The builder’s yard next door made my moggy miserable
A PET owner is in a catfight over a builder’s yard expansion, claiming it has left her moggy feeling depressed.
Wendy Snell says the revamp of Travis Perkins next to her home has blocked cat Wilf from his usual stomping ground.
She has now protested by hanging a banner from her house, declaring: ‘Travis Perkins depressed my cat.’
Miss Snell, 44, said the yard, which is surrounded by tall metal fencing, has stopped Wilf being able to get to a river bank where he used to hunt for prey like mice. The expansion in Sale, Manchester, was approved by the council despite residents objecting to traffic and noise levels. The site has been a builder’s merchant for a century but now has new, larger buildings and a car park.
Business support manager Miss Snell said: ‘Travis Perkins put up a sign right outside my front door. It ruined my view.’
She complained about the sign, which was taken down, but it was then replaced with a banner. Miss Snell said: ‘On Thursday they put up this banner saying, “Now open”. That’s when I decided to order my own banner.’
She described her banner as a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ protest. However, she insisted she was serious about Wilf. She said: ‘He doesn’t get to hunt any more. He used to be able to go straight out to the River Mersey but he can’t now. I do think he is depressed.’
Feline psychologist Anita Kelsey said: ‘A cat can become withdrawn and change behaviours to resemble a depressed state if their daily rituals alter. Cats do not like change or disruption, especially if the change involves blocking a well- used path.’ Travis Perkins said: ‘We want to be good neighbours. After purchasing an adjoining business with dilapidated buildings, we made considerable investments and now employ 12 people from the local community here.
‘We have worked with residents regarding their concerns, and we will continue to do so.’