To put spikes on my fence!

[IgnoranceNotOk]

Next door’s cat is driving us mad. It’s using our garden constantly as it’s toilet!

We’ve tried chasing it away, when we see it. And I’ve got a spray bottle of citronella and white vinegar I’ve been spraying around the garden (and would love to spray the cat!).

So I’ve seen little plastic strips of spikes you can put on the top of the fence (it’s our fence) and I was wondering what others think about putting them up? I know it’ll look horrible but hopefully it won’t be forever and will put the cat off and then it’ll get in the habit of going somewhere else.

AIBU?

I have always LOVED my cats. (Got one left now.) But yep, other peoples cats are a PITA! I get 3 or 4 cats coming into my garden, just wandering about, pissing and shitting over our garden, and even bullying and taunting my cats. My lovely shy old tabby (16 now) used to have a favourite spot in the side garden under some thick heather where she would lie in the sun, but this bloody neighbourhood pest has bullied her out of it. Sits there bold as brass, in HER territory! Frequently chases her back in through the catflap, and we have even caught him eating her food. (In our kitchen!)

Now she won't go outside unless me or DH are out there. I feel so sad for her. I put a post on my local facebook group asking 'who does this cat belong to because he is coming into my garden peeing and dumping waste on my lawn, and coming into my HOUSE, scaring and dominating MY cat, and coming through the catflap, and eating MY cats food.' NO-ONE admitted to it being their cat. He did disappear for a couple of weeks though, but then started coming back. I have had to lock up the catflap now, and put a fucking litter in the kitchen for MY cat.

Nuisance cats are usually the male ones. As male cats wander a lot more - they are more likely to be the ones who wander too far and go missing for days on end too/get killed by a car. They are also more dominant and aggressive than female cats. The female ones are more homely and gentle IME. I have always had female cats.

I have tried to shoo the cats away and spray water near them, etc, but the little fuckers keep coming back! Here's a few ideas from the RSPCA @IgnoranceNotOk because as people have said, the spikes on the fence are not only quite dangerous, but also probably won't stop cats anyway. They're cunning and canny and will defeat you! The best idea of these (IMO) is a water spray that goes off with any movement. Good luck. Unwanted cats are a bloody nuisance, even if you have cats yourself, because as I said, they dominate and bully your own cats!!! I will probably get one myself to keep the neighbourhood cats away from my little cat.

RSPCA advice to combat unwanted neighbourhood cats.

Cat deterrents for your garden. If a neighbourhood cat is disturbing your garden, there are ways to deter them humanely:

• Don't offer cats food, as they're more likely to return.
• Plant shrubs closely, grow prickly plants or use small pebbles or chippings to make it difficult for cats to dig.
• Keep flowerbeds watered, as some cats don't like wet earth.
• Shoo them away by shouting or clapping.
• Install an automatic spray that detects movement.
• Make it difficult to enter the garden with high, close-boarded fences.
• Ask the owner if the cat is neutered and ask them to ensure there's a suitable toilet area in their own garden.

I think it’s only reasonable to do this if they were pooping in your garden at the time.

I don't mind the foxes.

Cats however....

I am the crazy woman chasing a cat and hissing over the fence at it so it may come to this - they’re welcome to spray me then!

Spray the cat when you see it. Get the hottest chilli powder you can and sprinkle it all over the garden. Really thick where they like to go to the toilet. We had 3 of the neighbours cats next door using our garden as a toilet. With a young DC it is not great. Saw a tip to sprinkle really hot chilli powder everywhere and it worked a treat. Buy the big 1kg bags that you can buy at the Asian shops. We also squirted the cats with the hose every time they ventured over. Took a couple of weeks.

Why would you do that?

If my neighbours told me my cat was shitting in their garden I'd be hugely apologetic and go round and clean it up. I'd buy them a water pistol!

My cat hates pooping in her litter tray so I've created a patch in my garden for her to use and I clean and maintain it.
My cat = my responsibility.

I choose to have a cat - why should anyone else but me have to deal with her shit?

Have you contemplated collecting a week’s worth of cat shit and posting it through each Neighbour’s door?

Cayenne or chilli mixed in a water pistol. I promise you they will not come back.

Cats are a bloody antisocial nuisance and they do get squirted with water in my garden. We’ve got a woman, a few doors down, who has six. If she wants to come round to have a moan at us squirting her cats, then she will be handed a bag and sent to clear up her cats’ shitty mess.

For those of you that have successfully used cayenne peppier as a deterrent, does it damage the grass / plants? Will it deter foxes too?
I’m at a total loss of what to do about the amount of cat / fox poo in our garden. We can’t shut them out (live rurally our garden is open), so I’m looking for a good deterrent. Already tried the sonic devices which haven’t worked (plus the last set we bought filled with water and then stopped working, so that was a waste of £40!) I’m tempted by the devices that spray water as I do try and spray them with a water pistol when I’m home and I see them.

If you put up catproof fencing it should stop all but the most agile cat getting in , probably worthwhile if you are going to be in the house for a while .

And if you sprayed me with water I'd throw a brick through your window.

See how saying silly things just escalates..?

Spraying a person with water in retaliation for them spraying your cat when it's shitting in their garden would very likely end up with you in a lot of trouble, one way or another.

You can prevent it by stopping your cat from entering their garden.

When I had a small garden with some wasteland at the bottom, my cat, in the way of cats, decided to use the gardens on either side as toilets. I sprayed the tops of the walls with cat repellant, but I also told the neighbours that it was fine to throw water at the cat or spray it with water as long as it was only water. It sounds cruel, but it does the cat no harm and does deter them. In the end, I gave my cat an indoor litter tray as well, and along with the repellent and the water, it did solve the problem.

More and more these days, I am favouring the idea of indoor cats as long as there is plenty to entertain them inside. They are so destructive to wildlife. Mine is too old now to hunt, but if I get another one, I will bring it up as an indoor cat. My brother in Australia, took in a stray in need of a home. Where he is, outdoor cats are not allowed and are routinely shot, because of the damage they do to wildlife. It's also dangerous for them as there are a lot of venemous snakes. His cat has settled in well to living indoors.

We tried this and apparently you have to put a sign on both sides of the fence to inform people that there are spikes.
We have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier too. Neither stopped the cats crappng in our garden.
However, we now also have a big German Shepherd and the cats don’t seem to come in our garden anymore. It’s a drastic measure though. Have you tried tiger/lion poo? You can but that online I believe.
Hopefully we can grow veg this year as previously the cat crap put us off. Yes I know manure goes on veg patches but not from meat eaters. Gone off on a bit of a rant, sorry.

Try the noise deterrent thingies. They can’t be behind anything and batteries periodically need replacing but they worked well for us.

https://www.primrose.co.uk/pestbyer-twin-pack-battery-operated-ultrasonic-cat-repeller?source=google&medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnrOtBhDIARIsAFsSe53me7N0Jiz_TPSm_iPnBa7FJ_AJwuha0p2W7wS3ixXSRe100keD390aAog2EALw_wcB

@IgnoranceNotOk I'd try what Tilly suggested!!

@Tilllly

Id definitely start with this option!!

harmless, cheap & no risk to the cats either

(yes I know there's the possibility that the cats shouldn't eat them, but that's the risk you take when you let cats out)

cat lived, cat owner of cats on restricted diets)

Maybe but what if I then replace cats and poo for rats?

Maybe but what if I then replace cats and poo for rats?

I was thinking that the cat treats would just attract rodents! You'd welcome the cats back then

Don't be ridiculous. Water doesn't hurt cats, but it can do a good job of keeping them away. I have given my neighbours permission to do this to my cat if she's causing a nuisnace.

Cat owner here. My former next door neighbour hated cats and took it upon himself to install spikes on my fence. My cat still walked along the fence. I would spray the cat with water every time it comes in. It won't do it any harm but it will learn not to trespass.

Get a dog, the cats won't dare come in the garden then. Worked a treat for us.

I put carpet gripper strips all along the tops of my fence. Cats and burglars dislike it.

I’ve just seen this idea. Think it’s to keep your own cats in but it might be wobbly enough for them not to want to go over it?

Wondering if I’m going to make my garden look awful at this rate but I guess that’s better than worrying about my kids playing in cat poo!

That is what I mentioned upthread - cat proofing your own garden .