Discouraging a #@$! cat from "visiting" the house

[BeeR]

POFS neighbor's cat really loves the new mulch I put down - so much so that it's crapping in it almost daily. Yes we have a dog but can't let it out loose as it's basically a hunting dog which will subsequently run off and we fear get hit (not too far from busy roads) long before it decides to come home.

 

I don't want to kill the cat (tho I admit that thought has appealed). And yes we have tried talking to Miss Dumbass but she has some kind of MS or something and can't really talk much so isn't exactly easy to converse with, and didn't seem terribly receptive anyway.

 

Unfortunately, there are no leash laws for cats as there should be, so some mindless aholes think it's perfectly fine to let them roam and do stuff like this.

 

Other ideas to discourage this thing ie short of direct attack appreciated. Moth balls maybe? I have heard that works for rabbits, but.....

 

PS go head insert a p*ssy joke, I know it's just a softball hanging there

Edited May 11, 2011 by BeeR

[billay]

Spray bottle of water/vinegar

[Hugh 0ne]

You're welcome: http://landscaping.about.com/od/pestcontro..._repellents.htm

[jetsfan]

bowl of antifreeze and a pellet gun. long and short term solutions.

[Chief Dick]

Go to the neighbors house.

 

Knock on door.

 

Go inside, find litter box and poop in it.

[MrTed46]

PS go head insert a p*ssy joke, I know it's just a softball hanging there

 

TheHuddle isn't a place to particupate in that low-class, simple, moranic humor.

 

So anyway, you should be happy at least some Thighmasterly wants to come to you.

[MrTed46]

PS go head insert a p*ssy joke, I know it's just a softball hanging there

 

TheHuddle isn't a place to particupate in that low-class, simple, moranic humor.

 

So anyway, you should be happy at least some Thighmasterly wants to come to you.

[sundaynfl]

I would kill it to keep it from killing the wild birds...

 

There are ultrasonic deivces that hurt their ears when activated and there are also motion activated water sprayers.

[alexgaddis]

Why not buy some kitty treats and maybe some cute little toys and set them in the front yard, this should keep the cat occupied and out of the mulch.

 

...and maybe consider playing with the cat and giving it attention so it doesn't feel the need to try and get attention by pooping in the mulch...

[MrTed46]

Why not buy some kitty treats and maybe some cute little toys and set them in the front yard, this should keep the cat occupied and out of the mulch.

 

...and maybe consider playing with the cat and giving it attention so it doesn't feel the need to try and get attention by pooping in the mulch...

 

You're such a ladies man

[Yukon Cornelius]

cats eat those grey tree rats

[bushwacked]

cats eat those grey tree rats

 

Neighbors love my cat because she performed genocide on the neighborhood mole population.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Neighbors love my cat because she performed genocide on the neighborhood mole population.

good pussy is hard to find these days.....

Edited May 11, 2011 by Yukon Cornelius

[matt770]

Multiply by 100, that's what I had when I first moved here. Here is what worked for me:

 

• If the cat ventures onto your property, you are within your rights to humanely trap it. Then take it to an SPCA or shelter. Put the trap somewhere on your property where the neighbor can't see it. Load it with a nice scoop of 9 Lives, and you'll have the thing trapped within one day, guaranteed. Obviously be inconspicuous when you put the trap in your trunk and drive to the shelter. If the shelter demands your ID, you may want to have someone else do it, and choose a shelter as far away as practical. First thing the neighbor will do is check their local shelters. If they rat on you, now you have a feud on your hands.
  

 

If you don't like the idea of trapping:

 

• Lay chicken wire over the mulch and secure with garden staples. I used this extensively and it worked. Cats want to dig, and the chicken wire prevents them from doing so.
  
• Choose shrubs with thorns like barberry and roses.
  
• Wherever possible, fill in bare spots with ground cover like liriope or vinca.
  

 

As time went on I found that the ground cover was more practical than the chicken wire. What sucks about the chicken wire is eventually you have to lift it back up to put more mulch down. Therefore I only use it in one area: the mulch ring around a tree. All my other beds are now so densely planted that a cat has no place to dig. I no longer bother putting mulch down anywhere, because the cats are attracted to the fresh new mulch.

 

Don't waste your money on repellents, you have to keep applying them and eventually the cat will get used to the smell. The cat's desire to use a specific spot is stronger than its aversion to the repellents, and the effect fades quickly, especially after it rains. Trapping is your easiest option here, especially with just one cat.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I would kill it to keep it from killing the wild birds...

 

There are ultrasonic deivces that hurt their ears when activated and there are also motion activated water sprayers.

 

 

THIS

[polksalet]

I use a pellet rifle or 22

[BeeR]

Thanks for all the replies, appreciate it. Might try a low-cost repellent or two before stepping it up as needed.

 

I will say I first tried (short term) putting short stubby pieces of an old branch I broke off ni the grouns so it didn't have room to poop in its fav spot. Course it just picked another spot and I'm not about to make our foundation look like Omaha Beach on D Day, but FWIW if someone has just 1 or 2 key spots where this might be feasible.

[Rovers]

Do they have the equalvilent of rubber bullets for pellet guns? I condone killing squirells, but these stinkin cats, hard to justify killing someone's pet, even if their animal management as such might deserve it.

 

I knew a cat owner who was just horrified that her cat had been shot with a pellet gun. Yeah, well, the beast was trepassing and killing chickens in a neighbor's coop. You let your cat out to prowl, all bets are off, especially if it is causing damage to property.

 

Worse yet, it's these cats that bring fleas onto my property for my dog to catch. Hasn't happened for at least 8 years, but it did happen. Then the fleas are in the house, all for what? For your stinkin cat to prowl around at night to rip into the garbage when my idiot neighbors failed to put their plastic garbage bags into a pail?

 

My approach is now simple. Find the owner. Tell them the cat will be shot on site if on my property. I'm not sure I'd actually shoot it, but hopefully, the threat is enough. Keep yer stinkin cats inside. If not, don't complain if they don't come home in the morning.

[matt770]

Do they have the equalvilent of rubber bullets for pellet guns? I condone killing squirells, but these stinkin cats, hard to justify killing someone's pet, even if their animal management as such might deserve it.

 

I knew a cat owner who was just horrified that her cat had been shot with a pellet gun. Yeah, well, the beast was trepassing and killing chickens in a neighbor's coop. You let your cat out to prowl, all bets are off, especially if it is causing damage to property.

 

Worse yet, it's these cats that bring fleas onto my property for my dog to catch. Hasn't happened for at least 8 years, but it did happen. Then the fleas are in the house, all for what? For your stinkin cat to prowl around at night to rip into the garbage when my idiot neighbors failed to put their plastic garbage bags into a pail?

 

My approach is now simple. Find the owner. Tell them the cat will be shot on site if on my property. I'm not sure I'd actually shoot it, but hopefully, the threat is enough. Keep yer stinkin cats inside. If not, don't complain if they don't come home in the morning.

You know, cats can be great pets. I now hate them because of what I went through here, but if kept inside, they can be fine companions. The problem is when they are let outside, they revert to their wild instincts and can cause a lot of damage. SOME of the types of people who tend to be cat lovers seem to believe that their animals' rights trump those of their neighbors. Not sure why that is. I don't believe all cat lovers are inconsiderate across the board, but when it comes to their cats destroying other peoples' property, they don't seem to think they have any responsibilty to do anything about it. That's why I advocate trapping. It's legal and humane, and gives the cat a shot at being adopted by someone with the common sense and consideration to keep the fcking thing indoors where it belongs. As for the neighbor, I could give two sh!ts about her losing a pet, since the thing is in mortal danger from predators every time it steps outside anyway. A person with such disregard for the animal's welfare and their neighbors' property does not deserve to keep the animal.

 

And I'll say again, all the repellants and gadgets are temporary stopgaps at best. You're in for a lengthy game of whack-a-mole that you'll never win. Trap the damn thing and be done with it.

[darin3]

bowl of antifreeze and a pellet gun. long and short term solutions.

I realize the general populace here hates cats, and that's fine and dandy. And I'm assuming that you're joking here, but it's still in poor taste. I had a cat suffer from kidney failure (which would be the result of drinking anti-freeze) and let's just say it was painful as a cat owner/lover to endure.

[jetsfan]

I realize the general populace here hates cats, and that's fine and dandy. And I'm assuming that you're joking here, but it's still in poor taste. I had a cat suffer from kidney failure (which would be the result of drinking anti-freeze) and let's just say it was painful as a cat owner/lover to endure.

 

i lived next door to the cat lady for nearly 6 years. She had 20+ feral cats that lived outside. None of her inside cats were neutered, so everytime they had kittens, she would add to the outside population, that also were not neutered. They would hiss and scratch at my 1 and 3 yr olds. Animal control and the police would do nothing, believe me I tried. I trapped and relocated about 1/2 dozen of them before one of them scratched up my 1 yr old son. My neighbor blamed me for letting my kid play in my yard near the cats My hatred for cats knows no bounds.

Edited May 12, 2011 by jetsfan

[polksalet]

How about this, use a glue trap in the areas where the cat frequents. I can tell you that if I had to pull a glue trap off of a cat it would get my attention.

[BeeR]

You know, cats can be great pets

Yeah nothing like that great litter box in the house and having to clean it on a frequent basis while your pet barely acknowledges your existance half the time. To each their own but I'll pass.

 

SOME of the types of people who tend to be cat lovers seem to believe that their animals' rights trump those of their neighbors. Not sure why that is.

I do. They're brain-dead losers.

 

Anyway thx for the idea but I'm not into buying a freaking trap and going through having to take a trip to the (not so nearby) SPCA etc etc. BB gun will probably come before that. That can also double as a squirrel zapper and besides is far more fun in general. bwahaha.

 

 

How about this, use a glue trap in the areas where the cat frequents. I can tell you that if I had to pull a glue trap off of a cat it would get my attention.

I like it.........course knowing my luck a freaking squirrel or bird will get on it first, but that's temping to try thx

[buddahj]

Have you tried more cats???

[matt770]

Yeah nothing like that great litter box in the house and having to clean it on a frequent basis while your pet barely acknowledges your existance half the time. To each their own but I'll pass.

 

I do. They're brain-dead losers.

 

Anyway thx for the idea but I'm not into buying a freaking trap and going through having to take a trip to the (not so nearby) SPCA etc etc. BB gun will probably come before that. That can also double as a squirrel zapper and besides is far more fun in general. bwahaha.

 

 

 

I like it.........course knowing my luck a freaking squirrel or bird will get on it first, but that's temping to try thx

Well to each his own I guess. I prefer the method that requires a bit of effort up front, but then I'm done with the problem for good. I also assumed you were averse to being cruel to the animal, otherwise an advice thread really wouldn't be necessary. It doesn't take a lot of creativity to do away with a cat if morals or the law are not an obstacle.