Keeping cats out of the house.Help!

gizwal

With this lovely sunny weather we`ve been having lately, we like to leave the all the doors open, including the back door, to let air round the house.
The trouble is we keep getting cats wandering in,and we don`t know it until they set off the security cam upstairs! Which then means rushing about,closing doors,trying to find the cat and shoo them out!
I really don`t mind if cats wander through the garden- not a problem, and I like them well enough but I don`t want them in the house.
I was looking at getting one of those magnetic net curtains to put over the back door, but reading the reviews, it seems cats and dogs run through those quite happily.
Does anyone have any good ideas for a deterrent, apart from standiing guard with a water pistol!
Thank you!

TBagpuss

You could try a motion sensitive alarm - there are some which are designed for garden use but I can't see why you couldn't set them up to cover the area near the door.

Similarly, using things such as 'get off my garden' crystals to deter them from coming close enough to the house to come in.

tanith

We have one of those magnetic curtains across our French doors and often get local cats in the garden but they've never come through the curtain so it seems to deter them and they are quite cheap so you could try it out and see.

gizwal

TBagpuss wrote: »

You could try a motion sensitive alarm - there are some which are designed for garden use but I can't see why you couldn't set them up to cover the area near the door.

Similarly, using things such as 'get off my garden' crystals to deter them from coming close enough to the house to come in.

I was thinking about using something `smelly` across the doorway. I shall look into that, thank you.

helcat26

I always consider it a bonus to get a spare cat wandering in!
But I quite understand you do not. Could you rig up some panel that would act like a US screen door that you could put up when the door is open? Simple mesh on a homemade wood frame or buy something like


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Insect-Door-Screen-White/dp/B007PCHPWM


£6 Will also keep bugs out


The get off my crystals do work really well but only last about a week and are £7 a bottle

MeesterLeRoy

Growing up in Switzerland, we had a lot of neighbors who keep strays out by putting empty wine bottles filled with water by the door or water filled plastic bottles strung on some string and boxed the areas they didn't want animals going into. Something about the shimmering light that freaks them out I guess.
You could probably try some old CDs too and make some cool ornament near the doorways, I've seen some houses use that as well but not sure which one would be better.
I'd probably have more fun standing there with a spray hose and spraying them in the bum though haha

paddypaws101

You could buy one of these and place it outside the doorway
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Innotek-PetSafe-Spray-Ssscat-Stop-Cat-Deterrant-Trainer-repeller-Refill-Tins-/280850230929?var=&hash=item4163fa6e91:m:m4fp6BWhbfc8Bt3N-A5kY8g
Totally harmless, it will just scare the cat and put it off coming back. You can buy the cheap 'air duster' cans instead of the branded cans.
You can also buy training mats which give a slight electric shock that would REALLY dissuade any animal from crossing the threshold, but personally I would not want to hurt a cat at all so would shy away from that approach.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=training+mat&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xtraining+mat+electric+shock.TRS0&_nkw=training+mat+electric+shock&_sacat=0

gizwal

helcat26 wrote: »

I always consider it a bonus to get a spare cat wandering in!
But I quite understand you do not. Could you rig up some panel that would act like a US screen door that you could put up when the door is open? Simple mesh on a homemade wood frame or buy something like


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Insect-Door-Screen-White/dp/B007PCHPWM


£6 Will also keep bugs out

Yes, this is the kind of thing I was thinking of getting. Thank you.