We just bought a house and we are moving in in 2 weeks. I have noticed that there are 2 stray cats who hang around the house ALL the time. They walk & sleep on the cars, prowl around and use our yard as a litter box! We have 3 indoor only kittens (all spayed) and I am worried that having these strays around will disturb them and cause them to mark their territory inside the house. I don't want them to feel threatened by these strays. Is there anything I can do to make our yard undesirable to them? Any plants or smells they don't like? If I can't get them to stop coming around I guess I'll have to catch them and take them to a shelter.I asked around the neighborhood to make sure they aren't someone's pets and they definitely aren't. Any ideas on what to do would be greatly appreciated!

If they are definitely strays, I would do your best to catch them and take them to the shelter. Likely your neighbors will be happy to be rid of them. The birds and other wild life certainly will be happy with them gone. In some places the shelter may even help with the capture.

Lawn and Garden supplies sell sprays to keep dogs away from shrubs and flower beds that might work on cats. Unfortunately most of them shift into Christmas decorations now and you may not be able to find any now.

I wouldn't worry too much about accidentally sending someone's ''pet'' cat to the shelter. The people that let their pets prowl the neighborhood and beyond killing birds and fouling yards are clueless and irresponsible. That just is not acceptable in today's society. Chances are they don't keep them up to date on shots either. My experience is in dogs rather than cats, and the dogs are even a worse problem when allowed to run loose. I have been around forums like this for a long time and have seen so many questions about other people's pets. If you don't want it in the house with you, you must not really want your pet.

Responcible pet owners such as you, shouldn't suffer because of others.

I used to buy a repugnant for that (at the drugstore). It's sort of grains (made from fish fat) that you spill around your yard. You have to renew it every few weeks, until they learned it. For cats (and dogs) it smells so awfully, that they stay away. It is NOT poisonous, and it IS biodegradable.

Labman:
I usually think your advice is good... but saying that people who let their cats roam don't want them is ridiculous. I have four cats who are all allowed to go outdoors... because I love them. They're miserable indoors, and allowing them access to the outdoors is the most humane and natural way for them to live. Cooping them up in a house isn't the way they were meant to live. They are all up to date on their shots and very well taken care of, and of course we want them... saying otherwise is nothing more than specious nonsese. Our neighbors aren't bothered by our cats... and they don't "foul yards", seeing as they bury their urine and feces (unlike dogs). Many of our neighbors love our cats as much as we do, and even leave out food so they'll come visit. If they don't want them around, they can "shoo" them. As to taking other people's pets to the shelter... that is one of the most vindictive and cruel practices I have ever encountered, and I'm honestly shocked that you would encourage it. Taking an innocent animal away from its home because you find it annoying is a terrifying and potentially lethal existence for the animal, if the owners aren't able to locate it and it winds up being euthanized at a shelter. Would you really want to be the cause of someone's pet's demise, especially for no good reason? If you really don't want cats around, try some of the humane practices such as sprays.

Your best bet is to see if animal control will come pick them up. In the state of Louisiana it is against the law to have animals (whether it be dog OR cat) running loose. So if you can't keep it on your property by somehow making a fenced in area they can play in (which is SO much safer for them, then letting them run loose in the road, getting shot by neighbors who are just tired of seeing your cat soil their yard, or getting chased and eaten by a dog), then keep it inside! If you can't do that, you shouldn't have animals. And don't tell me that just because cats cover their mess, it's no big deal! That makes me laugh! I can't tell you how many times my cats have done that in the gravel driveway and "covered" it up! It doesn't matter when you step on it.

Call the ASPCA

If you are concerned about your cats being upset, one solution is to have the strays spayed or neutered. As long as you don't mind them hanging around.

I lead a "live and let live" life which extends to humans as well as animals.

Any animal that walks through my yard gets fixed whether it belongs to someone or not. I don't mind them hanging around though. The more friends the merrier!

Sometimes I try to find good homes for these unwanted pets. Some have ended up being mine for good.

For more information on cutting down, humanely, on feral/stray cats please go to www.alleycat.org.

You'll find some excellent information there.

Regards,

Labman,

I'm disappointed by your attitude regarding "other people's animals". I too allow my cats to roam. We live in the country but have close neighbors whom also have cats that roam.

I would be very upset if something ever happened to my cats and I realize the "safest" thing would be to keep them in the house. However, I have 6 cats and, speaking from 11+ years veterinary experience as well as a lifetime pet owner, keeping that many cats happy completely indoors is hard to do unless you have a very large home (which, unfortunately, I do not).

I don't mind dogs that roam either as long as they behave themselves and don't kill cats or attack people/children.

I realize not everyone likes animals and they can certainly take action by finding the owners and asking them to keep their pets off their property. My neighbor has goats which she allowed to roam and they did some serious damage to our property such as walking on vehicles and eating the bark off my prize apple tree.

Once we explained to her the problems, she did endeavor to keep the goats off our property.

Some people CAN be reasoned with... :)

In some cases, however, I do recommend euthanasia. It breaks my heart, but I'd rather see an animal which can't be placed in a caring home put down than thrown out to starve a slow death.

Keschy, I hope you find an equitable solution!

Regards,

Perhaps I put it a little strongly, but I do stand by my answer. There are too many problems caused by dogs and cats that are allowed to roam. I may comend you for generously spay/neutering loose cats and dogs, but not all of the owners would thank you.

Hmm... I'm not fond of other cats in my yard either.. I hose them.. or shoo them away, you basically need to make them understand that they'll have a bad experience (and I don't mean pain) in your yard.. that way they might not want to come back..

I also bought some citronella oil and put it along the tops of our timber fences.. I believe it works, but the scent that I can detect goes away after a few weeks so you need to re-do it to maintain it... or maybe you don't since cats have a better sense of smell.

Good luck

Steve

If you don't want the cats in your yard, the humane sprays, etc are best. Like everyone's been saying, you don't want to be responsible for a pet being picked up and ultimately euthanized.
I personally don't mind MOST cats coming to visit me. It does annoy me when tomcats come around, howling and picking fights with other cats, though. In that sort of situation, it may be best to have them picked up by Animal Control. If they are not neutered, they are probably not vaccinated. If there is an owner, it is up to them to call around to the shelters and find the cat.
I let two of my cats out because they are miserable indoors. I've tried very hard to make then indoor cats, but they don't want any part of that. So, I have taken every precaution I can to help them out while they are outside - first, they are microchipped, so if Animal Control does pick them up, I can be contacted. They are also spayed and neutered and current on Rabies, distemper, and Leukemia vaccines. I only use break-away safety collars to prevent them from getting tangled and hanging themselves, too. Also, I immediately take my cats in to work (I work in a vet clinic) with me if they have any signs of being in a fight so they can get antibiotics, and after several weeks are tested for Feline Leukemia and AIDS.
As for loose dogs - I'm against it. I can't tell you how many times I've taken my dogs out on leashes and have happened to walk into an unneutered dog spraying my yard. My dogs go crazy and the situation can easily get out of control and dangerous. And being that I work in a vet clinic, I see a fair number of dogs coming in that have been hit by cars. We just had one dog come in that had been tied in its backyard to go to the bathroom and was attacked and nearly killed by two loose dogs. After weeks of surgeries and treatments, the dog finally started healing. Sadly, though, we got a phone call from the owner one afternoon - the loose dogs came back into the yard and killed the dog.
Anyway, unless the stray cats are fighting or causing problems, just use the sprays, etc to keep them out of your yard. Otherwise, contact Animal Control to have them picked up.

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What was that supposed to mean? You are spamming, Labman.

Labman,

I'm disappointed by your attitude regarding "other people's animals". I too allow my cats to roam. We live in the country but have close neighbors whom also have cats that roam.

I would be very upset if something ever happened to my cats and I realize the "safest" thing would be to keep them in the house. However, I have 6 cats and, speaking from 11+ years veterinary experience as well as a lifetime pet owner, keeping that many cats happy completely indoors is hard to do unless you have a very large home (which, unfortunately, I do not).

I don't mind dogs that roam either as long as they behave themselves and don't kill cats or attack people/children.

I realize not everyone likes animals and they can certainly take action by finding the owners and asking them to keep their pets off of their property. My neighbor has goats which she allowed to roam and they did some serious damage to our property such as walking on vehicles and eating the bark off my prize apple tree.

Once we explained to her the problems, she did endeavor to keep the goats off our property.

Some people CAN be reasoned with... :)

In some cases, however, I do recommend euthanasia. It breaks my heart, but I'd rather see an animal which can't be placed in a caring home put down than thrown out to starve a slow death.

Keschy, I hope you find an equitable solution!

Regards,

I appreciate your response to Labman as it was very well put. I have posts on here and when he replies I feel he tries to make himself out as the expert on all animals for everything the people ask ?'s on along w/trying to make you look like your stupid or stubborn. Hopefully he'll wake up and watch what he writes in response to the posts on here. I'm sure others have been put out by this person. Take care.

I am having the same problem as keschy. I didn't have too much trouble with roaming cats the first three years in this house, but about 6 months ago my yard became cat central. I now have all my neighbors' cats as well as a number whose owners I don't know, and they ALL use my yard as a litterbox. They leave fur and hairballs too and climb on the roof to chase & kill birds. Every week I see one or more new cats. I don't leave food outdoors to attract them.

To mechanicaleden, koriani and the others who have no problem letting their cats roam, I find your attitude irresponsible and hope you would consider the negative effects of letting your animals roam:
1.Every time my sprinklers go off, my entire yard REEKS of cat urine! They use the front lawn as a litterbox too and do not cover their mess there at all. So much for for "burying". You can't even go out there because of the strong odor.
2. I have a pre-schooler. Your animals' poop carries germs and worms and is a health hazard to her and her friends.
3.To top it all off, the cats are now SPRAYING MY HOUSE and when you open the sliding door, the smell of cat urine permeates the indoors too.
4. Roaming pets do not live to a ripe old age. They are predated by dogs & other animals, get hit by cars, get injured in fights, and pick up diseases.

I have a wonderful indoor cat of my own who is now over 15 years old, so please don't think I'm a cat hater. People who really love their animals make sure that they are safe and that they do not become a nuisance to others. My pets, like my children, are MY responsibility, not my neighbors.

For the roamers' owners--Would you be so tolerant if your neighbors' children hopped the fence into your yard and made themselves at home there? How about if they were running around and screaming? Drawing on your house? Climbing onto your roof? Swimming in your pool? Digging up your plants? Eating the fruits in your garden? Relieving themselves in your yard? You would complain or call the cops on them and you would be right to do it.

We are at our wits' end. We have tried coyote urine on and around the fence, but it didn't help, not even for a day. If anyone knows of a reliable repellent, please share it by name or give a recipe if it's a home brew. We've had a very hard time finding any that work. We are ready to use supersoakers or the hose, and frankly, taking them to the ASPCA is starting to look good too.

Sorry for the length of this, but I am tired of people who can't tell the small ones (human or furry) in their care "NO". Nobody gets everything they want all the time or needs to be "completely happy" to have a good life. If you want to let your cats outdoors, put them on a leash and supervise them or provide them with a roofed, fenced enclosure.

Bcre8tiv,

If it were my house that this was happening at I'd get an RSPCA approved trap (I'm in Australia) and then once trapped, turn the cat over to the local pound. I wouldn't be heartless or cruel towards strays so I'd make sure the trap was in a shady place in the yard and that there was water available.

Steve

Steevo,
Thanks for the suggestion, but at this point there are at least 10-12 cats visiting the yard on a regular basis and I'm not sure which ones are spraying. Is it time to call in a humane trapper, like for raccoons & possums? You mentioned hosing them earlier--have you tried a motion activated sprinkler? It's tough to hang out for hours waiting to catch them in the act.
By the way, my own is spayed, so they're not after a cat in heat.

I have used moth balls or moth crystals at the front of my home to deter the cats from using it as a toilet. It will not harm your lawn or flowers. This worked for awhile until I was forced to put up a chicken wire fence to keep them off. Also another deterrent might be cayenne pepper liberally put on the areas where the cats spray, etc and hopefully once they get a snootful they will abandon the area. As another resort have you contacted your local village or township where you live and talked w/animal control about trapping and removing the cats from your property? I know how bad it can stink as I have a problem w/sparrows in my bushes out front pooping all over the sidewalk and my garden on the other side of the bushes. I've yet to find a deterrent (that won't hurt them) to drive them off to roost in another spot. They are stinky also.

Attacking responsible pet owners like me is not going to help your situation any, becre8tive.

All my pets are spayed and neutered. If I lived in town, where they might create a problem for my neighbors, I would keep them in the house. However, as I stated in my last post, I live in the country on 8+ acres.

The cats you are speaking of are probably strays or the product of irresponsible pet owners who do not spay/neuter. Please don't lump all cat owners in the same category... it simply isn't so.

These cats are breeding and will continue to do so until something is done. My mother is part of a humane solution in her town called Trap Neuter Release. She traps cats, spays/neuters them, and then releases them using local funds set aside for that purpose. The Humane Association can be a great help as well.

This method is hugely effective and you can read more about it at Alleycat.org (http://www.alleycat.org).

Becre8tive, I hope you decide to become part of the solution and not the problem.

Regards,

''Letting a dog run loose is illegal in most places and is irresponsible everywhere.'' This quote is from one of the best publications on dogs I have ever read. Unfortunately, being the puppy training manual from a dog guide school, its wealth of information is not available to the general public. There are exceptions, but very few people live where they should let their dog run loose. Cats are less of a problem, but nobody should be expected to put up with the problems I see here. If reasoning with owners if you can identify them, and making your yard unattractive to them doesn't work, I see no problem with sending them to the animal shelter. Owners are responsible for their pets, not the pets for the owners. Try to be as humane as possible to the animals, but rid yourself of the pests however you have to.

As for ladyandjan, I am not going to return your personal attacks. I have extensive experience, reading, and training from some of the best in the dog area to base my opinions on. What qualifications do you have to base your opinions on?

''Letting a dog run loose is illegal in most places and is irresponsible everywhere.'' This quote is from one of the best publications on dogs I have ever read. Unfortunately, being the puppy training manual from a dog guide school, its wealth of information is not available to the general public. There are exceptions, but very few people live where they should let their dog run loose. Cats are less of a problem, but nobody should be expected to put up with the problems I see here. If reasoning with owners if you can identify them, and making your yard unattractive to them doesn't work, I see no problem with sending them to the animal shelter. Owners are responsible for their pets, not the pets for the owners. Try to be as humane as possible to the animals, but go ahead and rid your self of the pests however you have to.

As for ladyandjan, I am not going to return your personal attacks. I have extensive experience, reading, and training from some of the best in the dog area to base my opinions on. What qualifications do you have to base your opinions on?I was not attacking you. But just to point out that when someone offers an opinion or help you pooh pooh them as being not having any kind of smarts at all. Maybe we do not train dogs but have the knowledge of owning dogs for over 25 years does provide a person with insight in dealing with different things with their own animals. I'm sorry you feel personally attacked but you shouldn't attack others by referring to them as know nothings or stupid in other words. Not everyone knows every thing about every subject but we should all try to learn from one another not put anyone down who might gain more knowledge by the people here who I thought were trying to help one another.

Michelle, my post was not meant as a personal attack on you, gut on the prevalent attitude of pet owners who le their animals roam. It's great that you have the property to let them out (do they actually stay on it?), but most people don't.

I know who owns better than half the visitors in my yard and they are all fixed, but not one is going to keep their cats in, and for sure no one has offered to come and scoop the neighborhood litterbox. Not one of them intends to keep their cats indoors.

I intended only to express my frustration, and until you walk a mile in my mocassins, I wish you would refrain from calling me part of the problem.

Don't let anybody lay a guilt trip on you. You have a legitimate grievance, you have explained the problem, warned them, and if they do nothing to solve the problem, then do what you must. I hope you have tried some of the ideas people here have suggested. I haven't tried them, and can't say if they work or not. Nobody that complied with your request to keep their cats off your property will suffer.

bcre8tive,

I certainly didn't feel as if you were attacking me personally. I also was not trying to lay a guilt trip at your feet.

Just as you were, I was speaking in generalities. As you say, "until you walk a mile...".

Same goes for the flip side. As a 11+ year veterinary assistant, I know there are those out there who do their best, with little help from neighbors or the city, to help cats who have been dumped. At least the neighbor who owns the cats has spayed/neutered them. And that's a lot. I'm sure you know how much it costs.

At $71 for a spay and $38 for a neuter, our clinic is one of the cheapest in our locality.

I also know that, just because one has a cat fixed, doesn't mean it's theirs. I have any cat that walks through my yard fixed... whether it's mine or not.

Unfortunately, I DO have irresponsible neighbors. Dogs, goats, cats, chickens... all on my property. The dogs and goats cause WAY more problems than the cats ever thought of...

Anyway, when the dog thing was getting out of control a few years back, I wrote a letter expressing, in a contructive way, my displeasure at all the dog crap in my yard. I too had toddlers and no fenced yard to keep the dogs out at that time. I also asked that anyone that owned a dog, please keep them penned or chained. Any dogs left roaming after a week, were going to be taken to the nearest shelter or placed in a new home (NOT KILLED). I put the letter in all the mail boxes up our road.

Thankfully, the problem was taken care of... for the most part. After about two weeks, my closest neighbor (the one with the goats, chickens, & un-fixed cats) started letting her dog out and about again. I'm a laid back person so one dog didn't bother me and we eventually had a fence put up in our backyard.

The letter approach may be something for you to try. Let your neighbors know of your displeasure (without getting accusatory) and maybe say that, if the problem is not corrected, you will be forced to call the local animal shelter. Even ask if they would be willing to come scoop cat crap out of your yard! LOL. This will also give you evidence that you tried to solve things peacefully. Make sure you save a dated copy.

I certainly don't like that solution, but I realize that sometimes things like this must be done. Just remember that these are people's pets. If they have children who love these animals, you'll be responsible for having killed their friends. I would be devistated if someone hauled off my animals without first explaining the problem to me... and so would my girls.

One person's solution may not always be an option for someone else...

Okay, so I'm new to this board and will try to refrain from putting my foot in my mouth, BUT, in my never to be humble opinion, I think it's okay to have the ASPCA come and pick up strays. If they are someone's pet and that pet owner takes care of their animals on a regular basis, then wouldn't that pet owner automatically go to the ASPCA to look for their animal when their animal disappears for more than a day? Animals don't get put down or put up for adoption the day they are brought in so as long as the pet owner comes looking for his/her pet within a day or two after disappearing than it's okay. I think this is more humane than allowing them to roam and possibly get hit by a car, get in a fight or be taken away by a stranger. At the ASPCA they'll be safe and fed. My chow got out once after a bath so she wasn't wearing her i.d. collar and was taken to the ASPCA, I got her the next morning safe and sound. Besides, I have problems with a stray cat who has decided to crawl under my house every night. All night all we hear is "Yowwwwwl!" for two weeks now. Not fun when you're trying to keep your 18 month old from waking up every time. We can't figure out how the heck this cat is getting under there, we've closed the entrances and then open them reluctantly for fear she may die under there if not let out. Even if cats covered up their poop, the smell of their urine is ferocious! Don't really appreciate that.

Tootles,
Mom in Cali :eek:

I hope you all make the right decisions when it comes to stray cats. I just think if people were more reoponsible this won't happen. If they would spay and neuter their cats instead of dumping them off somewhere then we won't have this problem in the first place. I have 2 cats of my own. I found them outside so there is no way I could make them indoor cats, because I tried and failed. They are too adventurous to stay indoors.

Michelle

First you may wish to know what is the normal practice of cats in your area. For example I live in TN now. We live about 3 miles out from a town of 5000 people in a subdivision of about 20 houses.
Everyone owns one cat I would guess some more. They all run loose, I normally have two or three in my yard at any one time. More if I throw any left overs out in the yard.

This is just the way it is where we live, ( no real dog rules either although basically a few people locally would just shoot a dog running around in their yard. ( country people got to be scared of them)

This also was about the way it was in south GA where we I lived before also.

I would most certanly ask some new neighbors about the cats, it may well be the kids down the street pets.

No way better to make friends in a new area that to have peoples cats carried off to the pound.

This is an old thread but seems to be a continuing problem. I read that some of you love your cats and to keep them in the house will be cruel. I'm sorry but to let your cats roam around other people's properties is just being irresponsible as a pet owner and disrespectful as a neighbor. You may think everyone in your neighborhood loves your cats roaming around but they don't. I love cats and have a cat myself. I also love songbirds and have a birdfeeder in my backyard. When I went out to my backyard with my cat on a leash today, I noticed feathers all over the place. Apparently a cat that one of our neighbors allows to roam free killed and a ripped apart one of the songbirds that came to visit my yard.

I take my cat outside with a lease and wouldn't think of letting him roam free. I live in a suburb of a major city and the risk of finding my cat flatten out across the payment is not worth allowing him to "live more naturally".

This is an old thread but I am just now having the problem.
Moved into new neighborhood, have an indoor cat who likes
To go sit on the deck, does not leave the deck. Tonight, Jan 2, 2006,
The neightborhood cat comes up on the deck and attacks my cat
So now who is the irresponsible cat owner and why shouldn't I call
The pound, I am a big animal lover, but when my cat comes in
Bleeding because it is on its own deck then how can you not
Want to do something to the neightborhood cat who is not a stray,
But ITS "RESPONSIBLE" OWNERS HAVE NO IDEA where it is. Help me
Understand this.

I have said what I have to say on this subject a long time ago. People that respect others, keep their pets at home. If you have your pet under control, you have no reason to attack Labman for suggesting problem pets are reported to animal control. People that let their pets cause other people problems are the bad guys, not the ones that call animal control.

Actually where I live it's illegal for not only dogs, but cats as well, to be running loose. All cats have to be licensed and have to be kept indoors or kept in an enclosed yard where they can't escape. If your cat is picked up you face a stiff fine of $250. It's good for the cats in the long run, because they are not subject to various cruelties, and won't get run over by cars, etc. However, since the law was implemented 5 years ago, the mouse and rat population in the city has gone up dramatically. So there are some disadvantages too!

Leben one of the users is stupid why would you take the cat to get tested on? Not unless you're a heartless person which I don't think you are considering you asked for help on this issue, personally I think shelters are sad all the animals sit and wait for someone to come and get them and it doesn't happened the animals end up being put to sleep I think you should contact a friend who you know will take good care of a pet maybe even a parent who's alone :D :)