Cats messing up my garden

[Smithb9841]

Funny you posted this today. I’ve been dealing with my neighbors 20 yes 20 cats for the last year and a half… I live in the city so lethal options aren’t really on the table.. anyway I bought a live animal trap the wire cage style and have caught a couple but these cats aren’t fixed and keep repopulating… I’ve called the city they don’t do much and if they get to the point of coming out they just catch them fix them and turn them loose a couple streets away.. it is so bad this morning I got into my car and as soon as the heater kicked on all I could smell was cat piss it’s beyond disgusting! Calling city animal control for prob the 15th time or so in the last year

Anyway rant over get a live animal trap use bacon or a can of tuna. Once it’s in the trap you do what you decide to do with it. Like someone above stated sometimes they make there way back..

 

[journeyman713]

For cats and/or pretty much an animal, Cayenne pepper will keep them away.
Go to the dollar store and get a big container of it.
Shake it around the area.
Later, when critters are into the mature veggies/fruits, put the Cayenne in a spray bottle with water, and spray it directly on what you are trying to protect.
Ever see a squirrel do back flips, they don't make that mistake twice.

 

[arock]

Plastic fork with the pointy ends sticking up. Sometimes rocks in there can freak them out.

 

[arock]

The best cat deterent I've ever seen is a Drahthaar. Those things are hell on any furry animals; great bird dogs too. One encounter with one and it will either be dead, or will never come back.

A few years ago my friend had his dogs over at his girlfriends house and they caught her cat and played tug of war with it. I never would have guessed a house cat could get 5' long. He did the right thing and didn't tell her and threw it in my garbage.

My GWP has tried to murder cats before. That was crazy. No hesitation, no point he just went like he would after a squirrel or rabbit.

Surprisingly he doesn't mess with my fiances. Probably since that guy has been around the house since he was a pup.

 

[TripleJ]

I have had some success using rat traps concealed among my plants in the garden. Set them and sprinkle a light coating of dirt over them. I don't think they like it when they step on it. I have also used a live trap very successfully on feral cats, when I didn't have to worry about making a neighbor's cat disappear.

 

[KurtR]

Had this problem at my wifes daycare and cats shitting in the sand box. I talked to neighbors and they said the cats need to be out at night. I warned them gave the cats back once and after they were caught a second time they never came back. I cant just let them go in the country as they are hell on pheasants and ducks. I dont understand the mind set of letting pet cats roam if my dog was running all over town shitting every where animal control would snatch him up and i would be paying a fine.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Had one that kept getting in my Bass Boat years ago.
Kept pooping and pissin in it.
Put a few rat traps with tuna in there.
Found one of the traps about 30 yards away with fur in it.
Never saw it again.

 

[Cahunter805]

Funny you posted this today. I’ve been dealing with my neighbors 20 yes 20 cats for the last year and a half… I live in the city so lethal options aren’t really on the table.. anyway I bought a live animal trap the wire cage style and have caught a couple but these cats aren’t fixed and keep repopulating… I’ve called the city they don’t do much and if they get to the point of coming out they just catch them fix them and turn them loose a couple streets away.. it is so bad this morning I got into my car and as soon as the heater kicked on all I could smell was cat piss it’s beyond disgusting! Calling city animal control for prob the 15th time or so in the last year

Anyway rant over get a live animal trap use bacon or a can of tuna. Once it’s in the trap you do what you decide to do with it. Like someone above stated sometimes they make there way back..

That is flat out ridiculous man! I think Id highly consider taking things into my own hands and some cats would go missing. Cat piss is one of the most foul smells. Can’t stand it.

 

[Danny Hoey]

So I have this cat (or cats) using my raised beds as it own liter boxes. The problem is I’ve never seen it, so it must be coming in at night. Im done with digging up copious amount of their crap when prepping the beds in the spring. I spend all weekend planting seeds only to find out that the bastard has payed me a visit and tuned up patches of my freshly seeded garden. I’ve spend a lot of money on lumber, soil, and building deer proof fences so not too keen on the cat situation. I’ve just dealt with it in the years past and ready to take action.

I know I’m not the only one with this issue. Has anyone had any actual success with non-lethal methods for deterring cats from their garden? Lots of methods on the internet but guessing most are not effective. I live in an area where I don’t think it’s a feral cat so before I trap someone’s pet and remove the situation for good, I’d like to hear if there’s other option to try first.

Thanks

I have a panel of hog fence over my raised beds. Makes it easy to space the planting of the seeds and keeps the Gordon Setter out of it. He's part goat and likes to stand on anything and everything.

 

[Smithb9841]

That is flat out ridiculous man! I think Id highly consider taking things into my own hands and some cats would go missing. Cat piss is one of the most foul smells. Can’t stand it.

i have my trap set but only caught a few. The neighbors keep enough food out they don’t go looking for food elsewhere so that’s why I’ve only caught a couple. It’s beyond disgusting. This morning really set me off but I could literally smell the cat piss through my vents and stunk up the inside of my car.

Animal control has fined them but I’m Sure they haven’t paid. We aren’t exactly on speaking terms and they barely understand English anyway.

 

[Huntindog45]

i got a motion activated sprinkler and it was damn entertaining to watch the cats get hit by a rainbird..

 

[Like2hunt]

Get a live trap and take the thing to the next town over and then let it go. I trapped a cat the other week, hauled it out west and let it go, next day same cat was in the trap. Took it farther out west and let it go and you guessed it, back in the trap. Took it with me to school the next day (next city over) and let it go in the parking lot. Those things will come back if you don’t take them far away. I like the idea of a motion activated sprinkler that would be funny

 

[Smithb9841]

Get a live trap and take the thing to the next town over and then let it go. I trapped a cat the other week, hauled it out west and let it go, next day same cat was in the trap. Took it farther out west and let it go and you guessed it, back in the trap. Took it with me to school the next day (next city over) and let it go in the parking lot. Those things will come back if you don’t take them far away. I like the idea of a motion activated sprinkler that would be funny

From what I’ve heard if you make sure to take them a few busy intersections away the likelihood of them returning is greatly reduced.. so I’ve heard any way

 

[Maki35]

Repels All granules/spray. It has help kept the neighbor's pets off my property.

 

[Axlrod]

I have the scarecrow sprinkler. 1 time and the cats won't come back. Keeps my dog off the hot tub too. Did get my ex wife accidently lol.

 

[MTtrout]

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I didn’t think of rat traps so will set a few till I can get it in a live trap. Once trapped I’m going to have some fun with the garden hose. If it ends up being a feral cat then I have zero problem saying bye bye.

I feel everyone’s pain above about cats in kids play areas and messing up your personal property. It’s ridiculous we even need to be dealing with someone else’s issues to begin with. In college we lived at a house where the neighbor dog would shit in our gravel driveway all the time. After stepping in it a few too many times in the dark my roommates and I took the time to fling each pile back over the fence with no care of what it landed on. We warned the neighbor several times before going to this measure but the fence was finally fixed! Kinda wish I still had that college spunk and repay the gesture to whoever owns this cat

 

[Billy Goat]

Maybe you should assert your dominance.

I think have-a-heart trap, piss and chit all over the cat.

Show the little forker who is boss.

 

[Carpenterant]

We trap them in live traps and then toss the trap with the cat in it in a barrel of water. Wrap in a trash bag and throw in the trash. We killed two of the neighbors cats and it has been hard to hold back the chuckle when she comes around looking for her cats and complaining about why they don’t stay around

 

[ReddingArcher]

Funny you posted this today. I’ve been dealing with my neighbors 20 yes 20 cats for the last year and a half… I live in the city so lethal options aren’t really on the table.. anyway I bought a live animal trap the wire cage style and have caught a couple but these cats aren’t fixed and keep repopulating… I’ve called the city they don’t do much and if they get to the point of coming out they just catch them fix them and turn them loose a couple streets away.. it is so bad this morning I got into my car and as soon as the heater kicked on all I could smell was cat piss it’s beyond disgusting! Calling city animal control for prob the 15th time or so in the last year

Anyway rant over get a live animal trap use bacon or a can of tuna. Once it’s in the trap you do what you decide to do with it. Like someone above stated sometimes they make there way back..

Smelling cat piss in my truck is the last straw for me. There would be some antifreeze soaked meatballs or tuna cans out for them until there were none left.

 

[bobinmi]

Save a bird. Subsonic .22LR behind the ear. Neighbors won't even know you shot