I would catch the dang thing, post Found pictures all over and when the owner comes... sick the badger on him/her... I mean talk to them.
I know it's against the law and all but...

I think it would be tough to be a cat in phoenix. Outside, no AC, and a big coat. Scaeagles out to get you...

Domestic cats should not be outdoor animals anyway.

You know, I think I have to stop reading posts about potential animal cruelity - even in joke form. It REALLY irritates me.

NA, what is an acceptable solution? Is trapping an animal, as animal control suggested, cruel? Cruel to the owner of the cat, certainly.

I don't want to hurt an animal and won't. I just don't want to have to expend effort of money to keep them out of my yard.

Personally, I don't think cats should be outdoors, but people make decisions all of the time that are not good for their pets. There is no immediate solution. Your neighbors have cats that they let roam wild. It's not the fault of the cats, they are just doing what comes naturally to them. You can implement the humane suggestions that have been given so far and, beyond that, you can accept the fact that you have a giant catbox in your backyard and, until your neighbors decide to keep their cats indoors, you will have to deal with it.

Therefore, the only appropriate response is keeping my own fecal material and chucking over the fence.

Yes, because you have an inborn instinct to chuck your own recal matter over a fence.

Psst - that was a joke, NA.