General Chat

A motion activated sprinkler will also do the trick.

Rose

One of my cats has taken to using one of our leather armchairs as a scratching post!!!

I went to pets at home today and bought some training spray - maybe that will work - you spray it round the area you want to deter cats and dogs from.

Not sure how long it would last outside but needs repeating in the home every 3 - 4 days cost £2.99.

Tea tree oil? Apparently cats cannot stand the smell of it - you can get in chemists and places like Holland and Barrett, usually in bottles of about 10ml for round about £3 or £4.

It won't do anything to hurt the garden and it won't hurt the cat but they hate the smell. Maybe get a squirty bottle, put your bottle of tea tree oil in and about a litre of water then spray it about?

My cats poo in my garden - I watch them!!
As I said earlier, the barked area of the garden is like a giant litter tray. Occasionally I don wellies and with rubber gloves on, shovel in one hand and bin bag in the other, I wade through the bark clearing up the tell-tale mounds, then empty another bag of bark on it to cover up the bald patches!!!

maggie

DNA Cat poo....runs off to see dancing in ice again.

Marrion

lol Merlin!

Thing is, cats don't like their own poo, so probably won't poo in their own garden anyway!

Laura

All very well scooping up poo and giving it to the owners, but in a street like ours where every house has at least one, how do you know whose is whose?!

We had this problem with cats getting into our front garden. At the time, we were having a new carpet fitted in our lounge and there was some of the long lengths of carpet grip left over. Hubby decided one day to put them down in the areas where the neighbours cats were always leaving their messages. Hey presto! No more cat muck to clean up. Have to admit OH did shovel it up one day, put it in a carrier bag and deliver it to the neighbour's doorstep! As that had no effect on the muck coming into our front because cats are very territorial it was a good job the carpet gripper worked.

Would recommend you try it if you can get hold of some.

Lyn x

I bought 'Lion Dung' it's available from most hardware shops and garden centers. Also, I cut all the prickly holly leaves and scatter them around the rockery/border areas, cats wont walk on those!

Good luck.

Anne

The people next door to me have the same size garden but they just use it to dump there un wanted furniture etc.
If they dug a bit over I'm sure their cats would use it........I watch all their cats come out and head off into other peoples gardens.
I know my lot use my garden as I usually keep an eye out for them in case one of next doors "toms"is on the attack.

The amount of cats in an area can make all the difference.
I have four and I'm a gardener,so my soil is always turned and therefore very inviteing to my cats.......which is fair enough.....I clear it up as I weed etc.
A year ago I had new neighbours move in next door......I believe they have at least 10 cats !!.....my three dogs do a pretty good job of keeping them at bay during the day but I'm sure they sneak in at night and cr*p in my boarders.
If all cat owners would have an area in their own gardens for the toilet purpose then "gardeners" wouldn't suffer as much.

We turn the hose on them. Usually does the trick.

Fortunately there are only a couple in our area who are allowed to roam so we don't get too much bother.

Yo9u can buy something called"Cats Off" or a high powered Water Pistol. Mac,Weve got loads of birds in our garden,They Take the Mickey out of our Cats,I,ve put loud bells on them and there,s no problem.Laura,Perhaps you should be careful how you post,It was rather funny to know that you "Used a Cat Litter Tray" pmsl.**M**.:o)))>

TIGER POO!

You can get it - google it, cats will go no where near your garden as they think there's a giant cat prowling. Honest its true.

Tina xx

Have googled this info:

Research carried out earlier this year found tiger dung is capable of warding off smaller cats, which scientists presume is a genetic trigger warning of larger predators in the area.

The initial research came from Australia, where scientists found that a formula of the big cat's droppings warded off wild goats for three days and, as such, could be used as a dual fertiliser and repellent by farmers.

Dr Peter Murray from the University of Queensland said: "You might want to put it around the perimeter or under each tree so it would cause all those herbivorous animals to say "it's too scary, there's something here that might bite me"."

xx

Oh for goodness sake - it's only cat poo! Cats are considerably more enviromentally friendly than humans.

I have been disgusted many a time by the filth in public loos - excrement and urine on floors and walls. The same with public phone boxes and communial lifts. No doubt the people who cause that mess are just doing what comes naturally? I think not.

It's strange how one kind of poo is acceptable (like horse and sheep manure etc) and others arent. And human urine is an acceptable way to get your compost heap going.

I think it is likely that birds and rodents carry and spread more disease than cats. But you dont see the rodens. And what about flys and mossies?

The obvious solution is to just nuke the garden - that will solve everything and life will be nice and sterile.

Oh - and those who hate the cats catching birds, how many of you appeciate it when they catch mice and rats?

I think the problem with most people is double standards.

Rant over - sorry!

If you use mothballs in your garden you are breaking the law and should be prosecuted.

The Environmental Health or DEFRA (they've prosecuted moth ball users who tried to deter foxes and moles) would be very interested, as Moth balls contain a pesticide that should be used for the use intended, indoors to deter moths as clearly written on the packet!


DEFRA has not given ministerial approval for the use of any of the ingredients in moth balls outside.
If you use it outside you are polluting the soil and water table and you have to have a licence to use pesticides! You are contravening the Control of Pesticides Act 1986! The instructions on the box are a LEGAL requirement not a suggestion!! The reason I know this, my neighbour put so many moth balls in his front garden, next to my car that we, myself and two children ended up at the doctor's suffering with fume inhalation and to top it all he killed my cat, she was poisoned by them.

Now we have no cat but I have lots of large Lavender bushes in the garden and cats hate the smell so keep away..

Louise

I still dont agree with anything being put down that can harm pets or children.
When it rain's surely they will then go on the ground. Any animal that walk/run's over..then licks it's paws/feet is bound to pick it up.

As for them chasing birds, that's in their nature to do that.
But I suppose it's ok for birds to attack cat's in their own garden, when they are no where near then nest's I had an lovely old cat who could not get peace in his own garden for birds swooping on him.
Much as I felt sorry for my cat, the bird's, I know were looking after their young.

I also dont like birds cr*p on my washing, window's or car,maybe I should put out poison for them too.
No way I would though.
Birds also spread desease,especially pidgeons.

At least cat's try and cover it up,even if it is somebody's flower bed lol.
I have also put up a nest box for the bird's this year.

Marion

Further to my lighthearted suggestion re shotgun,seriously ,folks ,i use the electronic method to deter cats.works a treat ,and cost me £40 for two,one in front garden ,and one in back.
There is no animal alive that will even attempt to eat a mothball,and i scatter a few under the hedges ,to stop the cats even coming in the garden.
being a gardener ,i do use jeyes fluid to kill bugs in the garden,but keep it off the paths just in case.
Finally,in an ideal society,if all kittens were taught to use litter trays,and these trays were put into the garden,said kittens would still use them,and not ruin your[or other peoples gardens].
Fred.

Please, please, please don't use mothballs!

I can't stress enough how toxic it is to humans, animals and the environment.

Google mothballs and toxic for more info.

Rose

Exactly Teresa. And I'm afraid, that is the way nature works sometimes.

It isn't always pretty, animals do kill other animals, just like we kill animals for meat.

Cat litter trays are all very well ( I use one) but get filled so quickly, they stink to high heaven, the litter gets everywhere (in their claws, spread around the house etc) and so on....

Did they kill them all or did they move on Mac? Birds will move away and feed elsewhere if an area is thought to be unsafe.