Cats using neighbours drive as a litter tray

[flipertyflop]

I'm desperate, my cats 1.5yo girls, keep using the neighbours gravel driveways as a giant litter tray. I do my best to check for them and clean it up, I've bought and offered gadgets to try and deter them but they're still at it. One neighbour is much more tolerant than the other but I'm at a loss now as to what I can do to help the situation any more.
I let them use my bin to dispose, I check for myself and clear up when I see anything, I've bought gadgets and offered others (that have been refused).
Short of giving up the cats or falling out with the neighbours I don't know what else I can do. I'm hoping the good people of MN can shed some pearls of wisdom.

Your doing more than enough. Really, you're doing everything you can

Gravels a rubbish drive covering anyway, it always ends up all over the pavement as you drive a bit more off it everyday.

It's not your fault they won't spend the money on brick paving or Tarmac.

Ours has a tray. Wees on the back fence & poos in the garden of the hot blonde whose OH thinks Dh is my dad. Short of putting a nappy on them you can't stop it.

Do they have an easy alternative. We always used to have an easy to dig patch in the garden which the cat used - much easier for them in this weather. As they get older, they get lazier - worth tapping into.

One of our neighbour's cats has spurned the gravel drive for the middle of the front lawn .

Have you tried making your own garden more attractive, if you have one? I have a bare border with just soil which my cat will use as long as I dig it over every day. Or you could have a gravel patch if that's their preference. Worth a try. Citrus peelings are meant to be a deterrent, not sure if your neighbours would be too happy with you throwing your food scraps on their drive though

Assuming you already have litter trays. Can you leave an area of your garden with dug over fresh soil? Try and make yours the more attractive option.

I'd agree with trying to make the alternatives as attractive as possible. Nice safe trays inside, easy access to them and digging over any earth in your own garden to make it as loose as possible.

(The Lodger actually started to use a tray inside - as a mature cat - so the situation is by no means fixed.)

Thanks everyone, I think a gravel patch in our garden is the next way to go. It's perhaps not the most cat friendly garden (fake grass, lots of paving) but we have easy access borders and raised beds they could easily access. Backing onto our garden is a HUGE field they could use but they seem to completely shun it in favour of neighbours gardens which is so annoying. We've had cats for years but never a problem like this :(

Have you a couple of trays inside the house?

Have they put anything down to deter? I had this in my front garden in an area with loose slate.

We got rid of the indoor litter trays when they started going outside, might have to reintroduce them.
Yes, the neighbours have sonic deterrents, the smelly spray deterrent, one neighbour has laid netting over a large gravel patch and tried laying a bigger gravel.

Getting indoor trays back will make a massive difference.

Reinstalling then is absolutely worth a try. (Especially if the weather is inclement or during their curfew.

Oh, yes, indoor trays are a must, I was assuming you already had those. Or if you really can't face that, outdoor covered ones, or one in a shed/garage with a catflap.

Indoor ones do make me gag, I tolerate them when they need to be indoors but my choice to keep cats I'll have to suck it up and see if it helps. Gravel patch for the garden too. It does seem like the driveways are their only toilet of choice though.

I actually like indoor trays. They give you one way to tell if they're well - via the workings of their innards - and they avoid any fracas with neighbours as well as being around if, like me, you have any outside going cats on a curfew.

What sort of litter would you be using and how would you go about using them?

I've tried many types over the years, I can't seem to find a less smelly one. It hits me as soon as I walk downstairs in a morning or when I get home no matter which litter I use.
For the sake of neighbour relations I'll get a tray with a lid & flap along with the gravel patch in the garden (we're having some planters made soon anyway, one extra won't hurt)

We have a covered tray and it has charcoal filters and use aldi clumping litter. No smell just empty the clumps every day.