End of my tether with the cats

[Cleaningismycardio]

Posting for traffic as I am out of options and hoping someone will have an idea of how to help me. I live in a lovely street but we have quite a few cats. They constantly use my garden as a toilet. I could cope with this if it were just in the soil, but it is all over my grass - back and front. Sometimes they also go on my path. Definitely cats as a dog would not be able to get through my gate into the back and the dogs here are never out without their owners. I have spent a small fortune on deterring them in humane ways. I have done the following so far: got an electronic sound sensor (they crap right in front of it), changed to plants recommended to deter (e.g. tons of lavender plants back and front), sprinkled coffee, peppercorns, shop bought cat repellent, have jars of vinegar dotted about, sponges soaked in oil dotted about, chicken wire over the grass, lion manure on grass and in soil. Nothing works and since I have started doing all the work to the front, this past 6 months they have now started to go on my back grass too!! No deterrents working there either. I have a child who can't play in their own garden and guinea pigs who will not be able to go out on the grass in the nice weather (the parasites in cat mess are dangerous to them). I am absolutely sick to the back teeth of cleaning up their mess, to the point it is actually starting to affect me - I actually just want to cry when I go and scoop it all up. At present I have 7 'deposits' in my small front garden and 6 at the back (possibly more in the soil), all in random places, not in one spot, but it is so soggy and wet I will have to wait until another frost for it to freeze before I can clean it. It is a modern estate so the gardens are roomy enough to play in but not huge so this amount of mess means they are out of bounds. Spraying cats with water is the only one I haven't tried because they come in the middle of the night.
My neighbour is an early riser and have chased them a few times about 5/6am. My non-cat owning neighbours have the same issue with mess, but it seems to be only me and next door who have it on our actual grass. Apparently there was never any bother until a neighbour took in a stray and it started messing on the grass. So sorry for the long post. Please help me!!!! I really don't know how much more I can take!

I appreciate the problem but there's very little you can do about it.Would you consider placing a litter tray in your garden,a covered one obviously, to see if they'll use it.

@Cagedbirdsinging

Cats are the only domesticated animals that seem to have freedom to roam and defecate anywhere they like ...and their owners know it and let them , and don't clear it up . It's disgusting ; easily as bad and as much a threat to health (and life) as dog poo . I sprinkle white pepper and woodash in places I have been digging recently but the only real solution for my garden has been a Jack Russell terrier .

I'm not having a go at you as I like all animals and cleaning up shit is a feature of most of them, wild or domestic - but I find it amusing that, in order to prevent an animal defecating in a garden, people's main solution seems to be getting another animal to shit in their garden instead.

@spencerprattisaprat

* 'people that won't tolerate them will take action accordingly' Somehow I don't think she was talking about deterrents and spraying them with water.*

I’m inclined to agree with you.

@Cleaningismycardio

Sprinkler was next thought on my list so thanks to those who posted recommendations. I think I might need to invest in one for the front if I am putting netting in the back.

My DP was keen on getting one of these when we had an issue with one particular neighbourhood cat marking his territory in our garden, but I pointed out that the postman might not be too keen on an unexpected shower if we put one in the front garden!

In the end we got a sonic cat deterrent and for the one cat that we were trying to get rid of it did seem to work. It didn't bother our cat though as she was deaf and couldn't hear it! Luckily for our neighbours, our cat only ever shit in her own garden which I appreciate is very unusual!!

I have seen cats in my garden and chased them when they are digging/starting to shit in the soil. Not caught one doing it on the lawn. The issue of foxes however, now means I can raise it with the neighbours. Lots of young kids in the street and if this is genuinely the problem families need to be aware. This opens a conversation about maybe creating more litter areas in gardens? It may be I need to do this myself if the problem persists. My neighbours are lovely so I don't want to upset them/to be seen complaining and I also want to try to sort the problem humanely. I know people get very upset over cat issues but I won't be taking an air rifle to anyone's pet. However, it does need sorted as my child has a right to play in her own garden (during a pandemic when she can't go anywhere else!!) and my pets have a right to be in their garden and eat unsoiled grass!! The many good suggestions are much appreciated. Off to buy snacks for my stake-out!!

I'm not having a go at you as I like all animals and cleaning up shit is a feature of most of them, wild or domestic - but I find it amusing that, in order to prevent an animal defecating in a garden, people's main solution seems to be getting another animal to shit in their garden instead.

At least then it's your own bloody animal you're picking up after.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup

If cats can get into your back garden, so can foxes, especially if there's the smell of little squeaky, furry snacks in the air.

This isn't saying it isn't cats, but it could be foxes as well (or just foxes), especially as it happens in the middle of the night.

Fox shit is dark and tarry looking and has a very distinctive, slightly acrid, smell. It's very different from cat shit.

I'm far more familiar with fox shit than I'd like to be, having lived for 13 years with a terrier who loved to roll in it.

@MadeOfStarStuff

YANBU

I know cats have the right to roam but I really think it’s bloody selfish of cat owners who know their cats are shitting in other peoples gardens. They would be horrified if a dog shit in their garden and it’s no different just because it’s a cat (both meat eaters, both nasty parasites in their shit)

I’ve got to agree with this. Although I know I’ll get flamed. Interestingly on a previous thread about cats several people came on to say that in other countries (assuming this op is UK based) it’s not socially accepted that cats roam free and poo wherever they want. Think someone mentioned it being common for people to have things to keep their cat in their garden and more house cats.

There seems to be so many households with cats now. Much more than a few years ago.

I was quite impressed with the previous poster who mentioned cleaning up her cats poo from her neighbours garden. I imagine that fairly rare. I certainly don’t have any of my neighbours with cats offering to pick up their cats poo in my garden.

Water gun and scaring them away constantly
Is the only thing that worked for us. I look slightly demented running out in my PJ screaming at a cat though.

@Bakeachocolatecake2day

I am 99% sure it won't be a cat doing most of this. It'll most likely be a fox - they are territorial and will crap to mark territory. This is why they are coming back over and over and re-making the same space.

You may be on the edge of two fox territories, which is making it doubly bad.

Cats will occasionally poo in the open but only if stressed or ill, and not usually repeatedly.

I'm going to print this off, have it laminated and hang copies all around my garden.

Hopefully, the 3 cats that regularly shit in my garden can read and will soon see the error of their ways.

Within 4 weeks of having my last dog pts, the bloody garden was full of cat crap. I'm hard pressed to know what to do about it, I've already put up chain link alongside the boundary hedge on the side that is not my responsibility to keep next door's dog out of my garden, I can't afford to replace it with something solid that I can fix cat spikes to.

We have cat proof fencing and it definitely keeps others out, and mine in.
My neighbours have beautiful gardens and I would be mortified if my cats crapped in them, I am the owner I take responsibility.

Those who say cats cover up their business, I can assure you my gorgeous little girl cat does not she is a lazy mare and as both mine only use a litter box I can clearly see she hasn't covered it.

OP if you can get the fencing I would ,and a motion activated cat scarer it really helps.

Fox poop absolutely reeks so you would start to know the difference

Our dcat takes great delight in shitting on dh's fake grass!!

Never a more smug face seen..

@merryhollybright

I know people say it's more likely to be foxes but we're on a new estate, neighbours further down have a seemingly huge gang of cats which are constantly crapping on our front and back garden. What's worked for me (we have't had any since last summer (touch wood)) is-

• Pouring hot water and citrus scented cleaner over all loose chippings round the front and side of the house.

• Keeping a bottle of cold water near the front window. They use our front path as a short cut so whenever they come near I fling it over them.

• Orange peel scattered over the lawn- it took a few goes but did seem to work. I shredded it really small and it seemed to make it smell stronger too.

Our last resort if they start to come back with the warm weather is pave the entire front garden, which we will hopefully have done by summer, and put some high plants up along the back fence.

I feel for you OP, I absolutely hate the fact that you can own a cat but it's everyone else's responsibility to clean up their mess, especially with the risk to small children and pregnant women. They're selfish pets to own in my opinion.

I wonder if we might be on the same estate, same problem here - one household with 3 or 4 cats that poop everywhere, most of the neighbours are sick of it and have also resorted to paving as they're tired of cleaning up the mess. 😩 One is a horrible big tomcat I've had to chase a few times, happily does its mess in the open, all over the garden, contrary to what others have said. I miss our dog, she was huge and would chase them away if they dared to come in the garden. 😔

@NeverDropYourMoonCup...yep, I see the irony but my chosen animal is small , predictable and uses a specific out-of-the-way patch of grass for toiletting . The rest of the garden , although easily accessible by cats , is now mostly clear .

We have 6 ferals who live in our garden, through choice, but I empathise so much with you as we have felt held hostage to their shit at times. What helped us was 2 litter trays under cover in strategic places and they have learnt to use these over a period of time. I understand if you don't want the expense of trays and litter or poo removal but at least it would be contained, good luck.

We have 3 cate. They have litter trays, which they use very rarely, and there's also plenty of loose soil for them to do their business, and I know they do use it for that purpose. There's no indication that they go elsewhere. On one side there is a dog and on the other side the garden is paved over.

We do have other cats coming into our garden, though.

This thread really makes me want to get a cat.

Fox shit is dark and tarry looking and has a very distinctive, slightly acrid, smell. It's very different from cat shit

Depends upon what they've been eating; it's Field Mouse colour and full of fur (for obvious reasons) in my garden. I agree the smell is way above anything a cat can produce, though, now I've had to clean both up. I didn't know the difference until I had a garden, so thought it was just a feral cat until I got to the picking it up with a plastic bag stage and the additional smell hit me.

@HeidiHaughton

Cat owners are selfish for choosing to have an animal they know will wander onto other people's property. You assume everyone's garden and property is available to your cats. It is not, and people who won't tolerate them will take action accordingly. I wouldn't have allowed a baby to crawl into and poo in a neighbours garden. Cats should't be allowed to do so either.

@HeidiHaughton I do wonder what you mean by people who won't tolerate them, will take action accordingly. I'm assuming you know about animal cruelty laws in this country. You get caught harming a cat intentionally, you will face the consequences.

@Cleaningismycardio
You could also ask people to try keeping their cats in at night? Since you said it happens at night. I, and most of my cat owning friends, all kept their cats in at night for their own safety. Cats are more likely to get run over, ect. I really think you need to identify the owners and have an honest chat with them about how it's effecting you. That's what we would do if it was a dog.