cat deterrents (DIY)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Unbeliever wrote: Dennis! BTW

I think that is an unnecessary restriction.

Vermin can be shot at any time IIRC.

[ARWadsworth]

Shit is shit.

I am working on a new farmhouse this week.

There is cow and dog shit everywhere (the cows were not supposed to be in the house but they escaped from the barn next door). TBH I nearly took one of the cows on as an apprentice.

Cats bury their shit and dogs do not.

But it's all nature. All animals shit.

But we humans are the best animals in the world as we can dump our shit out into the sea.

[dennis]

Correct, I will not remove them. However I disagree with them causing unnecessary suffering.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , ARWadsworth writes

Don't stand behind a cow that has been grazing fresh grass:-)

regards

[dennis]

I wouldn't have to, I would chuck it in the road and phone the RSPCA to come and get it (they wont as nobody is on benefits).

[Nightjar]

As with all English law, the Courts will decide how the Act works.

Colin Bignell

[Huge]

I suspect Nighties tongue was jammed so far into his cheek, I'm surprised it didn't hurt.

[ARWadsworth]

I have seen what they can eject and at what speed:-)

It's the first new build I have ever worked on where a cow wanders into the house.

Cows do not bother me. I am scared of horses.

[Farmer Giles]

Try closing the toilet door!

[Cash]

Now if someone could find a way of doing that then I would be pleased as the birds here frequently 'bomb' the car - along with the SWMBO's washing! And she ain't happy...as she has to wash both again when that happens. ;-)

Cash

[Tim Lamb]

Just consider hand milking and open topped buckets....

We have a *through* entrance lobby. The rear door opens into what was the collecting yard for the dairy cows. None here since 1974. Runt piglets and orphan lambs reared under the kitchen table. There is no smell quite as memorable as a half grown lamb by your feet, ruminating on cabbage leaves while you are having supper!

Don't let them stand on your feet.

regards

>

[Dave Liquorice]

(Cows)

And keep to the middle of the room.

[F Murtz]

Been racking my brain for a method involving an angle grinder.

[dennis]

Well I do hope the courts act. If they are stupid enough to set the precedent then it will have to apply to cats triggering allergenic reactions in some people which means all cat owners are keeping dangerous vermin and can be done and I can get them exterminated with a bit of luck/effort.

[Terry Fields]

As others have suggested either directly or otherwise, you need to unmake the connection in the cats brains that impels them to come in to your garden.

Ultrasonics, automatic water sprays, and 'chemical warfare' in the form of cat-deterring odours can all do this.

When we had a dog problem of them using our (open plan) front garden as a toilet, I took the following approach, which was reasonably cheap and fully effective.

I waited for a weather forecast of some consecutive fine days, and got my weapons ready. First I cleared up all the dog poo (about 40 piles of it, yeuk). On the morning of the first fine day, I went to the local supermarket, and bought several kilos of the cheapest onions on offer, and several large but cheap cartons of pepper. I chopped the onions into small pieces, and spread them about all over the area where the dogs poo'd. I then covered all this with the pepper.

When the sun got going, you could smell the onions and pepper 200 yards away.

No dogs came to poo in my garden after that, except that about a year later one new dog did venture to leave his mark. This time, just a small amount of onions and pepper got rid of him.

A refinement of this would be to get a squirty dog/cat repellent, and spray that on the fences, etc, where the cats come over your garden, at the same time as you deploy the onions and pepper. This won't drive them away of itself, but they will remember the smell being associated with the onions and pepper - so that you might well not have to re-treat your garden with them, but occasionally have a squirt about with the spray just to remind them of what happened.

Terry Fields

[Tim Watts]

It's actually a tiny worm that eats your retina IIRC and the problem is called toxacariasis (sp??)

Smelly if nothing else.

A supersoaker filled with lemon juice is a non cruel way to actively scare them off (they don't like it up'em, Captain Manwairing!").

But I do not know if it is the lemon scent or the fact they just got an acid jet in the eye/up the chuff that actually works.

[Nightjar]

On 23/03/2012 08:14, dennis@home wrote: ...

It is not the cats' fault if, as a very young child, you were not exposed to enough infections to get your immune system working properly.

Colin Bignell

[larkim]

Isn't it particularly the toxoplasmosis risk to the foetus of a pregnant woman that's the largest risk. That was certainly what my wife told me to excuse her from clearing up shit from the local pest (cat) population.

Simple for me - pets should be banned, the only animals people should be allowed to keep are ones which provide food or perform an industrial service.

Matt

[dennis]

Its not my fault if a cat comes into my garden and eats plants that kill it. Its not my fault if it comes in and gets anti-climb paint on it on the way out.

[The Natural Philosopher]

that's the largest risk. That was certainly what my wife told me to excuse her from clearing up shit from the local pest (cat) population.

allowed to keep are ones which provide food or perform an industrial service.

I dont mind as long as fat women and children are also banned.

Neither of which provide food or an industrial service.

In fact if we banned everybody in the same light, we would be down to a happy healthy tenth of current population levels, and there would be bags of room for cats.