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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Not so much dogs as cats...

16 replies

BelieveInLife · 02/05/2011 14:03

Not really a problem with my dogs, more the neighbours new cats...they keep coming over the wall and sitting there taunting my dogs in the superior way that only cats can do. Sends my two boys beserk and lots of barking and jumping up on garden furniture ensues. They are not normally noisy dogs but now they are waking my toddler up from his naps/early evening sleep if they are outside when this happens.

The solution at the moment is to tell them no and bring them indoors but it doesn't seem fair - it's their garden, not the cats.

Plus, the cats are pooing in our garden overnight. This is what I hate about cats - they never s* in their own back yard.

So really what I want to know is, is there a way to keep the cats away? Something nasty I can spray on the wall or in our garden?

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
NulliusInVerba · 02/05/2011 14:14

Ha ha, Cats - 1, Doggies -0 Grin

Really, you cant be spraying stuff in your garden, the cats are not hurting anyone.

What you can get, or attempt yourself, is a cat protection system. It works like drainpipes along the edge of fences and walls, and keeps your cats in or other cats out. Trying to remember what its called, Cat safe or something. Google it.

ellangirl · 02/05/2011 17:22

Sounds very sensible of the cats- I wouldn't shit in my own back yard either Grin To be perfectly honest, cats do what the hell they like,and any anti cat measures would be expensive. It would be easier to train your dogs to ignore cats I think!

Original poster
BelieveInLife · 02/05/2011 18:14

Thanks, I'll have a look.

Will try and train dogs to ignore the cats but may be easier said than done! Having cat poo in my garden is the bigger problem, I really object to it. I've got 2 under 2 using the garden daily and my dogs don't poo in the garden so I don't expect to have to monitor my garden for someone else's pets poo but I know that's the way cats are.

They've only recently started being allowed out so maybe they'll stay away eventually, if they keep getting such a scary reception!

OP posts:
BooyHoo · 02/05/2011 18:17

the cats are doing what cats do. your dogs need to be trained to not respond to the cats.

ellangirl · 02/05/2011 18:24

It's horrible having cat poo in the garden, and I say that as a cat owner. I keep a litter tray for them still, as I believe all responsible cat owners should! One of them uses it, the other prefers a field behind the garden, but they get a short sharp shock if they try to use their own garden!! Do you have a lot of flowerbeds etc? Covering them with stones/sharp gravel might help? It's avoiding having bare earth really, so they don't have anywhere suitable. Do not have bark in your garden, and keep the sandpit covered!

Scuttlebutter · 02/05/2011 18:28

One option that we found very helpful was using a water pistol - you can get those super soaker ones that have quite a long range. These don't hurt the cat, but most cats hate being squirted and if they are sitting on the fence make an excellent target. We found that a sustained campaign of intensive squirting got the message out, and incursions/loathsomse shitting reduced very considerably.

Original poster
BelieveInLife · 02/05/2011 19:40

We haven't got many flowerbeds, they're actually pooing on our rather patchy lawn - on the 'bare' bits if you see what I mean. So I can't really cover that up. We've got a border round the other side of the wall as well and they are pooing there too. Not a huge problem I know but just another thing to think about when the children are out. No-one round here has or has ever had cats, we're all dog owners! Wonder how the neighbour would respond if I mentioned a litter tray? Went in her house the other day and she doesn't have one.

My aunt suggested the same thing scuttle - not sure if I think that's a bit mean?!! Most of the time the cats have been scared off by the dogs by the time I get out there. I could do a garden stake-out overnight with a supersoaker to stop them pooing though :)

OP posts:
ellangirl · 02/05/2011 19:52

Blimey -they're cheeky cats! Seriously, a supersoaker is a good idea Grin

Personally, not annoying my neighbours is very important to me, so I have approached them and given them permission to scare the cats off, especially as they have children/grandchildren using their gardens. The way I see it, I provide the cats with somewhere to go, so why should they go anywhere they like?! Obviously, you can't control it completely, but my cats are happy enough, as are my neighbours who have both told me that the cats don't use their gardens, and they're pleased keep the vermin down. Everyone's a winner!

Original poster
BelieveInLife · 02/05/2011 20:38

They are cheeky :) My Mum who is a cat owner was very surprised that they would be pooing in a garden where they can 'smell' dogs but they are really young so maybe still learning?!! I don't know ... have no idea about cats!

My neighbour's the same, she hears the dogs bark and apologises that her cats are winding them up and she says to 'throw' them back over the wall into her garden. I think if it does carry on and get to be a real problem then she'd be really helpful.

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

OP posts:
Scuttlebutter · 02/05/2011 21:45

Believe, with three greyhounds around, a supersoaker campaign was just as much for the benefit of the cats themselves - our garden is not a safe place for cats. Fortunately our neighbours' cats now have a healthy respect for the garden - so no crap, our songbirds are safe and so are the neighbourhood cats. Win all round. Smile

SparklyCloud · 02/05/2011 21:52

You need some of http://www.cactus-products.com/ this to stick on your wall/fence. But try a good hose piping/watergun soaking first. I do it to my own when they are after a bird, trust me - it works!

Oh and I am a cat lover, have cats myself. But one of my neighbours hates them. So I understand you not wanting them on your wall.

SparklyCloud · 02/05/2011 21:53

OOOOPS heres that link again www.cactus-products.com/

SparklyCloud · 02/05/2011 21:54

[blush... and again www.cactus-products.com

Original poster
BelieveInLife · 03/05/2011 11:38

Thanks sparkly and scuttle.

OP posts:
frostyfingers · 03/05/2011 16:22

Water is a good deterrent, especially if they are youngish cats. I have to confess to throwing a bucket at a trespassing cat, although not over it, more behind it so it made a lot of noise and it got splashed not soaked. Puddy never returned (or at least, not while it was aware of me being there....)

This was with the permission of the cat's owner - and having spent several weeks shouting at it, clapping hands etc! They were a bit fed up of it haning around ours all the time - it kept trying to come in the house so we had to keep windows and doors shut until it got a bit of a shower and decided that home was a lot nicer....

QuietTiger · 03/05/2011 17:28

Supersoaker water pistol or the hose pipe. Cats hate it unless it's my cat Riley and he plays under it and it won't hurt them.

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