What can I spray on the grass after clearing cat poo to stop the buggers coming back?

[MrsMigginsMate]

We didn't go in the garden for a month and found nearly half a bin bags worth of cat poo! I've bought a car scarer that lights up and looks like an owl, it's ultrasonic and also has a normal alarm. I realise many cats just waltz right past them so what can I do to neutralise the residual smell so my garden doesn't smell like a litter tray to them?

I've seen review photos of those green gel crystals with poo right on top of them and powders will just wash away in this weather. I'm thinking peppermint oil will stick around longer but it would also get on their paws and I don't want to risk making them sick, anybody know if it will?

I need help before my husband dumps the bag on next doors step and causes world war 3!!!

Fresh orange peel is meant to repel them.

Is it def cats? They don’t usually use grass unless it’s really long. Could be a hedgehog or foxes?

Yep, I've watched them doing it. Always on the grass, the little fekkers. I think cat owners tell themselves their cats bury their poo to make themselves feel better but they really don't. They scrape the air pretending to bury it but there's no earth to drag across.

You’ll get loads of people saying it’s other animals because cats cover their poo but it’s actually really common for cats to poo on grass outside their own garden. It even has a name - “middening”. We had a real problem with this in a previous house with several cats fighting for the territory and pooing daily on our grass. We never found a solution and in the end moved away. We now have lovely cats next door but they treat our garden as their own and have no local competition so it’s never happened here.

Cat proof your fences. It's the only way.

Orange peel does absolutely nothing. The little devices you buy from shops that emit a high frequency noise thats supposed to put them off do nothing - I found that they just have a nervous poo instead!

The only thing ive found that works are the little granules you can buy from supermarkets. I forget what they're called though.

Nothing will work. We struggled for 10 years with this.

In our back garden, we have cat spikes (they don’t hurt cats) round all the fences. Any small gaps under/around fences or gates - we blocked them off with wood. It’s not perfect but substantially reduced the problem.

In the front, it’s open with no fences allowed. So we paved over all the grass and that stopped it. In 10 years, nothing worked. My neighbour had an ultrasound deterrent. Cats shat right by it.

I should add, they do smell though.

A big water pistol might work 🤣

Water pistol or hose.
If they are doing it unburied you are in a cat territory war.

Grind strong pepper into the lawn

Teabags soaked in Olbus oil works I believe (and is not toxic to the cats).

Can't cat proof the fences as they don't all belong to us.

I’ve had previous luck with DH’s urine. I even made him pee in a bottle and ‘sprinkle’ it around the garden. Something about marking territory I believe. Not sure if it has to be male urine but try can aim better!

@FippertyGibbett

Fresh orange peel is meant to repel them.

Should do in theory because cats aren't supposed to like strong citrus smells.

But my cat eats oranges so... yeah. She's weird but orange peel (or lemon) doesn't stop most cats.

The best solution of all is to make cats terrified of coming near your house. If you see them run out hissing and shouting at them til they bolt in fear. Spray them as often as possible with water. Make your territory very hostile to any daring to step on. And I say this as a cat lover who has her own adored cat (aka Master) who doesn't like her litter tray. She would rather pee on my lawn in three (completely ruined) spots and poops on the common grass outside my house (which I go out an lift as often as possible)
I've told all my neighbours I'm that if they catch her trying to mess in their gardens, hunt their birds or whatever, feel free to soak her or shoo her away.

Great advice here everyone, thank you.

Right so the plan is we put olbas teabags around the whole lawn, and husband runs out in a suit of orange peel screaming at the cats and weeing everywhere as he goes

@ForTheLoveOfCatFood

Is it def cats? They don’t usually use grass unless it’s really long. Could be a hedgehog or foxes?

Hahaha! They'll use anything.

I think you're all right that there is a turf war. We are the only neutral house without a cat or a dog along the "cat motorway", aka the fences adjoining all our back to back gardens along the row. To reach the street all the cats have to go across our back fence because the other houses don't have a side gate. So I guess it's the first place to mark their territory and theres so many of them they are probably having a big pissing contest.

I will make hubby sprinkle his wee about, it will be interesting to see if that one works. Although I wonder if they will think he's s new cat and try and mark over his scent?

We've got two greyhounds 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hasn't made a jot of difference.

DH peed in our garden and it worked, surprisingly.

The minute the rain stops there’s a kilo of cayenne pepper going down on my front garden. Been trying to stop them for years and nothing else has worked.

Do you live near a zoo or safari park? You could ask them for some lion or tiger poo, which you then arrange in strategic locations around your garden. It scares domestic cats away.

Nothing works.
Nothing.
I gave up and then luckily moved
It's such lazy pet ownership, I had sonic deterrents, spikes, garlic granules, water pistols...
None worked.
I fucking hate cats.

Funny... I've had cats for nearly all of my 58 years and I have never once seen a cat (either mine or other people's) do this.