Is it OK to throw shoes at cats?

[Chree]

OK, don't get me wrong - I like cats. The problem is we live in a fairly built up area and next door have two cats. Next door only have a small garden which they do not maintain at all and is very overgrown - hence their cats can't "chill" in their garden. As a result, these two cats have taken a keen interest in our garden which is nicely maintained and has lovely plants etc.

When I say keen interest I mean they crap all over the place, dig up any newly planted shrubs/seeds and replace them with a soggy stinky turd, knock over the bird table and kill birds and leave them. I understand that this is completely natural for a cat but clearly I don't want it to happen; they are costing us money by ruining plants and costing us time when we have to clear up their turds.

I have tried plently of tactics which have incurred expense and affected how we use our garden, namely:

1) Installed 3 sonic deterrents in tactical positions (said cats most prolific dumping ground) at a cost of �35 each - these are harmless and emit a high pitched tone when a beam is crossed. These rather expensive items seem to have been rather ineffective; rather than scaring them, they seem to have some laxative power and induce the cats into curling one out right by the deterrents.

2) Applied a cat repellent in soiled areas. At �4 a bottle this stuff should work and to be fair was slightly more successful than above mentioned deterrents. However after following the instructions on the reverse, a few days after the course has been completed the cats strike back. To use the repllent continuously would cost �8 a week so isn't an option.

3) Applied a pint of water to cats when opportuniy arises. This is certainly the most effective treatment to date it would appear; upon application, the cats do a Usain Bolt back to their gaff, and economically it is the best option so far. The problem is, I can't spend my entire life waiting

[Chree]

(continued)......... with a charged pint glass for these two cats to appear. I have to work.

4) We have recently put granite pieces over their most popular dumping ground - a rather nice granite trough by our front door (where we have tried growing plants but they get dug up). This has stopped them crapping in there. "Result" I yelled, and with a victorious swagger in my step I went down to our courtyard only to discover two fresh shiny ****** on our steps.

As you can probably tell I am rather frustrated by these two cats and when the opportunity arose yesterday (I saw one of them scratching around, prearing his crapper - he had one in the departure lounge I assume) I raced downstairs in a blind rage, grabbed a shoe and threw it at the cat. Bullseye! I hit it right on the head as it was scarpering. Now I'm sure it didn't hurt the cat but it certainly scared it. Only problem was the little girl who lives next door grassed me up to her Dad.......and he wasn't happy. He said next time they do it I should go round and see him and he'll buy some repellent. I explained how I was extremely experienced (unfortunately) in the success rate of these repellents and that it wouldn't work but he didn't care. I explained that we have spent about �200 on deterrents and repellents and that they have damaged a fairly significant amount of plants and he still didn't care.....he just threatened to throw something at me if I did it again (I would understand this threat if I was crapping in their garden, but I don't as yet.)

Does any one have any advice or comments on this issue? And, is it OK to throw shoes at cats?

Thanks,
Chris

[lankeela]

I'll lend you one of my dogs. Their favourite sport is kitty hassling. Dog help one that actually comes into their garden. Try a spray bottle of water, it goes further or one of those super dooper water pistols.

[elaine33]

I do understand your frustration at cats using your garden as a toilet but I do not understand how you can be so cruel as to throw stones and then be so happy you scored a bulls-eye. throwing anything at any animal is just pure cruelty and I am truyly sadened and appalled by your behaviour

[tigerlily11]

Yes it is a bit nasty but I can understand the frustration caused by cats who use your garden as a litter box or to catch birds.
I sat one day armed with a hose that had a jet nozle and when the offending cat turned up I fired. It took several goes and a few days but he learned that my garden was out of bounds.
A spray of water never hurt any cat.

[Chree]

Elaine, it was a shoe, not a stone.....and a rather light shoe to boot (honk honk!).

More of a flip flop than a doc martin.

I wouldn't want to hurt any cats, I like them.

I am seeking advice on how to solve this rather messy problem rather than been chastised by someone who mistakes a shoe from a stone.

[nightmare]

horse shoes are a definite no-no

[redcrx]

get a cat!
it wont poo in its own garden and should scare the others off.

[Nosha123]

If anyone threw a shoe at my cat and hit it - I would do them!!!! Luckily my cat seems to prefer crapping in our own garden... so digs up the earth around my own plants - which doesn't bother me at all! I'm damn glad I dont live next door to you though!!!!
Am with the owner of the cat on this one... you cannot hurl anything at their cat and not expect retaliation. IF the cat had been injured.. they could have a hefty vets bill all because YOU prefer your plants to look nice and tidy! A cat has to crap somewhere... since they dont make cat dunnies. get over yourself

[Catron]

The title of your question hardly shows that you love cats, now does it Chree? You have to expect some stick with a title like that.

[wendilla]

Have you tried moth balls . I used to have a cat and I expect he went to someone elses garden cats usually do but after I lost him(through old age) I started having visits from other cats tried this and seems to work but you do have to renew them after awhile.Hope this helps

[paddywak]

My old next door neighbour had 5 cats, 4 ever came near the garden (they soon learnt Max objected) the fifth would sit on top of the wall and "tease" Max until I was washing the car one day and got it with the pressure washer. No permanant harm done but the cat learnt its lesson, however if I'd not got on so well with steve I'd have probably thrown some lead at it

[Chree]

Tigerlilly - are you advocating I sit for days on end with a jet hose primed for squirting? I have tried this approach of applying a pint of water - while it is very successful at the time, these cats are very stubborn and they keep coming back.

[sir.knobby]

Well get one of those traps that close when something steps in it that will do the job and I bet it will never sh1t in your garden again.

[dianew]

my cat used to scratch the carpet untill i put lemon juice down so youcould try some lemon peelings around, but please don't throw things

[Chree]

Catron - yes I expected some stick although I think I've shown that I would rather solve this problem without shoes.

[Fairie]

If you do like cats - get one - this will probably stop cats dumping in your garden.

If you do not want a cat - you'll have to sit and wait for it, every time it comes in your garden shoo it off (not shoe!) with a water pistol. It will eventually get the message.

Good luck

[Tony-Ferino]

i heard that when chree threw the shoe the cat was so scared it **** itself........

[Chree]

Tony Ferino - can I ask you not to trivialise this debate with your usual toilet humour