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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

SPike rods on fence to stop cats coming in?

226 replies

Hitmewithit · 22/04/2017 07:46

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?

OP posts:
BoneyBackJefferson · 22/04/2017 15:15

I wonder if those going "spikes bad" have actually looked at what posters are on about.

These are rubber blunted spikes ffs.

WhatALoadOfOldBollocks · 22/04/2017 15:19

Oh god, cat owners are still saying it's probably not a cat despite many people saying they've witnessed cats shitting in the middle of lawns and leaving the poo uncovered Confused

Sparklingbrook · 22/04/2017 15:22

Well unless you are on permanent back garden poo watch or are filming them like a pp you won't know for sure I guess.

londonrach · 22/04/2017 15:30

Another one who fed up of cats and their poo. They openly do it in front of you. I have never ever seen a cat cover it over yet. They pests and should be contained within their owners garden for their own safety. Every day on my local fb site another cat seems to have been run over. There be uproar if peoples dog s poohed in neighbours garden. Yes i know wildlife poo as well but thats different as its not a pet. In my road there are five cats within a short space. Thats alot of poo. (Puts on flame proof hat)

Op i found lemon juice and the sonic repeller worked well.

Helipad · 22/04/2017 17:27

Why cat owners never think that maybe it's them who should try to protect their own pets and not to make other people responsible? We have six cats in our immediate neighbourhood and they are pests. Right next door has two and the I once saw the NDN shooing his cat in anger when the cat was trying to do it's business in it's own garden. I guess he thought the cat should go and soil someone else's property Angry.

And it's always the same whine that are you sure it's not fox poo. Fox poo is very different, google it and it's clear if it's fox or cat. It's one thing if wildlife soils your garden but cat's aren't wildlife, they are domestic pets but for some reason are exempt from all the rules that apply to owning pets.

I've always loved cats but it's pisses me off that I'm supposed to indulge lazy pet owners, check my garages if their pet is missing or tolerate the shit by my front door.

WhooooAmI24601 · 22/04/2017 17:35

We've got 5 cats (DH is like the Pied Piper of the cat world) and I can confirm they absolutely do shit in the open if they fancy it. They also shit in veg patches, drains, the middle of the drive and once even on the DCs trampoline (which had to be fumigated because the cat's arse was possessed by demons at the time). They're cats; they'll shit wherever they damn well like.

We bought our neighbours (who we're friends with) a super soaker water gun to shoot the cats when they would hop over and shit in their raised beds. Didn't take too long for the cats to figure it out and the neighbours were grateful that we were trying to help them rather than ignore the problem. If the spikes aren't going to rip the cats to shreds, it seems like a solution that solves the problem. I love our cats but openly admit they can be absolute dicks when it comes to crapping, so good on the OP for not using anything that could potentially harm them.

QuackDuckQuack · 22/04/2017 17:44

We've got the high pitched sound deterrent things and they do work. You can tell when the batteries run out because the cats come back.

Excited101 · 22/04/2017 18:32

Not all cats do nice tidy covered up poos, DM's friend has 2 cats, one regularly poos on the lidded litter tray, and the other poos in the same room as the trays (most of the time) but on the floor.

halobean · 22/04/2017 18:43

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Chickydoo · 22/04/2017 19:03

Crickey! Spikes on a fence.
It's an outside space...it might be yours, but it sounds like you are a bit precious.
At the moment I am in a third world country, spending time with very ordinary but very poor people...A bit of cat poo would be the least of their worries. I think you might do well in just cleaning it away, other creatures, worms, birds, mice, rats, squirrels, foxes and God knows what else will be pooing in your garden, you just won't see it. At least you can see cat poo.

Daydream007 · 22/04/2017 20:03

Expect to be in serious trouble with the law if a cat gets seriously injured or dies as a results of your 'deterrent'. Go on the RSPCA website for further information. Your daughter would be traumatised to find a dead cat or seriously injured one whilst playing out in the garden. There are other ways of deterring.

ShatnersWig · 22/04/2017 20:06

You can clearly see half the people aren't bothering to read the whole thread to learn we're talking about PLASTIC spikes that will not cause physical harm or death to cats, merely discomfort to stop them doing it.

JapaneseTea · 22/04/2017 20:22

Cayenne pepper - bulk buy from eBay. Put it down every where the cat shits and also on the top of The fences, if you can. If no rain they get the message.

Cat owners- you are CHOOSING TO BUY a cat. No one makes you. It shits, it kills wildlife, it wastes the world's resources. It is pointless and disgusting to everyone else but you.

Ethylred · 22/04/2017 23:01

Attention cat lovers: Google toxoplasmosis.

Whizbang · 22/04/2017 23:19

As long as you don't hurt the cats, knock yourself out.

Fl0ellafunbags · 22/04/2017 23:25

I have never understood the cat thing. It's a creature that comes and goes at will, treats people with disdain, kills other animals for the laugh of it and shits all over the neighbourhood.
If I let my dog do that I'd be in the magistrate's court and he'd be getting the happy injection.

FreddieFlowerdew · 23/04/2017 00:22

I think it's disgusting and inhumane to even consider spikes Confused

ShatnersWig · 23/04/2017 00:23

Oh RTFT, Freddie

kali110 · 23/04/2017 02:49

Sonar, frease, lemon juice or the peel aound your fences. Some people have even purchased lion poo in pellets?
Plastic spikes are allowed as they won't injure.
Please don't use vicks or deep heat as advised as it could potentially kill the cat if it licked Angry how anyone could think this was ok is beyond me Hmm

charlestonchaplin not every cat will kill wildlife.
ShatnersWig 20?? Is it just certain states that have a limit on the amount of animals you can keep?
I feel so sorry for you, and those cats! All in a flat!
Was she a hoader?

TheFormidableMrsC · 23/04/2017 19:27

I am joining in here as good old Google threw up this thread. I have a cat, a rehomed one. He goes out at night only for a couple of hours but is in during the day. I cannot be sure he doesn't dump anywhere else obviously, but he does use his litter tray at least once a day which is cleared obviously.

I have just gone out to my garden to see that my nightmare neighbours have put spikes all along MY fence, not theirs, MINE without asking my permission or discussing it with me. I am absolutely sure that regardless of why, they have no right to nail things to my fence...!

Does anybody know the legalities of this, I am not very familiar with this type of law..

ItsOut · 23/04/2017 19:46

I have the solution. It works.

It's a Motion activated water jet. It's shoots water at the cat (or fox Hmm whenever they come close. The water and the noise scares them and they soon learn not to come in your garden.

I have a big garden and often have freshly dug borders but I have zero poo since using the motion activated water jets. They don't work at night and they shouldn't be used if there is a frost but even so the cats are so scared by getting squirted in the day time that they don't come in the garden at any other time.

The only problem with them is when you forget you gave them and end up walking in front of them. 💦💦💦 Blush. It's happened a lot, I'm a slow learner. 😂

ItsOut · 23/04/2017 19:49

These are the spikes I imagine the OP is thinking of. They won't hurt a cat.

SPike rods on fence to stop cats coming in?
TheFormidableMrsC · 23/04/2017 20:04

ItsOut yes the are the ones that have been fixed to my fence by my neighbour....I'd rather he'd had the courtesy to speak to me before nailing the fucking things to my property. I am fuming, and will be removing them and returning them!

BoneyBackJefferson · 23/04/2017 20:19

TheFormidableMrsC

Why remove them?

Yes he should have asked but if they are fixed properly they won't have damaged anything and it will hopefully prevent a worse relationship developing.

Also, are you sure that he knows that its your fence?

ItsOut · 23/04/2017 20:21

TheFormidableMrsC
If it's your fence then the neighbour is 100% NOT allowed to do anything to it - including attaching things to it. I'd try and deal with it nicely as it's generally more effective but if your neightbour refuses to take them off then you could. You would need to return them to him.

Incidently you aren't allowed to paint 'your' side of your Nieghbours fence either.