Has anyone had any experience of rat poison and cats?

Is it lethal to cats?

I've got a problem with a neighbour who, despite my cats being very good mousers and hunters is insisting on putting down rat poison to apparently kill rats in his compost bin.

Funny thing though is that he complained that someone had stolen his watering cans. A few months ago he complained that someone had stolen a box of plums he had collected from his plum tree and a few days later I found my gooseberry bush had been weed-killered.

I didn't speak to him about it but I get the feeling he suspected me of the plums and again with the watering cans although I would never dream of doing anything like that.

I am very worried about my cats ingesting the poison.

I think it could kill them i hate to say. I wouldnt let them out at the moment. Are your cats the only ones around his garden as it will effect them as well. If a or any animal eats a rat that has been killed by rat poison they will die. I have the same problem with people that put weed killer down i hate it but realy need to use it myself. But before i do i will only use an animal friendly one and warn my neighbours who's cats do come in my garden that i am doing it. They wouldnt too me but i dont think its right not too tell them. I will also put it down at night. I dont like the sound of your neighbour he sounds like a victor meldrew.

Hmm, my thoughts are that:

1) he suspects me of stealing his stupid plums and watering cans and he's doing it out of spite or
2) he's fed up with my cats...and he's doing it out of spite.

Is it legal to just scatter rat poison or does it need to be put in a trap/bait box?

It's perfectly legal to put down poisopn on your own property, it doesn't need to be in a box-though most rat poisons found on the high street (as opposed to used by professionals) aren't strong enough to kill a cat. They could certainly do some serious damage, but most cats are smart enough not to touch the stuff. If you're worried though, I'd keep them indoors to be on the safe side..

It would seem that if using traps there are laws that require you place them under cover so as not to harm non target wildlife and animals, however when it comes to posion they only recommend you use bait boxes or trays to avoid accidental poisoning but it is not law, the law howver does say they must be used responsibly and the user has a "legal duty to take all reasonable precautions to protect the health of human beings, creatures and plants, safeguard the environment and in particular avoid the pollution of water"

I would say have a word with the neigbour and ask him to use bait boxes so as to avoid harming your cats and other animals , if he doesnt and continues to scatter knowing he could harm other animals then he is acting unlawfully .

Thanks for that, I thought there must be something along these lines.

My worry isn't that they'll eat the poison but chew or eat the rat that's eaten the poison and ingest it that way so I'd prefer it if he used bait boxes.

I will speak to him about bait boxes and I will also ask him to tell me the brand that he has sprinkled. At least that way I can speak to my vet about the ingredients.

I hope he isn't doing this out of spite but he's not stupid and so must know that there is a high chance that my cats will catch one of his poisoned rats. If his concern is genuinely about the rats then there is no need to put poison down as my cats (or the strays) would have killed them. I don't like to think the worst of people but I don't see why he keeps informing me of things happening to his garden. It's not done in a friendly manner, but in a rather passive-aggressive tone. I find it very offensive to say the least.