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?

Aim for the face, but hitting their back works too. I've used the water pistol technique to get rid of more than one regular cat visitor to our garden over the years because they were upsetting my cats. It's not difficult and it's very effective.

Well we had 1 visit Saturday and I sent my dh out to spray it and it ran home. Didn't come back yesterday and hasn't been back today. So far water seems to be working

Of course it will work. Cats hate being sprayed with water! Good luck OP and I hope you get some peace.

Taking a cat out on a leash doesn’t benefit the cat. It stresses it (despite that it might look ok). It’s for that reason the RSPCA advises against walking cats on leads. Cats like to be in control of their environment.

If it can be proven her actions made the cat ill, yes she will face a vet bill and possibly prosecution for deliberately harming an animal. Cats have the legal right to free roam.

Absolutely just plain water. Buy a big waterpistol.

I wonder if you could use this as an opportunity to overcome your phobia? They say small and often exposure will help. This might in fact be a gift for you....

What is it about them that scares you?

Do work on your phobia. I had one (not cats), and life is much easier without. Come up with a plan for exposure therapy and ask your friends with cats to help you. E.g.
Step 1, look at stylised drawings/cartoons of cats
Step 2, look at photos/videos of cats
Step 3, learn about their behaviour
Step 4, observe a cat through a window
Etc.

A water pistol with cold water should drive the message home to the moggy it’s not wanted at your house.

Could you work on your phobia.I mean there are so many cats around this world how do you deal with it.
I know someone who's afraid of spiders and can't open their windows much.
Think you need to work on it.

Hi OP, I like cats, but they can be a pain and they're definitely not always fast learners - so persist with the water pistol and hopefully that will work.

(Our cat may be particularly stupid - he still examines water standing in the sink as if he'd never seen it before, puts on his paw to test if he can walk on it and is taken aback when it sinks in.... let's hope your neighbours' cat isn't that dim. It probably isn't since it gets a proper outdoors life.)

Because many cats don’t like people they don’t know fussing them. So if they sense someone who won’t approach them they often make the first move.

I've been reading about overcoming a phobia. Im not even comfortable looking at a photo or an advert with a cat on, in fact even writing or reading the word makes me feel edgy. So im starting to try and expose myself to visual images more and been reading about their body language so I know when they are being friendly or aggressive because at thr moment I feel like they are all after me🤣

I have staffies, and the neighbours around here don't give a crap about letting their annoying cats take up residence in other people's gardens, and shit everywhere too, which my dogs would then stand in.

I once sent one of the dogs after the cat, knowing full well he wouldn't do anything, just chase it away, which he did without touching it, but the cat just now sits further up on a ledge where the dog can't go near it😭

They are annoying buggers who know exactly what they're doing. I love animals but these aren't my favourite.

Citronella oil, dip a makeup sponge into the oil and wipe over your window ledges or allow to soak into the concrete reveals. Sponge this oil anywhere you find the will sit.
They hate citrus.
And a supersoaker water gun to shoot plain water at distance.
Or a cat scarer spray attached by hose to an outdoor tap. A PIR sensor will remotely spray water and scare them off.

Level 1 of exposure therapy ;)

Could you get really interested in them, I bet they are actually really interesting the way they move their bodies jump etc, and get to find them interesting as an animal first?(As you can see I don't know much myself.)
My mum cured a phobia of moths by doing this first them trying to be in a room with them.

might it be worth identifying what triggers this fear? Is it actually fear or a sense of loathing and disgust? I get the latter when looking at something with small holes in it. There is a name but I have forgotten it. It’s linked to a fear of decay. So maybe fear of Old age? Dying?

The washing up liquid won’t work. The cat licking herself later will not associate this nasty taste with going in to your garden. You would be making her suffer needlessly. A squirt it water pistol or a short loud noise when she is in your garden would be better.