cat deterrents (DIY)

[Stephen]

Hello,

There seems to have been an increase in the local cat population. At first I tried to adopt a live and let live attitude but now cats are sitting on my car, scratching at the fence panels, and going to the toilet. Things have got so bad that I have dug up a couple of flowerbeds and replaced them with gravel.

I have a toddler and I know dog mess contains germs that can cause blindness, I don't know whether the same is true of what the cats leave behind, but regardless, I don't really want him playing with it!

I have searched the internet and it claims some smells act as a deterrent: citronella is one suggestion. How volatile is that? Would it evaporate too quickly?

Many of he powders available from B&Q and garden centres seem to contain pepper. The problem with these seems to be that the smell washes away after the rain and has to be topped up. Is there a catering supplier I could get very large (kg) quantities of pepper from cheaply?

Ammonia seems to be another suggestion and Jeyes fluid. Again Idon't know how volatile these are and the ingredients in Jeyes sound almost as unfriendly as the cat litter!

There was a product that used to be highly recommended which was a PIR activated water spray. I don't imagine it was intelligent enough to aim and target the intruder, so I presume it just operated a wide fan spray? Is that right?

I think these are £40-£50 and I would need more than one, which makes things expensive. I could make one. I have seen 12v dc solenoid valves but do such things as 12v PIR exist? The ones I have seen are 240v for lights. I'd prefer not to mix and match voltages and SELV would be better for obvious reasons.

The RSPB web site seems to favour ultrasonic deterrents but these cost as much. Has anyone made their own? Does anyone know the ideal frequency? I remember using 40kHz piezo transducers once upon a time but I wonder whether they would be loud enough or the right pitch. Again PIR controlled but I think either of these could be made DIY for a fraction of the retail price.

What do you think?

[Cash]

Chicken manure - that does the trick in stopping the cats from from messing up the garden, and it's also a bloody good fertiliser. No good for car and fence problems though.

Cash

[Roger Mills]

Have you tried this?

haven't - but would be interested to know whether it actually works!]

[whisky-dave]

it can be pretty bad with cats too.

bacterai has an effect on the brain and they believ that;'s why 'cat women i.le those that lok after or keep a lot of cats tend to be slightly mad.

But personally I think Y chromsomes create madness ;-)

tend

The council might see them as hoese pipes and charge you during the drought anything rather than get the water companies repairing leeks.

I've heard that dried tiger/lion shit works as they smell that as a predictor and keep away. I guess keeping one of teh above wopuld definantly work, not sure where you'd aquire lion/tiger shit. well obvious really just take a trip down the amazon

'n not saying this works as I''ve never tested it.

I've heard that sonic ones last for a few weeks and the animals cat/ dogs/mice/rats eventually get used to the noise.

[Nightjar]

Cats like pea gravel even more than soil, so I hope you used at least

20mm grid chippings.

....

While wet, Jeyes fluid is highly toxic to cats, although it is safe once dry, so must be used with care, unless you fancy a visit from the RSPCA. I found it very useful as a dog repellent on an open fronted driveway, but the cats didn't seem to notice it.

Colin Bignell

[Mentalguy2k8]

A dog helps....

I've heard ground coffee is a good repellent - just throw the used coffee beans around the garden, apparently other animals' manure is good as well as mentioned below.

I've used Zoflora on my patio and the smell seems to linger for 3-4 days, you only need a little bit in a watering can full of water.

[Tim Downie]

Is this any help?

[Fredxx]

Now that was good!!!

I thought cats were smarter.

[jgharston]

JGH

[Nthkentman]

Jeyes stinks and apart from being toxic to the cats would you want your child smelling of it whenever you go out after they have been playing around the garden. It's *not* about prevention more a case of re-education of the animals concerned.

Using a suitable cheap tinned cat food provide an area at the end of the garden that they can easily get to where your children can not. Preferably fence it off. It is rare that a cat will shit and eat in the same area. As you attract the local populous of feline shitography to the area over a period of a few weeks, gradually move the food away from the area a few feet at a time each week after they are used to seeing and using it. At the same time remove all traces of their mess and dispose of properly. (Of course not chucking it onto wasteland nearby :-) ) At some point you will no doubt eventually end up with the offerings well outside your boundary, whereby you gradually reduce to nil the offerings in the bowl until after several days of nothing there the cats will lose interest and be well outside your garden. Return to your area is less likely as by then the smell of feline shyte will be lessened so they won't want to return to use it as their favorite latrine.

The odd one might venture in, but the use of a few well aimed fireworks/crackers nearby will deter them sufficiently.

[Huge]

Cats love gravel.

Toxocariasis is carried by both dogs and cats;

I have searched the internet and it claims some smells act as a

Yes. It's very volatile.

And don't work.

1oz of #9 shot doing 1200 fps. Sorted.

[Brian Gaff]

Well, for a start many of us grew up in cat infested places and never caught anything. However, one thing that some folk suggest is a water pistol that the person at home can use every time he/she sees behaviour which is not good. They are quite smart and then tend to go elsewhere. With regard to ultrasonic. I never found they worked. In one case a local cat was so inquisitive about the evice it played with it for a good ten minutes. Maybe the cat was deaf.

I quite like cats myself but yes they do have some strange ideas onf appropriate behaviour. Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

Mad idea. Cats LOVE to crap in sand and gravel

may catch intestinal worms but honestly I dont thimnk I have heard of a case in years..

Catnip attracts them. could plant it elsewhere..

water pistol

And booby traps involving water.

Cats hate water with a passion.

[dennis]

My neighbour must be very calm, last month he was cleaning his car and went in the house for something and when he came out a cat had gone in the car and sprayed all over the upholstery. I would have shoot the damn thing. I really don't understand why people have such animals as pets.

[dennis]

I have some lilies which I understand to be very toxic to cats. If the RSPCA come around I will tell them what to do as I have just as much right to grow lilies as people have to own vermin. If a cat becomes ill because of them then that is because the owner let it out.

[Unbeliever]

You get more sense out of them than ever we do here with you Dennis! BTW have you ever 'sprayed' over any upholstery when you have been pissed? If so, then I'm afraid you'll have to be shot ;-) . Oh and *I* can't understand why anyone would have an animal such as you as a pet.

[ARWadsworth]

I have worked at her house:-)

I posted this link before most people decided that they would have refused the cup of tea I drank.

[Nightjar]

So, you admit that you know that the plants you grow may cause unnecessary suffering to a protected animal within the meaning of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, but choose not to act to prevent that suffering by removing the plants?

Colin Bignell

[ARWadsworth]

That's not how the act works.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I hope it ends up like the cat I saw in italy which dragged itself home by its front paws covered in diarrhoea and died in its owners arms.

Strychnine

In YOUR case I hopes its YOUR home it crawls into

And you have to watch it die.