Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To use a cat scarer

43 replies

neeenor · 16/10/2021 08:43

So my question in short is, AIBU / will my neighbours hate me if I use one of those ultrasonic car scarers in my front garden?

Here's the situation

I want to start by saying that I love cats, and had my own until I lost him a couple of years ago. I only didn't get another as I was expecting my now nearly 2 year old DS and I thought a kitten / new cat and a very young child wasn't a great idea.

Anyway we now have an issue whereby a (or several) of the neighbourhood cats are using our front lawn and driveway as a toilet and it's covered in cat poo daily.

Aside from it being gross and the walkway to our front door it's obviously a risk with a young toddler and I'm constantly having to micromanage him into the house to avoid it. We obviously clean it up.

The day is going to come where I've got my hands full and DS runs off to play on the lawn (I've always let him) and I can't grab him in time and he stands in it or worse.

The only solution I can think of is to get one of those cat scarer devices to stop them but I'm worried the neighbours will think I'm a total cat hating dickhead.

I wouldn't like to use a spray or anything incase the cat (or our dog) ate it as I wouldn't want to risk any harm.

I've thought about another cat (presume our old boy kept other cats at a distance) but to be honest our dog is elderly and health is starting to decline, I've got an active 1 year old, I work full time as does DH and I don't think a new pet is right for our family at the moment.

Thoughts?

Any other suggestions also welcome. Have no issues with the cats in general just their poo!

OP posts:

OneTC · 16/10/2021 08:46

They are super fucking annoying for many people and a pretty indiscriminate weapon.

shouldistop · 16/10/2021 08:47

Your toddler would probably be able to hear it so I wouldn't.

ToManderleyAgain · 16/10/2021 08:51

I imagine it would act as a deterrent to your DS as well unless you can turn it off easily? I personally wouldn’t as I think they’re more unpleasant than cat mess, but have no suggestions for an alternative I’m afraid.

ToManderleyAgain · 16/10/2021 08:52

Could you create a sacrificial flower bed that is more appealing to the cats than your lawn and driveway?

Freddiefox · 16/10/2021 08:52

Feed the cats, make them think it’s their home, then they will poo elsewhere

Mumdiva99 · 16/10/2021 08:55

Add some dilute bleach to water and wash the paths.

Yes to cat scarer. But....it might upset your toddler. They do have off buttons so you can switch it on when you aren't there. You only need to use it long enough for the cats to find somewhere else to go.

butterflymum · 16/10/2021 08:56

You may find that whilst you yourself won't hear it, as they are inaudible to most humans, the cats and, potentially, your child will. The sound is high pitched, and as such your child and others nearby, may hear it as a horrible noise.

Iamacatslave · 16/10/2021 08:58

Get another cat 😻

SoupDragon · 16/10/2021 09:00

@shouldistop

Your toddler would probably be able to hear it so I wouldn't.

This!

GoodnightGrandma · 16/10/2021 09:01

Our neighbours have two scarers. The cats walk past them and sit under their cars !

SoupDragon · 16/10/2021 09:03

@Freddiefox

Feed the cats, make them think it’s their home, then they will poo elsewhere

Don't do this.

TroysMammy · 16/10/2021 09:03

Do you mean the ones which work on detecting movement and send out a spray of water? I've got one and set it up at night in the winter when my cat is inside to stop the local moggies using my empty veg beds as litter trays.

MrzClaus · 16/10/2021 09:04

Being honest - they don't always work! Our old neighbours had one, cats would happily sit in the garden still. And it meant anyone who walked past the property was met with a high pitched noise, it was more annoying for people than cats!

GoodnightGrandma · 16/10/2021 09:05

We had a cat pooing in a certain spot on our lawn, so I removed it and smudged one of our dog poos there. Had to do it twice, but it’s stopped now.

RedCarsGoFaster · 16/10/2021 09:05

Please don't. I'm 40 and they hurt me. Your toddler will be in pain too.

ThirdElephant · 16/10/2021 09:05

We used to pass a house with these on the way to the park- awful high-pitched intermittent beeping. If I'd have lived next door I'd have hated it and had to have said something. I'd not have been able to sit in my garden.

InTheLabyrinth · 16/10/2021 09:07

If you mean the ultrasonic ones, go for it, but please make sure it isnt triggered by pedestrians walking along the pavement ie direct it from the edge of your property towards your house, not from your house outwards. There is a road we cant walk along now, as my (10 and 12yr old) kids cannot stand the sound emitted as we walk past one particular house on the other side of the road. They dont like, but can bare, the one round the corner from us thankfully.

Aqua55 · 16/10/2021 09:07

@Freddiefox

Feed the cats, make them think it’s their home, then they will poo elsewhere

Worst idea ever

SoupDragon · 16/10/2021 09:09

Do you mean the ones which work on detecting movement and send out a spray of water?

Not sure the postie would be impressed with that on the front path 😂

Snailhaterz2 · 16/10/2021 09:09

Please don't. Someone who's house backs onto mine has one (can't work out which house) and I can hear it whenever I'm in the garden - it really spoils my enjoyment of the space. I'd favour setting up an automatic water sprayer thingy, which comes on at random times - the cats will get soaked a few times and get deterred. An easier alternative (but you probably don't have time for this) is a supersoaker waterpistol kept near the window - whenever you see a cat, open the window and attack!

Watchingyou2sleezes · 16/10/2021 09:09

You can get motion activated ones, how good they are I don't know.
When I did have neighbours I had the same problem and I found it quite satisfying to set there with a large water gun like some kind of demented Elma Thudd waiting to spray the bastards. You might find a motion activated sprinkler easier

Blushingviolets · 16/10/2021 09:12

For the poos in the grass I’d consider letting your dog toilet on the area for a few weeks and then every so often as that’s likely to put them off. We had issues with cats using our flower beds when we first moved to our house and the thing that worked for me was cloves! I crushed them a bit first and then scattered (a lot of) them over the flower beds.

Skysblue · 16/10/2021 09:14

Wow how annoying that’s unlucky. Is your driveway gravel? Cats loooove to poo in gravel. One option might be to swap the gravel for something larger like pebbles. Anyway…

Yabu to consider an ultrasonic one, that’s unfair to children neighbours passers by etc and the cats will probably decide that they’re willing to put up with the noise for a quick poo.

Yanbu to get something that sprays water at them.

MoreThanAnOffDay · 16/10/2021 09:15

Sprinkle pepper down. I did that. Worked a treat.

fluffedup · 16/10/2021 09:15

I think there's one that's recommended by the RSPB that works only on cats so does not affect humans, even young ones, or birds or dogs or other animals.

That sounds impossible though - I keep meaning to start a thread on here to ask if anyone has tried one. But they are expensive which is why I have temporarily shelved the idea of getting one.

I want to protect the wildlife in my garden from cats so it would be pointless to get a scarer that affects them too.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread