# Pesky Cats



## Howard (Jan 21, 2014)

I'll admit, I have never been a fan of cats...perhaps I'd even say I dislike them since I got scratched by one as a kid and I am also allergic! Until now though they've never bothered me that much and I just ignore them, but since moving into a house with both neighbours having cats I'm nearly pulling my hair out over it! Last year we just noticed them climbing in our window boxes and wandering into our back garden and shed, but it didn't overly bother us because our mini poo scared them away. However they seemed to get increasingly cocky over time, now they're not even scared by the dog and even try and wander into the house (on one occasion being successful, which is a problem with both of us living in the house being allergic and also because it drives the dog nuts...he _really_ hates cats and I don't want to have to deal with him killing the neighbours cat in our house, imagine the horror :afraid: ). 
Now the real issue that ticks me off is the cat poop. We recently just got our front garden done, we've had beautiful stones put down and in the middle there is a large planting area filled with different shrubs and veg plants. Well, the cats have taken quite nicely to digging all the light coloured stones up and pooping all over the garden :argh: since the stones have been put down on sheeting to stop weeds instead of straight onto the soil, the cat poop just sits there until I pick it up which is disgusting and so annoying! 
Does anyone else have this problem and know how to repel the cats from the front garden without it affecting my dog? I'm not so bothered about the back garden because that's the only garden our dog goes into and so the cats don't really bother with that. I find it so frustrating that if I let my dog poop anywhere he liked or in the neighbours garden I could be fined up to £1000 but the cats get away with it, it's gross and my new lovely garden looks ruined :-( Thanks in advance


----------



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

How to Deter Cats - Alley Cat Allies


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

We used to have a problem with feral cats, but the coyotes seem to have taken cleared their colonies or they moved on. Since it's a garden, I would find some cat repelling plants - rue, lavender and plant them. I never noticed poo, but the smell of cat urine is awful. I'm sorry you are having to deal with uninvited cats especially with your allergies.


----------



## Howard (Jan 21, 2014)

Mfmst said:


> We used to have a problem with feral cats, but the coyotes seem to have taken cleared their colonies or they moved on. Since it's a garden, I would find some cat repelling plants - rue, lavender and plant them. I never noticed poo, but the smell of cat urine is awful. I'm sorry you are having to deal with uninvited cats especially with your allergies.


Thank you I will try rue and was also actually planning on planting a lavender hedge soon...maybe this will help keep them away and from the driveway too


----------



## Summerhouse (Jun 12, 2015)

One of our neighbors has 8, two others have 2 and the odd stray. I hate them especially when my son ran through a pile with his sit on toy tractor and got it all in the grooves of his trainers and the grooves of the wheels. Cat owners are wrong they DO NOT bury their poo, and how would they know anyway their cats always poo in someone else's garden not their own. 

I have found since having a dog they don't seem to go in areas where he pees. They're not supposed to like the pungent smells of things like ginger powder, ground pepper etc. Only problem with sprinkling it is its only effective when it's dry weather so they sniff it up.


----------



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Summerhouse said:


> s. Cat owners are wrong they DO NOT bury their poo, and how would they know anyway their cats always poo in someone else's garden not their own.


Actually cat's do bury their poop but don't bury the poop if they are marking out their territory.


----------



## Howard (Jan 21, 2014)

Summerhouse said:


> One of our neighbors has 8, two others have 2 and the odd stray. I hate them especially when my son ran through a pile with his sit on toy tractor and got it all in the grooves of his trainers and the grooves of the wheels. Cat owners are wrong they DO NOT bury their poo, and how would they know anyway their cats always poo in someone else's garden not their own.
> 
> I have found since having a dog they don't seem to go in areas where he pees. They're not supposed to like the pungent smells of things like ginger powder, ground pepper etc. Only problem with sprinkling it is its only effective when it's dry weather so they sniff it up.


Oh my, I don't have a child yet but would be even more furious if I had the problem of them standing in poop! I have also found that a lot of it is just sitting on the soil/stones, but in some places they have dug and kicked the stones about and when we were changing the garden around we came across a lot of it in the soil which was so gross. 
Maybe I'll try and get my mpoo to pee in the front garden and I'll try to get lots of smelly things in there that they don't like. I wish I had a garden hose in the front because I would definitely get one of those motion sensing jets that sprays water at them when they approach...that would keep them away!


----------



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

It is a fact that cats carry more diseases to humans than rats. In Australia the laws regarding restraint of dogs also apply to cats. I really don't care what animals people keep as pets so long as they are restrained. Keep your pets safe! and keep us safe from them!
Eric


----------



## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I feel for you we have one family with 5 3 in house and the others loose, they get in the gardens on your car, I am sick of it and will try recommendations to get them away. They are afraid of me, then I come to the door they take off, but to late then


----------



## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Ugh. This is why I keep my cats inside. Always. Nothing I hate more than cats on the loose, killing birds, getting into people's gardens, soiling kids sandboxes... Apart from planting repelling plants, one thing to consider is a motion activated sprinkler. Zap the cat with water every time it gets near the garden... Bye bye kitty kitty.


----------



## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Ugh. This is why I keep my cats inside. Always. Nothing I hate more than cats on the loose, killing birds, getting into people's gardens, soiling kids sandboxes... Apart from planting repelling plants, one thing to consider is a motion activated sprinkler. Zap the cat with water every time it gets near the garden... Bye bye kitty kitty.



We've been lucky, but I'm so sorry for those who live with so many strays around. Zapping the cat with water sounds like a great idea! Otherwise, I just wish people would be responsible and make sure cats are spayed and neutered. That would be a step in the right direction of controlling the cat population.

We're out in the country, and we do have two strays who stay on our property. We have no idea where they came from, but after we started feeding them, they stuck around. Trapped both and got them fixed. We do feel responsible for them in case they get sick, but otherwise , I'm a firm believer of having indoor only cats. I love my cats with my heart and soul, and I want them to always stay safe. And I believe the safest place is inside.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

The ultimate answer is a bigger cat of your own who will protect his own territory, but a good water pistol is probably the better solution for you. There are motion senstitive devices to keep up the discouragement at night and when you are not around: [ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/PestBye-Repeller-Motion-Activated-Deterrent/dp/B004YCUT4W[/ame]


----------

