Detering cats

[Dave McCormick]

Last night I dug out a small area in my garden I want to use as a small wildflower patch. This morning I put some compost down and sprinkled wildflower seeds before going out but when I came home just now, I found the neighbours cat had done its business in the area I dug out! Saw it sneaking through the fence out of the garden. Is there any way I can stop the cat doing this again? Not sure this happening is a good thing for the seeds.

[Wurzel]

Living nearish to Longleat Safari Park allowed me to find out about the best detterent ever...they sold Lion scat in cloth bags! You'd hang the bag along the fence or if brave enough scatter it along the edges of your property and when investigative moggies decided to check out your garden they got a hell of a shock!
So give your local Zoo a call and see if they offer a similar "product" - failing that check the internet...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Living nearish to Longleat Safari Park allowed me to find out about the best detterent ever...they sold Lion scat in cloth bags!

LOL! I used to live near Knowsley Safari Park and they did the same thing there. Must work, I suppose.

[Rogerdodge]

We have a serious problem with around six cats from our local neighbourhood drawn constantly to our garden.
This is probably because we have a huge amount of really busy bird feeders of all types, and around 20 nest boxes of different types, with around 50% occupancy.
We certainly loose a fair number of birds to these b*****ds.
In all seriousness, if it was not illegal, I would happily shoot the lot.
At the very least they should compulsorily wear a bell on a collar.
They do a huge damage to local wildlife. I have seen them carrying snakes, slow worms, assorted voles, mice and shrews, a grey squirrel, and numerous birds from fledglings to adult.
One thing NOT to try is these black cat cut-outs in sheet metal with reflective eyes that are for sale in the drop-outs from Sunday newspapers.
I bought one of these, placed in the garden that evening, and the next morning came down to find a cat lying next to it, and using it as a back-scratcher.
I like the lion poo thing though!

[David M]

I think I've posted this on the forum before, but a few years ago an American scientist worked out that the average domestic moggie was reponsible for 28 wild bird kills per year. Now, I guess in Britain there are at least 10 million domestic cats, so by my reckoning that's 280,000,000 bird deaths that nature doesn't account for.....................

..............every year!


What's more alarming is that women (the so-called 'gentler' sex) appear to be more disposed towards cats than men are.

Now, call me a stereotypical sexist if you like, but I'd have thought women would consider that amongst the least attractive characteristics in a man would be cowardly, sneaky, sadistic violence/killing (invariably just for kicks rather than real need); aloofness; taking people for granted and using them for their basic needs; going missing without warning and turning up as and when they feel like it and expecting immediate gratification; trespassing and behaving in a manner that generally antagonises neighbours; urinating and defecating wheresoever they please; lashing out without warning and causing seemingly pointless damage within the house, etc, etc...

They're graceful and beautiful to look at, but as Steve Martin once famously said, "can you ever really trust them?"

Give me a dog any day. At least you know where you stand with canines and they can be taught not to misbehave.

[Dave McCormick]

Never knew about the lion dung thing, not sure if Belfast Zoo would give me some though, only zoo around here. However I have a dog but doesn't seem to deter the cat. Think the only reason the cat comes past is that it catches mice in the field nearby. I like cats a lot and have one myself, but at least you can control your cat, its others cats you have to worry about. Hmm..might try putting orange peel out again, worked a few times when trapping, saw the cat once at trap so next time put orange peel and juice around, stopped it. I think some cats don't like citrus smells. My cat doesn't like pepper but this one it had no effect on.

[Nigel P]

Whatever you put down will probably lose it effectiveness over time and will need replacing. That's if it works and the cats don't become accustomed to it. I had the same problem years ago on a small veg patch, whenever I prepared and seeded the soil the cats thought it was for their benefit. As it wasn't too big an area I ended up laying chicken wire over it, weighed down at the edges with stones. This prevented them digging around and it was the best deterrent I found. In my case I had to take this off once the veg got going but as yours is a wildflower patch it shouldn't be necessary.

N

[Paul Wetton]

I have a cat, Gizmo, who now stays in the house due to his geriatric nature, he's nearly 20.

I always put a bell on him and gave him a slap for even looking at birds or butterflies. He was the best deterrant and prevented any other cats from entering our patch of garden.

Citrus fruit is a good way of getting rid of cats. They hate the smell of lemons or limes so you can use the peel. The green liquid called cat off is just a citrus smelling gel that can be put on the garden.

I also like the lion poo idea but maybe that would not smell quite as good as the citrus fruit.

With regard to the trust thing, he's been taught that if he is near a face he cannot use his teeth or claws. He never has. I trust my cat with me but not with anyone else. He'd probably get the claws and teeth into someone he doesn't know. Frequently does with the vet.

[Trev Sawyer]

I too have what can only be described as an "over-abundance" of cats (isn't that the collective noun?) in my vicinity - almost everyone around me seems to own at least one. I got home from a trip out with the family one afternoon and my son immediately stepped on a freshly laid "present" as he got out of the car . After letting forth a very loud cantation about what I felt like doing if I ever found the feline responsible , I got a trowel and removed the remains of the excrement from our driveway. Once the dung problem was dealt with, I decided to push the trowel into the soil behind a flower pot near my front door, so it was ready to hand when next required (judging by previous occurrences, probably the next time I went out). Anyway, later that evening I opened the door to put the empty milk bottles out, only to discover that a cat had somehow managed to reverse up to the trowel, lift its undercarriage up to a great height and create a "Mr Whippy" all over the handle! Ye Gods - It was a damned good job there were no cats in view at the time as I would not like to have been held responsible for my actions.

Trev

[MikeOxon]

I concur with all the comments about the mess cats cause and their depredations on garden birds. The cat density in many suburban areas seems ridiculously high and their seem to be no legal constraints on their owners to control them in any way.

I can only suggest that we all write to our MPs calling for legislation to make cat owners responsible for the damage and mess that they cause, if they are allowed to roam over other people's property.

Mie

[JohnR]

If you problems are limited to a seed bed spread rose or bramble cuttings over it - the ones with the biggest thorns work best!

[Wurzel]

Whilst I get annoyed from time to time by cats I have never been bitten by one, been threatened by one, had my shot ruined or my bird spooked as one has barged through the undergrowth or had to listen to a cats owner bleating on about how "he won't hurt you, he's just a big soppy really" while it charges towards me, rabies soaked salvia flying in the wind! All things that I've had to put up with at least once (some many more times) with dogs - also whilst out and trying to enjoy the countryside I've never stood in cat scat and so had that disgusting sensation that comes from the dog version.

That said...Cats are bad at home , dogs are even worse when out and about and the irresponsible owners are the worst of the lot .

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Seconded on all counts!

Dave

[Butterfly Gardener]

I send my dog out to chase them off. Never caught one yet and if she did I doubt she'd know what to do!

[Susie]

The best way to keep cats off of your garden is to get a cat. If you can't do that then the spikey plant trimmings suggested above is a good option.

My dad used to get really annoyed by a neighbour's cat which would jump onto the fence in the backgarden and then onto the back room window ledge before walking it's length as it looked at him through the window as he sat in his arm chair. One day dad put vaseline on the window ledge. Dad hated the cat going to the loo in his garden and there was a real battle of wills between these two. The cat jumped from the fence to the window ledge, took a couple of steps and promptly disappeared over the edge! it didnt't do it again. Dad 1 Pussycat 0.

Personally I really like cats and dogs and can understand why people have them, although I have neither myself.

[P.J.Underwood]

I can go one further than that.I have always had cats and dogs,and never any problem with other animals.I have always advised clients who have had this problem to get a dog,ideally a small terrier,say a Jack Russell.Otherwise one has to net a newly dug and sown area.It isn't easy to solve this situation and can get very emotive if one brings artillary into the equation!
P.J.U.

[Dave McCormick]

I have a dog (Australian Shepard cross collie), but not yet fully trained so can't let him out often as he barks at everything going past and would disturb neighbours, but would putting his hair around deter the cat? Smell a dog and not want to come around?

[P.J.Underwood]

Oh dear.He sounds as if he will be a brilliant guard,as male collie crosses such as him,will patrol the fences barking at anything passing,once they have secured their patch.My last one did this for fourteen years!Being out with him and playing with a ball or toy should help.I can't see any cats coming once he has made it his patch,especially if his urine can be spotted on branches in sensitive areas,and he starts marking his own territory.They like a bit of cat!
P.J.U.

[Alston]

Hi guys,.
Spray your tree trunks with lemon juice or vinegar and spray around your garden..catds hate those smells

[David M]

Hi guys,.
Spray your tree trunks with lemon juice or vinegar and spray around your garden..catds hate those smells

I chopped some Naga chillies up finely last year and put them in an area where cats had been repeatedly defecating, but rain washes them away fairly quickly and you're back to square one.