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-   -   Deterring Cats from rubbish bins! (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=400026)

  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:10 AM
    shazamataz
    Deterring Cats from rubbish bins!
    Ok so yesterday we came home from shopping to find rubbish strewn all across our front lawn..

    Our next door neighbours darn cats have figured out how to open the lid of our bin and pulled the rubbish out.. (yes the SAME neighbours with the killer dogs)

    I know the simple solution would be to put a rock or something on top of the bin but I was wondering if anyone had any tips to keep cats out of our front yard completely?. it irritating having them on our lawn all the time and it would be a pain having a big rock on our bin.

    Oh and no bought products if it can be avoided, we don't have any money :o
  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:39 AM
    George Leigh

    You might already have a bottle of ammonia in your laundry room for cleaning. Pour a little of that around your can or trash bags on the day you put them out, most animals will get a whiff of this and take off. It's like those old smelling salts from Victorian days.
  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:41 AM
    shazamataz
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by George Leigh View Post
    You might already have a bottle of ammonia in your laundry room for cleaning. Pour a little of that around your can or trash bags on the day you put them out, most animals will get a whiff of this and take off. It's like those old smelling salts from Victorian days.
    We don't have any at the moment but that is cheap enough to get from the supermarket...
    Thanks!

    Do you think it would work around the boundary of the yard or just the bins?

    I have seen sprays that are supposed to detter cats from your yard completely but they are so expensive, hopefully the ammonia works just as well!
  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:46 AM
    Cat1864
    I found these sites that have some interesting ideas:

    Critter Trouble

    Homemade Cat Repellent. Cat Deterrent.

    The big ideas seem to center on using citrus peal.

    The rue tea might have a pleasant odor.

    Rue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:49 AM
    shazamataz

    Ooooh thanks Cat!

    I don't have a problem with cats usually... it's just these particular ones :mad:

    Haha one of the suggestion on that site is lion dung :eek:
    I can try to get some but I don't like my chances haha

    Thes rest of the ideas are great though! Had no idea about the citrus!
  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:51 AM
    shazamataz

    Just continued reading...

    Quote:
    If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules. Electric water sprinklers can be a great tool. Teaching kitty that every time I enter that place, "I'll get sprayed" will make kitty find other hang outs.
    I keep forgetting we have a sprinkler system :rolleyes:

    It has never been turned on... came with the house when we bought it...
  • Sep 26, 2009, 09:57 AM
    Cat1864
    Sprinkler and motion detector could be fun. :D
  • Sep 26, 2009, 10:01 AM
    shazamataz
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cat1864 View Post
    Sprinkler and motion detector could be fun. :D
    And video camera ;)
  • Sep 26, 2009, 10:07 AM
    Cat1864
    I know the forum to post the video on. ;)
  • Sep 26, 2009, 10:10 AM
    shazamataz
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cat1864 View Post
    I know the forum to post the video on. ;)
    :confused:

    Humor and comedy or animal cruelty :p

    Sorry, I'm just not a cat lover... I don't hate them, but I don't love them either... I would take great joy in spraying one with water :p

    Sad thing is we might be getting a kitty in a few months... :rolleyes:
    It would be an indoor kitty though.
  • Sep 26, 2009, 10:22 AM
    Cat1864
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shazamataz View Post
    :confused:

    Humor and comedy or animal cruelty :p

    Sorry, I'm just not a cat lover... I don't hate them, but I don't love them either... I would take great joy in spraying one with water :p

    Sad thing is we might be getting a kitty in a few months... :rolleyes:
    It would be an indoor kitty though.
    Humor would be my first choice, but the jokes about wet cats would probably need to go in a very different place. :rolleyes:

    I love most animals, but it doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the thought of vengeance every now and then. A water bottle has done wonders to teach our cat that yelling in our ears in not permissible. :)
  • Sep 26, 2009, 10:25 AM
    George Leigh

    I'm continually being awakened at night by our cat tapping me on the face with his paw if I fall asleep on the couch in front of the TV. Maybe I'm snoring?
  • Sep 26, 2009, 10:47 AM
    shazamataz
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cat1864 View Post
    Humor would be my first choice, but the jokes about wet cats would probably need to go in a very different place. :rolleyes:

    I love most animals, but it doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the thought of vengence every now and then. A water bottle has done wonders to teach our cat that yelling in our ears in not permissable. :)
    Hahaha, NOW I get where you were going with that... I'm a bit slow on the uptake :rolleyes:

    George, I think your cat really is trying to tell you to stop snoring and go to bed :D
  • Sep 28, 2009, 10:27 AM
    Ren6
    I have an idea. It would cost a little bit of money, but not a lot. It's this stuff...

    Google Image Result for http://www.charlescamping.ie/onlinestore/images/carpet-protector.jpg

    Get the kind with the hard nubbies close together and sticking up and place it around and on your bins... the nubbies are irritating to cat's feet.

    Oops... the link didn't quite pan out the way I intended. It's the jpeg up in the left corner.
  • Sep 28, 2009, 10:56 AM
    shazamataz
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ren6 View Post
    I have an idea. It would cost a little bit of money, but not a lot. It's this stuff...

    Google Image Result for http://www.charlescamping.ie/onlinestore/images/carpet-protector.jpg

    Get the kind with the hard nubbies close together and sticking up and place it around and on your bins...the nubbies are irritating to cat's feet.

    Oops...the link didn't quite pan out the way I intended. It's the jpeg up in the left corner.
    I actually have some of that stuff here!
    We were going to put it in the bottom of the shower but the little nubs were too hard and just felt nasty :p

    Thanks for the idea!

    Shopping day tomorrow so we are going to buy some oranges and ammonia, and I think I will try the rubber nubbies as well!!
    3 things, I can't go wrong surely? :D
  • Sep 28, 2009, 11:10 AM
    Cat1864
    Maybe even "zest" the oranges on the nubby plastic. :)
  • Sep 30, 2009, 05:21 AM
    shazamataz
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cat1864 View Post
    Maybe even "zest" the oranges on the nubby plastic. :)
    I read this a little too late...

    We have our bins up against the side of our house so I put the rubber mat down on the ground in front of it and then we put some orange peels (long ones) in between the bin and the lid so they were hanging out the sides...

    So far no kitty kat invasion so hopefully it will work ;)

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