SPike rods on fence to stop cats coming in?

[Hitmewithit]

My garden is lovely, my daughter will love it this summer, but unfortunately the neighbours cat keeps coming and shitting all over my grass. I bought repelant and used it for a week, i thought it worked but then a massive shit in the middle of the lawn followed by a load of sloppy shit by the fence. I only have a small grass area and I'm getting really fucked off with the grass being shat on. It makes me feel like the lawn stinks and full of germs if my daughter wants to crawl around on it or if we sit on it. I feel like I'll need to disinfect it if I want to go out there with her.

I've seen the cat that does it, I've chucked water at it, chased it away etc but it still comes back!!

I'm tempted to go to Homebase today and get some of these spiked rods that I've seen. Is this legal to do?

[Wiifitmama]

Following with interest. We have quite a large long garden. We are currently undergoing refurb and not there by when I visited yesterday there were 4 bloody cats roaming the garden. When we move back in I need to reclaim the garden from the cats who have clearly decided it is theirs. I was just thinking about spikes. We have over 100 foot of fence on each side though so I imagine it will be expensive.

[Keepingupwiththejonesys]

Do it. People will tell you you're being cruel, its just what cats do blah,blah. Ibalso had this problem, cats shitting in my flower pots all the time, really annoyed me. I have a dog and if I let her shit everywhere I'd get a fine but its OK for cats coz 'they're cats and its what they do' ridiculous.

Anyway, things like lemon juice and chilli powder really seem to repel them but obviously if it rains it washed it away. If you think the spikes will help I say go for it

[Iamastonished]

Please don't do this. A cat won't know there are spikes there until it is too late, although I appreciate that you don't want cat poo in the garden. There must be a more humane way of deterring them.

I have had cats, and they never used to poo in the middle of the lawn. Are you sure it isn't foxes?

[hmcAsWas]

In your situation I would use spikes

[Okite]

Are you absolutely sure the cat is the one pooing on the lawn? Cats usually will go for places like flowerbeds, plant pots or gravel, somewhere they can scratch up afterwards to cover the poo. It'd be quite unusual for them to poo out in the middle of a lawn. Could be a fox?
Anyway if you are sure it's the cat, then go for it (I'm a cat owner). You can get rollers that attach along the tops of fences too that stop cats being able to jump up. Make sure you don't have any tree branches or shed roofs they can climb on though.

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

If you use spikes and the cats get hurt you would be liable for vets fees. I hope that would clean you out.

[MrsNuckyThompson]

I was about to ask if you're sure it isn't foxes. Very unusual for a cat to shit 'in the open'. They usually prefer a quiet corner, dig a hole, poo, then cover it over. Large shit in the centre of grass sounds more like a fox (or a dog but assuming that's not an option!).

[KrayKray00]

I swear I read somewhere this is illegal?

I have a cat and my neighbour has them on his fence he does have a very large dog though so I would rather my cat hurt their paw than be ripped apart by their massive dog. It isn't nice or ideal and think how would you like it if it was your pet?
Bit odd it being a cat too I have plenty in my street and never seen a cat poo on the grass areas or in my garden I thought they buried their poo?

[acquiescence]

Is it feasible to put spikes all the way around your garden? I'd guess maybe not, cats can sneak through the smaller of gaps so it is likely to be a waste of time and money. It will be unsightly and could injure cats which would be awful. I can see your issue however. Maybe try some different repellants, there are a lot out there. Cats hate citrus, maybe scatter a load of oranges and lemons around the grass? Harmless for your baby.

[Hitmewithit]

I guess it would be very hard to prove if it was my spikes causing damage though. Also 'before it's too late' it wouldn't cause death surely.

Foxes? Interesting I didn't think of that.

[hmcAsWas]

I believe plastic spikes are legal (they are a deterrent - not as effective as a deterrent, but unlikely to cause injury)

[acquiescence]

Another alternative- create a space that the cat will shit in in your garden like a bed of soil that you can keep clear. Obviously this isn't for responsibility but it might help the issue. It is very unusual for cats to go in open grass as they naturally like to bury their poo so maybe providing some space where they could bury it might help.

[987flowers]

This probably isn't very helpful but we put some bramble branches on our lawn and the cats went else where but they are a pain to move when you want to use the lawn! The cats could see them so no issues of them being accidentally hurt

[kittybiscuits]

I used a sonar cat repellent to deal with this issue. It worked.

[SuburbanRhonda]

I've had cats all my life and have never known one to shit in the open.

[HeLeftMe]

I've watched loads of cats shit out in the open. Mine and others. It's actually really common. My own does it. She prefers to toilet outside rather than her tray so she'll "ask" to get out and immediately poop on the lawn for me to clean up. No foxes here, definitely cats and lots of them. We do a poop patrol before mowing.

OP, spikes aren't the best idea. If you can afford it, look at roller bars. It's simply a tube on top of the fence that rotates when a cat tries to get up on it (think loo roll holder). You can buy them online and I'm sure I've seen them advertised in DIY chain stores.

[Booksandmags79]

Yep my first thought was foxes too as you said it was massive and in the middle of the lawn. We have had trouble with foxes in an identical way. Not sure what the deterrent is.

[Iamastonished]

The roller bars sound like a good idea.

[AllTheWittyNamesAreGone]

My cat shits in the open. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist..
Why should she clear a space in her gardens for pets that don't belong to her to shit?

You can buy cat proof fencing tgat keeps cats out but it's not cheap

[AstrantiaMajor]

Buy the spikes but as well as putting them on top of the fence, put another row against the fence pointing into you're garden. Next door has 3 cats. After our fence with spikes was installed we watched them edge along the fence with a the feet either side of the fence thus avoided get the spikes. Those that say that cats don't poo in the open or that they bury it, well next doors cats did

[AwaywiththePixies27]

I don't think spikes will be legal sensible even if just for the purpose of preventing cats coming in. It won't stop them from coming in and it won't recognise the spikes. Potentially a lawsuit too if a determined kid tries to climb over to retrieve a ball etc.

Persistance I find is the key. My NDN kept finding cat poo in her garden and kept knocking on ours - we dont have any pets! Fast forward a year later and she got two to deal with her constant mouse problem. One was persistently shitting in our garden coming in, I just kept going out every time I saw it and shooing it away gently. It won't come past our front garden gate now.

[BarbarianMum]

Anti climb grease/pigeon grease is another possibility - you squeeze it in the top of the fence and cats avoid it because they don't want grade on their paws. But actually cats are very good at checking where they put their paws so spikes should be fine if they are visible.

[Iamastonished]

Causing any unnecessary suffering to a cat is an offense under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The maximum penalty for anyone found guilty under this act is up to six months in prison and/or a £20,000 fine.

The RSPCA website has advice on how to deter cats humanely.

[BarbarianMum]

Oh and please stop with the myth that cats don't poo in the open. The dominant cat on every territory will crap in the open , it's the sub domininants that bury/hide.

[AwaywiththePixies27]

I kept shooing mine out because of it constantly pooing in the garden and also because the little shit sod started getting really brave and would happily stand there and spray all over my DCs trampoline!