A woman has been left feeling violated after her neighbour secretly photographed her backyard catio and reported her to the condo board for an alleged untidy appearance. The incident, shared on Reddit's Neighbours From Hell forum, has sparked widespread discussion about neighbourly conduct and privacy boundaries.
Secret complaint over catio
The woman, who owns two indoor cats with her fiancé, built a catio to allow her pets to safely enjoy the outdoors. Catios are enclosed outdoor spaces that provide cats with fresh air and mental stimulation while protecting them from hazards like traffic and predators. According to Cats Protection, catios are an excellent method of providing your cat with the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors. The structure was described as movable and not permanent.
She explained: "Today we got an email from the condo board saying we couldn't have it on our lawn because it looked 'untidy'. Weird, but whatever, we assumed it was because the lawn needed to be mowed or there were maintenance concerns."
Photo taken through neighbour's window
The couple were shocked to discover that the attached photo in the email had not been taken by the condo board but by a neighbour from a nearby building. "It appears to have been taken through our neighbour's window, who lives in the next building over (not even attached to ours). It seems she has photographed our backyard and sent it in as a complaint," she wrote.
She expressed disbelief because they had "always been friendly to her," despite her reclusive nature. "Instead of knocking on our door or saying something, she took photos of our backyard through her window and reported us," she posted.
Feeling of invasion
The woman described the neighbour's actions as "incredibly invasive," noting that there was even a privacy fence that the neighbour managed to photograph around. "What we do in our own little outdoor space, especially something that lets our cats safely enjoy the outdoors, really doesn't seem like anyone else's business?" she vented.
She also questioned why the neighbour believed she would escape scrutiny if a formal complaint were filed using the photographs. The couple suspect the condo board deliberately attached the photo as a clue to the complaint's origin.
Reddit community reacts
The Reddit community offered various suggestions and support. One commenter advised: "Check with the condo about what you can build for your cats, get permission and build it." Another suggested going vertical: "And if it's only given in square footage, maybe go vertical for maximum annoyance (and cats love climbing, so it's a win all around)."
Another user described this as a "genius" concept, calling the catio a "skyscraper" for the cats while giving the neighbour "a massive middle finger in their line of sight."
One Reddit user vented: "If a harmless catio is the biggest issue in her life, she's got it way too easy. I'd rather have happy cats than please some nosy neighbour to be honest."
