If there's one thing that turns my stomach, it's cat poo on the lawn before mowing

[MM]

Every time I mow the lawn there's cat poo to be removed. I hate it. It's never solid, always messy, slimy, stinky, totally revolting. The only way I've found to remove it is by scraping with a dutch hoe on to a shovel.

Has no one got any other ideas? I read once a long time ago that the Parisian clean-up squad rode around the city on motorbikes with a nitrogen wand that froze dog poo solid. It was then much easier to deal with.

Have we nothing like that in Britain?

I've tried jets of water from the garden hose, but that isn't effective. The summer months are a little better, because it's warmer and the poo dries out and crumbles.

Later today I will have to steel myself to go "out there" for the first time with the mower this year, but first I'll have to attack the cat mess.

I'm desperate for a better solution!

(By the way, no point suggesting stopping cats messing on my lawn. I've tried everything in that department already, short of having automatic scatterguns like on the former East German border fence.)

MM

[Andy Cap]

There's load of adverts for dog poop freeze. I don't know if it works though but it must be worth a try.

[John Smith]

Luxury. We currently have a family of foxes with five cubs under our shed and they do like to play on the lawn.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , MM writes

Diversionary tactics? Provide a small area of freshly dug and raked soil. For full authenticity, plant some valuable seeds.

Are you certain it is not Fox poo? Pointy ends. Cats prefer to bury their gifts.

[Andrew]

Get a jack russell terrier.

[T i m]

It's worse if you are trying to grow veg. ;-(

Lovely.

Quite.

My solution ... going along with the recent law regarding having all dogs chipped, have all (supposed) 'pet cats' chipped and their DNA registered (along with dogs of course).

You find some cat cr*p in your garden, you send a small sample off to some service who then send the bill for the test and either the opportunity to cleanup after their 'possession in the future, pay for professional cleanup services or the fine(s).

It's totally ridiculous that a dog owner is fined for letting their pet foul in a public place but not a cat owner and worse that they can (officially) get away with their animals fouling other people

*private* gardens and areas. [1]

I feel a 'be responsible for *your* pet' social change coming on (stronger), as it has done with smoking in public places and about time.

The innocent parties have rights too! ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] And in these technical days there is no reason why a cat can't wear electronic collar and you equip your boundary with a wire and when your cat leaves your boundary it triggers an alarm in one of the local 'Cat patrol' units (paid for out of the cat licence) and on the cats collar itself, the cat gets collected and the owner can pay the fine to get it back. ;-)

[alan_m]

No they don't. If they shit on a lawn they just leave it. If they shit on earth they may move a bit of soil but the shit remains on the surface.

[alan_m]

Shouldn't the owner just get the cat put down if they cannot be bothered to be responsible for their pet?

[MM]

Cats probably start out with the best of intentions, but they are lazy and just do one or two token scratches in the earth. No way do they bury it.

I've checked on the internet and fox poo looks different. Plus, I've seen cats on the lawn preparing their typical squatting position. I'm frequently too late to shoo 'em away, though.

MM

[MM]

That exactly describes what I find here.

MM

[MM]

Nope. I don't like dogs. Ever watched a relative or friend's dog pulling its arse across the carpet on which the family toddler is playing. Messy, filthy, smelly, drooling animals that drink out of toilets.

MM

[MM]

Actually, I think this being rural Lincs most of the cats are strays.

MM

[ARW]

Get a snake then.

[Andy Cap]

I think that might be worth a try. A tray with loose soil in it could provide an attractive alternative. Combine it with the freeze spray and you could end up with easily disposed of deposits !! Not tried it though.

[R D S]

Yep, especially if it's stuff you weren't planning to cook, radish etc.

[Cursitor Doom]

How about a pressure washer? That'll certainly shift it. Just make sure you stand in such a position so you don't end up getting sprayed with the shit you're trying to remove.

What about those fake cats you can buy cheap? They're just two- dimensional black cat-shaped cut-outs with green glass for eyes which you position where the real cats can see them before entering your garden. I gather they're quite effective.

[T i m]

It was partly why I stopped growing my own.

It really is a ridiculous state of affairs.

I wonder what would happen if someone had a pet hawk and it took fancy fish out of a neighbours pond or killed someone's pet Guinea pig or rabbit when out in it's run?

I wonder if the owner of the hawk could simply wash their hands of their responsibility like most cat owners seem to? I bet 'that' particular 'roaming animal' carries some sort of responsibility of ownership?

I think some brightly coloured die in a Supersoaker could help reveal the owner (or some liquid chemical that really stinks as much as cat s*1t). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Rob Smith]

replying to MM, Rob Smith wrote: I have found that keeping the grass short deters cats. I tend about 10 lawns, some quite large and the only one that suffers is the one that I leave longer on the insistence of its owner. All others are never longer than the second setting on my Honda mowers.

[Richard]

Don't be so harsh on those toddlers.

[Chris Hogg]

This being a d-i-y group, into plumbing and stuff, I'm surprised you asked!

Have you tried one of those motion-activated water sprays, something like this

?

Actually, you should count yourself lucky. We get regularly visited by a neighbour's dog. An altogether more substantial job!