What Should I do about Cat-Hating Bad Neighbor?
September 17, 2014 1:35 PM Subscribe
Last week I saw my snarly, reclusive next door neighbor dump something on the fence where the neighborhood cats come in, and then put a cap back on a jar the stuff came from. Twice in one week. Looked like a Drano jar to me from afar. I later snuck over to the fence and got a sample of it and put it in an envelope. So before I go off the deep end, where do I get this stuff analyzed?
If it's just seasoned salt or something I would be greatly relieved. If not, I think I have no choice but to move, right? Unless leaving poison out is a life sentence, which unfortunately it's not. His yard is a trash heap, so there is no reason except pure hate that he should object to a couple of cats strolling through it every day.
My own cat died four months ago, and the askme community helped me so much with the grief, and I hate to think there is a connection, but...he retired a few years ago and seems to be deteriorating mentally or something.
If it's just seasoned salt or something I would be greatly relieved. If not, I think I have no choice but to move, right? Unless leaving poison out is a life sentence, which unfortunately it's not. His yard is a trash heap, so there is no reason except pure hate that he should object to a couple of cats strolling through it every day.
My own cat died four months ago, and the askme community helped me so much with the grief, and I hate to think there is a connection, but...he retired a few years ago and seems to be deteriorating mentally or something.
What does it look like? The way you describe it as "seasoned salt" makes me think it might be something simple like Cayenne powder, which is often used to keep pest animals away.
posted by sanka at 1:50 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by sanka at 1:50 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Have you tried asking him?
Just be prepared for an answer you don't like (don't go assaulting him or anything).
His yard is a trash heap, so there is no reason except pure hate that he should object to a couple of cats strolling through it every day.
One man's trash, etc. it's perfectly reasonable for someone to not want cats they don't own pooping in their yard. The responsible thing of course, is to trap them and surrender them to whatever version of a SPCA/Humane society you have where you live. This is something that you should consider pursuing yourself, since stray cats (as opposed to outdoor, owned cats) are generally a net negative in communities.
posted by sparklemotion at 1:51 PM on September 17, 2014 [5 favorites]
Just be prepared for an answer you don't like (don't go assaulting him or anything).
His yard is a trash heap, so there is no reason except pure hate that he should object to a couple of cats strolling through it every day.
One man's trash, etc. it's perfectly reasonable for someone to not want cats they don't own pooping in their yard. The responsible thing of course, is to trap them and surrender them to whatever version of a SPCA/Humane society you have where you live. This is something that you should consider pursuing yourself, since stray cats (as opposed to outdoor, owned cats) are generally a net negative in communities.
posted by sparklemotion at 1:51 PM on September 17, 2014 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Instead of getting your sample of whatever analyzed, I'd start by asking your neighbor. It could be something much less nefarious, like a cat repellent. You describe the neighbor as snarly and reclusive so you may think this is a low-percentage option, but it probably has higher odds of success than any chemical analysis lab that accepts one-off orders and samples from the general public or pH strips (since I have no idea whether granulated coyote urine is acidic or basic).
If you approach your neighbor, I'd back off of the idea that he has no reason but hate to object to cats strolling through his back yard. Reasons other than hate include a love of songbirds, a dislike of cat urine, a dislike of cat poop, and a dislike of toxoplasmosis.
Finally, when you "snuck over the fence" to get a sample, do you mean you snuck into his backyard and trespassed? Quit it.
posted by craven_morhead at 1:52 PM on September 17, 2014 [22 favorites]
If you approach your neighbor, I'd back off of the idea that he has no reason but hate to object to cats strolling through his back yard. Reasons other than hate include a love of songbirds, a dislike of cat urine, a dislike of cat poop, and a dislike of toxoplasmosis.
Finally, when you "snuck over the fence" to get a sample, do you mean you snuck into his backyard and trespassed? Quit it.
posted by craven_morhead at 1:52 PM on September 17, 2014 [22 favorites]
I'm not sure what you can do about the neighbor. Whose fence is it? Maybe poison control could tell you more about how to find out what the substance is?
That said...
His yard is a trash heap, so there is no reason except pure hate that he should object to a couple of cats strolling through it every day.
This is MeFi, so I may be in the minority, but: I don't hate my neighbors or their cats, but I absolutely do not want their cats in my yard. This is not crazy. The notion that "neighborhood cats" are a thing we tolerate is bizarre to me. If I, as a person, jumped a fence and ran through your yard every day, you'd probably not be such a huge fan of that. If I let my dog do it, you'd be understandably annoyed with me. That goes double if, say, my dog or I shit on your deck. Your cats? I feel the same way about them.
So the first thing you can do in dealing with your neighbor is try to empathize a bit with your him; he might not share your love of cats / outdoor cats.
posted by toomuchpete at 1:54 PM on September 17, 2014 [40 favorites]
That said...
His yard is a trash heap, so there is no reason except pure hate that he should object to a couple of cats strolling through it every day.
This is MeFi, so I may be in the minority, but: I don't hate my neighbors or their cats, but I absolutely do not want their cats in my yard. This is not crazy. The notion that "neighborhood cats" are a thing we tolerate is bizarre to me. If I, as a person, jumped a fence and ran through your yard every day, you'd probably not be such a huge fan of that. If I let my dog do it, you'd be understandably annoyed with me. That goes double if, say, my dog or I shit on your deck. Your cats? I feel the same way about them.
So the first thing you can do in dealing with your neighbor is try to empathize a bit with your him; he might not share your love of cats / outdoor cats.
posted by toomuchpete at 1:54 PM on September 17, 2014 [40 favorites]
I'd call your local extension office and ask them for ideas. They have labs for soil testing; tell them the truth, that you're worried that a substance in your yard might be poison. They may not be able to do the test themselves but they're likely to know in what direction to point you.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:57 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:57 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, I would not ask someone I thought was unstable what they were dumping in their yard or try to engage with my 'snarly, reclusive' neighbor in a good faith manner if I thought there was a remote possibility they might have had something to do with my cat's death.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:02 PM on September 17, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:02 PM on September 17, 2014 [4 favorites]
You should ask him. Just a simple, "Hi there, I saw you sprinkling something on our shared fence. What is it? Is it something I can help you with?"
Don't even say "cat." Don't even mention the idea of cats at all. For all you know, he's trying to deal with rats.
His answer (or non-answer) will determine your next steps. IF there are next steps.
Go make a friend, not an enemy.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:02 PM on September 17, 2014 [14 favorites]
Don't even say "cat." Don't even mention the idea of cats at all. For all you know, he's trying to deal with rats.
His answer (or non-answer) will determine your next steps. IF there are next steps.
Go make a friend, not an enemy.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:02 PM on September 17, 2014 [14 favorites]
Response by poster: I actually am glad to know that so many other people don't like cats on their property. My neighbor did have a dog who did his business out there, so I don't get the fixation on cats, but at least know it's not a sign of his own mental illness.
And no, I am not going to ask him!! I am afraid of him and don't want him to know that I know. The only time he started a conversation with me in the last six months is to ask about my cat, a few weeks after he had died.
And the way I got the sample was to reach over our common fence and scrape it off. I did not go into his yard. It is greyish-white big granules, sanka. I will test it like sciencegeek recommended. It did have a red cap on it, so hopefully it's the Shake Away stuff mentioned. Maybe I will email a picture of it to the company and ask them.
posted by PJSibling at 2:18 PM on September 17, 2014
And no, I am not going to ask him!! I am afraid of him and don't want him to know that I know. The only time he started a conversation with me in the last six months is to ask about my cat, a few weeks after he had died.
And the way I got the sample was to reach over our common fence and scrape it off. I did not go into his yard. It is greyish-white big granules, sanka. I will test it like sciencegeek recommended. It did have a red cap on it, so hopefully it's the Shake Away stuff mentioned. Maybe I will email a picture of it to the company and ask them.
posted by PJSibling at 2:18 PM on September 17, 2014
Does the stuff you picked up have a smell? I mean, don't *snort* it or anything, but if it's a cat-repelling substance it would more than likely reek. One common product along these lines is a powder made from coyote urine. You can get it at hardware stores. Harmless (but scary!) to cats. It is extremely unlikely your neighbor is poisoning the cats with something like what you've described; if he was going to poison them he'd more than likely put food or some attractive "bait" out to ATTRACT the cats, not sprinkle some random stuff on a fence.
That aside, feel free to ask your neighbor what the stuff way; that's reasonable. But seriously, do NOT broach the subject of cats with your neighbor or try and make a case that the kitties should be allowed in his yard. I say this as a possibly-certifiable cat lady with 4 darling felines of my own, and as a feral cat/trap-neuter-return advocate. Personally I do think outdoor cats are a fact of existence and shouldn't get as bad a rap as they often do, but I also think people have every right to repel outdoor cats from their particular yards. Overall it sounds like you have deeper issues with this neighbor than the matter of cats traipsing through, so if you don't plan on moving anytime soon, you might want to try and work out a way to coexist more peacefully.
posted by aecorwin at 2:24 PM on September 17, 2014
That aside, feel free to ask your neighbor what the stuff way; that's reasonable. But seriously, do NOT broach the subject of cats with your neighbor or try and make a case that the kitties should be allowed in his yard. I say this as a possibly-certifiable cat lady with 4 darling felines of my own, and as a feral cat/trap-neuter-return advocate. Personally I do think outdoor cats are a fact of existence and shouldn't get as bad a rap as they often do, but I also think people have every right to repel outdoor cats from their particular yards. Overall it sounds like you have deeper issues with this neighbor than the matter of cats traipsing through, so if you don't plan on moving anytime soon, you might want to try and work out a way to coexist more peacefully.
posted by aecorwin at 2:24 PM on September 17, 2014
If you don't have litmus paper, mix it with a kitchen acid like vinegar. Do this outside, and just a small splash. Crystal drano is mostly lye, and it'll give off heat and fumes when you do this, so stand upwind, combine the two on a concrete patch that might get stained, or maybe contained in a small bowl you can throw away. If there's a reaction, you've got something basic, possibly Drano.
If not, well, it's a cheap demonstration.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:25 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
If not, well, it's a cheap demonstration.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:25 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The powdered fox/coyote urine I've seen is darkly yellow and whifs of amonia, but a quick google image search turns up some greyish-white granules. Does that look anything like you what you have?
posted by the christopher hundreds at 2:31 PM on September 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by the christopher hundreds at 2:31 PM on September 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
I'd say cats normally don't even eat what's good for them (like worm pills) so your risk is small. Disregard funny neighbor, and don't become one yourself.
posted by Namlit at 2:34 PM on September 17, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Namlit at 2:34 PM on September 17, 2014 [2 favorites]
Your neighbor dumped a substance into "something". There's discussion above about the substance (seasoned salt, repellent, Drano), but what is the "something" that seems to be the main component? Is it canned meat/cat food?
Also, this is a long shot if you're afraid to talk to him, but apparently there are motion-detecting sprinklers that people use to keep cats away. If your neighbor had one of these, maybe a) he wouldn't need whatever he is or isn't using now, and b) cats would keep away from it anyway.
posted by amtho at 2:46 PM on September 17, 2014
Also, this is a long shot if you're afraid to talk to him, but apparently there are motion-detecting sprinklers that people use to keep cats away. If your neighbor had one of these, maybe a) he wouldn't need whatever he is or isn't using now, and b) cats would keep away from it anyway.
posted by amtho at 2:46 PM on September 17, 2014
Response by poster: It might be that stuff, christopher. Maybe I will go to the pet store and ask them. Thank you!
Amtho, he dumped it from a container onto the frame of the fence. It's just granules. And there is no discussing issues with him. He is a loner, period.
posted by PJSibling at 2:52 PM on September 17, 2014
Amtho, he dumped it from a container onto the frame of the fence. It's just granules. And there is no discussing issues with him. He is a loner, period.
posted by PJSibling at 2:52 PM on September 17, 2014
If you suspect that your neighbor killed your cat (which is what it sounds like, reading between the lines), then yes, you should move.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:55 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:55 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: That's what really has upset me, Phob. But fingers crossed, I will go to hardware store tomorrow and hopefully it's just Shake Away!
posted by PJSibling at 7:18 PM on September 17, 2014
posted by PJSibling at 7:18 PM on September 17, 2014
Response by poster: I bought some Shake Away and am letting it dry in the sun to see if it matches. Looks close...thanks to everyone who responded and to craven for the tip on Shake Away. I'm still going to move but I do feel much better about things.
posted by PJSibling at 12:44 PM on September 18, 2014
posted by PJSibling at 12:44 PM on September 18, 2014
Have you googled "draino crystals" to see if the crystals or jar matches?
I use these sometimes to clear our old pipes, and they are greenish now(to discourage meth production apparently), but a few years ago they were a semi opaque grey color.
It is entirely possible that a cat simply walking through lye crystals will lick its paws afterwards and die.
I'd move after warning all of the neighbors.
posted by tenaciousmoon at 2:33 PM on September 18, 2014
I use these sometimes to clear our old pipes, and they are greenish now(to discourage meth production apparently), but a few years ago they were a semi opaque grey color.
It is entirely possible that a cat simply walking through lye crystals will lick its paws afterwards and die.
I'd move after warning all of the neighbors.
posted by tenaciousmoon at 2:33 PM on September 18, 2014
*was going to add that draino crystals will have a notable reaction with water, so that is one way to test them.
posted by tenaciousmoon at 2:41 PM on September 18, 2014
posted by tenaciousmoon at 2:41 PM on September 18, 2014
Response by poster: The Draino crystals look too blue, I think, but thanks. I do worry about the cats licking it off their paws, yes, but so far the two cats from the neighbor behind us seem okay.
posted by PJSibling at 7:10 PM on September 18, 2014
posted by PJSibling at 7:10 PM on September 18, 2014
To compare to the Shake Away, I'd try putting a little of each into some water and then doing a smell test. I'd imagine the odor would be unmistakable (if there is any odor).
posted by amtho at 5:26 AM on September 19, 2014
posted by amtho at 5:26 AM on September 19, 2014
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Before sending it off for analysis, try this at home to get an idea of what you have.
posted by sciencegeek at 1:47 PM on September 17, 2014 [3 favorites]