Is there a bonafide way to stop cats and foxes coming into my garden?

EmmyLou30

Cat owners need to train their cats to use the litter tray, then they rarely poo outside and cause a nuisance to others. I find that those cats that use my garden as a toilet come from houses who don't have litter trays because the lazy owners would prefer to never have to clean up their cat's disgusting smelling faeces. For them the fact their cat uses all the other gardens as a litter tray is heaven as they don't use their own garden to do it in.


For me it means never gardening without gloves as it can be hiding under the surface, they do it on my plants and kill them, on the lawn, on the gravel down the side of the drive and I've tried everything. Nothing works on all the cats. The worst offender has recently moved out and my daily job of picking it up is now an occasional annoyance and I am so happy! It was making me angrier than you can possibly imagine to have to do their job of cleaning up when I chose not to be a cat owner.


I would give the sensor driven water sprayer a go if it's a back garden. My issue was mainly the front garden so that was the one thing I wasn't able to try. The sonic deterrent also got vandalised a number of times presumably by kids who didn't like the sound, and next door had the same issue with theirs.

Rusty_Shackleton

The sonic deterrent also got vandalised a number of times presumably by kids who didn't like the sound, and next door had the same issue with theirs.

It's almost like they felt that others' behaviour, being somewhat intrusive and obnoxious, should be dealt with how they saw fit, while you and your neighbours saw their actions as vandalism.

I hope the irony isn't lost on you and some of the others posters here!

robatwork

Davesnave wrote: »

Ficticious tw@ts too.

If you're on Twitter, then @_dhotya is a constant joy for made up nonsense. I just wonder who has the time?

Fire_Fox

EmmyLou30 wrote: »

Cat owners need to train their cats to use the litter tray, then they rarely poo outside and cause a nuisance to others. I find that those cats that use my garden as a toilet come from houses who don't have litter trays because the lazy owners would prefer to never have to clean up their cat's disgusting smelling faeces. For them the fact their cat uses all the other gardens as a litter tray is heaven as they don't use their own garden to do it in.

Absolute nonsense. Domestic pet cats generally learn 'litter skills' as a kitten. Few kittens remain with their birth family.

All my rescue cats have been litter trained when they came to me, all have had access to a clean 'toilet' in my home. Only my indoor-only cats have chosen to use a litter tray consistently. Indoor-outdoor cats vary in their preferences.

Cleaning out a litter tray is not rocket science, and is not particularly unpleasant when done regularly. IME it is far less disgusting than a baby's poopy nappy. If the litter tray smells - more often of wee than poop - you put the whole tray inside a dustbin liner, hold the bag closed and tip out the tray. If it does not smell just 'scoop the poop.'

How much cat poop stinks depends on their health, quality of their diet, whether they are neutered .... Letting a pet cat that has not been neutered roam freely is inexcusable.

Davesnave

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Indoor-outdoor cats vary in their preferences.

Indeed. Ours came litter-trained, but that changed as soon as they were allowed outside freely. One of them hated using the tray at night and tried to use one of the showers, if she could, having observed us using the loos!:rotfl:

Now, although having free access outdoors at night, both cats follow human routines and come indoors after dark. We don't bother with a litter tray, because there's no neighbour with flower/veg beds to annoy, just us. I can't say I never find a cat poo, but it's rare, because most of the time they go in the dry earth under the hedges, the same as our other cats did at our last house. There, we were surrounded with cats, as it was an urban area, but still no big problem.

Occasionally, there will be a rogue cat that leaves deposits un-buried on the lawn or anywhere, possibly as territory-marking. We had that here with an old, semi-wild tom, but he's passed-on. Just the badgers to moan about now!

EmmyLou30

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Absolute nonsense. Domestic pet cats generally learn 'litter skills' as a kitten. Few kittens remain with their birth family.

All my rescue cats have been litter trained when they came to me, all have had access to a clean 'toilet' in my home. Only my indoor-only cats have chosen to use a litter tray consistently. Indoor-outdoor cats vary in their preferences.

Cleaning out a litter tray is not rocket science, and is not particularly unpleasant when done regularly. IME it is far less disgusting than a baby's poopy nappy. If the litter tray smells - more often of wee than poop - you put the whole tray inside a dustbin liner, hold the bag closed and tip out the tray. If it does not smell just 'scoop the poop.'

How much cat poop stinks depends on their health, quality of their diet, whether they are neutered .... Letting a pet cat that has not been neutered roam freely is inexcusable.

I'm purely going on relatives who have 8 cats (all use trays and have come from various shelters and homes and none from kitten age) and our own family cats over the years all of who used the tray (some from kittens we bought off a local farmer and some rescues). The odd poop is going to end up outside of course but so long as most is indoors the neighbours will be happy. But equally I have friends who don't have a litter tray and don't even try and get the cat trained as they just don't want the hassle when the cat does it in another persons garden - out of sight out of mind.


It's an emotive subject and I don't ever condone harming animals but I can see why people get angry enough to do so. There's no cure all. You just have to try what you can humanely to lessen the problem.


As another poster said, chucking water at them or anything else just makes them fear you....they just come back when you're not there. All the local cats know to run when they see me as I throw water out the bedroom window at them, out the back door at them etc. Not harming them, just making them scarper. But unless it's a sprinkler on a sensor to do it when you aren't there it's more for your own satisfaction than an effective deterrent!

no1catman

EmmyLou30 wrote: »

For me it means never gardening without gloves as it can be hiding under the surface, they do it on my plants and kill them, on the lawn, on the gravel down the side of the drive and I've tried everything. Nothing works on all the cats. The worst offender has recently moved out and my daily job of picking it up is now an occasional annoyance and I am so happy! It was making me angrier than you can possibly imagine to have to do their job of cleaning up when I chose not to be a cat owner. (QUOTE]

In my previous small garden about 12' x 6' got used to never planting seedlings, or bulbs - just wouldn't last, yet all this natural fertiliser improved the soil - judging by the size of the worms, and three/four feet dahlias!
Gloves, have then rarely use them. If too many 'big-ones' in the greenhouse (flies are a clue) dig a hole elsewhere ad relocate them. Others, just a curiosity - hasn't affected plants.
And, no problem eating last year's beans and tomatoes.

Current cat, will use the tray to pee in, then go out for 'big-ones'. Unlike other local cats she can't climb the walls so once out the back door she stays in our garden. Difficult calling her in these days - gone senile deaf!

Fire_Fox

Davesnave wrote: »

Indeed. Ours came litter-trained, but that changed as soon as they were allowed outside freely. One of them hated using the tray at night and tried to use one of the showers, if she could, having observed us using the loos! :rotfl:

:rotfl:

Years ago one of our adult rescues would 'hightail' it back through the cat flap (back door) if it was raining. Mew by the front door until opened, looked disgusted to find it was raining there too.

Rinse and repeat until it stopped raining or she got desperate.

southcoastrgi

a.turner wrote: »

I find a BB gun with light weight plastic BB's does the job.

There always has to be one t@wt

robatwork

southcoastrgi wrote: »

There always has to be one t@wt

As seen earlier, there are several tw@s out on this thread.
Just hope I never buy a house near one of them.