Can I Throw Neighbours Cat Poo Back? Q & A

Welcome to the Q&A section of my blog. Today I am discussing a messy dispute…the question being “Can I throw neighbours cat poo back?”.

Question…

Can I throw neighbours cat poo back?…

I have a problem that’s been bothering me for a while now, and I’m not sure how to handle it. My neighbour’s cat keeps pooping in my garden, and it’s really getting on my nerves. I’ve spoken to my neighbour about it, but she doesn’t seem to care.

I take pride in my garden and spend a lot of money on it. It may seem a minor issue but my neighbour’s cat digs up my plants and then poos in my flower borders which is damaging my plants. I spend a lot of time gardening and if the cat has recently gone to the toilet I am also presented with a horrible smell that seems to linger.

As I care about my garden, I have no choice but to pick up my neighbour’s cat poo and I am finding this really frustrating.

I want to stop the cat from using my garden as its personal litter box.

Now, I’m at my wits’ end, and I’m considering throwing the cat poo back into my neighbour’s garden.

I know it sounds disgusting, but I’m hoping that this will get my neighbour to take the issue seriously. My question is, can I legally throw my neighbour’s cat poo back into her garden?

I don’t want to get into any trouble, but I also don’t want to continue dealing with this problem on my own. I’ve done some research online, but I can’t seem to find a clear answer.

I would appreciate any advice or insights that you might have. Have any of you been in a similar situation before? How did you handle it?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer…

I can understand your frustration with your neighbour’s cat pooing in your garden.

If it makes you feel any better, issues with neighbours cats are a common cause of tension between neighbours. Cats are a well-loved pet by many but not everyone feels the same way towards the furry felines.

Can I Throw Neighbours Cat Poo Back? – The Law

Cats have the ‘right to roam’ and it would be impossible for your neighbour to stop their cats coming into your garden. There is no law that specifically deals with cats pooping.

However, cat owners have to take reasonable steps to ensure their cats are not causing damage to neighbours property and gardens. In reality, it would be very hard for a neighbour to prevent their cat from causing damage to your garden.

As per the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is within the jurisdiction of a local authority to take action against an individual if they keep an animal in a way that poses a threat to health or causes inconvenience to others.

The environmental health department has the power to investigate complaints of nuisance caused by animals and can take action if necessary. However, for a cat pooping in your garden, the amount of fouling would have to be substantial to amount to a nuisance.

For example, if your neighbour has 20 cats and they are all using your garden as a litter box, then this would most likely be severe enough for the council to be able to take action. If it is just one cat that is fouling once a day, it would be hard to meet the criteria of a statutory nuisance.

If you have evidence that your neighbour was in fact throwing the cat poo over your fence, then it would be reasonable to contact the environmental health department. This could also be classified as anti-social behaviour.

The following articles might be of interest to you:

• When to contact the environmental health department about neighbours
• How to make a complaint about a neighbour to the council
• How to gather evidence of a neighbour dispute

Should You Throw Your Neighbours Cat Poo Back?

In the UK, it’s an offence to dispose of cat poo in a way that could cause harm or nuisance to others. If you throw the cat poo back into your neighbour’s garden, you could be seen as causing a nuisance, harassment or anti-social behaviour, and you could be fined or even prosecuted.

Throwing cat poo back into your neighbour’s garden is not a solution to the problem.

So What Can You Do Instead?

Your only real chance of improving your circumstances is to deter the cats from coming into your garden.

You can try planting spiky plants and spraying your garden with eucalyptus and peppermint, as cats don’t like the smell. ‘Get off my garden‘ is also another popular cat deterrent.

You could also consider installing cat-proof fencing or other cat deterrents to keep the cat out of your garden.

There are a range of products on the market that are designed to keep cats away, including ultrasonic devices and motion-activated sprinklers.

The RSPCA have a helpful leaflet about how to deter cats from your garden that might be helpful.

It is a criminal offence to harm a cat under the Protection of Animals Act 1911.

Minor neighbour complaints can quickly escalate so it would be worth bagging up the poo and disposing of it. Remember there is no malice from the cat and throwing your neighbour’s cat poo back may cause further disputes.

Final Thoughts

In summary, throwing your neighbour’s cat poo back is not a good solution to the problem. Instead, try using cat deterrents to stop the cats coming into your garden, or contacting your local council for help if the issue is severe.