Neighbor erecting a chicken Wire fence to deter cats

dozy doctor

Hi All,
Just looking for some opinions if you don't mind...Well my gobsh1te Neighbor is at it again....

This time he is putting up a chicken wire fence in the front garden on top of a brick wall to deter our cats from sitting on the wall. Now I understand this is trivial to most, but he has put it up in such a way as to harm the cats, i.e. he did not cut off any sharp ends. And has left them out in order to harm the animals...

Do you think that there is anything that I can do. Maybe report him to the ISPCA for animal cruelty. The fence that he put up is also on top of a 7 foot wall which I am sure is illegal from him to erect in the front of a garden....

I understand that cats can be annoying and cats being cats will wander as we have several local in garden on a daily basis annoying our dog, so I don't need any opinions on the annoyance of cats, just the legality of what he has done....

smash

Technically is it your wall or his wall?

Either way, cut yourself on it and threaten to sue him

SunnyDub1

Let him keep the wire fence up... he'll be sorry when all the mice are getting into his house and no one else's :P

kowloon

I always enjoy watching someone make their garden look like $hite just to stop the cats ruining it.

PogMoThoin

Supposedly orange peel will deter cats

uch

Why does not liking cats make him a Gobsh1te ?

Rented Mule

smash wrote: »

Technically is it your wall or his wall?

Fair question.

gurramok

If he's seriously that bothered by a small fluffy cute animal sitting on a 7ft wall, he's got mental issues.

uch

gurramok wrote: »

If he's seriously that bothered by a small fluffy cute animal sitting on a 7ft wall, he's got mental issues.

How do you make that out ? maybe he's allergic

Teyla Emmagan

uch wrote: »

Why does not liking cats make him a Gobsh1te ?

Because everyone who doesn't like cats is a gob****e, clearly.

OP ring your local county council and ask them if he requires planning permission to put up the 'extension' on top of the wall. He possibly does, even if it's just chicken wire and a few posts. Then you can have it taken down.

Alternatively, you could point all the sharp bits in so your cats will not be hurt and you can both live in peace.

wandatowell

Take responsibility for your pet.

Why should he be happy to have your pet around his property?

dozy doctor

smash wrote: »

Technically is it your wall or his wall?

Either way, cut yourself on it and threaten to sue him

Well i guess it is a boundary wall as it divides the two gardens.....
and it really is not a big deal except for the fact that he is in particular trying to harm our two cats.... Again he has placed it in such a way as the barbs from the chicken wire will harm the animals....

DO we have any rights at all?

Teyla Emmagan

uch wrote: »

How do you make that out ? maybe he's allergic

Or a gob****e.

dozy doctor

wandatowell wrote: »

Take responsibility for your pet.

Why should he be happy to have your pet around his property?

We do take responsibility for our animals but at the end of the day they are cats, and cats climb and annoy dogs and it is our wall as well.....

NegativeCreep

uch wrote: »

Why does not liking cats make him a Gobsh1te ?

There's not liking cats and then there's setting out to hurt the poor things. Anyone who does that is a gobshite IMO.

Where To

OP, you should be grateful that your neighbour is considerate enough to try and deter the cats from entering his garden, some of us wouldn't be so accomodating.

endacl

Tell him you tried explaining the situation to your cats. Then tell him the cats replied 'your cats? We're not your cats. You're our human. And that's our wall.' Then advise your neighbour to take your cats to court.

This actually makes sense. The cats don't care which human owns what. They just know they have a nice high wall on their patch. In other words, there's not a thing you can do to prevent this perfectly natural and perfectly harmless behaviour. The cats aren't capable of 'not being annoying'. Your neighbour is though. You could also gently remind him of this fact.

Another solution, which would drive your neighbour nuts, would be to install wooden fence segments, 1-2 inches higher than his chickenwire, on your side. With a nice flat comfy top. The cats would love that. Much better than a lumpy aul' wall!

dozy doctor

uch wrote: »

Why does not liking cats make him a Gobsh1te ?

It has nothing to do with not liking cats that make him a Prize Gobsh1te. He is what he is, a bitter old man with nothing better to do....

awec

A 7ft wall? That's almost twice the height of what is legally allowed to be erected at the front of a property. Did he seek planning permission?

planetX

attempt to put up trellis on your side of the wall - there's a very good chance you might cut yourself and have to threaten to sue him...

dozy doctor

gurramok wrote: »

If he's seriously that bothered by a small fluffy cute animal sitting on a 7ft wall, he's got mental issues.

Agreed

1ZRed

He doesn't want a cat sitting on a wall.. right.. does he not want hairs on it incase he wants to sit on it?


Either way I think your neighbour has far too much time on his hands, or needs the ride.

smash

dozy doctor wrote: »

Well i guess it is a boundary wall as it divides the two gardens.....

No, it belongs to one of the houses, that's how it works. A wall on each side, you own one, your neighbor on whatever side owns the other. Check out the deeds to your house!

gurramok

uch wrote: »

How do you make that out ? maybe he's allergic

Must be one very tall neighbour!

Harming the cats is animal abuse which in some cases leads the person doing the harming migrate to harming humans.

dozy doctor

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Because everyone who doesn't like cats is a gob****e, clearly.

OP ring your local county council and ask them if he requires planning permission to put up the 'extension' on top of the wall. He possibly does, even if it's just chicken wire and a few posts. Then you can have it taken down.

Alternatively, you could point all the sharp bits in so your cats will not be hurt and you can both live in peace.

Will do.... I will give them a ring first thing in the morning as I am sure they will have left by now But surely if i take it upon myself to touch his fence then i'll be in the sh1t for messing with it... No doubt he will claim i damaged it somehow.....

listermint

Ehhh, I think the cats will just do what they want..

They will in fact avoid the fence he has put up. and go elsewhere or the other x3 walls you have.

The only problem here is yours. I doubt the cats are actually bothered.


OP. there are other things to get worked up about go do that instead.

TouchingVirus

dozy doctor wrote: »

Hi All,
..but he has put it up in such a way as to harm the cats, i.e. he did not cut off any sharp ends. And has left them out in order to harm the animals...

He could be just unaware the dangers they pose since he's not exactly fond of cats and probably not proficient in chicken wire installation - to suggest their is malice in his actions is ridiculous until you've already pointed out to him that the barbs left will cause harm to your animals and he doesn't do anything.

dozy doctor

Where To wrote: »

OP, you should be grateful that your neighbour is considerate enough to try and deter the cats from entering his garden, some of us wouldn't be so accomodating.

He can do it in such a way as not to deliberately hurt the animal...

CreepingDeath

gurramok wrote: »

If he's seriously that bothered by a small fluffy cute animal sitting on a 7ft wall, he's got mental issues.

Does he have any young babies in the house?
Cats/cat litter can carry some disease that can threaten babies.

Also, some phobias aren't rational, or he doesn't like the idea of a cat wandering near his property potentially trying to get in an open door or window.

But animal cruelty? :rolleyes:
He hasn't injured any animal, you'll be laughed at for that one.
As an alternative, maybe painting the top of the wall with sticky anti-burglar paint would deter a cat from messing up its fur.

dozy doctor

awec wrote: »

A 7ft wall? That's almost twice the height of what is legally allowed to be erected at the front of a property. Did he seek planning permission?

Only about 1.5 meters of the wall is 7ft high, on our side mind, maybe 6 on their side and then gradually steps down to 3.5ft. He did also erect a 6 foot timber fence along his side of the wall all the way dividing the 2 properties of which i know is not legal but we were delighted not to be able to see the boll*x in all fairness.....

dozy doctor

planetX wrote: »

attempt to put up trellis on your side of the wall - there's a very good chance you might cut yourself and have to threaten to sue him...

I like your style....:D

Where To

dozy doctor wrote: »

He can do it in such a way as not to deliberately hurt the animal...

I wouldn't. Your cat, your problem if it goes where it's not wanted.

Teyla Emmagan

dozy doctor wrote: »

Will do.... I will give them a ring first thing in the morning as I am sure they will have left by now But surely if i take it upon myself to touch his fence then i'll be in the sh1t for messing with it... No doubt he will claim i damaged it somehow.....

No, they are there till 5 o'clock!

mconigol

What about barbed wire fences and walls with glass shards embedded in the top?

Cat's aren't (that) stupid, they won't go up there if it hurts them.

dozy doctor

smash wrote: »

No, it belongs to one of the houses, that's how it works. A wall on each side, you own one, your neighbor on whatever side owns the other. Check out the deeds to your house!

Well i guess it is my wall so as it is on the right hand side of my house as you look at it from the front

Tiddlypeeps

You could offer to replace the chicken wire with some picket lawn edging. A few small modifications and you could put it on top of the wall easily, making it difficult for the cats to sit on it and almost impossible for them to hurt themselves.

Something like this http://www.click4garden.co.uk/prod-images/large/1040.jpg

dozy doctor

listermint wrote: »

Ehhh, I think the cats will just do what they want..

They will in fact avoid the fence he has put up. and go elsewhere or the other x3 walls you have.

The only problem here is yours. I doubt the cats are actually bothered.


OP. there are other things to get worked up about go do that instead.

I totally agree with you except that it is unsightly to look at and I should not be bullied into having it erected on the wall without my consent, apart from the fact the he is trying to harm the cats.. I know the cats are clever and will stay away from it, but it really is horrible to look at....

Capt'n Midnight

get a critter cam and find out what he's really trying to hide

dozy doctor

TouchingVirus wrote: »

He could be just unaware the dangers they pose since he's not exactly fond of cats and probably not proficient in chicken wire installation - to suggest their is malice in his actions is ridiculous until you've already pointed out to him that the barbs left will cause harm to your animals and he doesn't do anything.

Yes I spoke to him as he was putting it up and told me he was putting it up to deter the cats from sitting on the wall. I said that's fine aslong as you tidy up the wire on it so as not to injure the cats and he told me he wasn't going to discuss it with me any further....

granturismo

dozy doctor wrote: »

Hi All,
Just looking for some opinions if you don't mind...Well my gobsh1te Neighbor is at it again....
just the legality of what he has done....

dozy doctor wrote: »

It has nothing to do with not liking cats that make him a Prize Gobsh1te. He is what he is, a bitter old man with nothing better to do....

dozy doctor wrote: »

but we were delighted not to be able to see the boll*x in all fairness.....

dozy doctor wrote: »

I don't think he has seen his own lad in quite a while, ..... Bit found of the pies if you get my drift....

Bit of a trend here.

Also, I believe legal advice cannot be given on Boards.ie.

granturismo

dozy doctor wrote: »

Yes I spoke to him as he was putting it up and told me he was putting it up to deter the cats from sitting on the wall. I said that's fine aslong as you tidy up the wire on it so as not to injure the cats and he told me he wasn't going to discuss it with me any further....

If its a shared wall - why cant you hammer down or cut the protruding wire.

dozy doctor

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Does he have any young babies in the house?
Cats/cat litter can carry some disease that can threaten babies.

Also, some phobias aren't rational, or he doesn't like the idea of a cat wandering near his property potentially trying to get in an open door or window.

But animal cruelty? :rolleyes:
He hasn't injured any animal, you'll be laughed at for that one.
As an alternative, maybe painting the top of the wall with sticky anti-burglar paint would deter a cat from messing up its fur.

Yes he has.... We had two kittens in 2011 and one of them got in his back garden. He had a terrier at the time (and still has) and he knew the kitten was trapped in an area in the back garden and instead of taking the dog in so the cat could get out, he left the dog there and it killed the cat in the end, when I had to jump the fence at the back and try to save the kitten but it was to late....

dozy doctor

Where To wrote: »

I wouldn't. Your cat, your problem if it goes where it's not wanted.

On my wall?????????? WTF

lolo62

He sounds like the kind of person with all kinds of time on his hands to battle with you if you engage in any way. He will win because his life depends on winning!
Save your energy. The cats won't get hurt, they're clever little souls and climb through all kinds of dangerous situations all the time.
Let him fortress himself in if that's what he needs...nutter

Micky Dolenz

I hate cats.

mitosis

None of this would occur if you controlled your animals. Really grinds my gears the "well cats are cats" attitude - if you can't keep your pets from bothering other people, then perhaps pets are not for you.

I don't approve of him harming animals, but otherwise I support him in his right not to be bothered by them.

Where To

dozy doctor wrote: »

On my wall?????????? WTF

I doubt he would go to the trouble if the cat never went further than the wall.

If it doesn't then I'd agree that he does have issues, but cats being cats I wouldn't be so sure.

dozy doctor

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

No, they are there till 5 o'clock!

Planning permisson left at 4:30

mahonykid

yeah like a bit of chicken wire is going to stop a cat. Pesky cats!!

donegal.

granturismo wrote: »

Bit of a trend here.

hmmm i think i know who i'd rather have as a neighbor

Micky Dolenz

mitosis wrote: »

None of this would occur if you controlled your animals. Really grinds my gears the "well cats are cats" attitude - if you can't keep your pets from bothering other people, then perhaps pets are not for you.

I don't approve of him harming animals, but otherwise I support him in his right not to be bothered by them.

Reminds me of a neighbours I used to have, his little dog would sh1t in my lawn and his argument was, it's only a dog doing what they do. I don't have pets so I should not have to pick up pet sh1t. It stopped.

Your pet, your responsibility.