How to handle neighbor feeding birds and stray cats

My elderly neighbor enjoys feeding birds in our open shared front porch area. He just throws old bread or cereal out a couple of times a day. He has been doing this for a year or so but recently I have been noticing my front sidewalk has a lot of bird dropping. The bird will fly to the tree branch outside on the street and then do their business. I brushed it off for a while and it didn’t bother me but now looking at the dropping, its about the size of 2 flags of concrete sidewalk. Basically when I walk home, I will always step on those dropping before stepping inside the house. I don’t know how others feel but its really bothering me. How can I confront him without sounding like a jerk? I just don’t want to sour our relationship.

This is also combining that he is feeding the stray cats in the backyard. He has a little house for them and the cat a few months ago just had 2 kittens. His backyard is all concrete and mine has some part garden/soil. The cats has been pooping in my back and front area like its their personal litter box . I have confronted him about this and he just goes..what can he do? and say I can do what I need to do on my side to deter the cats. But what can I do if he keeps feeding them and looks like the family will be growing more? argh!

Have you guys ever experience anything like this and how would you handle this?

namahs

in General Discussion 6 years and 9 months ago

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RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 6 years and 8 months ago

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“Nothing I can do at this time except just deal with it”

Quite true, and, annoying as it is, a hose would be a simple way to do so.

namahs | 6 years and 8 months ago

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Don’t think there is a law preventing someone from feeding feral cats and birds. I did a lot of research of this, if there is..please link.

I do however see that the city can give a violation to homeowner that sidewalk has unsanitary conditions caused by pigeons, including odor and excessive droppings on. This wont work for me since its my sidewalk that has bird droppings.

I have nothing against feeding animals, the issue is the homeowner that feeds the animal should think of the consequence and how it affects their neighbor/environment. I already voiced my opinion multiple times and its like talking to the wall. I have shown him cat poop in my front and back area that has flies all over them, the smell is awful. He sees all the bird droppings in the sidewalk. He just doesn’t seem to care or want to change his routine, hes in his 70s. Nothing I can do at this time except just deal with it, it is what it is.

randolph | 6 years and 8 months ago

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I have a hard time believing there is a law preventing one from feeding animals on their own property.

resident2 | 6 years and 8 months ago

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Randolph: No, it is not within any resident of NYC rights to feed Birds etc as it is NYC Health Depart violation. It attracts rats etc.
You can call 311, but is this right to rat out a neighbor.
Speak to them ….. keep speaking to them…

randolph | 6 years and 8 months ago

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It’s also well within his rights to feed the animals. Not much you can do

randolph | 6 years and 8 months ago

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The old guy probably has few joys in life. Let him do him!

tsarina | 6 years and 8 months ago

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Do not feed cats unless you will tNR them. You are only making them healthy enough to breed. Fixed cats keep the rats away and fixed cats do not fight and the piss doesnt smell of hormones. With that said, do not trap the cats to relocate them because more cats will come and take their place. Talk to the guy, get him on board to get them fixed and kittens trapped , socialized and adopted. Call neighborhood cats if you need help to get them taken care of.

anotherposter | 6 years and 9 months ago

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I feel you pain on both issues. Pigeons have decided this year to hang in the sidewalk tree at our house and our front yard is just a path of shit all the time, so even without feeding them, this can happen because you have a tree. I used to leave a bowl of water out for passing dogs in the heat but it fills with bird poop so quickly I can’t do it this year.

Our neighbors keep letting their house cats out to have some “freedom” from their entire brownstone spaces and even those fat cats manage to climb the fence (no holes needed) to shit in my flowers and they have destroyed several large, long growing plants when trying to get back out. I told the neighbor, we are friendly, I might start trapping them and we’ve had fewer visits. Ferals avoid our yard because we have a dog. If you are around when they are coming in, try spraying them with a hose or water gun.

You should try to get someone to help TNR the cats and he might agree to help (allow access) because it involves giving them shots and some basic medical care. If you are friendly with him, trying bringing up t he idea with him on TNR but I doubt you’ll get him to stop feeding the birds (saying this from personal and friends’ experiences in that).

The fun of living in tight quarters…

Guest User | 6 years and 9 months ago

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If I were you I will try to tell him to get a [kittywalk](http://www.petstreetmall.com/KittyWalk-Cat-Enclosures/4878.html) enclosure so that his cats won’t mess-up with my garden. As for the birds, I guess they come back for food since he keeps on feeding them. Is there anyone that you can talk too aside from this elder man? I guess you can ask his children to talk to him about this issue.

Guest User | 6 years and 9 months ago

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If I were you I will try to tell him to get a [kittywalk](http://www.petstreetmall.com/KittyWalk-Cat-Enclosures/4878.html) enclosure so that his cats won’t mess-up with my garden. As for the birds, I guess they come back for food since he keeps on feeding them. Is there anyone that you can talk too aside from this elder man? I guess you can ask his children to talk to him about this issue.

slimc | 6 years and 9 months ago

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You could (with or without your neighbor’s help) get involved with a Trap Neuter Release program (TNR) to reduce the growing feral cat population. You could also seal off holes that allow the cats to enter your yard. If there is a garden hose available, would your neighbor be willing to use it regularly on the bird droppings?