Fences and neighbors

I can't help wonder if I'm now the bitch neighbor.

Blondie saw that I had put up the netting and came to talk. She was upset about the cats potentially getting caught in the netting as they climb my balcony to access her bedroom (which I don't really appreciate but they're cats). I had already considered this possibility. It's not like I want to see them get hurt. I showed her how I made the netting as taut as possible to make sure they don't get ensnared.

After describing the leavings to her, it sounds like the droppings on my balcony are just large hairballs. I know cats have these, but I can't believe how large and long they can be. Yuck.

She was clearly disturbed by my actions. Granted, I could have tried talking to her, but I'm really bad at confrontation. I suppose I knew that the conversation would not get us far. I told her that the netting is to discourage both cats and squirrels from disturbing the planters I'm planning to put up there. She didn't really protest too much since she knows her cats poop in people's yards and can't offer a solution.

She doesn't seem to understand why I find her cats such a nuisance. Though I like playing with animals, I'm not a pet person. I *do* mind finding cat hair everywhere. I *do* mind cats climbing on my roof and balcony at 3am in the morning because they wake me up. Blondie said she didn't think it was a big deal because she's gotten used to the noise. That's nice... but I don't think I should have to too.

It wasn't as bad as I feared to talk with her. We were civil. She offered her phone number in case the cats get stuck and also if I ever need to ask her to turn down the sound (her tv vibrates my wall when they watch movies). I told her that as long as the sound is down by 11:30pm (why didn't I say 10:30pm), I'm okay with it. I checked to see if my after 11pm dishwasher runs were a problem. She said she's never really heard much noise from me.

The interesting and maybe odd conversation was about her previous neighbor, the people who owned my place.

"Did you ever meet the people who you bought this place from?"

"No, I briefly met the young woman who lived here, but there were two names on the deed. I think her brother lived here with his wife."

"Yeah, I didn't like them. The fellow was okay, but his wife... she was a bitch."

Shurgging my shoulders

"They were just awful. [This is where I tuned out for a moment as she gave an example.] ... I remember when he had his bachelor party here. My daughter and I were home, and I think they had a prostitute there. We didn't want to see what was going on."

She did appear rather horrified at revisiting that event. Part of me couldn't help wonder if she was telling me how much she disliked them because my behavior makes her think I'm like them.

I know the cats don't understand; I blame her. Clearly, she knows her cats are pooping in other people's yards. I'm annoyed that she doesn't do anything about it. I don't want the cats to get hurt, but I want to make sure they learn that it's not okay to knock over plants and leave hairballs and poop behind in my yard.

Ah, the beginnings of the mean old lady personality... ;)