Best cat detterant?

[Heartbeep]

Our neighbours cats keep pooing in our garden. It's quite a small garden, high fence round all sides, we've done a lot of work in it last year & are really looking forward to being able to get use out of it this year. We have a toddler so really really can't tolerate it. They poo on the grass & sit in my raised planter (veggies).

We have water guns at the ready, getting lions roar for the front where our toddler doesn't really play. Thought about spikes for fence, do they work? Any other suggestions that work (apart from get a cat-can't stand them, I'm allergic anyway).

No cat sob stories please, I like animals (I don't eat them!), but can't abide other people's attitudes towards unacceptable pet behaviour, including cat poo in my lovely child friendly garden.

many thanks.

[ameliaesmith]

Sorry for digging up an old thread but my DS plays out in our garden every day (even in winter) and recently we have had cats visiting and pooping everwhere, anyone know of an actual effective cat deterrent that works? Have looked at a few but not sure, I'm sick of runnign round the garden twice a day to check for poo before DS plays out

[Deux]

What about painting the tops of your fence with anti climb paint? Assuming it's not toxic. Not sure if a non toxic version exists. Would you care if it was?

It's a legitimate thing to do to deter intruders.

This was suggested to me by a policeman.

Also in beds, I cut up bamboo canes with a 45 degree angle and put them in the soil. They can't squat down lest they be impaled. I make sure i push them in quite deep into the soil so they can't dig them out.

If i do find any deposits i flush the area with a water/dettol mix.

[naturesway]

Sorry about predictive text.

[naturesway]

I Feed the birds and have plenty of shelter for then in my garden. Out neighbours cat soon realised it wasn't welcome when I wrapped mesh round the trunks of trees and shrubs. The 4 dogs helped. But in the last few days a new cat has started visiting. I woke this morning to my rubbish bags torn open. Yes it is s cat as my husband saw it last night. We sprayed the bags but it obviously can back later to finish the job. Yes I have digs and clean up after them everything but cat poo if different. They do it anywhere they want (my dogs poo in the same place). I also have children. I am not spending loads on deterring someone else's pet. Nature's way will do - they can deal with the dogs. They haven't caught a cat yet and I hope they don't but it is their yard (and mine).

[Cathy65]

I found this discussion searching the web for advice on cat repellents, with 52 posts there' some great info here! But it is a bit confusing, lots of opinions.

I have already tried all, or almost all of the natural remedies, but the cats still came in and poo'd on my grass and red chips regular. I am really thinking about trying one of those cat repellents, but they are a little pricey - has anyone any experience of them?

[Heartbeep]

Good advice sparkle & Bienchen thanks. Actually my work colleague who has a cat also suggested orange peel, he said their cat hates it.

[SpiffingWeatherForDucks]

Oh amelia you sound so bitter! I consider myself neither lazy nor irresponsible. I am a pet owner who knows that my pets have a fuller happier life by being allowed outdoors. I cannot control where they poo as I also can't control the deer who eat our apples, badgers who dig up my bulbs and foxes that poo in our garden.

Heart beep - you seem to have ignored the fact that I also offered useful advice. You obviously know that cat owners can't control where their cats poo so yes I was laughing at your comments. As much as you don't want cat poo in your garden I don't think cats should be only kept indoors because of this fact, your garden will be covered in rat, mice, bird, fox and even insect excrement because it is OUTSIDE and therefore never dirt or germ free.

Anyway as I said in my last post I do hope the sonic thingy keeps working as I also agreed it is a pain in the arse having animals poo in your garden. At least it has stopped one variety doing it. Good luck with the rest of your pg

[Bienchen]

Yay to fuchsia prunings! Luckily one of my clients has a massive fuchsia which I pruned two weeks ago and used at the local primary school. So for the first time ever the daylilies outside the school stand tall and proud because the cats have not flattened them by crouching and excreting. It is not the most attractive feature but over time the foliage hides most the the thick stems. And we may have flowers by June.

[ameliagrey]

Spiffing so why is it that some cats use litter trays? eg cats who live in flats or who don't have access to the outdoors?

IMO it's lazy, irresponsible cat owners who are to blame because they don't have to suffer cat poo in their own gardens.

[Heartbeep]

spiffing that's quite a hearty laugh, rather condescending actually. I don't give a cats shit whether you like cats more than dogs, the thread isn't about that.

I don't want cat shit in my garden why should I have to clean up after someone else's 'pet'. That's not something I can laugh about when I'm pregnant and have a toddler.

Perhaps if I sent DH round to shit in your garden you might laugh a little less heartily.

All of that said I am hopeful the offending shitter has done a bunk or has been deterred.

Thanks to those who offered useful advice, it is very much appreciated.

[ameliagrey]

Toddlers very often live quite peacefully & healthfully with cats, so I just questioned whether they are that incompatible. Ragged yes but the point is that the toddlers' cats will poo in someone else's garden- not their own!

We have a sonic mains powered cat scarer which works but not with one deaf cat.

Last year they ruined a veg plot covered with netting by sitting onthe netting then when it rained the poo leeched into the compost- so I didn't grow any veg.

If any cat owners are reading- why don't you all get cat litters and train your cats?

Would you like your neighbours to poo in your garden?

I don't know what works TBH- I get very cross at having to buy anti-cat paraphanalia just so i can grow veg and garden in a poo free garden.

[SpiffingWeatherForDucks]

Heartbeat - I do feel for you but LOLOLOLOLOL at the idea that cat owners should in someway control their cats pooing venues. Cats do what they want when they want unlike the slathering sycophantic idiots that are dogs.
We have a raised bed that our cats always look longingly at but I net it and put sharp sticks in it to keep the cats out.
Ignore the lovely but slightly deluded poster who worried that cats don't understand sharp sticks - they climb trees, kill rats/birds/rabbits a sharp stick is not going spear them in the bum because they don't notice it.
Hopefully your sonic thing still works but other than that a pint of water chucked over them every time you see them should should do the trick (super soakers aren't good enough, you need to drench them).

Cats poo is a giant pain but i'd rather that than have to deal with a loud barky dog next door.

[Heartbeep]

I've not been on the thread for ages thanks for all the advice. We bought one of the sonar devices (@£15 from eBay) put it in the garden last Saturday & haven't seen signs of any cats all week.

Coincidentally we saw our neighbour on the Sunday who asked if we had seen one of her cats as he'd been missing for a few days! Just glad it had vanished before we installed the device or we'd be thinking it was our fault (DH would've been too triumphant for words had that been the case). So either the device works or the offending animal has gone.

Interesting that she's taking an interest in her cats whereabouts now, shame she didn't give a cats poo before...

[Lifeissweet]

I've just come on here expressly to ask the same question. I've just gone outside to find one of the 3 cats that frequent my garden in the act on a patch of ground where I planted some bulbs about 6 weeks ago. The bulbs have started to come up, but are now all dug up all over the place. I've tried planting them back, but not sure how they'll get on - or how long before they're all clawed up again and pooed on.

Gah! I love cats, but I do wish they'd do the do somewhere else.

I think I'll get DS a supersoaker. He'd enjoy that (until the novelty wears off)

[cathers]

I have found the most effective and economical deterant to be a big bag of hot chilli powder from lido or an Indian supermarket!
I then sprinkle it, especially where the cats seem to enter and exit my garden, and where they poo. They hate it and seems to work a treat.

[gardeninggal]

I use, used ground coffee. Ok it smells quite strong to begin with but it seems to keep the felines off the garden. To get lots of grounds I go to my local coffee shop and recycle their used grounds. They are more than happy to get rid of them.:)

[plipplops]

Human urine works pretty well. It's a bit gross but at least it's free! My sister used to have a dedicated jug in the toilet that her and her husband would wee in to spread over the garden. I used to do the same, or just send DH out in the dark when he had to go! We also had a noisy repeller thing - you could hear it but it was a small price to pay, I used to switch it on and off periodically. If you can get rid of them for a bit (throw every idea you've got at it), then they do find somewhere else to go and it seems to break the habit. Cat (and dog) poo is THE MOST disgusting thing ever and it's so horrible to feel you can't let your kids out in their own garden. Really good luck :)

[MyDogShitsShoes]

I have to be honest, my advice was flippant and useless

My nn certainly isn't a red herring but I also have 2 cats!

4 legs good, 2 legs bad

[SparkyUK]

I have two problems

1. My DH is a cat lover and refuses to think they do any harm or that their poo is toxic. thinks I am getting cross because I am not particularily fond of cats
   
2. We have cats and foxes so foxes get the blame for everything. We have all seen numerous neighborhood cats milling about and caught them in the act more than a few times, but it is still the foxes who get the blame.
   

Obviously an air rifle won't work on DH, so how can I convince him that this is a problem we need to deal with? Also, what two pronged approaches for the cats and the foxes? And, DH deals with the poo and just digs it into the dirt - is that good enough?

[Hepsibaaah]

air rifle
A bloody great water gun and a bit of time. That plus my terrier

[Bienchen]

Fluffy, the spikes are fine. They are made from pointy plastic and are uncomfortable to walk on but will not pierce the skin. The idea was to train the cat to not jump off the fence onto our outside dining table before they run across the raised beds and then over the trellis on the wall on their way home.

I have probably spent more than £100 with the cat scarer, spikes and netting for two raised beds alone and am full of sympathy with others. I am also a prefessional gardener, so come across more cat shit in my professional life, too. Some of my clients are very upset by the damage, stink and extra expense they have to fork out for.

I have also had my tulip bed destroyed by cats, they have completely flattened the foliage and flowers. The owner of these cats that pester us does not have a cat flap. She turfs the three cats out in the morning (whatever the weather) and lets them back in at night. She has cats "because they are less work than a dog" (her words not mine).

I for got to mention Silent Roar (another tenner a box), it helps with some cats, you only need to apply a few bits and lasts about a month. As with all the other suggestions, you need to remove the cat poo first for it to work best.

[SecretSquirrels]

I bought some powder cat repellent and sprinkled it in the affected area. It smells disgusting actually worse than cat poo. Weeks later I can still smell it when I'm out there.
This is my cat as well.
What did work was covering up the area he was using with thick cardboard and making a special area for him to use with used cat litter spread on top.
In the past I've found that spiky branches work (pyracantha is good).