Anyone know how to deter cats from pooing in the garden?

[goandshowdaddy]

Morning.

We keep finding piles of poo in our garden (on the grass) and are getting really fed up of clearing it all before we can let the children play down there. We're presuming it's cat poo but I suppose it could be foxes - not sure.

Anyone have any tips on how to stop them using our garden as their own private toilet?!

Thanks

Buy a supersoaker water pistol and spray them everytime you see them. It will deter them from entering your garden if youm are persistent. We did it with stays that were terrorising our own cat. It's not cruel and it is effective.

Apparently they do not like the scent of citrus. We saved up lots of used lemons and orange peel and scattered it around. It seemed to work and did not require any expense. It made the cat "move on". Fox poo absolutely STINKS and it black and just a mess. At least cats produce a propper turd (grin) You could try putting some lemon juice into a garden spray and using it at random. Vinegar would probably have the same effect. Good luck, would be interested to know how you get on.

Thanks.

Crystalglasses, we never see them doing it so must be overnight or when we're out - sneaky buggers.

Driftwood - yep must be cats then - definite turd shape!! Great, will try the lemon idea and let you know how we get on, thanks.

I have small pebbly stones in front garden and the cats treat it like a toilet.

Got so fed up I sprinkled mouse killer pellets all over. No cats since, they just don't like the aroma it gives off. Although, as it's in the back garden and your DCs play there would not advise.

Try coffee granules, been told that works.

Human wee seems to put them off - DH has never needed that much encouragement to go in the garden, and my sister has a special jug they keep in the loo for them to wee in so they can spread it over the flowerbeds! We had loads of poo in our garden which I couldn't stand as my DDs like to play in the mud, and I hardly ever see any now. It's free too!

Cats are territorial and neat. They will not mess in their own "home" nor in a garden that is home to another cat. However they will have no respect for uninhabited wasetland that is no cat's home.

If you get your own cat, it will naturally tend to be neat and you can encourage it to bury its poo in a convenient area of loose earth, and it will also keep other cats out of its garden.

If youy don't like cats or can't get your own, befriend a fit large, confident young cat from a neighbour, and make it feel at home in your garden to get the same results. You haven't got to feed it if you can be friendly to it.

You can also get these things that emit a horrible noise that only cats can hear but they cost about £30 each and you may need more than one.

I have had an ongoing battle with the crowds of neighbourhood cats using my garden as their litter tray. The only thing I have found that permanently works is chicken wire but that is not great on a lawn.

Things which have temporarily worked with varying results and are worth a try are: coffee (you can put used grounds down), citrus (but you have to keep replenishing it and I don't eat enough fruit) and 'get off' cat crystals. The next door neighbours tried lion dung crystals wiht minimal success but some people swear by them. I think the cats round here are just a bit hardcore and ignore all attempts to get rid of them.

I have never had evil thoughts towards animals (apart from mosquitoes) but the cat poo drives me truly insane!

I've used the lion wee granules and they worked well but it got expensive

Coffee grounds are good but most successful thing was growing lots of lavender and Rosemary - cats can't stand smell apparently. Conveniently they also deter slugs

Could be hedgehog poo on the grass.

I also have this problem - our fox/cat has done enormous poos on the foot of the slide, and even on my son's new basketball.

I wouldnt mind getting a cat but dh says no way.
will try the coffee grounds/lemon stuff...am desperate for anything to work to be honest, we have a big garden, and the neighbours have chickens so think they attract loads of predators through the nights..

ok, have just liberally covered the area of maximum crap with 1/2 bottle cheap vinegar and juice of 1/2 lemon. was quite fun to do.

Leave a plastic snake (or a couple) out there, it's supposed to help

Moth balls are an excellent deterrent, crunch them up and scatter, cats abhor the strong scent!

"enormous poos on the foot of the slide, and even on my son's new basketball."

sounds more like foxes territroeak marking, especially if it is black and shapeless.

foxes try to avoid large aggressive carnivores, so give your husband a steak and encourage him to wee around the garden. Repeat after rain.

territoreal I mean.

Sorry if this comes out wrong but how long is your grass at present? Over the winter I get a lot of cat poo in the garden but when I keep the grass short I don't find any, they dont seem to like short grass one bit. A few inches long however, seems to be fine by cat's standards. So long as I mow mine on a reg basis it's ok

we've got cats, have had a dog and still get other cats pooing in our garden, our cats tend to go out there too (unless it's raining or snowing!) but do have a litter tray indoors

I've found the best thing to keep them out of the flower beds is wooden kebab squewers (sp?) sticking upwards in the gaps between plants. We don't really get any on the lawn (no foxes or hedgehogs here).

If you spread man wee over the garden, doesn't it smell bad? (to people as well as cats!)

I think a light sprinkjle will do, rather than a heavy drenching. I believe dogs' noses are thousands of times more sensitive than humans, and I suppose wild foxes sniff round to see if an area is safe. When I tried it, I scent-marked round the side gate and edges of the patio, and it seemed to keep the fox away from the house.

Think "dog and lamp-post" for marking your territory.

pigletjohn - thanks for that!!

bumpybecky - dont fall over and skewer yourself in your flowers, for heavens sakes!

so is it likelier to be a fox then? the poos are black and large, bit shapeless, or small and dark. they tend to be round the paths/ patio/washing line.
maximum annoyance.
Havent seen any since the lemon throwing, will ask dh if he needs a wee tonight! he prob. wont though, he'll think Im bonkers (and he's a touch prissy about wee )

the (fox) poos have been worse lately, as we dogsat my aunts 2 small dogs for 2weeks, so the fox could be re-marking the area?

You could try planting some coleus canina. I noticed it in the garden centre recently. It stuck in my mind because it had cartoon cats all over the container with the words "VERPISS-DICH!!!" (german for "piss off") and I had a very childish giggle to myself :)

black and shapeless is fox. They also mark in conspicuous area, like on top of things or in the middle of a path.

with a bit of practice you will recognise the smell of a fox.

it doesnt smell at all < although i am bunged up with hayfever>
nxt time Im in the garden centre will have a browse.
he hasnt been back since the lemoning.. left 1/2 lemon out there too

I'm thrilled to find this thread, I came on here to post with exactly the same issue so will try all the coffee and citrus tips (we get through lots of both). V interested to read about rosemary, as a new favourite pooing place is by my rosemary bush that died in the snow this winter, so will make sure I replace that quickly. Thanks everyone!