cat deterrents (DIY)

Stephen · 2012-03-22T13:53:01+00:00

Hello,There seems to have been an increase in the local cat population. Atfirst I tried to adopt a live and let live attitude but now cats aresitting on my car, scratching at the fence panels, and going to thetoilet. Things have got so bad that I have dug up a couple offlowerbeds and replaced them with gravel. I have a toddler and I know dog mess contains germs that can causeblindness, I don't know whether the same is true of what the catsleave behind, but regardless, I don't really want him playing with it!I have searched the internet and it claims some smells act as adeterrent: citronella is one suggestion. How volatile is that? Wouldit evaporate too quickly? Many of he powders available from B&Q and garden centres seem tocontain pepper. The problem with these seems to be that the smellwashes away after the rain and has to be topped up. Is there acatering supplier I could get very large (kg) quantities of pepperfrom cheaply?Ammonia seems to be another suggestion and Jeyes fluid. Again Idon'tknow how volatile these are and the ingredients in Jeyes sound almostas unfriendly as the cat litter!There was a product that used to be highly recommended which was a PIRactivated water spray. I don't imagine it was intelligent enough toaim and target the intruder, so I presume it just operated a wide fanspray? Is that right?I think these are £40-£50 and I would need more than one, which makesthings expensive. I could make one. I have seen 12v dc solenoid valvesbut do such things as 12v PIR exist? The ones I have seen are 240v forlights. I'd prefer not to mix and match voltages and SELV would bebetter for obvious reasons.The RSPB web site seems to favour ultrasonic deterrents but these costas much. Has anyone made their own? Does anyone know the idealfrequency? I remember using 40kHz piezo transducers once upon a timebut 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 fora fraction of the retail...

Mar 22, 2012 61 Replies

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Hugo Nebula 14 years ago

Get a cat, or encourage cats into your garden.

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Cash 14 years ago

Already got a cat "in the garden", and the chicken s**t is the only thing that stops the old cat and her mates doin' their business there - as for stopping the birds messing on my car, the old cat has yet to deveolp a set of wings to catch the perishers in mid-flight before they 'bomb' the car.

Now, when the birds are on the ground, she has a very good record of knocking them off - and then leaving their innards on the back door step as a 'present' for us to find with the soles of our shoes (drives SWMBO crazy). I know, I'm never satisfied. ;-)

Cash

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