How to deter Cats?

Just The One

Recently I am having trouble with cats in the garden. They are either sitting on the back wall looking in the window, prowling around the garden or sleeping in the garden.

None of these cats look particularly friendly... most look wild with a few cuts etc. I am not sure if this is the case or if it is because there is a cat in heat and they have been fighting.

Anyway, I got some powder stuff to deter cats and spread it on the wall but it did not seem to make much of a differance to them.

Can anyone suggest ways of getting rid of them or offer ideas as to why they are suddenly after deciding to use my garden as their ghetto.

blueshirt

get a shotgun.

crosstownk

I used a deterrent that seemed to work for a while. Green pellets that were quite smelly. I think the smell wears off after a while but it did the job.

Apparently cats dont like any the smells of citrus either.

If all else fails get a dog!

Merrick

My Nana used to get a plastic bottle, fill it with water and leave it in the garden. It worked and all. I have no idea why.
I've the same sort of problem, cats tend to run over my roof. I thought they were supposed to be relatively quiet animals but instead sound like a herd of small elephants stampeding overhead. I find that hanging out the skylight and roaring/screaming obscenities loudly at them works very well.

FranknFurter

Tried and trusted method.

Get pots of Vicks Vapo-rub, (yes the kind you rub on your chest when your ill).
(You may need quite a few depending on the size of your garden, still, it works out cheaper and a LOT more effective than the comercial deterrents when you do the maths).

Place them around your garden in places where you see the cats regularly.
and hide pots in plants, half buried pots in lawn (they are small) etc.

Cats hate the smell and it makes their eyes water (harmless) if they get too close.

rub some on top of the walls (at the sides so it wont wash off in the rain as easilly) too if you want.

It lasts a while and by the time it wears off they have normally decided they dont like your garden much anymore.

Also, an I know this sounds horrible, but, if you know somone who has a male cat that uses a litter tray, ask him or her for a bag of the USED litter an spread it in your flowerbeds, it will be good for the plants and will make the cats think its somone elses territory.

hope that helps,

b

(PS, maybe you have some plant that attracts them growing without knowing it, do you have a herb garden? There is a plant I think its called "Nepeta Musenii" (sp?) or "catmint" that they adore, they have also been known to love the smell of many other herbs and absolutely hate the smell of other herbs & plants, maybe make a list and google "plant name" +Cats (replace the words plant name with the plant name obviously, but do use the inverted comma's and the + symbol in the search).

mikemac

Merrick wrote:

My Nana used to get a plastic bottle, fill it with water and leave it in the garden. It worked and all. I have no idea why.

I've seen this before and it does seem to work.
Anyone know how it works? There's no smell involved so I can't figure it out

Arcadian

FranknFurter wrote:

Also, an I know this sounds horrible, but, if you know somone who has a male cat that uses a litter tray, ask him or her for a bag of the USED litter an spread it in your flowerbeds, it will be good for the plants and will make the cats think its somone elses territory.

DON'T do this !! If these cats are feral (un-neutured) and you start scenting the area with cat litter it will simply encourage them to start competing with the smell by scent marking every wall and plant in the garden and you won't be able to step foot outside due to the smell:mad: The only way they'll care about it being someone elses territory is if there is a cat in residence who can actually see them off the garden. It also bad for the plants;)

FranknFurter

Arcadian, I know of three seperate people this has worked for with feral cats. (I supplied them the litter when I had cats! lol )
I think when you have a normal small garden they just cant be bothered.
As for the smell and plant damage, all three of those people put it in their flower beds well mixed with the soil and none reported anything bad, one even said it seemed to help hers in the summer!
(Im only talking about a 1/2 cupful per place)

Maybe its to do with the litter u use and how often you change it. I used regular cheap litter half mixed with wood pellet litter (not pine of course).

b