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Original poster

How to deter cat from pooing in our garden

58 replies

CatSolutions · 19/08/2022 16:19

For the last couple of weeks we've found random poos and pots have been knocked over in the garden. Today I spotted a cat. None of our direct neighbours have cats and we have quite high fences so I'm not sure how it's getting here but anyway. Never had one in the 5+ years we have lived here.

I don't mind cats as such but really don't want it doing its business in the garden! There is genuinely a poo smell in the garden now, found some poos covered in flies, and it's just gross.

We have two small DC crawling and toddling on the grass and have had a couple of near misses already.

It's so annoying, what can I do? I never wanted pets so I didn't have to deal with this crap (literally), let alone dealing with it for someone else's!

OP posts:
BobSacamono · 19/08/2022 19:27

And yes cats do poo on lawn, we had a regular culprit and thought it was over when he and his owners moved away. But other cats have tried their luck when the deterrent is out of battery.

BobSacamono · 19/08/2022 19:28

@Underscore21 think there is a link missing in your original post but suspect you are referring to the same thing!

Redsharks · 19/08/2022 19:31

Cinnamon keeps my neighbours cat away after weeks of trying other things last year!

Freddiefox · 19/08/2022 19:32

You need to make Friends with it, give it treats and make it welcome. It will soon more onto the next garden.

YorkshireLass2012 · 19/08/2022 19:35

You can buy motion sensor water sprinklers. Though I used a water gun this summer with great success. Got the cat square in the face just as it was trying to do its business again in my garden. Unintentionally. But it worked like a charm. It hasn’t been back since!’

TroysMammy · 19/08/2022 19:36

It must be annoying. My cat only toilets in my garden so I'm glad about that and if I see him pooing I use a doggie bag to remove it and then dispose of it in the household waste. He would never do it in the middle of the lawn as he would obviously be vulnerable.

Lovesgreen · 19/08/2022 19:57

We had this issue and tried a lot of things. The only thing that is still working 2 years later is an automatic cat scarer, emits a high pitch only the cat can hear. We looked at reviews and spent around £50 on a decent one but it has done the trick. The cat moved on to next doors garden so he had to get one as well!

Peashoots · 19/08/2022 20:00

I had this problem with my own cats!! Preferred my flower beds to their litter tray 🙄
I snapped wooden skewers and poked them into the soil so there were “spikes” and they couldn’t squat. Needed loads of them so no big gaps, Can hardly see them among the plants though and I haven’t had a problem since.

WestIsWest · 19/08/2022 20:05

Fishing wire suspended along the fence and gate, so they can’t climb over. Works brilliantly.

PumpkinGhoul · 19/08/2022 20:07

I have this issue as well it drives me insane.
I have a cat but he's an indoor cat so I clean up his mess don't have him out shitting in other peoples gardens etc.
But like you op I have two small children and I have to do a quick sweep of the garden before they go out.
My parents have those noise repellent things useless apparently doesn't stop the cats coming in.

I usually try and scare off one neighbours cat who likes to torment mine and I think is the one shitting in our garden but can't be certain as there's so many cats about 🤦🏻‍♀️

LunchBoxPolice · 19/08/2022 20:11

Chilli powder worked for us.

tedgran · 19/08/2022 20:15

Put citronella oil in with the water, pump action water pistols are best!

ThreeRingCircus · 19/08/2022 20:39

Coffee grounds sprinkled around have definitely helped and spraying water at them with the hosepipe if I see them.

TroysMammy · 19/08/2022 21:10

@Peashoots Nice. So your cats now shit in someone else's garden?

Underscore21 · 19/08/2022 21:17

www.argos.co.uk/product/9219139

Yes it's this kind of thing. It worked very well. I wasn't ever sure if it was cat or fox or wood pigeon poo but anyway, this sorted it out.

TokenGinger · 19/08/2022 21:22

We had this problem just as we got our new garden done! We tried one of those high frequency noise machines which did naff all except bother us. Then we got a motion detector sprinkler which didn't help either. Then I read about citrus smells. I sprayed all of our stones with this spray that was child safe and I think it did the trick. I didn't see any poo after that, but I can't rule out DP having done something else I'm unaware of as he was really annoyed at it! He kept threatening to get a BB gun

Watermelonsugarhighlove · 19/08/2022 21:30

I can vouch that cats do poo in the middle of lawns watched next door cat do it

Original poster
CatSolutions · 19/08/2022 21:33

Ohh I like the idea of a repellent if a few of you had success. I feel like should identify the owners and ask them to pay for it though, ah!!

When we first found poo I did tell DH that it was probably a fox, but now I've seen a cat it seems too much of a coincidence. DH has now told me he had already seen the cat the other night too so he's definitely been around a few times.

I must be naive but I had no idea they could jump up such a high fence, I'm impressed and annoyed in equal measure.

I thought i would get slated by all pet lovers, but I'm glad even pet owners agree it's bloody annoying.

OP posts:
userxx · 19/08/2022 21:34

Shoot it ?

I'm joking, I'm forever fishing cat shit out of my beds, fucking things.

Thesefeetaremadeforwalking · 19/08/2022 21:38

@WestIsWest Fishing wire suspended along the fence and gate, so they can’t climb over. Works brilliantly.

Please do not do this, cats (and birds) could get tangled up in this and get choked.

This is better;

www.amazon.co.uk/Medipaq-Garden-Scare-Reflective-Marble/dp/B00UVLMNIK/ref=asc_df_B00UVLMNIK/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309904185356&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15047576356653656481&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006727&hvtargid=pla-736723352115&psc=1

Original poster
CatSolutions · 19/08/2022 21:44

@Thesefeetaremadeforwalking I love the look of these! Do they work?

@TokenGinger do you have a link to the kid safe spray?

For those who mentioned chilli powder or cinammon, how much would I need to use? Just randomly sprinkle over the lawn?

OP posts:
SaintHelena · 19/08/2022 21:48

I would put loose garden netting on the top of the fence. For people saying cats get caught in it - well they manage to avoid the thousands of acres of garden covered by netting, I'm sure they can avoid the stuff on the fence.

tryharder100000000 · 19/08/2022 21:51

Cayenne pepper + water gun (nerf) + sticks in the ground works for us.

Cats Aren’t a native species and destroy much native wildlife.

OverlySensitive · 19/08/2022 22:04

Sorry another vote for Silent Roar, it really works and is a good deterrent.

Purplebunnie · 19/08/2022 22:10

TwoBlueFish · 19/08/2022 19:07

are you sure it’s cat poo? Cats don’t normally poo in the middle of lawns. We’ve had a fox poo in the middle of our lawn.

spraying with water is probably your best bet if it is cats.

Can testify that cats do poo in the middle of the lawn, caught our neighbours cat in erm the act a couple of times.

He never used to do this when our old cat was alive, but since she's gone he did come in regularly and our two young male cats don't see him off.

Not seen any recently so maybe (hopefully) he's found somewhere else