# Yuck.



## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

We laid 40 rectangles of grass yesterday to keep Ash from eating dirt/poo over in that area of the yard. This morning they both ran over there and started chewing down on something. It was piles of poo! Some wild animal must be doing this. Or either the neighbors are throwing their dogs poo over here which I doubt. It was soft and non-formed and the color of butterscotch pudding. Sick. And both dogs ate it this time. 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

My sympathies, that sounds very frustrating. Your yard is fenced, right? Are there gaps for animals to fit underneath. Could it be a neighborhood feral cat? If it is a cat with a poor diet that could be why the droppings looked sickly. 

I am back on the idea of reinforcing your leave it. Or maybe you can put up temporary fencing (stick in the ground garden fence) to keep them out of the problem area until you work out who the culprit is and how to keep them away.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> My sympathies, that sounds very frustrating. Your yard is fenced, right? Are there gaps for animals to fit underneath. Could it be a neighborhood feral cat? If it is a cat with a poor diet that could be why the droppings looked sickly.
> 
> I am back on the idea of reinforcing your leave it. Or maybe you can put up temporary fencing (stick in the ground garden fence) to keep them out of the problem area until you work out who the culprit is and how to keep them away.


Yes the yard is totally fenced. It must be something that can climb. Can skunks climb? Because there was one around here last night that I could swear squirted his stuff right into my air conditioner. 

This poo is a prized treat for them. Gross!!!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Gee I don't know if skunks can climb! I've never seen one in a tree. I still think maybe cat since I know they can climb. Peeves drove one up to the top of our backyard dogwood tree a few weeks ago! I hope you can get this figured out. Do I recall you just installed a dog door? Maybe you want to lock it so they can't self reinforce/self reward until you do solve your yucky mystery deposition problem.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

By your back door put a temporary fence with metal posts and wire fencing if you want to keep on using the doggie door. When I want to put fertilizer, grub treatment, etc on the grass in my fenced in back yard, I use this temporary fencing to divide the yard in half to keep dogs off treated grass for a few days. It is easy to put up and take down and can be used in winter to protect shrubs from rabbits eating them.

How about setting a live animal trap at night? Assuming it might be a possum or raccoon although it could be a cat. Either way, you would catch the animal and could call animal control to take it from you.

Too bad you can't put a camera in your back yard to record what is pooping in your yard at night.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> By your back door put a temporary fence with metal posts and wire fencing if you want to keep on using the doggie door. When I want to put fertilizer, grub treatment, etc on the grass in my fenced in back yard, I use this temporary fencing to divide the yard in half to keep dogs off treated grass for a few days. It is easy to put up and take down and can be used in winter to protect shrubs from rabbits eating them.
> 
> How about setting a live animal trap at night? Assuming it might be a possum or raccoon although it could be a cat. Either way, you would catch the animal and could call animal control to take it from you.
> 
> Too bad you can't put a camera in your back yard to record what is pooping in your yard at night.


Omg I can get my dads trap!!! Thanks so much for the tip 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

PoodlePaws said:


> Omg I can get my dads trap!!! Thanks so much for the tip
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I hope that helps you figure it out. Great idea MiniPoo! I can't wait to hear what you catch.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

LOL And we worry so much about the foods we purchase for them to eat, when they're THRILLED to eat poop!! 

Sounds like it could be either raccoon or cat poop. Those are my dogs' favorites, and the reason that I completely made the cat stay indoors for the rest of his life. Gross. 

Anyway, curious what will be found in the trap!


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

PoodlePaws said:


> Omg I can get my dads trap!!! Thanks so much for the tip
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I must admit that when I read your problem, I did a series of google searches on how to keep cats and other animals from climbing fences, and that was the most humane idea I came across. Hope you find out who the mystery non-invited visitor is.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

YUCK!!! I have a canyon that starts just at the end of my building and even with a 6ft privacy fence..............(the possums love to walk along the top of it) I have had Molly come in smelling to high heaven, cuz not only will she eat cat poop, coyote poop, & possum poop, when they leave it, she'll roll in it too............UGH! I now police the area !


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Oh and get this. Ash LOVES going out the new doggie door for the sole purpose of running to the special poo spot. 


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I see you finally found the right motivation! Who would have guessed it was yucky yellow poo?


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Ugh! Setback with trap. It's raining and storming so couldn't put out last night. It's supposed to rain all week. I don't feel right about trapping something and the animal being in the rain all night. This morning I went out to check and sure enough, there was a humongous pike of poo in the same exact spot. I threw it away. It was so big, it looked like it could've been dine by a human!! It was huge. I don't know hat animal could've done that. I wish I had night vision goggles. 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I hope the rain doesn't cause flooding in your area. It looks like there are plenty of places in the middle of the country with way too much water coming down on them this week. Be safe and have that trap ready for your next dry night!


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## GeriDe (Mar 2, 2014)

Two of the best commands I was able to teach Khaos were "leave it" and "drop it"

I'm in condos that are surrounded by woods, wild life and lots of strange piles. He LOVED eating the piles and I'd do the whole "finger in the mouth to pull it out" and then want to puke.

It's been about 2 months now (he's 5 1/5 months old) that when we're outside and he heads toward something "foreign" a firm "leave it" usually has him walking away but if not - "drop it" does the trick. Now, if only the neighbors would insure their pork chop and rib bones land IN the dumpster - we'd have a perfect world. LOL


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## GeriDe (Mar 2, 2014)

PoodlePaws said:


> Ugh! Setback with trap. It's raining and storming so couldn't put out last night. It's supposed to rain all week. I don't feel right about trapping something and the animal being in the rain all night. This morning I went out to check and sure enough, there was a humongous pike of poo in the same exact spot. I threw it away. It was so big, it looked like it could've been dine by a human!! It was huge. I don't know hat animal could've done that. I wish I had night vision goggles.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Raccoons can climb fences and they deposit big piles. Good that you're heading out to clean it before the dogs go out though - that's a good solution.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

The trap isn't working. It gets set off before anything goes into it. Piles of poo every morning at the same exact place every time. 
At. Wits. End. 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That's a drag. Is the trap big enough for something like a raccoon? Is the bait far enough in that the animal can't get it without being caught?


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

If it is always in the same(ish) spot, is there any way you could just put some chicken wire around to stop the dogs getting to the area? I've used wire and bamboo canes when I've been doing bits of gardening that I don't want the dogs on and it's a good temporary stop-gap (and cheap!)

Just thinking it might help until you sort out the culprit!


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## Constance (Jun 4, 2013)

This is amazingly yucky. Thought: the receptionists and vet techs at my vet always have great ideas. Maybe they will have something to recommend. And/or ask to talk to the vet himself/herself. Probably they have encountered this before.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Trap is large enough for a grown male raccoon. Poo is still there every morning. No food gone from trap. Trap still set off with untouched food. These poos are huge. And soft. And I'm sooooo tired of this. I wonder if some leaping animal is hopping my fence every night. It seems like it prob happens right before the sun comes up since the poo is still soft. And it is the stinkiest poo I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. I'm thinking about getting some type of night vision binoculars or something. 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

What if you set an alarm clock to get up before dawn and sat in a window that would give you line of sight with the lights off? Your vision would acclimate to seeing in the low light and the animal wouldn't see you. Also I think most traps have a way to adjust the sensitivity of how they get set off. Maybe you need to adjust the trip so that it requires more force to avoid it going off before the animal is really in it?

I can't imagine how frustrating this is! I would be wanting to camp in the yard with a gun, and I hate guns!


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## LovingCleo (Jun 16, 2014)

You need an infrared camera set up and one that is motion censored that will take pics when it detects movement. 

These cameras are used by hunters. It would be great if you could borrow one. You can find them at Cabela's. We used a friend's camera once when we realized the crazy cat hoarder lady was dumping full litter boxes in my yard. She was mad at us for contacting animal control to help us with her cat hording. Her hoarding was quickly becoming our problem. We contacted the Sheriff Dept. When she realized we were on to her, she stopped doing it. 

I find it odd that a wild animal chooses the same spot every single night.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

LovingCleo said:


> You need an infrared camera set up and one that is motion censored that will take pics when it detects movement.
> 
> These cameras are used by hunters. It would be great if you could borrow one. You can find them at Cabela's. We used a friend's camera once when we realized the crazy cat hoarder lady was dumping full litter boxes in my yard. She was mad at us for contacting animal control to help us with her cat hording. Her hoarding was quickly becoming our problem. We contacted the Sheriff Dept. When she realized we were on to her, she stopped doing it.
> 
> *I find it odd that a wild animal chooses the same spot every single night.*




Yes, I fleetingly had a picture of a crazy feral man climbing over her fence and taking a poo on the lawn. I think it is better if it turns out to be something like a raccoon.


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## LovingCleo (Jun 16, 2014)

It it would certainly be more concerning! :afraid:


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

I can almost guarantee you its a racoon. I watched them put their little paws into the sides of the box trap and steal the food w/o going in. There was "crap" everywhere. Gross. They are smart so set up the box trap so they cannot get at the sides. I set mine up against a wall and secured it there. Also had something blocking access from the side. They went in. I caught a total of 8. Couldn't believe it.

PS if you do catch some, release them miles away, preferably across a river. We didn't and one came back from a 3 mile drop. It was the same one because it had only 3 legs. Little buggers. We finally got rid of them across a river and 3 miles away. We did drop them all in the same place though....they stay in a family group. 

Also if you catch a skunk...throw a tarp over it before approaching..lol


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

How about adding some type of lighting to that area? Best would be motion activated lighting but even some solar lighting would help you see from the house.

Another idea is a timed sprinkler that goes off just before dawn in the area of the poo spot.

One way or another sounds like you need to get up early to see what you are dealing with.

The title of this thread is quite appropriate. This is a really yucky problem.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> [/B]
> 
> Yes, I fleetingly had a picture of a crazy feral man climbing over her fence and taking a poo on the lawn. I think it is better if it turns out to be something like a raccoon.


I was having some pretty crazy thoughts of a man who just ate a Chinese buffet taking a crap in my yard every morning!! 


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

cindyreef said:


> I can almost guarantee you its a racoon. I watched them put their little paws into the sides of the box trap and steal the food w/o going in. There was "crap" everywhere. Gross. They are smart so set up the box trap so they cannot get at the sides. I set mine up against a wall and secured it there. Also had something blocking access from the side. They went in. I caught a total of 8. Couldn't believe it.
> 
> PS if you do catch some, release them miles away, preferably across a river. We didn't and one came back from a 3 mile drop. It was the same one because it had only 3 legs. Little buggers. We finally got rid of them across a river and 3 miles away. We did drop them all in the same place though....they stay in a family group.
> 
> Also if you catch a skunk...throw a tarp over it before approaching..lol


I've been afraid of skunk!! I hope NOT!!!! Can they climb fences??


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

Yes skunks can climb but would usually squeeze under a fence. Racoons are much more common and crap everywhere. Skunk, don't crap so much. Anther thing racoons climb a lot and they can squeeze thru a VERY small opening. If their nose and eyes can go thru 3-4" hole they can manipulate and squeeze their "double jointed type" big body thru it as well. Seen it on a documentary and it was hard to believe. They opened a 3 1/2" hole in my screen in my gazebo and went thru. A whole family of them!


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