kitty cat problem

[ttaylor508]

Sso I have bit of a problem with the cute kitty next door. He has chosen to make our flower beds his personal litter box. And I am not talking just on occasion, I think this is the only place he does his business. We just spent $300 spreading mulch and hours cleaning the beds up and they are now a mess. There are holes and poop everywhere. Don't know what I can do to deter him from doing this? Any suggestions? Has anyone else had this problem. Part of me thinks it might be a territorial thing. We have a dog who is not allowed to roam freely through the neighborhood like the kitty. This kitty knows this and he will come sit on my porch and stare at the dog knowing the dog can't get him. He is smiling too (I swear he is). So I am wondering if this is just his way of showing dominance. Am I reading too much into this?...Should I accidentally let my puppy out one time and show him who really lives here? Any suggestions would be helpful. I really don't have any bad feelings towards the cat, I just don't want him leaving treasures in my flower beds.

[mimitabby]

water.
if the beds are really wet the cat won't come near. A sprinkler will keep the cat away too. Another deterrent is lots of little sticks. When i plant
little tiny plants and don't want cats to hurt them, i just take lots of twigs and put them into the soil around them. Cats want something that looks like a litter box.

If you see that many holes and piles, sounds like more than one cat.

[ttaylor508]

The beds are pretty wet right now with all this crummy Seattle weather and he still seems to be doing his business. There are only 2 kitties that roam the neighborhood and I have never seen the other cat in my yard. We see this guy doing it and he likes to hang in my yard, so I really do think it is strictly him. The sprinkler thing might work. Next time he settles into to do his job, I will flip the sprinklers on and see if that works. Thanks!

[mimitabby]

NOW you've got it.
:D

[Irulan]

Ever since our dog died we've had lots of issues with neighborhood cats, crapping in our yard and stalking/killing the birds.

Have you asked your nieghbor to keep the cat in? That is where I would start. If that doesn't get you anywhere...

Check your animal control ordinances. In our county, all cats must be licensed. If they aren't licensed, the owners are in violation right there. One is free to trap unlicensed cats in humane traps provided by animal control and turn them in. We've done this. Also, if an animal is roaming that is also in violation of the animal control ordinance. One can request that the owner comply with keeping their cat on their own property. If they don't comply, you can trap a licensed cat also, if they are roaming. The owner then has to ransom the cat to get it home.

Granted, trapping your neighbors cats pisses off the neighbors. Never mind that the cats are roaming and being a nuisance. I have a lot of respect for cat owners that keep them indoors or set up a fenced porch for them. Domestic cats that roam, and feral cats have a huge negative impact on small wildlife and birds. They kill only for sport.

We kept our dogs of the neighbor's lots, why can't they do the same with their pets. Roaming is dangerous for the animal too. I have neighbors that go through a cat a year to due to traffic.

if you want to read more on cats and wildlife,
http://www.owra.org/cateffect.htm

[oxysback]

Sounds like you need something like this.... http://www.break.com/index/motion-activated-sprinkler-vs-pigeons.html

[Tuckervill]

I sprinkle crushed red pepper in my house plants to keep my one cat out of them. He only tries to use them when the litter box is full (hardly ever since they go outside) and it's been raining hard for a long time (yard flooded).

This helped for sure when we first got him and we kept him in all the time. My other cat doesn't want to use the plants, but he's also not near as sensitive to smells as this cat.

Karen

[ttaylor508]

Sounds like you need something like this.... http://www.break.com/index/motion-activated-sprinkler-vs-pigeons.html

Now that's a great solution. Wonder what it costs? It would be entertaining as well as solve the problem and water my plants.

I don't want to trap the little guy, I just want him to change his potty place. We have a neighborhood full of dogs, but everyone is respectful of the lease law and none of them roam. Cats on the other hand I think are hard to keep in unless they have been raised that way. So, I may just use the sprinkler trick or since the kids are getting out of school next week, I could arm them with Waterguns.....

[ttaylor508]

I sprinkle crushed red pepper in my house plants to keep my one cat out of them. He only tries to use them when the litter box is full (hardly ever since they go outside) and it's been raining hard for a long time (yard flooded).

This helped for sure when we first got him and we kept him in all the time. My other cat doesn't want to use the plants, but he's also not near as sensitive to smells as this cat.

Karen

My old boss used the crushed red pepper thing on her outdoor potted plants to deter the neighbors cat from pooping in them, and it worked, but the cat mysteriously died a few days after. Maybe just a coincidence, but my boss thought it might have been the crushed peppers.

[oxysback]

Now that's a great solution. Wonder what it costs? It would be entertaining as well as solve the problem and water my plants.


http://www.greentouchirrigation.com/scarecrow.html

Looks like this one costs around $60 or so. But the entertainment value would be priceless!

[mimitabby]

My old boss used the crushed red pepper thing on her outdoor potted plants to deter the neighbors cat from pooping in them, and it worked, but the cat mysteriously died a few days after. Maybe just a coincidence, but my boss thought it might have been the crushed peppers.

I don't think red pepper would be dangerous to a cat.

[Brandi]

Ever since our dog died we've had lots of issues with neighborhood cats, crapping in our yard and stalking/killing the birds.

Have you asked your nieghbor to keep the cat in? That is where I would start. If that doesn't get you anywhere...

Check your animal control ordinances. In our county, all cats must be licensed. If they aren't licensed, the owners are in violation right there. One is free to trap unlicensed cats in humane traps provided by animal control and turn them in. We've done this. Also, if an animal is roaming that is also in violation of the animal control ordinance. One can request that the owner comply with keeping their cat on their own property. If they don't comply, you can trap a licensed cat also, if they are roaming. The owner then has to ransom the cat to get it home.

Granted, trapping your neighbors cats pisses off the neighbors. Never mind that the cats are roaming and being a nuisance. I have a lot of respect for cat owners that keep them indoors or set up a fenced porch for them. Domestic cats that roam, and feral cats have a huge negative impact on small wildlife and birds. They kill only for sport.

We kept our dogs of the neighbor's lots, why can't they do the same with their pets. Roaming is dangerous for the animal too. I have neighbors that go through a cat a year to due to traffic.

if you want to read more on cats and wildlife,
http://www.owra.org/cateffect.htm
You are playing with fire there. You are not going to talk someone into keeping an animal in they have alloud out for some time. And something tells me it would be hard to keep a cat in just your yard. Unless you are my cat's who don't wonder a whole lot. They are always in our front yard sleeping in thier favorite spots. Also not all cat's hunt. Mine don't. One used too but she is to old now.
I had a neighbor who would shoot any animal that wondered on thier property. I am sorry but that is not nice at all. He shot my friends cat and shattered his shoulder. He might have the right but it is still wrong. You don't live in a suburban neighborhood and expect animals to stay off your lawn. Just my opinion.

Ok now i have a new neighbor cat who seems to think our yard is her's. And my one cat wants to be friends with her really bad. So much so she get's to close to the neighbor cat and the neighbor cat get's really mad. So what I have been doing is keeping an eye out for Daisy and I squirt he with the hose. And she run's back over to her yard. her problem is she wants to fight with my cat's. Doesn't seem fair in thier own yard. So I am hoping I can make Daisy think she will get squirted if she keeps coming over here. This time of year can get some good squirt gun's at the local drug store. I would try that. There are also repellents that can help keep animals out of your yard. I live where deer are a problem. They use something the smells bad to them and it helps keep them out. I know they have those for cat's too.
Do you have a friend that might have a dog you can borrow for a day. You could get him to pee where the cat is using the bed and see if that would get him to leave. Just a thought.

[Tuckervill]

My cat has never suffered an ill effect from the red pepper. He stays away from it, so how could he?

Karen