Neighbors Cat Keeps Pooping in My Home: AITA for Refusing to Clean Up?

Some apartments have quiet neighbors, good vibes, and the occasional shared Wi-Fi password. This one has Whiskers, a wanderer of a cat who apparently treats OP’s living room like a personal litter box. And after waking up to fresh surprises more than once, OP is done playing cleanup crew.

Here’s the messy part: OP (30M) has a friendly setup with everyone in the complex, including Jane (40F) and her cat, Whiskers. At first, it seemed like an accident. OP politely told Jane, Jane apologized, and promised to keep an eye on the cat. Spoiler, it did not stop. The poop kept showing up, OP stepped in it without even realizing, and the talks escalated from “hey, can you handle this?” to “I refuse to clean it anymore.”

Now OP is wondering if refusing to clean up makes them the jerk, while Jane insists cats can’t be controlled and OP should deter Whiskers instead.

Original Post

I (30M) live in a cozy apartment complex where all the residents get along well. For some background, my neighbor Jane (40F) has a lovely cat named Whiskers who is quite the wanderer.

Whiskers often visits my apartment, and I've never minded - I'm a cat person myself. However, recently Whiskers has taken to doing their business in my living room.

You can imagine my surprise and frustration waking up to find cat poop on my rug multiple times. The first time, I thought it was a one-off accident, but it kept happening.

I spoke to Jane about it politely, and she apologized and said she'd try to keep an eye on Whiskers. Despite Jane's efforts, the poop incidents continued.

It got to a point where I'd step in it without even realizing. I confronted Jane again, this time expressing my concerns more firmly.

She assured me she would figure out a solution. Cut to today, and I find yet another unwelcome surprise waiting for me in my living room.

I'm at my wits' end. I've told Jane that I refuse to clean up after her cat's messes anymore, and she needs to take responsibility for her pet.

I even suggested keeping Whiskers indoors more often or finding alternative solutions to prevent these incidents. Jane seemed offended and implied that I was being unreasonable.

She argued that cats are independent creatures and can't always be controlled. In her view, it's on me to either accept these accidents or find a way to deter Whiskers from entering my place.

I understand accidents happen, but this situation is becoming a recurring nuisance. So, Reddit, after multiple talks with Jane, am I the jerk for refusing to clean up after my neighbor's cat's messy business?

I genuinely don't know what else to do at this point.

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Also, this is like the inheritance fight where someone questioned sharing with their partner for a business dream.

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OP thought it was a one-time fluke the first morning they found cat poop on their rug, but Whiskers had other plans.

After OP confronted Jane and she promised to watch Whiskers, the incidents kept happening, right in OP’s living room.

Things turned from annoying to infuriating when OP stepped in it and had to bring the issue up again with a firmer tone.

Now Jane is offended by OP’s refusal to clean up, saying OP should accept the “independent” cat behavior or block the cat themselves.

We're curious to hear your perspective. Share your thoughts in the comments.

OP might be the only one in the building who’s not willing to treat their rug like Whiskers’ bathroom.

Before you decide, see why one friend got serious pushback after unsolicited parenting advice.