help with cat pooing in my garden please

[jack daniels]

I know I should post this in animals & nature but I'm hoping I'll get more answers here.........................

as you can see from my posting above, I have about 3 neighbouring cats that come into my garden and leave a deposit of poo for me, they go to my other neighbour to 'steel' her cats food & then unkindly leave a mess in my garden which is becoming more and more of a problem for us.
I love cats but how can we resolve this problem? apart from lion/tiger poo, chilli powder (which hasn't worked). I'm using a spray called 'get off' at the moment but need something better - can anyone help/recommend something for me please.
Mr jd wants to put something on the fence to stop them coming over but what can we put there? can't & don't want to put barbed wire there.

tia

Anna x

[daffy654]

http://www.technology...29bfc040f1f548e5bf062

[Dris]

Jings !!!
Thats severe :(

[thetruthhurts]

Leave the creatures alone, in my experience they cause me less grief than any neighbours.

[steg]

http://www.garden4les...NDZoqMCFRQ_lAodgQjq5Q

[Dris]

I have a cat and he buries his poo unlike the dogs who just come in and randomly poo in my garden or better still on the pavement and its trailed into the house.That usually means for me the footwear getting lashed into the bin and me having the heave cleaning it up.

My neighbour has a pretend cat whose eyes light up if thats any use.Other than that just shoo them -that usually works with my cat who is very timid.

[daffy654]

Do you mean the device I linked to Dris? If so they aren't severe at all. They don't hurt the cats but are very uncomfortable for them to stand on so will deter them. They are also recommended by police forces as an anti-burglar device.

[Dris]

Yip daffy-looks like it would cause some pain to a wee animal.Cats can climb anywhere though so probably would be an expensive 'solution'.Im just too 'couthy' with my cat I suspect.

[craft1948]

When I asked my neighbour if he'd mind if my dog crapped in his garden as his cat did in mine he told me not to be a 'difficult old bat'...:-(

[daffy654]

Dris, I would never recommend a solution to Anna's problem that involved hurting a cat. I am very much a 'cat person' and I get VERY annoyed when certain people on AB advocate hurting cats... salla can attest to that ;-)

[Dris]

I agree craft as dogs dont bury theirs :)
Seriously as a conscientious cat owner I have followed Buddy and shooed him back to the house and I have a litter tray in the house and when he has been fed I leave him relaxing in the house until he has used it then I open the kitchen window for him to saunter in and out..Its as much as I can do.

[boxtops]

A water pistol is a very effective deterrent for a cat, or buy the Cat Poo Off crystals you can get from places like Homebase, and sprinkle them round the area where they poo, Crystals are more effective than sprays. They smell gross but they keep the cats off. Mothballs have a similar effect. You can also buy Lion's Roar pellets - remarkably, they kid the cat that you have a lion, and they don't like that.
I had a similar problem when my neighbour cleared his garden, the cats had pooed in it for years while it was wasteland. I have now set up a litter tray in my garden which at least reduces the problem.

[craft1948]

dris I thought i was being polite asking him to stop his cat crapping. After his less than friendly reply the next time his cat came into my garden I simply let the dog out.........I haven't seen the cat since...............

[daffy654]

You could also try planting some eucalyptus plants and anything with a citrus fragrance at the points they are accessing the garden, cats hate those smells and will avoid them.

[yelenots]

I have the same problem and I used dried teabags and put a couple of drops of diluted Eucalyptus Oil over then and its BRILLIANT it really works!! I buy the oil off ebay (cheaper than the shops!) and get a large bottle - it only costs a couple of £'s. Have a go as it does work....... they dont like the strong smell!!!

[boxtops]

That's the theory daffy, but sorry, my Black Spot quite likes the smell of oranges...

[jack daniels]

Thank you for your swift replies, like I said I love cats and these little felines try to 'cover' up but don't succeed.
I don't want to hurt them either but it seems as though drastic action may have to be taken, therefore I'm going to have to give each suggestion careful consideration. You can't watch for them all the time, they can come during the night too. We have used a water spray on one of them which worked but she came back a few days later.
Does anyone know if citronella is effective & has anyone used it?
Thanks again for your replies & keep them coming if there are anymore

Anna x

[jack daniels]

I've tried orange peel too - to no avail
my reply has crossed some of the answers but I like the sound of eucalyptus oil too.

[boxtops]

If your neighbour's food wasn't easily available to that cat, they might not poo in your garden on the way back! Unfortunately cats are terrific creatures of habit and smell plays a big part in their habits, toilet and otherwise. You have to try to break the habit with something which smells bad to them but which won't damage your plants. I keep a big can of Oust-1-2-3 by the back door and regularly spray hard all round the areas where they put their tails up, where they are not supposed to.

[Dris]

daffy -I know that no-one on here especially yourself would advocate violence to animals as a deterrent -it just looked mean :)
craft -I would have done the same myself -thats why I tell people to shoo Buddy but not when theres a car coming as he does bolt.Im being serious as well and they respect that but thanfully he doesnt seem to stray far apart from during the night but ive got up at 3 in the morning and chased him back in the house if him and another cat are noising each other up.

Good Luck Anna :)

[TWR]

A size 9 works, if not use hobnails.