NEWS AND VIEWS – CHISWICK, UK: The Times reports on cat faeces being weaponized in a ‘war’ between neighbours over four inches of property! Yep, this is an argument over four inches of backyard. I can understand the annoyance and I can understand the desire to hit out but there must be a better way. There are never any winners in neighbour disputes. Never. They never make up and become friends. This means that you end up living next to a person or persons who you hate for years. Not good. Better to move home I’d say.
In this instance a youngish, educated couple are neighbours to an oldish single woman. The couple are Chris Cole and Ami Komoda. Their neighbour is Laureen Watson.
The couple annoyed Watson twice. Firstly, they renewed the party fence but allegedly rebuilt it 4 inches into Watson backyard. Secondly, they planned to build the ubiquitous rear extension (this happens all the time in London).
Watson allegedly damaged the new fence. The couple rebuilt it…again! Watson formally objected to the plan to build the extension. She was unsuccessful but caused the couple a lot of upset.
Watson also claimed that her neighbours unlawfully removed an iron fence post and were responsible for causing damage to the tune of £32,000 to her home of 25 years.
Now for the cat sh*t bit of the story. Watson allegedly threatened to ‘shower’ cat faeces into the couple’s property in an act of objection and annoyance. She must have a cat.
The couple’s barrister in court said:
[Watson] threatened to throw cat sh*t into their garden [and] posted hostile and aggressive notes through their front door.
Barrister
This all kicked off in 2013, 10 years ago. Imagine living in that sort of environment for ten years. All over four inches of land.
They were recently in court over the dispute and the judge has reserved his judgment to a later date. I suppose Watson claimed her land had been stolen and the couple countersued for harassment by Watson.
Watson represented herself in court but screwed up we are told by The Times report. She forgot to introduce witness evidence. Her defence was therefore limited to what she says and thinks.
I’d expect the judge to accommodate her omission in order to arrive at a fair judgement.
Cat feces are a not uncommon weapon of war in neighbour disputes. It is seen as particularly potent. But cat faeces is no different in this respect to human faeces. This is unfair on cats.
But then a lot of what people say about domestic and feral cats is unfair. My guess is that the zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis is why some people believe cat poop is dangerous as it can (rarely) contain Toxoplasma oocysts (eggs) which can transmit the disease from cat to human.
