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Question about territorial cat behaviour

4 replies

Molotov · 10/07/2014 09:52

I'm looking for some advice about cat fouling, please.

We've lived in our house for 3 years. Six cats live in other houses in our drive. There have been no issues with the animals up until now. The problem is that the cats are fouling beside my house (on a pebbled patch) and on a flat brambled patch beside where I park my car. It's increasing and very unpleasant.

I have 2 questions:

  1. I've noticed a new cat hanging around who I've not seen before. Could that cat be marking its territory? Could the resident cats be re-marking their territory? There have also been a few cat-fights


  1. I've cleaned up lots of cat faeces over the last week and I hate doing it. I have a dog who I clean up after after she toilets in our garden.


I know that cats are different to dogs in this way as it is almost impossible for owners to keep a track of where their pet is toileting. However, I don't want to keep cleaning up cat faeces juat because it's on my property. I have a pet who I care for and I don't want to keep cleaning up numerous piles of cat poo, also!

How could I best approach the issue with my cat owner neighbours should their cats toilet at my house again?
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RubbishMantra · 10/07/2014 11:09

Unfortunately for you, it sounds like your house is along a 'cat boundary'. Cats poo along the edge of their territory, as a signal to other cats to keep away.

You can get something to deter them, I think it's called 'Stay Off'.

What are your neighbours like? I wouldn't think it unreasonable if one of my neighbours politely mentioned to me that my cats were crapping on their property. In fact, we have a shared courtyard garden, and once a week I scoop poo from their chosen toilet spot it's like an unpleasant lucky dip.

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Molotov · 10/07/2014 11:29

Thanks for your reply, Mantra. The fouling is occuring on an invisible 'line', so to speak. I guess with the new cat/cat fights, this boundary marking could be a very good explanation.

I poured a diluted bleach solution over the areas after cleaning up, and then put cat pepper down. I hope that this deters them.

If they do it again, one neighbour is approachable, the others not so much. I could probably mention the fighting and links to boundary marking; that I have done a lot of cleaning up already and would be grateful if she could keep an eye on it also.

I just don't want to make a big issue of it. These things can go awry too easily with neighbours sometimes!

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RubbishMantra · 10/07/2014 11:36

I don't think cats are deterred by bleach, as it smells similar-ish to their own urine. Try using a solution of biological washing powder, the enzymes in it break down the smell.

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gobbin · 10/07/2014 11:46

Even if you approach your neighbour there's little they can do. It's nigh on impossible policing where they poo. Once the pecking order has been re-established hopefully it will stop or change.
I am a cat owner and I do chase my own cats off if I see them squatting in my neighbours' gardens but they tend to go in my own back border most of the time.

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