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September 29, 2011 at 1:31 am #600722
todd_ParticipantCame home tonight from dinner to see a cat darting away as we pulled in the driveway. As my family and I walked to the door, it became apparent by the smell that we had interrupted something. The cat was pooping in our rose bed and left it for us to see and smell. Maybe the cat usually covers it up, not sure, I just know I find way too much poop in my already fertilized yard.
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I don’t want to see or smell these droppings on a daily basis so I am asking for advice on how to keep animals in general from pooping in our yard. We have an almost entirely fenced in yard but apparently we have the yard of choice for several species of animals, dogs, racoon, cats, etc.
Thanks.
September 29, 2011 at 2:25 am #735532
velo_nutParticipantSeptember 29, 2011 at 2:34 am #735533
SonomaParticipantIf you know who owns the cat, scoop the poop and deliver it to your negligent neighbor. Pets should not be running loose (so to speak), anyway. Not good for them.
September 29, 2011 at 2:55 am #735534
hammerheadParticipantHere we go… agreed with Sonoma if you know the owner yep scoop it and bring it to the owner. If you don’t know the owner well chicken wire works. Also my neighbors who have a garden use a product called Ethan’s pet away.
Plus there are probably more cats pooping in your yard than you know.
I really don’t want to be the “cat lady” cause god knows I get it all the time. So short of you trapping the cat yourself taking it to the shelter and calling the cat a nuisance and then depending on if it is feral or some ones pet it will be killed.
If this cat has a microchip the owner will be called and then who knows what the owner will do. If feral it will be killed or possibly relocated. If friendly and no owner comes forward than hopefully it will be adopted out.
Cats can climb fences too.
Velo nut funny as per usual
FCAT
September 29, 2011 at 3:01 am #735535
velo_nutParticipantWho said I was talking about shooting the cat?
September 29, 2011 at 3:39 am #735536
redblackParticipantand what does this have to do with goats in nickelsville?
you know, todd_, cats don’t like the scent of citrus. allegedly.
they also don’t like scratchy or sticky surfaces.
also, if you catch them in the act, a blast from a garden hose is a good, non-lethal weapon. or a loud knock.
cats have brains that are the size of walnuts. there are hundreds of ways to alter their behavior without hurting them.
for example, get a dog to pee on your rose bushes a couple of times. that’ll probably do the trick.
btw, a seagull shat on my lawn. who do i contact? :)
September 29, 2011 at 4:17 am #735537
BostonmanMemberLandmines, just remember where you put them and don’t go shoveling the dirt next year.
September 29, 2011 at 4:28 am #735538
redblackParticipantguess i should have prefaced that by saying that cats are pretty much ruled by comfort: they only crap where they’re comfortable. make them uncomfortable with some of the ideas i mentioned above, and they won’t crap there for long.
and that’s all i have to say about that.
September 29, 2011 at 5:37 am #735539
todd_ParticipantThanks everyone. I’ll try these ideas.
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I kind of flew off the handle earlier and posted out of frustration. Sort of an ongoing, smelly situation but not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.
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Peace.
September 29, 2011 at 8:35 am #735540
ElizabethElaineParticipantI bought a spray at Next to Nature to deter a neighbor cat from spraying on my front steps, and it worked great. I think he was doing it to ward off raccoons, who would come around and eat his food. The spray seems to have repelled both the cat spraying, and the raccoons.
September 29, 2011 at 2:50 pm #735541
jwwsParticipantCayenne pepper or tabsco sprinkled in the area also works….
September 29, 2011 at 2:55 pm #735542
JoBParticipantredblack..
“for example, get a dog to pee on your rose bushes a couple of times. that’ll probably do the trick.”
i wish.
i have a “well marked” front yard that the neighboring outdoor cats use as a litter box..
tormenting the poor dogs who are mostly confined behind a dividing fence.
i am often tempted to turn the dogs loose on them mid-poop.
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relax everyone…
i am old enough to have learned not to give in to all temptation.
September 29, 2011 at 3:19 pm #735543
lindaParticipantI have used cayenne pepper and found it worked quite well. Bought it in bulk and spread it liberally around an area in my garden I didn’t want my cat to continue using due to plant damage. I also used it in several large house plant pots he had decided would do quite nicely for litter boxes. It didn’t harm the cat, didn’t harm the plants and did provide a deterrent.
And before anyone can tackle me about the cat being an outdoor cat, he was already an outodoor cat when I met him and there was no changing him at that point (I tried). All cats I’ve adopted have been indoor cats.
September 29, 2011 at 7:13 pm #735544
sacatoshParticipant@ElizabethElaine, do you recall the name of the spray you bought, or what the bottle looks like? We just bought a house, and my indoor kitties like to sit on the wide windowsills and watch “kitty tv” outside. Unfortunately, one outdoor neighbor cat has taken offense at this and has sprayed the outside of our house below their favorite window. My cats don’t give a rip, but I don’t like the ammonia smell when I open the window. Plus it’s sortof the principle of the thing.
If I can use a spray or something that won’t hurt the neighbor cat, but just make him knock it off, that would be ideal.
September 29, 2011 at 7:52 pm #735545
furryfacesParticipantMore ideas…sorry if some duplicate previous ones.
• If you know the owner, ask them to build an outside litter box in their yard, for their cat. They can put sand, soft soil or sawdust in it. One of our F3 folks has one in her outdoor cat enclosure. It is made from wood that is 12†H x 36†L and 2†Deep. …cost her $10ish for the wood, some screws and a little bit of time.
• Motion activated sprinkler (maybe the owner will pay for it?)
• Sonic Cat Deterrent, such as CatStop® http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?c=&p=59764&cat=2,51555&ap=1 (if you know the owner, perhaps they would pay for it)
• Fairly heavily sprinkle cinnamon, chili pepper, citrus peel or fresh coffee grounds on the area. You may need to repeat this process every couple of days and after rain.
• Spray the area with some citrus essential oil — lemon or orange.
• Spread a few garlic cloves around the area.
• Spray the area with vinegar or red wine vinegar.
• Place a few pine cones around the area.
• If possible, consider covering the area with some mulch (e.g. wood chips), gravel or rocks.
• Use a commercial cat repellent available from many pet stores or vets. (e.g. ‘Shake-Away Domestic Cat Repellent Urine Powder)
September 29, 2011 at 10:23 pm #735546
nighthawkParticipantMy mom has had major issues with cats and her flower beds. Especially in the spring when they are freshly turned.
2 things that she uses is Blood Meal. It’s a natural fertilizer and good for your garden and cats do not like the smell.
The other thing is moth balls but I think since she started using the blood meal she stopped with the moth balls.
For the moth ball, take a shallow dish (like small margarine or yogurt container and bury it so the lip is at ground level. Then fill it with moth balls. I don’t know what the spacing needs to be but you can look it up. The smell keeps them away.
September 29, 2011 at 10:54 pm #735547
maplesyrupParticipantI’ve used garlic salt and/or red pepper flakes in the past, and it seemed to work.
September 30, 2011 at 2:25 am #735548
valvashonParticipantSet some brand new mousetraps WITHOUT any food on them in the area where they are pooping. 3 should probably do the trick for the average flower bed. Don’t hide them in any way- just put them out in the open. You will lose them, but they’re pretty cheap to begin with. For extra fun, write something on the bottom like “I’m wearing this because I was pooping in a neighbor’s yard”. Chances are they will set it off with something other than a foot (best case scenario is with their tail) but hey, what happens happens. The “yeowwww” from a cat in the middle of the night is priceless. Cruel and unusual? You can decide, but this is the only thing that worked for me. I’m not a sadistic psycho- I’m a Nader voter and a Nation reader, I support abolishing the death penalty, universal healthcare and Welfare for those in need. I also support cats not pooping in my flower beds.
September 30, 2011 at 2:49 am #735549
GenHillOneParticipantYou’re kidding right? If my cat came home with a mousetrap like that, I’d be tempted to leave a gift in the note-writer’s yard myself.
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On the moth balls, just remember they’re toxic. Some recommend using sealed containers with holes punched in them, but you should probably weigh the risk depending on your situation (pets, wild animals, children).
September 30, 2011 at 6:01 am #735550
JanSParticipantI don’t get recommending cruelty to an animal just to get them to stop doing what comes naturally. There are other means to the end.
September 30, 2011 at 7:19 am #735551
todd_ParticipantThanks again for your ideas.
September 30, 2011 at 12:43 pm #735552
velo_nutParticipantThere are worse things out there than mousetraps that could hurt your little kitty-cat… My advice is you keep the thing inside and out of peoples yards if you don’t want anything to happen to it, like coyote food.
September 30, 2011 at 6:53 pm #735553
yeah-meParticipantYou might try a squirt gun. I used one on my neighborhood cats that would perch in the tree near or under my bird feeders. After about three good dousings they don’t come around anymore.
October 1, 2011 at 4:21 am #735554
JillParticipantAnother vote for both the blood meal and/or mulch. I used downed conifer branches on my newly turned beds to keep *our own* kitteh (and the 300 other cats in the neighborhood) out of the potatoes and other freshly cleared areas while they were waiting to be planted. Did the trick! As someone mentioned earlier, just make the area inconvenient, they’ll go elsewhere.
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