Neighbours cat fouling our garden

outofmoney

We as humans decided to domesticate 'wild' animals. The result has meant less strays since most responsible owners neuter their animals and also most responsible owners do their best to ensure the animal does not foul where it causes nuisance to others. So perhaps to make the moaners happy we should go back to letting these animals be wild again and then they can poo all over the place.

I mean really .... is a small dollop of poo that bad?

ukcarper

outofmoney wrote: »

We as humans decided to domesticate 'wild' animals. The result has meant less strays since most responsible owners neuter their animals and also most responsible owners do their best to ensure the animal does not foul where it causes nuisance to others. So perhaps to make the moaners happy we should go back to letting these animals be wild again and then they can poo all over the place.

I mean really .... is a small dollop of poo that bad?

One small dollop would not be to bad it's when they use your garden as their regular toilet. I think if cats were not domesticated the density would be much lower. I'm not sure many cat owners do much to ensure there cats don't foul other peoples gardens but then I don't know what they could do other than keep them locked in.

TBagpuss

You can, up to a point, train a cat to go where you want it to. As a cat owner with a small garden I trained my cat to use a particular patch of garden bed. The thing is, cats are fastidious, so you have to pick up the poo if you want them to use a particular area. If you don't, they will look for somewhere cleaner.

It's a myth that cats won't use their own territory. They use pee to mark territory and will go where they feel safe.

OP - you can't force your neighbour to train their cat(s) to use their garden rather than yours. You could speak to them and ask that they make their garden more cat friendly, and you can use ultrasound and other methods to make you garden less attractive - I have found that the garlic scented deterrent pellets were more effective than the citron kind.

ukcarper

TBagpuss wrote: »

You can, up to a point, train a cat to go where you want it to. As a cat owner with a small garden I trained my cat to use a particular patch of garden bed. The thing is, cats are fastidious, so you have to pick up the poo if you want them to use a particular area. If you don't, they will look for somewhere cleaner.

It's a myth that cats won't use their own territory. They use pee to mark territory and will go where they feel safe.

OP - you can't force your neighbour to train their cat(s) to use their garden rather than yours. You could speak to them and ask that they make their garden more cat friendly, and you can use ultrasound and other methods to make you garden less attractive - I have found that the garlic scented deterrent pellets were more effective than the citron kind.

That might be true but I don't think many cat owners do. I'm afraid the best thing to do is use things like ultrasonic devices I do and find them quite effective.

DettaWalker

SuzieSue wrote: »

So what is wrong with that? Surely you want people to have as few problems as possible or would you prefer that everyone had major problems so that they didn't have time to worry about cat poo?

That's the point though, isn't it? There is always something to worry or be upset about. You will never live problem-free - that is not how life is. If you have time to be angry about tiny things that is a sign you are one of the lucky ones who don't have to worry about major problems.

Why waste precious time and energy over being overly upset about minor things that can be solved quickly (read the thread for many suggestions on how to get rid of the problem) in the fraction of time and energy it takes otherwise.

And in that spirit - over and out from this thread...

Happygreen

panzerfaust33 wrote: »

Some bizarre cat advice, but it really does work. Your first pee of the morning, or some time where you haven't been for a wee for a while and it is a bit stinky. That time, pee into a jug. Take jug to where cats come into garden. Pour a bit of wee every foot or so. Problem solved, no cats Failing that, several zoos sell lion dung which does work. Not tried the human variant of that for obvious reasons.

This is also supposed to work for foxes (only male pee ).

TBagpuss

ukcarper wrote: »

That might be true but I don't think many cat owners do. I'm afraid the best thing to do is use things like ultrasonic devices I do and find them quite effective.

I agree. I was really responding as there were quite a few posts from cat owners wringing their hands and saying "nothing I can do" so I wanted to make that point that there are things you can, as a responsible cat-owner, do to reduce the liklihood of your cat(s) fouling in other people's gardens.

I cannot be sure that my cat didn't ever foul my neighbours' gardens, but by ensuring that he had a safe, clean place to use in my own garden, I did what I could to reduce the chances, And when the current kittens are old enough to go outside, I shall be doing the same thing now (although as I now have a much larger garden, and fewer neighbours, I think there is less likely to be a problem)

I've never used the ultrasonic devises as they can';t differentiate between my cat and other cats, but I have used garlic and citron centred deterrants to keep cats of the lawn and off paths. I have found the garlic powder to me the most effective although with all of them, you do have to pick up any existing poo first, and to use the product in the (excessive!) quantities directed, for it to work.

Be1ng

For some reason I keep imagining a group of cats playing football and being penalised for dives and elbows and stuff

quantic

At our last house the adults used to flick their tab buds into our garden, their kids used to throw empty bags of crisps and their cat used to poo in our garden and walk all over my car.

We managed to stop the cat by putting those little gel crystals down and just had to put up with the car... spoke to them numerous times about the rubbish and cigarettes but no luck. Bit pot luck with neighbors, chances are if they are allowing something bad to happen they wont care less when you tell them.

As cruel as it sounds, we just used to let our dog out into the garden when the cat was destroying our lawn and he ran for his life. Seemed like the only option when the tramps next door did nothing.

fairy_lights

My Neighbours cat used to poo in my flowerbeds, she never buried it so I think it was a territorial thing. I removed the poo (not pleasant but what can you do) and planted lots of spiky heathers around the bare patch of soil to make it less appealing as a toilet. The cat seemingly took the hint and must have found another neighbours garden for her convenience because the turds have vanished.


The cat was only doing what came naturally to her though and didn't know any better. What I find much more annoying is the fag ends my upstairs neighbours flick down in to my garden. Though maybe they are just marking their territory too?