Before we dive in, I just want you to know this much: yes, I am a dog lover – but no, I am not a cat hater 
Cats are nice, furry and cute – well most of them are – yet sometimes they can create a real problem between neighbours.
With cats, as I said, the main problem for a cat-lover’s neighbour is when the delightful creature decides to turn their yard into a giant kitty litter box. Although the same laws that apply to dogs, apply to cats as well – meaning they must be kept on their owner’s property at all times – cats tend to pay a rather frequent visits to the neighbouring yards once let outside.
And if, havens forbid, they decide to do their business under your window – the smell can be just unbearable. What makes it worse is that once a spot was marked, it literally becomes a public toilet.
Of course talking to the neighbour should be your first choice. After all they don’t follow the cat around and may not know about the kitty litter issue. But sometimes that doesn’t solve the problem or you simply don’t know what neighbour the cat belongs to, in which case you can try something else.
A grandma recipe to get rid of that public toilet spot is mixing some tea-tree oil or eucalyptus oil with alcohol and water and spraying the spot generously. Cats hate that scent and will steer clear of that area.
Another good idea is removing the things cats are attracted to – such as mulch, which you can replace with gravel, and planting prickly plants, which cats dislike. You can even try plastic thorns, the same kind people use to keep birds off their fences.
As a last resort, if the problem persists, consider installing a cat trap and handing the cat over to the RSPCA. They sure will find the owner by reading cat’s microchip number and one hefty fine will be on its way – which can be more convincing than any of your negotiations. After all, sad as it sounds, some people value their money more than their neighbour’s peace of mind.
