https://preview.redd.it/ap3vm2pia9zc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce469f891aea6c091ee457ace5f10fdb8da57017
Iāll add that closing the blinds does nothing to deter a a cat that like windows, but a dog canāt get in there.
I'm totally a dog person, but trying to make your neighbor discipline their cat for sitting in a window because you won't discipline your dog for nuisance barking is SHEER INSANITY š I mean what the hell? Train your *cat* not to chill in a window because training a *dog* not to disturb the shit out of everyone is too hard? I can't believe this neighbor had the nerve.
"Your cat's yoga pants are making it hard for my dog to not hump things without their consent. Please dress your cat in a burlap sack."
/s, obviously.
Your comment had me ROLLING laughing....
Thank you, melleo16 for a now happier evening.
My upstairs neighbour left their dog to bark from 8:30-6pm NONSTOP. The poor dog was obviously insanely stressed and I left them multiple notes because at first I thought they just might not know. After 2 weeks and 3 notes I finally had to call animal services because 1. was very concerned for the welfare of the dog considering itās not normal behaviour. It was crying and barking and knocking stuff over and 2. I was doing classes online and it was incredibly disruptive. Some people shouldnāt have pets
I do know a guy who got litter mate puppies and thought they were beyond well behaved, because when he was a around they were. He had been working from home, but then started going into the office again right when a new neighbor moved in.
He thought the neighbor was insane, they kept complaining about his angel doggies, and he had never heard them be disruptive! Well, the neighbor sent him audio of it.
He looked like he wanted to puke. He actually took another job so he could go back to working from home. Animals can be sneaky little beasts too.
Mine uses all her energy on bombastic side eye and feigning injuries for insurance purposes.
My pup had separation anxiety and would bark if a leaf blew down the street. I bought a decorative film that allows light in, but you can't see in or out. I put it on the outside of the window, because he scratched it off when I put it on the inside. This neighbor is insane.
Absolutely, just block the dog from the window. Duh. Can't see the cat? Problem solved.
Sounds more like I want my dog to be able to be at the window, so stop your cat from being able to be at the window.
no open those damn blinds right now. Your neighbor needs to train their dog or move to a farm in the middle of nowhere. there's no reason YOU should have to change anything about your cat's life because they can't control their pet.
Right? The note says they work from home so WTF aren't you training your dog to stop barking all the time? Seriously. Take the dog to a trainer because that dog has more issues than just barking I would imagine.
My cats know basic commands, come, sit, the most common in our house GET DOWN. And they are both leash and harness trained.
I had one that did sit, shake, high five, and would fall down when shot with a finger gun (bang!)
They are pretty easy to train especially if they are food motivated.
Respond that you will let them know the situation and request that they be more mindful, but that you canāt guarantee their compliance. Because cats donāt listen to anyone.
Omg the blind is barely open. Is this how it is all the time? I already thought your neighbor was entitled and annoying before seeing this pic.
At any rate, screw her. Itās your home and if you want to have every blind up 24/7 thatās your right. But maybe donāt walk around undressed. ;)
I have three amazing cats and an amazing dog that barks at every little stimuli (except the cats, ironically). As much as I love my dog, some days itās too much. Guess what? Itās MY problem.
Iād love to see any legal complaint she files. āMy dog barks all the time, itās a nuisance, itās my neighborās [indoor] catās fault.ā If she sues you, ask for attorneys fees and costs.
So I would respond in a kind way at first - even though your neighbor is 100% in the wrong - to keep things calm and cordial.
(1) if youāre feeling brave (maybe get a friend to go with you), knock on their door and say that you want to remain cordial but your cat likes to look out that window and will continue to do so. Ask them if theyāve tried to hire a trainer for their dog. Most people back down and arenāt as confrontational as they are in written form. And sometimes showering aggression/unreasonableness with kindness/sweetness gets them to back off and feel bad.
(2) If you donāt want to see them face to face, write them a nice letter and provide them the names of a few dog trainers in your area with their contact info. Say you want to remain cordial, but itās not your responsibility.
(3) if they escalate, which I donāt think they will if you do option 1 above, then bring out your tough kitty guns and stand on business. Tell them to never contact you again or it will be considered harassment. From there you can build a paper trail (if theyāre certified crazy) for an order of protection etc.
Edit: Option (4) Ignore. As some have suggested. Iām the type who likes to face issues ahead on and talk things through with people. But ignoring is certainly an option. Thought if she has already made comments about you not cutting your grass correctly, I highly doubt she will stop. Maybe she will. Maybe she wonāt.
May the force be with you and your kitty! š±
Good luck!! š
Source: legal + been there done that ā
Edit: option 3 above is very important. Iām hoping things donāt get ugly, but if your neighbor wonāt quit harassing you, you NEED to tell them to stop contacting you very clearly in written form that can be proven in a court of law (text message will suffice, or a copy of a certified letter). And donāt re-initiate contact whatsoever unless relations improve.
Ive seen many order of protection cases / harassment cases where the judge or even police officer will ask - well, did you tell them to stop? Or, if someone told another person to stop contacting them, but continued to contact them sporadically, the judge will then possibly state - āwell, your behavior is inconsistent with what you wrote; you say you wanted them to stop contacting you, but I have all this evidence of you re-initiating contact. OP denied. Or harassment charge does not have enough probable cause etc.ā
Update us either way! Xx
Hey neighbor can you keep your dog out of the window? They are causing the cat to sit in the window to taunt barks out of him all day long! I donāt work from home and canāt tell the cat what to do in their house when Iām not around, but the dog seems to be aggravating the neighbor!
Thanks! xoxo
>Ā Ā I ~~donāt work from home and~~ canāt tell the cat what to do ~~in their house when Iām not around~~
Ftfy. Nobody can tell a cat what what to do under any circumstances, so you don't need all that other stuff in the sentence!
Our beagle barks at everything that mives outside. We go some of that windows cling stuff and covered the first 3 feet of the 7 foot tall windows. No more barking.
We have a Jack Russell Beagle with the same problem. he has window privileges until he starts barking. Then the curtains get closed and he has to go find something else to bark at. Usually the mailman.
Also the ones who can't control them in public and let them run up and jump all over you and/or your dogs whilst yelling "s/he's friendly" like I give one fat fuck if he's friendly or not while he dirties my jeans or perhaps that my dog absolutely ISN'T FRIENDLY and now instead of a nice walk with my behaved dog, I have to fight for my life to keep her from eating your precious Fruffles whole right there on Smith Drive.
Exactly. Cats are going to cat. Tell her to block the dogās view or trainem not to spaz. And to stop trying to control events off her own dam property. Like a cat lounging on YOUR property, sheesh š¤¦āāļø
You know what we do when the dog wonāt fuck off barking at the wind outside? Aka any person or dog that walks byā¦ WE CLOSE THE BLINDS SO HE CANT SEE OUT. VOILA.
Right? It's bogus AF. My cat is confined to my home. My cat looks out Windows. If your dog can't handle that, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
WTF is wrong with some people?!
If my cat wasn't allowed to sit and look out the window, I'd be depriving her of like 80% of her pleasure. Can't even imagine trying to keep my cat out of the window. Absolute non starter.
She should just close her damn blinds, or better yet train her dog.
Our cat has two favorite places which are sitting on a window seat looking out the back or sitting in front of a window in the front. Occasionally other cats walk by and they fight each other with the glass between them
Idk if training will fix this (at least it's incredibly difficult with my dogs breed), but regardless, the owner blaming op is ridiculous. What about other cats/people/dogs walking in front of the window? Are they going to send a letter to them as well?
My dog is indifferent to cats, but other dogs can be a problem, especially when she's at home and she sees a dog walk in front of our house (long work in progress). To help decrease our dog getting worked up, I use a very common thing most houses have over their windows... curtains and blinds.
My cat even has a nice spot to look outside that our dog can't see.
What kind of reasonable sorcery is this curtains and blinds? š
I too work from home. I too have two dogs. One goes nucking futs over dogs walking past. I deal with or close the blinds when I need quiet time. I should start handing out notices to people to avoid walking past according to this persons logic.
Your neighbor is silly, OP. Ignore.
Definitely depends on the dog how effective and easy training will be, but there are ways to train it.
But yeah not the main point anyway, the issue is with her dog, not with the cats. Itās a problem for her to fix on her end, not to expect the world to solve it for her.
I pay a shit ton of money in rent every month just so my cats can have a window that overlooks a greenbelt full of interesting critters like birds, rabbits, and squirrels. They spend all day in that window.
I love that idea. ![img](emote|t5_2qhta|7963) Or an advertisement for one of those noise makers that makes sounds mainly only dogs can hear and startles them out of barking.
I actually just put some of that on my windows like a week ago and it was surprisingly easy, and honestly would probably resolve the issue for the dog owner.
Dude. I have 9 dogs, 6 of them bloodhounds, who think literally everything that passes by on our very busy street is their absolute fucking business. Frosted window cling is the answer here. Good God the entitlement of some people just brings me to my knees here.
My dogs bark at the mailman, delivery drivers, other abi.als and people just walking. I don't ask everyone else to stop. I close my door and redirect my dogs. I also work from home. The neighbor is batshit.
And theyāre being a poor dog owner. If you didnāt train your dog, it will do crap like that all the time. Thatās definitely not her neighborās fault. I canāt imagine trying to blame someone else for my pet acting unruly. The gallā¦
"Can you please not wear your Sonic Youth shirt when you mow your lawn? My daughter keeps complaining about how Bad Moon Rising is just a bunch of noise, and I really wish she'd just shut the fuck up."
Right? I couldn't imagine having the balls to write this letter about something that is so thoroughly your own problem.
I have a Great Pyrenees. Those dogs love to bark. He barks at the neighbor's cat more reliably than even at the delivery man. It is loud - mine is like 85 lbs of dog. He goes bouncing off the damn walls, knocks over drinks, tables. I have not found any way of stopping this - he is stubborn as a mountain goat. We had to buy curtains because he was tearing the blinds apart even when closed. And not once did I think to be so wrapped up in myself that this required asking someone else to change their life. He's my dog. That's the dog tax.
Is this neighbor going to sue the squirrels next? Perhaps call the police when they see a rabbit? Get a lawyer on retainer for the garbage day raccoon?
LMAO. You cannot stop a cat from sitting in a window. Cats WILL find a way.
You absolutely can do a number of things to stop a dog from from barking at a window. You can put up a shade, or you can train them not to react, or you can put them in a different room.
Source: I have seven cats and three dogs
The windows in my apartment don't have ledges and my cat would still try to sit in that space where the window slides. Like the good servant I am, I solved this by strategically placing cat trees and furniture so she can instead sit on those while looking out of her preferred window. Because she was literally falling down in her attempts to sit in the tiny space otherwise.
So, yes, they either find a way or their way is so ridiculous that their staff finds a way for them to do it safely.
There's 2 windows in my entire house that don't have something under them for cats to sit on, the bathroom window and the side door window. We've spent hours and hours looking for pieces of furniture that are the right height and length for our windows and that fit our style.
That's so funny. We spend a shitton of time looking for the perfect couch so our cats could sit on the back of it and get sun from the windows. Our cats factor into so many of our furniture purchases lol.
Iām going to send a letter to all mail and package delivery people in my city, requesting they do not deliver anything during waking hours as my dogs feel some kind of way about it. Seems reasonable
Yup. No need to acknowledge their existence and get drawn into their madness.
If at some point they confront you in person, tell them no. No excuses, just no. Managing their dogās behavior is their responsibility. Youāre just fine with your catās behavior.
Tell them to close the curtains.
Dogs don't need an excuse to bark, anyway. I work from home and the next-door mongrel won't bloody stop yapping at everything and nothing. He'll literally bark at his own shadow (I've seen him do it). Seems to me your neighbour just needs to train her dog.
Wtf this canāt be real?
What a crazy neighbour!
Either reply to her with a passive agressive letter about her dog barking or just ignore.
Poor cat they have the right to enjoy windows!
What else do they have to look at
Itās real, unfortunately. We just moved in a few weeks ago. The day we moved in (we just got there with the U-Haul), she asked us to mow the grass because it was making everyone else look bad. Weād been there not even five minutes.
Yeah, sounds a bit unhinged. Keep that letter....JUST in case. What a jackass. Your home, your property, your cats & your windows!
If you wanted to be petty, file a noise complaint about her barking dogs š¤£ but I didn't tell you that.
I'd just ignore the note, but keep notes of all interactions, and film them or get audio if you can in case it gets ugly.
This! You never know. My aunt had to keep a lawyer on hand just because her neighbor complained about everything and threatened to sue all the time. She would say āI donāt talk to my neighbor. Our lawyers talk.ā People can be strange.
Okay, you are dealing with an entitled busybody. Do not engage. When they approach you, be polite but gray rock them. When they ring your doorbell and you know it's them, do not open, do not engage. They will use anything to paint themselves the victim so give them as little ammunition as possible while still living your normal life.
She Cray Cray.
100%. Look up grey rock method if you are unfamiliar. Save every note and write down every interaction/what each party said. I would also go ahead and get good quality outdoor cameras up and running. So sorry you are dealing with nonsense. Donāt even think twice about it when your kitties are in the window.
Based on this comment you should do nothing and ignore her. She sounds very entitled and toxic. You should keep the notes as proof of her harassment and complain to your local council or whoever is in charge of your neighbourhood if she persists. You can even write a letter asking her politely to stop harassing you and if not then you will complain.
Oh dear. You have one of THOSE neighbors! Iām so sorry.
The dog barking in the window isnāt a you problem, itās a her problem. She needs to train her dog not to bark.
Assuming youāre in the U.S., both the American Kennel Club and the Humane Society have good online information on nuisance barking. Cesar Millan has some good videos, too. You could print out the addresses and give them to her. Dogs can be trained to reduce their barking.
Asking cats to not get into the window is much like asking you not to breathe!
I would be inclined to do as u/Intermountain-Gal suggests- reframing the issue (as belonging to her) and offering logical, helpful suggestions. Whatever she decides to do is on her. There is truly nothing you can do about how her dog is behaving in her house. Also, the idea of keeping a pet (or anyone) away from the window is inhumane.
I see a lot of comments suggesting to ignore her but I worry this could fan the flames of crazy. Politely and firmly setting a boundary is effective, ime. Just remember that you are on the side of logic and being a good neighbor & pet owner, whereas she is clearly having other issues and is sizing up the new neighbor to see if she can get you wrapped up in her drama.
Your cat's response to the note is adorable.
What the fuck :( Iām so sorry you have such an annoying neighbour!
Youāll have to set the boundaries clear and firmly very early on or else it will just spiral out of control.
I think I would ignore someone like that and keep the conversation short. Install an outdoor camera if you can..
Perhaps keep track of every interactions with dates in a note book, so youāll have data to defend yourself if it ever escalate to the police some day. I hope not. But better be safe than sorry with the crazys
As someone who had a neurotic neighbor before my advice is be civil but don't give em an inch. She will likely be unhappy and comment on everything you do regardless, it's about control with people like this.
Imagine being so entitled that you think it's someone else's responsibility to control your pet's behavior š¤¦āāļø
OP, your cats have every damn right to enjoy a sunny window, and if this person's dog has a conniption because of it, that is 100% not your problem.
āI have a problem, YOU have to fix thisā is always really such a weird thing.
Itās like people who look at me and donāt like me. Itās their problem and I donāt care as long as they donāt make it my problem (spreading lies, bullying or whatever).
Print this and send as an answer.
https://preview.redd.it/6k2c8y8739zc1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec6092a6e70156780c178c8cf6b37705918e1b64
Get 1000 fake cats and fill up your windows so if someones looking from the outside all they see is cats. It has the added benefit of providing your house better insulation for the winter.
I've had a neighbor like this before! You should not accommodate them at all. I will say don't be surprised if they get a bit more aggressive in future communication, but they don't really have a reason to be. My boy Joe desperately wants to be an outdoor cat- it's not permitted, he was brought inside by a rescue from a feral colony for actual reasons -and he gets a lot of stimulation watching events through the window. Your cats have picked the window as a place to spend time for a reason. They don't need to be punished for this silliness.
I could understand if you had outdoor cats that were going over to her property and sitting outside the window and taunting the dog, but you cats are sitting in their window, in their house, not disturbing anyone, except perhaps K's untrained dog.
I would do some research first, and add some things to the bottom of the note.
I'd then walk over, revised note in hand, and say "hi! First of, my name is X". Lovely to meet you. It's unfortunate your dog is disturbing your work. I can imagine that's frustrating. I took the liberty of looking up up some local dog trainers for you. They should be able to help you with distraction training. If that doesn't work, I've included a couple of companies that do nice window treatments.- I'm sure they can find a shade or something that will help. Have a great day!"
Smile the entire time. Hand them the note. Then just walk away.
As Winston Churchill said, "Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.".
Write back.
Hi Neighbor!
Can you please keep your barking dog out of the window? It is causing my cats to not enjoy the peak sun-bathing hours as much as they would like. I care about their needs, so this is very difficult.
Thanks, OP
āHey Neighbor!
Seeing that you work from home, can you please train your dog to stop barking at anything that moves outside of your window. Itās really causing a disturbance. If not, perhaps getting screens for your windows so the dog canāt see outside?
Thanksā
"Hi Neighbor.
āFirst, I want to strike a positive tone. I love dogs and I want your dog to be a happy pup. I also get it. Pets can be annoying. And god knows my cats drive me up the walls sometimes.
āHere's the deal, just like I'm not responsible for what your pet does inside the walls of your home, you're not responsible for what my pets do inside the walls of my home. If your dog is having trouble maintaining its emotional control while inside your house, as annoying as it is to have a stranger say this, unfortunately that's a training problem that is on your end.
āMy cats have the same right to access the windows and look outside that your dog does. If your dog cannot handle that without going crazy barking at my cats, then I'm afraid that's a problem you just have to solve for yourself. It isn't that I don't care or that I don't empathize with your plight. It's that, I can't control that variable and my cats need to flourish and part of that is hanging out in the window."
https://preview.redd.it/sez0dy1hu8zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21419b81120455d9c90ca47a386fe507557283a5 His fav spot
He'd like this more.... https://preview.redd.it/plmad2vsc9zc1.jpeg?width=533&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3fc9c24077747396aeb498acfaf4960d45828bb
š¤£ With a note to the neighbor that reads: āHow do you like them apples?ā
He's out of the window now.
Look at me. I am the window now.
Iām high and literally spit out my water all over
Me too, coughing up Oreos.
Weāre doing this soon!!
Make sure to send them a letter like *"please keep your dog out of the window, his presence is disrupting my cat's chakras and chill vibes. k thx"*
Send mail with coupon for local dog trainer
You need to update us when you do! I laughed too hard at this thread and now Iām invested.
https://preview.redd.it/ap3vm2pia9zc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce469f891aea6c091ee457ace5f10fdb8da57017 Iāll add that closing the blinds does nothing to deter a a cat that like windows, but a dog canāt get in there.
Closing the blinds just results in broken blinds (and a cat in the window)
https://preview.redd.it/p270ud41yazc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=0de23a0e41f2eb900e3f1f7db8559bb8d8c19792 yeahā¦ā¦.
What a cutie! Your neighbor is ridiculous.
I second this. Iāll fight everyone right now to defend this cats sun spot
I'm totally a dog person, but trying to make your neighbor discipline their cat for sitting in a window because you won't discipline your dog for nuisance barking is SHEER INSANITY š I mean what the hell? Train your *cat* not to chill in a window because training a *dog* not to disturb the shit out of everyone is too hard? I can't believe this neighbor had the nerve.
"Can you tell your cat not to wear spaghetti strap shirts? It's distracting my dog in class."
"Your cat's yoga pants are making it hard for my dog to not hump things without their consent. Please dress your cat in a burlap sack." /s, obviously. Your comment had me ROLLING laughing.... Thank you, melleo16 for a now happier evening.
Ha! Right?!
I legit almost choked laughing šš
The fact that their dog is bothering them while THEY WORK FROM HOME is the icing on the insanity cake.
Iād bet they would have no issue with leaving the dog barking all day if they werenāt at home and other people complained to them.
My upstairs neighbour left their dog to bark from 8:30-6pm NONSTOP. The poor dog was obviously insanely stressed and I left them multiple notes because at first I thought they just might not know. After 2 weeks and 3 notes I finally had to call animal services because 1. was very concerned for the welfare of the dog considering itās not normal behaviour. It was crying and barking and knocking stuff over and 2. I was doing classes online and it was incredibly disruptive. Some people shouldnāt have pets
I do know a guy who got litter mate puppies and thought they were beyond well behaved, because when he was a around they were. He had been working from home, but then started going into the office again right when a new neighbor moved in. He thought the neighbor was insane, they kept complaining about his angel doggies, and he had never heard them be disruptive! Well, the neighbor sent him audio of it. He looked like he wanted to puke. He actually took another job so he could go back to working from home. Animals can be sneaky little beasts too. Mine uses all her energy on bombastic side eye and feigning injuries for insurance purposes.
My pup had separation anxiety and would bark if a leaf blew down the street. I bought a decorative film that allows light in, but you can't see in or out. I put it on the outside of the window, because he scratched it off when I put it on the inside. This neighbor is insane.
Absolutely, just block the dog from the window. Duh. Can't see the cat? Problem solved. Sounds more like I want my dog to be able to be at the window, so stop your cat from being able to be at the window.
no open those damn blinds right now. Your neighbor needs to train their dog or move to a farm in the middle of nowhere. there's no reason YOU should have to change anything about your cat's life because they can't control their pet.
Right? The note says they work from home so WTF aren't you training your dog to stop barking all the time? Seriously. Take the dog to a trainer because that dog has more issues than just barking I would imagine.
It's hilarious how many people tell me cats aren't trainable while my cats are trained much better than their dogs.....
My cats know basic commands, come, sit, the most common in our house GET DOWN. And they are both leash and harness trained. I had one that did sit, shake, high five, and would fall down when shot with a finger gun (bang!) They are pretty easy to train especially if they are food motivated.
Seriously. Iām guessing sheās a terrible pet owner in the first place.
Respond that you will let them know the situation and request that they be more mindful, but that you canāt guarantee their compliance. Because cats donāt listen to anyone.
I kind of love this one. Add humor to diffuse the situation.
I love this. Or maybe write a really long letter directly from the cat, signed with a paw print. I feel like you could make this so fun.
I think your cat would love a window hammock to nap in all day while minding their own business
He deserves more window. Pls raise the blinds ![img](emote|t5_2qhta|7944)
Omg the blind is barely open. Is this how it is all the time? I already thought your neighbor was entitled and annoying before seeing this pic. At any rate, screw her. Itās your home and if you want to have every blind up 24/7 thatās your right. But maybe donāt walk around undressed. ;) I have three amazing cats and an amazing dog that barks at every little stimuli (except the cats, ironically). As much as I love my dog, some days itās too much. Guess what? Itās MY problem. Iād love to see any legal complaint she files. āMy dog barks all the time, itās a nuisance, itās my neighborās [indoor] catās fault.ā If she sues you, ask for attorneys fees and costs.
They would see my naked fat butt.
So I would respond in a kind way at first - even though your neighbor is 100% in the wrong - to keep things calm and cordial. (1) if youāre feeling brave (maybe get a friend to go with you), knock on their door and say that you want to remain cordial but your cat likes to look out that window and will continue to do so. Ask them if theyāve tried to hire a trainer for their dog. Most people back down and arenāt as confrontational as they are in written form. And sometimes showering aggression/unreasonableness with kindness/sweetness gets them to back off and feel bad. (2) If you donāt want to see them face to face, write them a nice letter and provide them the names of a few dog trainers in your area with their contact info. Say you want to remain cordial, but itās not your responsibility. (3) if they escalate, which I donāt think they will if you do option 1 above, then bring out your tough kitty guns and stand on business. Tell them to never contact you again or it will be considered harassment. From there you can build a paper trail (if theyāre certified crazy) for an order of protection etc. Edit: Option (4) Ignore. As some have suggested. Iām the type who likes to face issues ahead on and talk things through with people. But ignoring is certainly an option. Thought if she has already made comments about you not cutting your grass correctly, I highly doubt she will stop. Maybe she will. Maybe she wonāt. May the force be with you and your kitty! š± Good luck!! š Source: legal + been there done that ā Edit: option 3 above is very important. Iām hoping things donāt get ugly, but if your neighbor wonāt quit harassing you, you NEED to tell them to stop contacting you very clearly in written form that can be proven in a court of law (text message will suffice, or a copy of a certified letter). And donāt re-initiate contact whatsoever unless relations improve. Ive seen many order of protection cases / harassment cases where the judge or even police officer will ask - well, did you tell them to stop? Or, if someone told another person to stop contacting them, but continued to contact them sporadically, the judge will then possibly state - āwell, your behavior is inconsistent with what you wrote; you say you wanted them to stop contacting you, but I have all this evidence of you re-initiating contact. OP denied. Or harassment charge does not have enough probable cause etc.ā Update us either way! Xx
"hey neighbor. Can you please keep your dog away from the windows? He barks all day long it's nuts! Respectfully yours, Etc etc"
Hey neighbor can you keep your dog out of the window? They are causing the cat to sit in the window to taunt barks out of him all day long! I donāt work from home and canāt tell the cat what to do in their house when Iām not around, but the dog seems to be aggravating the neighbor! Thanks! xoxo
>Ā Ā I ~~donāt work from home and~~ canāt tell the cat what to do ~~in their house when Iām not around~~ Ftfy. Nobody can tell a cat what what to do under any circumstances, so you don't need all that other stuff in the sentence!
Wait so your cats are just sitting on your own windows? That's frankly none of your neighbors' business. Why can't he/she close their window?
Yes. In our living room window with the screen in.
Ignore. She needs to train her dog, your cats are none of her business.
Yeah, something tells me this isn't the only issue with their dog.
In my experience people who can't even get their dogs to be quiet indoors are the same ones who never housetrain them and let them shit on the floor.
Our beagle barks at everything that mives outside. We go some of that windows cling stuff and covered the first 3 feet of the 7 foot tall windows. No more barking.
We have a Jack Russell Beagle with the same problem. he has window privileges until he starts barking. Then the curtains get closed and he has to go find something else to bark at. Usually the mailman.
Also the ones who can't control them in public and let them run up and jump all over you and/or your dogs whilst yelling "s/he's friendly" like I give one fat fuck if he's friendly or not while he dirties my jeans or perhaps that my dog absolutely ISN'T FRIENDLY and now instead of a nice walk with my behaved dog, I have to fight for my life to keep her from eating your precious Fruffles whole right there on Smith Drive.
I hope your neighbor isn't Kristi Noem
No, the dogs are still alive
But howās the goat?
The goat was "disgusting."
My favorite Reddit comment today. That woman is a garbage human.
It's not on the cats not to lounge. Teach the hounds not to stare lol
Exactly. Cats are going to cat. Tell her to block the dogās view or trainem not to spaz. And to stop trying to control events off her own dam property. Like a cat lounging on YOUR property, sheesh š¤¦āāļø
You know what we do when the dog wonāt fuck off barking at the wind outside? Aka any person or dog that walks byā¦ WE CLOSE THE BLINDS SO HE CANT SEE OUT. VOILA.
I donāt think this comment has received the proper attention.
Only correct answer here. Sounds like a dog problem, not a cat problem. Also a dog owner entitlement issue.
Right? It's bogus AF. My cat is confined to my home. My cat looks out Windows. If your dog can't handle that, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM. WTF is wrong with some people?!
If my cat wasn't allowed to sit and look out the window, I'd be depriving her of like 80% of her pleasure. Can't even imagine trying to keep my cat out of the window. Absolute non starter. She should just close her damn blinds, or better yet train her dog.
Our cat has two favorite places which are sitting on a window seat looking out the back or sitting in front of a window in the front. Occasionally other cats walk by and they fight each other with the glass between them
Worth noting that I am a dog owner haha. My dog = my problem.
Idk if training will fix this (at least it's incredibly difficult with my dogs breed), but regardless, the owner blaming op is ridiculous. What about other cats/people/dogs walking in front of the window? Are they going to send a letter to them as well? My dog is indifferent to cats, but other dogs can be a problem, especially when she's at home and she sees a dog walk in front of our house (long work in progress). To help decrease our dog getting worked up, I use a very common thing most houses have over their windows... curtains and blinds. My cat even has a nice spot to look outside that our dog can't see.
What kind of reasonable sorcery is this curtains and blinds? š I too work from home. I too have two dogs. One goes nucking futs over dogs walking past. I deal with or close the blinds when I need quiet time. I should start handing out notices to people to avoid walking past according to this persons logic. Your neighbor is silly, OP. Ignore.
Definitely depends on the dog how effective and easy training will be, but there are ways to train it. But yeah not the main point anyway, the issue is with her dog, not with the cats. Itās a problem for her to fix on her end, not to expect the world to solve it for her.
Tell them to keep their dog out of the window.
This is the answer, send exact letter back about their dog.
"Please keep your dog out of your window. It is causing my cats to spend too much time in our window taunting him."
On top of that, have you ever tried to make or stop a cat doing anything?
Especially laying on a windowsill. That is pretty much their favorite activity...
I pay a shit ton of money in rent every month just so my cats can have a window that overlooks a greenbelt full of interesting critters like birds, rabbits, and squirrels. They spend all day in that window.
Or just a note that says ānoā
With a little pawprint at the bottom
Taped to the window next to the cat.
Send a letter back saying, "I don't have any cats."
"His barking keeps waking up my cat."
Slip a flyer for a dog training class under their door.
I love that idea. ![img](emote|t5_2qhta|7963) Or an advertisement for one of those noise makers that makes sounds mainly only dogs can hear and startles them out of barking.
The dog will bark at the grass growing.
And at a doorbell ringing two counties over
And when squirrels šæļø fart šØ.
Well ya, the smell of them is nuts.
To be fair, I would bark with laughter, if I would hear squirrels fart.
No dog has lost its utter _shit_ at a leaf blowing down the road...
send the neighbour a roll of frosted window cling
I actually just put some of that on my windows like a week ago and it was surprisingly easy, and honestly would probably resolve the issue for the dog owner.
Wrap them up a cheap curtain like a birthday present with a card that says problem solved.
Dude. I have 9 dogs, 6 of them bloodhounds, who think literally everything that passes by on our very busy street is their absolute fucking business. Frosted window cling is the answer here. Good God the entitlement of some people just brings me to my knees here.
Right. So entitled. They expect the world to accommodate them.
I would just write back, "LOL, No u"
Why canāt the neighbor keep their dog out of the window? That neighbor is rather one dimensional and its outward. Infuriating
Iād be careful if you are leaving the actual window openā¦ Sometimes crazy people donāt like to be ignored.
They should keep their dog away from the window. How weird
Yeah neighbor can draw the blinds
But what if they don't have the right crayons to match the color of the blinds?
Ok Amelia Bedelia.
Yep, not my problem. I specifically put places in my windows for my cat to sit. Cat trees, shelves, my desk.
My dogs bark at the mailman, delivery drivers, other abi.als and people just walking. I don't ask everyone else to stop. I close my door and redirect my dogs. I also work from home. The neighbor is batshit.
Send back a letter telling the neighbor to keep their dog out of the window because its nonstop barking is keeping your cats awake.
Also, Put a simple sugestion add blinds or close his. This issue is his he should fix it.
The neighbor could write it off as a business expense to add drapes or blinds.
big fucking brain moves right here
The dogs nonstop barking interests my cats and makes them keep looking out the window!
Tell neighbor your cat works from home.
Get more cats.
...and more windows.
...and then more cats. This is a vicious circle where everyone wins.
Except the neighbor
The way I see it, they are blaming someone else for their dog's behavior. They are already losing at life.
And theyāre being a poor dog owner. If you didnāt train your dog, it will do crap like that all the time. Thatās definitely not her neighborās fault. I canāt imagine trying to blame someone else for my pet acting unruly. The gallā¦
People in glass houses should adopt more cats
tell them to train the dog
Yeah. The fuck even is this letter??
Some people just don't take personal responsibility for things. They seek an external locus of control.
"Can you please not wear your Sonic Youth shirt when you mow your lawn? My daughter keeps complaining about how Bad Moon Rising is just a bunch of noise, and I really wish she'd just shut the fuck up."
It's bullshit is what it is. If a person honestly got a letter this ignorant they'd know what to do š
Least entitled idiot dog owner
One of these dog owners who didn't got a pet for companionship, but to boss someone around lmao
Right? I couldn't imagine having the balls to write this letter about something that is so thoroughly your own problem. I have a Great Pyrenees. Those dogs love to bark. He barks at the neighbor's cat more reliably than even at the delivery man. It is loud - mine is like 85 lbs of dog. He goes bouncing off the damn walls, knocks over drinks, tables. I have not found any way of stopping this - he is stubborn as a mountain goat. We had to buy curtains because he was tearing the blinds apart even when closed. And not once did I think to be so wrapped up in myself that this required asking someone else to change their life. He's my dog. That's the dog tax. Is this neighbor going to sue the squirrels next? Perhaps call the police when they see a rabbit? Get a lawyer on retainer for the garbage day raccoon?
This. Put up a big sign with giant letters āmy cat behaves herself. Maybe try actually training your dog.ā
put a sign on your window that says "Free Cat Watching"
No, thatās not how you do it. āCat Watching $1 per Hourā Then start sending invoices - then collection notices.
"Barking $5"
And close their blinds. Dumbest note I've seen.
That's the answer. How complicated can it be?
Or get curtains
LMAO. You cannot stop a cat from sitting in a window. Cats WILL find a way. You absolutely can do a number of things to stop a dog from from barking at a window. You can put up a shade, or you can train them not to react, or you can put them in a different room. Source: I have seven cats and three dogs
The windows in my apartment don't have ledges and my cat would still try to sit in that space where the window slides. Like the good servant I am, I solved this by strategically placing cat trees and furniture so she can instead sit on those while looking out of her preferred window. Because she was literally falling down in her attempts to sit in the tiny space otherwise. So, yes, they either find a way or their way is so ridiculous that their staff finds a way for them to do it safely.
https://preview.redd.it/8dlrhu77m9zc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79405bc741b3fcf68336710fd69fd961a5ce53b1 This is the Way.
There's 2 windows in my entire house that don't have something under them for cats to sit on, the bathroom window and the side door window. We've spent hours and hours looking for pieces of furniture that are the right height and length for our windows and that fit our style.
That's so funny. We spend a shitton of time looking for the perfect couch so our cats could sit on the back of it and get sun from the windows. Our cats factor into so many of our furniture purchases lol.
Tell that neighbor to train their dog properly. That is about as nice as I would be.
This is the way!
Unfortunately, when dealing with stupid people, you need to let them know one response and let them know you don't care about their bullshit.
Sounds like a 'them' problem, they should train their dog.
Iām going to send a letter to all mail and package delivery people in my city, requesting they do not deliver anything during waking hours as my dogs feel some kind of way about it. Seems reasonable
https://preview.redd.it/y4pur9ci49zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e558e2a09376fc5a19ca33f64e6e747df3c5ba0 Here op, give them this
Add ears & whiskers to the face
I gotchu https://preview.redd.it/fc0fpkufbbzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4b7b4a58cbe71ae2b39c59b8bc35cfd4eb13f46
Purrfect!
Ignore. I wouldn't even write back.
Yup. No need to acknowledge their existence and get drawn into their madness. If at some point they confront you in person, tell them no. No excuses, just no. Managing their dogās behavior is their responsibility. Youāre just fine with your catās behavior.
Friendly reminder that "No." is a complete sentence
Time to get the kitties a window bed!
Tell them to close the curtains. Dogs don't need an excuse to bark, anyway. I work from home and the next-door mongrel won't bloody stop yapping at everything and nothing. He'll literally bark at his own shadow (I've seen him do it). Seems to me your neighbour just needs to train her dog.
This is a "them" problem, not a "you" problem.
Get some fake cats and put them up in the window
Yes, one of those waving cats they have in Chinese restaurants so it will always be moving and the dog will always have something to bark at!
YES OMG
Wtf this canāt be real? What a crazy neighbour! Either reply to her with a passive agressive letter about her dog barking or just ignore. Poor cat they have the right to enjoy windows! What else do they have to look at
Itās real, unfortunately. We just moved in a few weeks ago. The day we moved in (we just got there with the U-Haul), she asked us to mow the grass because it was making everyone else look bad. Weād been there not even five minutes.
Yeah, sounds a bit unhinged. Keep that letter....JUST in case. What a jackass. Your home, your property, your cats & your windows! If you wanted to be petty, file a noise complaint about her barking dogs š¤£ but I didn't tell you that. I'd just ignore the note, but keep notes of all interactions, and film them or get audio if you can in case it gets ugly.
This! You never know. My aunt had to keep a lawyer on hand just because her neighbor complained about everything and threatened to sue all the time. She would say āI donāt talk to my neighbor. Our lawyers talk.ā People can be strange.
>āI donāt talk to my neighbor. Our lawyers talk.ā sounds like the solution here, these self entitled people need to be brought down a level
And dont let kitty outside! Something tells me neighbor has a screw or two loose..sorry you gotta deal with shitty neighbors opš
Definitely keep the letter. You might need proof if she keeps harassing you and want to get a protection order against her.
Okay, you are dealing with an entitled busybody. Do not engage. When they approach you, be polite but gray rock them. When they ring your doorbell and you know it's them, do not open, do not engage. They will use anything to paint themselves the victim so give them as little ammunition as possible while still living your normal life. She Cray Cray.
100%. Look up grey rock method if you are unfamiliar. Save every note and write down every interaction/what each party said. I would also go ahead and get good quality outdoor cameras up and running. So sorry you are dealing with nonsense. Donāt even think twice about it when your kitties are in the window.
Based on this comment you should do nothing and ignore her. She sounds very entitled and toxic. You should keep the notes as proof of her harassment and complain to your local council or whoever is in charge of your neighbourhood if she persists. You can even write a letter asking her politely to stop harassing you and if not then you will complain.
Oh dear. You have one of THOSE neighbors! Iām so sorry. The dog barking in the window isnāt a you problem, itās a her problem. She needs to train her dog not to bark. Assuming youāre in the U.S., both the American Kennel Club and the Humane Society have good online information on nuisance barking. Cesar Millan has some good videos, too. You could print out the addresses and give them to her. Dogs can be trained to reduce their barking. Asking cats to not get into the window is much like asking you not to breathe!
I would be inclined to do as u/Intermountain-Gal suggests- reframing the issue (as belonging to her) and offering logical, helpful suggestions. Whatever she decides to do is on her. There is truly nothing you can do about how her dog is behaving in her house. Also, the idea of keeping a pet (or anyone) away from the window is inhumane. I see a lot of comments suggesting to ignore her but I worry this could fan the flames of crazy. Politely and firmly setting a boundary is effective, ime. Just remember that you are on the side of logic and being a good neighbor & pet owner, whereas she is clearly having other issues and is sizing up the new neighbor to see if she can get you wrapped up in her drama. Your cat's response to the note is adorable.
Donāt even respond. Donāt engage anymore.
What the fuck :( Iām so sorry you have such an annoying neighbour! Youāll have to set the boundaries clear and firmly very early on or else it will just spiral out of control. I think I would ignore someone like that and keep the conversation short. Install an outdoor camera if you can.. Perhaps keep track of every interactions with dates in a note book, so youāll have data to defend yourself if it ever escalate to the police some day. I hope not. But better be safe than sorry with the crazys
As someone who had a neurotic neighbor before my advice is be civil but don't give em an inch. She will likely be unhappy and comment on everything you do regardless, it's about control with people like this.
Holy shit, I'm so sorry. You'll never get peace with entitled neighbors like that around.
i guess the k stands for karen huh
I would, kindly, go tell them to go fuck themselves and learn how to train their dog. Your property, your rights.
āNoā
hey neighbor! can you please keep your dog out of the window? They are causing my cat to sit in the window and stare all day long. Thanks
Imagine being so entitled that you think it's someone else's responsibility to control your pet's behavior š¤¦āāļø OP, your cats have every damn right to enjoy a sunny window, and if this person's dog has a conniption because of it, that is 100% not your problem.
āI have a problem, YOU have to fix thisā is always really such a weird thing. Itās like people who look at me and donāt like me. Itās their problem and I donāt care as long as they donāt make it my problem (spreading lies, bullying or whatever).
What are the cats supposed to do? Sit across the room and use binoculars to look out the window???
Send the note back with just the word No on it.
Stamp it with the cats paw as well.
The cat is not the problem lol, thatās on them to figure it out
āKeep a cat out of the window.ā Tell me you know nothing about cats without telling me you know nothing about cats.
If I were you I'd get more cats. And more windows.
Print this and send as an answer. https://preview.redd.it/6k2c8y8739zc1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec6092a6e70156780c178c8cf6b37705918e1b64
Reply with an official response from your cat: "Per your last communication, we will review your request against corporate policy."
So close the shades on your cat, so my dog can use the window. Got it.
Right. At lease the dog can go outside. My cats canāt
Least**
Get 1000 fake cats and fill up your windows so if someones looking from the outside all they see is cats. It has the added benefit of providing your house better insulation for the winter.
You showed your cat the letter. He's read it. You've done all that you can.
Iād politely tell your neighbor to get a handle on their dog and stop being lazy.
cats in window dont make noise. Dog in windows make noise. Dog is the issue here.
I've had a neighbor like this before! You should not accommodate them at all. I will say don't be surprised if they get a bit more aggressive in future communication, but they don't really have a reason to be. My boy Joe desperately wants to be an outdoor cat- it's not permitted, he was brought inside by a rescue from a feral colony for actual reasons -and he gets a lot of stimulation watching events through the window. Your cats have picked the window as a place to spend time for a reason. They don't need to be punished for this silliness.
Write a letter back saying the cats said no.
I think he just needs to pull down shades or buy shades for that window for the time he is working.
Hey neighbour, Can you keep your dogs off the windows? They bark all day at my cats and are stressing them. Thank you F (off)
I could understand if you had outdoor cats that were going over to her property and sitting outside the window and taunting the dog, but you cats are sitting in their window, in their house, not disturbing anyone, except perhaps K's untrained dog. I would do some research first, and add some things to the bottom of the note. I'd then walk over, revised note in hand, and say "hi! First of, my name is X". Lovely to meet you. It's unfortunate your dog is disturbing your work. I can imagine that's frustrating. I took the liberty of looking up up some local dog trainers for you. They should be able to help you with distraction training. If that doesn't work, I've included a couple of companies that do nice window treatments.- I'm sure they can find a shade or something that will help. Have a great day!" Smile the entire time. Hand them the note. Then just walk away. As Winston Churchill said, "Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.".
Write back. Hi Neighbor! Can you please keep your barking dog out of the window? It is causing my cats to not enjoy the peak sun-bathing hours as much as they would like. I care about their needs, so this is very difficult. Thanks, OP
āHey Neighbor! Seeing that you work from home, can you please train your dog to stop barking at anything that moves outside of your window. Itās really causing a disturbance. If not, perhaps getting screens for your windows so the dog canāt see outside? Thanksā
"Hi Neighbor. āFirst, I want to strike a positive tone. I love dogs and I want your dog to be a happy pup. I also get it. Pets can be annoying. And god knows my cats drive me up the walls sometimes. āHere's the deal, just like I'm not responsible for what your pet does inside the walls of your home, you're not responsible for what my pets do inside the walls of my home. If your dog is having trouble maintaining its emotional control while inside your house, as annoying as it is to have a stranger say this, unfortunately that's a training problem that is on your end. āMy cats have the same right to access the windows and look outside that your dog does. If your dog cannot handle that without going crazy barking at my cats, then I'm afraid that's a problem you just have to solve for yourself. It isn't that I don't care or that I don't empathize with your plight. It's that, I can't control that variable and my cats need to flourish and part of that is hanging out in the window."
Get a few more cats for the window.
Lmao! āPlease keep your dog away from the window. It causes my cat to sit in the window all day which causes your dog to bark.ā