• Registered: 2006-02-06

Topic: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

I have a little bit of a dilemma going on and have tried different things to no avail. So, I was hoping some of you might have an idea as to what I could do.
I have a small wildlife habitat in my yard. I have a little pond with fish, and tons of wildlife flitting about. Only problem is, the neighbors cats like it too.  I have 2 indoor cats.  When the neighbors cats come around, well, they like to kill the birds, snakes, lizards, whatever they can. They urinate on my house, and use my garden mulch as their litter pan.  It drives my inside cats insane, to the point, where my older cat attacks the younger one if she sees these cats outside. I cant leave windows open at night because my cats are attacking the screens when the see the other cats outside, keeping us awake all night.
We do have bylaws here in our gated community. Cats are to be kept on your property. Yeah, try and enforce that!!!  I have talked to the owners of the cats. Ive even watched their cats for them when they've gone on vacation. They are sweet cats. But I dont want them in  my yard. The owner seems to think its my problem. She told me to shoot them with a bb gun or something! (Okay, so my husband got a pellet gun that shoots these little plastic pellets. Its not accurate, and the cats dont seem fazed by it at all)
Ive tried expensive "get out of my yard", pellets and sprays. Dont work. Ive tried letting my dog chase them. They still come back. Ive tried a squirt gun, you know, one of those super soakers? Still they come.
I dont want to get into a war with my neighbor. But, Im slowly losing my patience. I really like these cats, and dont want to see any harm to them. I mean, they dont know human boundaries. But I do have a right to not have my yard desecrated on a daily basis.  And its really affecting my cats, causing them anxiety. Its their property and they feel they need to defend it. Its become a daily (and nightyly) fight.

Any suggestions, PLEEEEZZZE??????

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
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  • Lono
  • Lono
  • Walker of worlds
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  • From: Oklahoma, USA
  • Registered: 2006-05-03

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

I'm so sorry.  I know it must be frustrating to work so hard on a wildlife sanctuary of your own, and have it ruined by things outside your control.  I DO have an idea!  I just hope it's feasible.

Do you have a privacy fence installed?  If so (of if you can go to the expense of putting one up), there is a thing called a cat fence.  It's initially designed to help you keep your cats IN, but it also has a feature to keep neighborhood cats OUT.  You can either buy kits for this, or build one yourself using your own privacy fence.   

Let me know if this would be feasible for you, and I can dig up the necessary how-to info.

  • Registered: 2006-02-06

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Thanks Lono, that would be great....But...I live in a community with homeowner rules galore. I can only put fencing up from the back corner of the house to the back of the property line. Unfotunately, the area is where it cant be fenced in. hmm

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
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4 Reply by Lono (edited by Lono 2007-03-15 08:04:31)

  • Lono
  • Lono
  • Walker of worlds
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  • From: Oklahoma, USA
  • Registered: 2006-05-03

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

I wonder if you can get away with using this one:  http://www.purrfectfence.com/cat_proof_yard.asp

If they give you any lip, turn your neighbor in.  Tell whoever comes to enforce it that you only need it because your neighbor isn't following the bylaws.

Edit to add that you would have to turn the fence around so that the cat-proof part was to the outside.

  • From: England
  • Registered: 2005-04-20

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

You could try a water pistol rather than a bb gun, also try predator urine, male human urine is good for keeping dogs away but don't know if it works with cats smile

Its not like we are fractions of the whole but rather versions of the whole.
  • Lono
  • Lono
  • Walker of worlds
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  • From: Oklahoma, USA
  • Registered: 2006-05-03

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Barefoot Doc wrote:

You could try a water pistol rather than a bb gun, also try predator urine, male human urine is good for keeping dogs away but don't know if it works with cats smile

Good call, Doc!  I'm thinking one of those super-soakers you can get at the toy store.  Of course, you'll have to be outside and see them in order to do that, but it could be a long-term deterrent.

  • Registered: 2006-02-06

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Ive tried the super soaker. ( see my first post) They just keep coming back for more.  My problem is, I have a 1/2 acre, mostly wooded lot. So you are talking a lot of square footage ( about 26,000 ft) to enforce.
I know, I know, Im pretty much screwed.  sigh

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
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  • Lono
  • Lono
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  • From: Oklahoma, USA
  • Registered: 2006-05-03

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Oh that's right!  You did try that.  OK- found what may be a useful article here:

http://www.uvm.edu/pss/ppp/articles/cats.htm

I saw that it said: 

"If you don't want your neighbor's cats in your garden, you will need to take more drastic measures. Try spraying the intruder with a blast from the hose. Most cats will turn and run although some actually enjoy water, especially on a hot day. For them, you must try other tactics, like planting rue. The blue foliage makes this an attractive garden accent, but cats can't stand the odor and will make a wide berth around the planting. Thorny roses also deter cats."

  • From: Shores of Lake Titikaka
  • Registered: 2006-05-25

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Like anything to do with nature--remove or substitute the food source. You could decide to turn it into a cat sanctuary and keep adding fingerlings to the pond, or you could create a reverse-predation and place paranha in the pond and coyotes in the fenced yard. big_smile

Maybe de-clawed cats wouldn't come into the yard. Discuss with your neighbors the possibilities to keep harmony in the neighborhood.

Fun fact: Great Tits are common in Europe

To know love is to know trust; to know oneself is to know truth
~~carefulcarpenter

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10 Reply by Adama

  • Adama
  • Guest

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

What if your cats go outside to mark their property? If there is a strong male amng your cats, the problem is solved ;-)
If you don't have a male, get one, two or three cats is about the same:-)

11 Reply by Lono (edited by Lono 2007-03-15 13:02:04)

  • Lono
  • Lono
  • Walker of worlds
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  • From: Oklahoma, USA
  • Registered: 2006-05-03

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

titmouse_ wrote:

Like anything to do with nature--remove or substitute the food source. You could decide to turn it into a cat sanctuary and keep adding fingerlings to the pond, or you could create a reverse-predation and place paranha in the pond and coyotes in the fenced yard. big_smile

Maybe de-clawed cats wouldn't come into the yard. Discuss with your neighbors the possibilities to keep harmony in the neighborhood.

Titmouse, I had thought about the concept of making a "cat area" with catnip, valerian (they love that stinky stuff), etc.  That might work-- make an area that begs to be a cat home!  Just make it far away from your other sanctuary, if possible.

Now I have a similar problem, but with kids.  We have neighborhood kids that are mostly good, but there's one 10-year-old girl who keeps riding her bike in my yard.  This bothers me on a number of levels, one because I don't want to be liable if she gets hurt.   But more importantly, I don't want my grass and flowers trampled, it just feels like a territory violation, and I don't like kids!  But now I'm reminded of my neighbor and her trees, the man who hated squirrels, etc.  I wanted to just go out there and tell her not to ride in my yard, but my  husband has asked me not to because he doesn't want me "making a bad impression" with our new neighbors.  If I see her riding on my grass one more time, I'm going to say something, but I'm not sure how to handle it.

Edited to add, I'm working on becoming the crazy cat lady that all the neighborhood kids fear, but that doesn't just happen overnight.  You have to work up to it, and right now I only have four cats, I'm not old enough, and I'm just not crazy enough yet. wink  Workin' on it, tho'!

  • Registered: 2006-02-06

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Lono, I got a great suggestion for the bike rider.  I had a problem with the neighbors son. He was killing frogs from my pond, and when his friend came over, they would throw rocks in it. They ended up breaking a part off the pond pump.  In other words, there just wasnt any respect for other peoples things.  Talking to his parents didnt help. He would just come back and do it again.  So one day I asked him if he would be sort of my "pond steward". I told him about all the animals and such that visited the pond. I then asked if he could "keep an eye" on it. Make sure none of the other kids bothered it. He was so thrilled that I asked him this special favor, he never bothered it again. Maybe you could talk to the little girl with this kind of angle. Kids seem to respond better that way.

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
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  • Lono
  • Lono
  • Walker of worlds
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  • From: Oklahoma, USA
  • Registered: 2006-05-03

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

That's the kind of advise I'm looking for!  I don't have any experience with kids, so when I try to get them to respect my property, it comes off sounding mean if I come out and say it, or condescending when I try to be nice.  It's hard for me to relate because when I was a little kid, I was soooo respectful of boundaries.  I made friendships with some of the neighbors and would pet their dogs through the fence (once I had permission and knew they weren't mean), but steered clear of their private yards, driveways, etc. 

Oh-- just had another thought about the cats.  Could you get your neighbor to at least put collars with bells on them?  That scares away birds and small animals, and they can't sneak up on them.

  • Registered: 2006-02-06

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

titmouse_ wrote:

Like anything to do with nature--remove or substitute the food source. You could decide to turn it into a cat sanctuary and keep adding fingerlings to the pond, or you could create a reverse-predation and place paranha in the pond and coyotes in the fenced yard. big_smile

Maybe de-clawed cats wouldn't come into the yard. Discuss with your neighbors the possibilities to keep harmony in the neighborhood.

Titmouse,
that defeats the whole purpose of the WILDLIFE habitat.  Domestic cats kill more songbirds than any other predator. They dont kill to eat, they do it for sport. Why should I give up my enjoyment of the wildlife, faeries and divas that that my yard was intended for, just because the neighbors dont care about their cats?  My cats are indoors for a reason. I know they would be killers in the garden.  Plus, I feel they are safer inside I make sure that they are happy and well entertained and provided for indoors. They themselves could fall prey to predators outside, bobcats, hawks, and cars.  Plus I also realize that they dont know human land boundaries, and I  respect the fact  that some neighbors would not appreciate my cats in their yard.  .

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
Ad Verecundiam
  • Registered: 2006-02-06

Re: Have a bit of a cat problem. Any suggestions?

Lono wrote:

That's the kind of advise I'm looking for!  I don't have any experience with kids, so when I try to get them to respect my property, it comes off sounding mean if I come out and say it, or condescending when I try to be nice.  It's hard for me to relate because when I was a little kid, I was soooo respectful of boundaries.  I made friendships with some of the neighbors and would pet their dogs through the fence (once I had permission and knew they weren't mean), but steered clear of their private yards, driveways, etc. 

Oh-- just had another thought about the cats.  Could you get your neighbor to at least put collars with bells on them?  That scares away birds and small animals, and they can't sneak up on them.

Good idea.  I even suggested one time that they put a bird feeder in THEIR yard to keep the cats there. But they never did. Maybe I will just go out and get a birdfeeder and some collars with bells (they have 4 cats!)

Yeah, I was very respectful as a kid about other people's yards. I was real anal with my kids on that point.  I use to have kids all over my yard when my kids were little. I didnt care then. But now they are grown, and its kind of nice not having bikes laying all over and toys strewn about. Now its a place to relax.

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
Ad Verecundiam