A good cat deterrent

smileitconfusespeople_2

Our house, before we moved in the garden was well over grown and set to ruin for 2 yrs . and the local cats still come and do their sh*t and cat scent marking only to find the next cat comes and does the same on the same place. I have even caught them digging/scratching up the front lawn?! I totally empathise , ps I also have a dog ..they just dont care :mad:

GlynD

The RSPB give the following advice whilst pointing out that it is an offence to trap, injure or kill a domestic cat. Their concern is obviously to stop cats killing garden birds but it applies to OP as well.

Cat deterrents

• Surround an area with a fence (chicken wire etc) that leans in the direction from which the cat will approach. The cat is unable to climb over such an angled fence.
• Flimsy plastic roll-up fencing placed on top of a fence etc to prevent cats climbing over it.
• Taut wire or string fitted 10-15 cm above the fence-top makes it difficult for cats to balance on the fence.
• Specially designed strips of plastic spikes on top of a fence, shed roof, nestbox roof etc to prevent cat from walking on it.
• Place half-full plastic bottles in borders. This is an old gamekeeper's trick - the light reflection is supposed to deter.
• Mailshot and other unwanted CDs can be threaded on twine with knots in between to keep them apart. String these across flower beds or hang from trees. The light reflections deter.
• Spiked tree collar to prevent climbing up a tree.
• Downward-opening cone or a biscuit tin fixed to the pole below the bird table to prevent cat climbing up it. Vaseline or other grease on a smooth pole will also help.
• Placing clippings from thorny or spiky plants under bird feeders and under bushes will prevent cats from using these areas to stalk birds.
• There is a new garden plant, Coleus canina, on the market. It is marketed under the names Pee-off and Scaredy-cat. This plant has a pungent odour that is said to repel cats and other mammals from the garden. It should be available from a number of garden suppliers.
• Scent deterrents will either serve to repel (eg. Citronella) or mark a territory (eg. Silent Roar). Alternatively, try orange or lemon peel, since cats are not keen on the smell of citrus.
• Bucket or water pistol full of water will help to chase a cat out of the garden. There is an automated option, the scarecrow, which is attached to a hosepipe, and will deliver a water jet when activated by a motion detector, but be aware that water freezing in the pipes can damage the gadget.
• The CATWatch deterrent is endorsed by the RSPB and reduces cat visits by up to 33%. Follow the link from this page.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/catdeterrents.aspx

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

wilkies5 wrote: »

What would cat owners on THIS site think, genuinely, if cat poo was posted back into THEIR garden? My front garden is being targetted regularly by one particular cat who reside two doors away. Would any MSE contibutors let me know if I would be doing something totally unforgiveable by scooping up what belongs to that cat and delivering it to it's owner?

I am left with no other options it seems.

Thanks

I wouldn't be pleased with that as an opening salvo, but then again, if someone said my cat had soiled their garden, I would be more than happy to go round there and clean it up every time it happened.

GlynD

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I wouldn't be pleased with that as an opening salvo, but then again, if someone said my cat had soiled their garden, I would be more than happy to go round there and clean it up every time it happened.

Given that cats are "free roaming" under the law, it wouldn't be appropriate for anyone to bring a cat's poo to an owner. The cat is protected by law from harm and you would be guilty of an offence by bringing it's waste back to it's owner.

rising_from_the_ashes

I'm like JoJo and would happily clean it up if I though it belonged to my cats (both mine use the litter tray and don't "go" outside - and, yes, I would know as there's the same amount in the tray each day).

I would be really p#d off if it was just "flung" over the garden fence! (understatement). If you were out walking and a horse went near you - would you fling that all over the rider, I think (hope) not!

DM has problems with a neighbours dog getting in and "going" in her garden, despite several chats with neighbour it still happens.

Wilkies have you mentioned it to your neighbour? They might not be aware it's doing it and might be more than willing to come and clean it up. (If not, then I guess you could say you will be returning it by airmail! (although not sure if this may fall foul of any laws).

Katiehound

Not sure if it will work but I remember hearing/reading that a large plastic snake is supposed to keep cats away! I think they recognise it as something dangerous.

A friend of mine had quite a bit of success with one of the electronic water sprays but I guess that wouldn't work as the dogs would also get a soaking! In her back garden she has all her soil covered with plants including annuals because cats thought her beautifully raked soil was a litter tray just for them!!

Chyna-s

I found some cat poo on my path at the front of the house this morning. Dirty b****r does not even bother to bury it. I have found cat poo on the front lawn before now but this takes the biscuit.

pineapple

Very comprehensive and useful GlynD - though if I adopted half of those measures my garden would look even more of a mess than it does now!
Re cat soiling, surely the issue is as much about the cats scratting the soil and destroying beds as it is the poo they leave behind.
Cats seem to be proliferating as pets and I have my own theories as to why. But the main issue for me is the decimation of wildlife - not just birds. That said we have been watching some birds raising their young and every time I hear the alarm call birds that give out, I rush out to find one of my neighbours cats lurking. It is only a matter of time.
Cat owners are quick to point out that dogs can also create problems. However dogs are more controllable. And you don't find the same numbers roaming wild. Cats are semi wild mini predators. Might be fine if you have a rodent problem. But most of us don't and I certainly don't have a songbird problem!
I think people who have more than one cat are selfish and socially irresponsible. There are 16 cats living within 500 hundred yards of me. It's getting ridiculous.
Plus I certainly wouldn't eat at a cat owners house. Though I've heard people say they can be trained not to, in every 'cat household' I have known, the cats roam over the kitchen worktops, lick the dishes etc.
In my view they are a pest.
Sorry this is a bit of a hobby horse of mine.

GlynD

pineapple wrote: »

Very comprehensive and useful GlynD - though if I adopted half of those measures my garden would look even more of a mess than it does now!
Re cat soiling, surely the issue is as much about the cats scratting the soil and destroying beds as it is the poo they leave behind.
Cats seem to be proliferating as pets and I have my own theories as to why. But the main issue for me is the decimation of wildlife - not just birds. That said we have been watching some birds raising their young and every time I hear the alarm call birds that give out, I rush out to find one of my neighbours cats lurking. It is only a matter of time.
Cat owners are quick to point out that dogs can also create problems. However dogs are more controllable. And you don't find the same numbers roaming wild. Cats are semi wild mini predators. Might be fine if you have a rodent problem. But most of us don't and I certainly don't have a songbird problem!
I think people who have more than one cat are selfish and socially irresponsible. There are 16 cats living within 500 hundred yards of me. It's getting ridiculous.
Plus I certainly wouldn't eat at a cat owners house. Though I've heard people say they can be trained not to, in every 'cat household' I have known, the cats roam over the kitchen worktops, lick the dishes etc.
In my view they are a pest.
Sorry this is a bit of a hobby horse of mine.

I think this is something you're just going to have to live with. Cats are protected, although numbers have fallen. The reason numbers have fallen is the long campaign by animal welfare groups to ensure that cats are neutered. I have two and they are both "done". Having this done not only reduces the number of kittens but also reduces the patrol area of each cat. This is more noticable with the male who, un-neutered, can roam up to five miles per night in any direction. I find that ours stay very close to home, because that's where the food is, and there's nothing else to interest them further afield.

londonsurrey

Chyna-s wrote: »

I found some cat poo on my path at the front of the house this morning. Dirty b****r does not even bother to bury it. I have found cat poo on the front lawn before now but this takes the biscuit.

I've known foxes to be particularly keen on doing this. Is it definitely cat waste?