I've also been concerned over the years at the number of cats I see maimed or dead at the side of the road in the early mornings.
I once ran over a cat - there was nothing I could do - I was well within the speed limit, there was a lorry right behind me, a car coming towards me and although I'd slowed as much as I could without the lorry ramming me from behind - the cat ran out from under a car parked on the grass verge and I felt the crunch as the steering wheel twisted in my hands. It was about 30 years ago and I'll never forget it.
I stopped and the postman who was doing his rounds came over and spoke to me saying that he could see there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. He knew the family it belonged to and he would explain what had happened. He felt that nothing would be gained by my going to see them as they wouldn't be up and about yet. He was a kind man.
I vowed from that day that if I had another cat I would never let it out where it could run onto the road - and I never have.
Cats can't cope with the dangers of the road - they shouldn't be allowed to roam free.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Same happened to an elderly white cat right outside our house last year Dove. The owner bought another white cat within a week.
It made me really sad, like many white cats it was as deaf as a post. Old and battered it spent most of the summer sat on a pile of roofing felts I use for wildlife surveys, whilst I worked out in the front garden. I really didn't have the heart to keep chasing it off as it wasn't doing much harm sat there in the sun. Then one day my OH said it was 'spread down the road' which was an all too accurate description.
I've seen a pattern around here over the past few years. Kittens are purchased and get pampered but soon end up as adult cats outdoors all day whilst the owners are at work and very often left out all night too. The owners swear blind it is not their cats killing wildlife or pooing in my garden - wish they would notice the numerous wildlife cams I have and figure out they record 24/7 365 days a year.
It gets to me on many levels, animal welfare, conservation of wildlife and my own right to enjoy a garden not ruined by the actions of those around me.
I've run out of things to say Philippa I know you warned me, but it feels better to get it out of my system.
I lost six years of gardening after working my butt off to buy the house and garden I wanted. Five years of bliss, then new neighbours moved in with four cats. They let them foul in our garden, kill the birds, voles and lizards, crap everywhere and then say 'cats will be cats' or deny their cats are responsible. The truth is 'people will be people' - until the law changes...
Phillipa I so feel for you I really do. We put the house on the market and did go look at others, none came close and we ending up staying, though I was as miserable as hell about it all.
I could never hate cats, it would be totally daft, I grew up with them and worked with them for years. The cat owners though who simply will not negotiate or listen and deny any responsibility, now that does make my blood boil.
Best we exorcise our demons whilst we are on a roll Phillipa.
You are right it is totally infuriating when cat owner shirk responsibility for their pet and also the, 'it is only a cat' argument. Well if it is only a cat, they should look after it instead of inflicting it on their neighbours.
I've heard some say cat poo is the same as fox and bird poo, it is nothing like it, it's practically toxic to the ground and I've cleaned up enough of it in my life to know it pretty well.
My veg plot is like my fridge I like to go out there and dig up fresh food. If it had bird poo on it, I would wash it, but cat poo? It is in the bin, not even fit for the compost, totally wasted.
I wonder how the previous poster would like me to put their cat's poo in their fridge so they found it first thing in the morning? I don't think they would play it down so much then and say, "it is only cat poo, get over it".
I am a responsible cat owner. My cats have all been trained to use an indoor litter tray and I have two more trays in scenting areas for other people's cats who visit my garden.
I don't like living near people who have barbecues because the smell of meat makes me sick. I don't like hearing loud parties as I like peace and quiet. I don't like a lot of things but realise the world doesn't revolve around me and I compromise.
My comments were not intended to offend or annoy- I simply tried to put such issues as cat poo in perspective.
Happy Christmas to you all and wishing you a cat poo free new year!
So did I catnip, only try to put things like cat poo in perspective that is.
I can live with my neighbours having a barbecue or the occasional party, always starting the mower every time we sit down to eat outside, etc,etc, cat faeces on my food though is less easy to live with.
Dead wildlife littering a wildlife garden, is less easy to live with.
Carefully planted seeds dug up when they are seedlings is less easy to live with.
Having a garden that smells so awful on a warm sunny day you wouldn't want to use it, not so easy to live with.
I wouldn't inflict that on my neighbours, I would be mortified if a pet I owned inflicted such misery on others.
Perspective is what it is all about - numerous cats using a neighbours garden as a toilet is not OK and should not be tolerated. All the things you mention happen in the neighbours garden, how would you feel if they had a barbecue or loud party in your garden I wonder?
It is nothing personal, but I think it can be hard for people to understand just how much misery it can bring to people. We are not talking about one pile of poo, we are talking about complete misery day in day out 365 days a year.
Please do take the time to read the experiences above.
I have had cats pooing on my back lawn for many years, a friend who had cats kept telling me they bury it, no they don't! One morning after working a night duty I cleaned up 8 deposits of it, the smell of it made me wretch, good job I had an empty stomach. I hardly get any now on my lawn, but keep finding it in my soil. The dog poo on pavement at front of my house is another subject!
I also have cats emptying themselves in my garden, don't blame the cats as they do have to do it somewhere, but if they aren't taught otherwise there not going to know, but as previously mentioned they should be trained to either do it on the owners property either inside or in there garden.
I have a dog and I had to train her from making a mess inside the house, I also have to be responsible for cleaning up after her as the owner when i take her out for a walk, and I know that it is still a problem out there with dog fouling but those who get caught get a fine, maybe this could be enforced to other pets, it may help.
Also I have 2 beautiful daughters who are keen to help me in the garden and love playing in the soil getting dirty and i want to encourage this, but I either have to make them wait until I have checked the soil for cat deposits or I don't let them play and explore in the soil so at the moment I have to scan the area before they can help me.
Posts
I've also been concerned over the years at the number of cats I see maimed or dead at the side of the road in the early mornings.
I once ran over a cat - there was nothing I could do - I was well within the speed limit, there was a lorry right behind me, a car coming towards me and although I'd slowed as much as I could without the lorry ramming me from behind - the cat ran out from under a car parked on the grass verge and I felt the crunch as the steering wheel twisted in my hands. It was about 30 years ago and I'll never forget it.
I stopped and the postman who was doing his rounds came over and spoke to me saying that he could see there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. He knew the family it belonged to and he would explain what had happened. He felt that nothing would be gained by my going to see them as they wouldn't be up and about yet. He was a kind man.
I vowed from that day that if I had another cat I would never let it out where it could run onto the road - and I never have.
Cats can't cope with the dangers of the road - they shouldn't be allowed to roam free.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Same happened to an elderly white cat right outside our house last year Dove. The owner bought another white cat within a week.
It made me really sad, like many white cats it was as deaf as a post. Old and battered it spent most of the summer sat on a pile of roofing felts I use for wildlife surveys, whilst I worked out in the front garden. I really didn't have the heart to keep chasing it off as it wasn't doing much harm sat there in the sun. Then one day my OH said it was 'spread down the road' which was an all too accurate description.
I've seen a pattern around here over the past few years. Kittens are purchased and get pampered but soon end up as adult cats outdoors all day whilst the owners are at work and very often left out all night too. The owners swear blind it is not their cats killing wildlife or pooing in my garden - wish they would notice the numerous wildlife cams I have and figure out they record 24/7 365 days a year.
It gets to me on many levels, animal welfare, conservation of wildlife and my own right to enjoy a garden not ruined by the actions of those around me.
I've run out of things to say Philippa
I know you warned me, but it feels better to get it out of my system.
I lost six years of gardening after working my butt off to buy the house and garden I wanted. Five years of bliss, then new neighbours moved in with four cats. They let them foul in our garden, kill the birds, voles and lizards, crap everywhere and then say 'cats will be cats' or deny their cats are responsible. The truth is 'people will be people' - until the law changes...
Phillipa I so feel for you I really do. We put the house on the market and did go look at others, none came close and we ending up staying, though I was as miserable as hell about it all.
I could never hate cats, it would be totally daft, I grew up with them and worked with them for years. The cat owners though who simply will not negotiate or listen and deny any responsibility, now that does make my blood boil.
Best we exorcise our demons whilst we are on a roll Phillipa.
You are right it is totally infuriating when cat owner shirk responsibility for their pet and also the, 'it is only a cat' argument. Well if it is only a cat, they should look after it instead of inflicting it on their neighbours.
I've heard some say cat poo is the same as fox and bird poo, it is nothing like it, it's practically toxic to the ground and I've cleaned up enough of it in my life to know it pretty well.
My veg plot is like my fridge I like to go out there and dig up fresh food. If it had bird poo on it, I would wash it, but cat poo? It is in the bin, not even fit for the compost, totally wasted.
I wonder how the previous poster would like me to put their cat's poo in their fridge so they found it first thing in the morning? I don't think they would play it down so much then and say, "it is only cat poo, get over it".
I am a responsible cat owner. My cats have all been trained to use an indoor litter tray and I have two more trays in scenting areas for other people's cats who visit my garden.
I don't like living near people who have barbecues because the smell of meat makes me sick. I don't like hearing loud parties as I like peace and quiet. I don't like a lot of things but realise the world doesn't revolve around me and I compromise.
My comments were not intended to offend or annoy- I simply tried to put such issues as cat poo in perspective.
Happy Christmas to you all and wishing you a cat poo free new year!
So did I catnip, only try to put things like cat poo in perspective that is.
I can live with my neighbours having a barbecue or the occasional party, always starting the mower every time we sit down to eat outside, etc,etc, cat faeces on my food though is less easy to live with.
Dead wildlife littering a wildlife garden, is less easy to live with.
Carefully planted seeds dug up when they are seedlings is less easy to live with.
Having a garden that smells so awful on a warm sunny day you wouldn't want to use it, not so easy to live with.
I wouldn't inflict that on my neighbours, I would be mortified if a pet I owned inflicted such misery on others.
Perspective is what it is all about - numerous cats using a neighbours garden as a toilet is not OK and should not be tolerated. All the things you mention happen in the neighbours garden, how would you feel if they had a barbecue or loud party in your garden I wonder?
It is nothing personal, but I think it can be hard for people to understand just how much misery it can bring to people. We are not talking about one pile of poo, we are talking about complete misery day in day out 365 days a year.
Please do take the time to read the experiences above.
PS Phillipa, I'm beginning to see your point
Post 14/12/2014 at 18:42 
I have had cats pooing on my back lawn for many years, a friend who had cats kept telling me they bury it, no they don't! One morning after working a night duty I cleaned up 8 deposits of it, the smell of it made me wretch, good job I had an empty stomach. I hardly get any now on my lawn, but keep finding it in my soil. The dog poo on pavement at front of my house is another subject!
I also have cats emptying themselves in my garden, don't blame the cats as they do have to do it somewhere, but if they aren't taught otherwise there not going to know, but as previously mentioned they should be trained to either do it on the owners property either inside or in there garden.
I have a dog and I had to train her from making a mess inside the house, I also have to be responsible for cleaning up after her as the owner when i take her out for a walk, and I know that it is still a problem out there with dog fouling but those who get caught get a fine, maybe this could be enforced to other pets, it may help.
Also I have 2 beautiful daughters who are keen to help me in the garden and love playing in the soil getting dirty and i want to encourage this, but I either have to make them wait until I have checked the soil for cat deposits or I don't let them play and explore in the soil so at the moment I have to scan the area before they can help me.