Suggestions for a cat repellent?

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Reply # 703606 19-Oct-2012 16:22

Asmodeus: Anyone know if there is an easy way to couple a garden sprinkler with a motion sensor of some kind? If so that would work 100%
EDIT: Beaten to it lol. That'll teach me for not reading the whole thread...

Yes very easy with a standard alarm IR sensor and a garden irrigation valve. Just need to get a high pressure hose so it does not burst, and seal the sensor against moisture/ants. I've been on holiday for 3 weeks, else would have done it long ago.

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Gilco2

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Reply # 703692 19-Oct-2012 18:08

I hadnt had any problems with cats since having the sprinkler. So after all that time thought would be okay to remove it. BIG MISTAKE. 2 nights later a cat sprayed the front door well and truly. Must have been holding it in. So have put the sprinkler back there again.

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Coon

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Reply # 1211556 10-Jan-2015 12:45

Updates on this guys? getting unwanted pieces of **** along the hedge shrub

Gilco2

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Reply # 1211558 10-Jan-2015 12:58

Coon: Updates on this guys? getting unwanted pieces of **** along the hedge shrub

I havent had to use the cat sprinkler since last post. The cats got the message. Now instead of coming in our place they run along top of wooden fence to go to neighbours. Still have the sprinkler on hand just in case. I definitely recommend the sprinkler, its the only thing that worked for us. None of the other repellents worked

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ObidiahSlope

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Reply # 1211586 10-Jan-2015 14:35

A suggestion I heard on talk-back radio. I have not tried this myself;

Get a reasonably sized rock

Smear the top of the rock with Vicks Vapo Rub

Place the rock in the area frequented by the cat.

pcheroes

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Reply # 1211607 10-Jan-2015 16:25

Ground black pepper. Sprinkle liberally over several daya especially after rain.

Cats HATE pepper. It gets all on their feet and makes them sneeze.

As far as I know its humane. Haha... No less so that terrifying the crap out of them with a sprinkler. Haha.

Niel

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Reply # 1211766 10-Jan-2015 21:16

Sprinkler (apparently) works very well, all the other repellents will give different results for different cats. What worked for me was I've managed to trap the cat with cheap cat food and, well, a cat trap. I've gently and humanely washed the cat (okay, maybe for a bit too long) with the garden hose. It has never returned in a number of months even though it resides across the road from us. And it seems the cat next door is also staying away, maybe they talk with each other? I have had no cat poop on my lawn for probably 5-6 months now.

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necrofeltch

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Reply # 1211768 10-Jan-2015 21:20

I thought the cat may have died of old age by now!

Rikkitic

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Reply # 1211952 11-Jan-2015 15:41

As I have made clear in other threads, I am a cat lover. This does not mean I am a bird hater, or apologist for unacceptable cat behaviour. When I read of people who suffer allergic reactions to cats, or who have to endure constant cat urinations or defecations on their property or prized possessions, I feel genuinely bad for them. It is unfair and unfortunate that some have to put up with this sort of thing, and it causes the victims to despise cats, which I also find regrettable.

While reading this thread, I had to wonder if there are not better solutions to keeping cats away from places where they don’t belong. The sprinkler solution is good, but maybe too elaborate or expensive for some people, or not always suitable for the location. Although I spend a lot of time around cats, I have not studied them in any systematic fashion and I am not an expert, but one or two ideas did occur to me that might (or might not) help.

Most of the suggestions here involve repulsing cats by subjecting them to water or unpleasant odours. To these things I would add ultrasound. This is easy and cheap to automate and it ought to be effective since cats have extremely sensitive hearing that extends much higher than dogs. The problem, of course, is finding sounds they can’t stand and not driving nearby dogs crazy in the process, but it might be worth looking into.

It also occurs to me that everyone seems to think in war terms of defeating cats and making them retreat. Maybe it is more useful to try to look at the behaviour from the cat’s point of view and to consider another way of approaching it. Cats spray to communicate with other cats. It is a lot like tagging. In Europe hoons have been discouraged from hanging around by playing music they can’t stand or using lighting that creates a very uncomfortable psychological effect so no-one wants to remain in the area longer than absolutely necessary. But if the objective is simply to stop cats from urinating in a particular place, why not consider making an alternate location more appealing to them? Instead of driving them away (power trip), persuade them to go elsewhere (diplomacy). Clean the area they have been using as well as possible, then create a new area nearby and ‘seed’ it with some cat urine or other substances that will encourage the cats to go there.

Distraction might also work. What about a tiny light beam that dances around on a distant wall or other surface when the cat approaches? That shouldn’t be hard to hook up. Or rustling noises in the distance and the cries of a bird in distress or the growl of a dog or another cat in heat? The cat will forget about marking its territory if there is something else that demands its attention. It might be worth researching these and other possibilities for things that really work (unlike a lot of stuff on the market). Better mousetraps have already been invented (they are called cats) but a good cat deterrent might still be a winner for a lot of people.

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Lias

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Reply # 1212063 11-Jan-2015 19:43

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I don't hate cats, but it's daft they are allowed to roam on other peoples property unchecked. Roaming dogs get sent to the pound and the owners fined, why not cat owners. If you like cats, keep it indoors 24/7, keep it away from my property, and away from native wildlife.

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Niel

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Reply # 1212066 11-Jan-2015 19:44

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Don't get me wrong, I like cats. The problem is that the most that any owner I know does is hang a bell around its neck to attempt to warn birds. However, there is such a thing as a cat fence. It is available in the form of a electric shock collar, or long spikes you fit on top of your fence, or a spring loaded wire attached to your fence with outriggers, or a roller on top of the fence so the cat can't get over the fence. If I get a dog, I have to build a fence and ensure the dog does not bark. If I get a cat I just have to feed it. My time is worth money, I'm not going to try and teach the neighbour's cat acceptable social skills. Cats are intelegent, they can be trained just like dogs, but the only training they get is a sand box.

What works for me with very little effort is a cat trap, cheap cat food, and a garden hose. From what I have read, an automatic sprinkler also works however you need a garden hose that can stand the pressure and not worry about the pipe bursting, but everything else simply does not work. It might have an effect on one, but as a solution for most cats, it does not work.

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qwertee

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Reply # 1212146 11-Jan-2015 22:20

I have used crushed moth balls ( comes in a bottle from Mitre10), spread around the problem areas of the lawn , This is after cleaning the area with a squirt of detergent and hosing well with water.
helps to keep them at bay until you forget to sprinkle some more. yes the garden stinks but of moth balls and not .........

SepticSceptic

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Reply # 1212282 12-Jan-2015 09:45

qwertee: I have used crushed moth balls ( comes in a bottle from Mitre10), spread around the problem areas of the lawn , This is after cleaning the area with a squirt of detergent and hosing well with water.
helps to keep them at bay until you forget to sprinkle some more. yes the garden stinks but of moth balls and not .........

Cant get mothballs no more. Been taken off the public market for the last year or so.

My thoughts are no longer my own and is probably representative of our media-controlled government

Stu

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Reply # 1212372 12-Jan-2015 11:17

Some posts have been removed or edited that contain, shall we say, slightly over the top and inhumane ways of dealing with this issue. The BDFL has spoken to some members already.

Can we please refrain from making suggestions that may upset the SPCA or other animal welfare groups or organisations? :-)

We don't currently have a cat but do have neighbour's cats roaming on to our property, so completely understand the frustration faced in dealing with this issue!

Thanks all!

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

Lias

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Reply # 1212597 12-Jan-2015 15:17

BigHammer:
Can we please refrain from making suggestions that may upset the SPCA or other animal welfare groups or organisations? :-)

In all seriousness that's impossible, given that many of those organisations consider that animals should have as much if not more rights than humans.

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