Im scared of cats and now there's one in my garden permanently!!

[90sWasAmazing]

Im scared of cats, I actually have a huge phobia. Luckily I haven't had to deal with any where I live but a neighbour at the end of the road has one and it keeps appearing in my garden. It was on my windowsill. It's freaking me out.
How can i get it to move on? It runs away bit then 5 mins later its back.
I sprayed some water from a spray bottle which it ran but then came back sitting by the front door. Any suggestions? Im really nervous of it and am scared to go out and dreading coming back!
I dont have any food out or anything, why is it even here?

Put a small amount of washing up liquid in an old container and squirt it on the cat. Won’t cause harm but they hate getting wet and they hate the taste of the soap when they clean themselves. Might take a few goes before it gets the message

Good idea! Maybe im being impatient, does it take a while for them to get the message?

The little beggars know when you don't like them. Just ignore it and it will get bored. Sad that you are afraid of them, I adore them, whereas spiders/snakes scare the living daylights out of me

I love cats, but have no qualms at all about using a child's water pistol on the ones that come into our garden that aren't mine.

It takes a few squirts but does deter them.

Don't squirt it with Fairy Liquid, thats cruel and will probably make it sick.

Don't use fairy liquid! If you wouldn't drink it yourself, don't give it to animals. Just water is fine. Gosh, I can't believe the advice from some people!

No this is not a good idea at all. Just keep shooing it away it’ll get the message

I would much rather walk past a snake every morning

Please don’t do this

Won’t cause harm? What if it gets in its eyes. Muppet.

This is the Cat Distribution System. It’s your cat now.

Oh dear, I think all you can do is squirt (plain) water at it and hope for the best.

Or move.

Gosh yes please don't do that, I know you don't like them but there's no need to be cruel, just use a water spray, apparently cats don't know who's using the water spray on them, they just know that it appears whenever they turn up uninvited, so the cat will associate your garden with being sprayed and will keep away..

You have been chosen/adopted/selected!

Your only solution if you refuse to accept is to move.

Sorry!

So just plain water, I read they dont like vinegar or is that toxic? I dont like cats but I dont want to kill it, I just want it to stay away from me and my house.

Maybe the previous resident was happy to have the cat in & around the place, .how is it supposed to know you’re phobic?
Possibly talk to the owners, they will most likely be very pleased to keep their pet safe away from sprayers.
You can get stuff from pet shops to sprinkle on soil that will deter cat as they have highly sensitive sense of smell.

Op you are the first person I’ve come across that has an actual phobia. That must be tricky. They know when someone doesn’t like them. Eye contact is threatening so stare away at it. They dislike citrus so half lemons about the place might help.

It's a complete nightmare, I know im being unreasonable but I can't help it. If they know when someone doesnt like them do they stay away or like the challenge 🙈

It's a new cat to the area. Feral but they have taken it in, only it's never bloody in. I obviously am not going to complain, we live quite rurally so they will think Im crazy.

Please don’t spray the cat with washing-up liquid. It could make them very ill when they groom themselves. I understand that you’re afraid of cats and want to keep them out of your garden, but that would be cruel.
The cat may not groom until much later, so they’re unlikely to associate the unpleasant taste with your garden. You could also end up with a sick cat in the garden, which could be particularly stressful given your phobia.
If you’re going to spray anything, please use plain water. You may need to be persistent before the cat starts to associate visiting your garden with getting sprayed.
You mentioned that you don’t leave food out, but is there anywhere rainwater could be collecting? The cat might just be coming in for a drink- they prefer rainwater to tap water.
If they’re sitting on your windowsill, you could try securing some tin foil over it for a few weeks. Some cats dislike the feel of it, so it may discourage them from settling there.
Do you know where the cat is getting in? You can use this product to block gaps and put on tops of fences, or longer term a spiky or prickly plant such as a rose bush in that spot can help deter them.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kyrieval-Thorn-Grid-Against-Cats/dp/B0DGX7HJQW/ref=zg_bs_g_13154065031_d_sccl_2/521-0816009-4837201?th=1

Well if it was one of mine they’d relish the challenge and up the stakes (think staring at you through a bedroom window).

What mine don’t like is the sound of other cats mid fight yowling.
perhaps playing that when the cat appears might help.

Squirting it with water should deter it after a while. Cats aren’t always the fastest learners but it should get the hint within a few weeks I would think.
It might also be worth seeing if there is anything that might be attracting the cat to your garden eg a shed with mice, bird feeders. If they catch something in a particular spot they tend to go back there.
I feel for you, OP, it must be a tough phobia to live with since cats are all over the place and usually free ranging. Does it affect your life much (eg can’t visit friends with cats, have to walk a different way if you see a cat on the street)?

i hope you didn’t think I was anywhere near suggesting anything on the level of “complaint”.

Not all rehomed cats are as ‘feral’ as some folk imagine (speaking from experience).
I really do think that telling those cat owning neighbours how cats affect you is in your best interests, it doesn’t need to sound like a complaint.
Don’t open tins of tuna too loudly 😉😊.

The thing is what can they do? They won't keep it in, they live on a farm so having a cat roaming around is fair enough. Im happy for it to go where it likes just not around my house

Yes its a problem but not as much as when I lived in a city. Although one holiday to Greece was nightmare. If friends have a cat they just keep it outside while im there. It hasn't been an issue for years so im really struggling. I went for hypnotherapy once but it didnt work. Ill keep up the water and hope its a quick learner

Keep consistently spraying it with (plain) water and it will start running away when it sees you. If there are spots in your garden where it likes to sit give them a spray with orange oil or orange scented method cleaner and they will become a lot less appealing.