property, just remember that..... comprising might be a better method of dealing with it..... Like spreading catnip on your neighbors flower beds, so all the cats go there....less chance of your cat getting trapped.