Blasted Cats

[blue-and-green]

a sound-device that only pets can hear - its called pet-away cost around £40, wont cover the whole garden, but worth putting it in a specific place, it does work, unless they are deaf of course, i sold my sound-device cause i have a dog now, and that does the job, i had no cat problems whatsoever with the dog!! . pepperdust?! twigs and thornbushes-cuttings to make it difficult to walk over?!

[blue-and-green]

cat owners

The real answer lies in the education of cat owners. It's only quite recently that dog owners have got the message via the law that they are responsible for their pets toilets and they just can't leave it all over the pavements and foot paths. Disgusting !
Cat owners can go a long way to solving the problem by providing a toilet area within their own property for their cats. Any area suitable for the cats to dig in, made from sand and cinders, or outdoor litter can be bought now. This area can be dug out regularly, binned and replaced.
The legal problem is cats don't BELONG to anybody so there is no legal recourse. I know this doesn't solve your problem Two Sheds but it is the crux of the matter. Do you know the owners of any of these cats. Maybe if you spoke to them. They have probably never thought about it. Maybe we all have to raise awareness. Letter to the local press maybe ???

thank you - i totally agree with that!! its equivalent to doing your business outside yourself! dung is dung.

[mandyballantyne]

Is there any reason not to compost it?? We use horse/cow/chicken etc I know it has some diseases but would this not break down??

[blue-and-green]

not a good idea to compost cat or dog dung, i read if it gets stuck under your nails for a long period of time, it can cause blindness, not sure of the scientific names. however farm manure is excellent.

[jools]

I think the main reason why you can't compost dog/cat mess is that the majority of them will have been wormed and therefore their deposits will kill the worms in your compost bin.

It is true that cat's poo can cause blindness - which is a bit of a problem if you are trying to encourage your kids to grow stuff in the garden and someone elses bloomin cat has left a calling card.

I also agree that high fences might keep some of them out. Before we picked up our pup, we mended a hole in the fence at the bottom of the garden and we noticed that we had less visitors even before the dog arrived. we have quite high barriers but I am busy planting things to grow up the trellis on the top of our wall so that it makes it even more difficult for them, should they be thinking of risking the dog!
Jools

[sewer rat]

Was having a quick browse through GYO February issue and on the letters page are a couple of letters re deterring cats - one suggests a pop up fence - available from N.A.Kays -might work - letter writer seemed very impressed with it

[Two_Sheds]

They don't like pepper or lemon or small sticks vertically.
They do like bare dug soil though!

Get a Supersoaker

Maybe Suffolk cats are thick? We've tried Pepper, Chilli, Citrus, Thorny sticks, Supersoaker. They just come back for more! And the problem isn't just in the dug beds, because they crap on the lawn, with no intention of burying the stuff.

[Two_Sheds]

The real answer lies in the education of cat owners.Cat owners can go a long way to solving the problem by providing a toilet area within their own property for their cats???

You're right Alice, but the problem is...most people get cats because they don't need to be looked after. These animals are left out all day and night, presumably just taken indoors when the owner wants a cuddle!
If I could trace the poo to the cat to the owner, I could return said poo to respective owner. Perhaps thru the letterbox?

[sewer rat]

Two Sheds - if your Suffolk cats are really that thick, I would shoot 'em - be kinder in the long run !!

[Two_Sheds]

I just talked about this issue to an old hand on our Lottie: he said his dog killed cats that came in his garden, and he had to bury them. Says he heard a neighbour calling fpr her cat and he told her 'he can't hear you missus, he's got some mud in his ears' (not sure if it's true, and of course I don't approve)

[dexterdoglancashire]

Mmmmm, not a lot of pussy lovers out there methinks!
I have two cats (have always kept cats) but mine are house cats and don't go using neighbours gardens for a toilet.
We have/had a visiting cat in the front garden who tries to eat the birds - it doesnt stay for long - I'm lying (well, cooking in the kitchen and can see through the window) in wait with the hosepipe! it soon runs back to its own garden!
Failing that - if you see the offending animal - a squirt of water from a water pistol, washing up bottle (water only) or plastic lemon thingy should teach it to go somewhere else.
DDL

[Two_Sheds]

if you see the offending animal - a squirt of water from a water pistol, washing up bottle (water only) or plastic lemon thingy should teach it to go somewhere else.
DDL

Tried it. Doesn't work - they have 3 second memories. Funniest thing though - the white cat next door is deaf, so he doesn't hear you coming with the Supersquirter: funny as!
My old hand said his neighbour's cat always used to lurk in the same bush, so one day he surrounded this bush with netting, with just a gap for the cat to get in. When he heard it scrabbling about trying to escape, he nonchalently wandered over with a large bucket of iced water, and drenched the beast.

[Wolfie]

We have 3 cats. 2 of our cats tend to use the litter tray but one of them will use any freshly dug earth in my garden but runs now when she sees me bearing down on her. Our neighbour has 6 (not a typo - SIX) moggies who are constantly using my garden as a loo. I've tried the lion droppings which were unsuccessful and chicken wire over the seedbeds with some success but looks unsightly. This year, I'm going to go down the supersoaker route to see if it's any better. The hosepipe works in the short term but its never at hand when I really need it. Most of the people around here are not gardeners and have very overgrown gardens but the moggies prefer mine

[madderbat]

.... Most of the people around here are not gardeners and have very overgrown gardens but the moggies prefer mine

That's because you dig it for them!! Supersoaker and yelling is another tactic of course. (It frightens the neighbours, anyway!) Try 'Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' as you run at them with a Supersoaker, at least it will get your aggression out

[Alice]

I stand by what I said before. Any deterent is only part of the solution. Cat owners just have to be educated about their pets toilet requirements and the unacceptability of just allowing them to use their neighbours property. Might make us a bit unpopulat at times - but you would no longer let their dog do it - would you ?

Mandy, no you shouldn't compsost it. You can compost cow, pony and chicken poo because these animals only eat vegetable material, so don't transmit the diseases carried in meat. Cats and dogs eat meat, some of it infected with all sorts (unfit for human consumption) and this is passed on in the faeces. So don't put it in your compost heap or you will end up eating it.