Suggestions for keeping stray cats out of yard

[shocksyde]

My GF lives in an end-unit rowhome that has an alley down the side of it. I would estimate around 20 stray cats hang out within a 50 yard radius of her place. We find them in the back yard all the time, and we also find cat shit in the mulch all the time.

Anyone have experience with good methods to keep cats out of your yard? The "yard" is about 10' x 20' (rowhome). There are 4'-5' fences and concrete barriers on all sides of the yard.

There is a new puppy in the house, so nothing poisonous can be used. We're also concerned about attracting mice, so foods or smells that cats don't like may not work (unless mice don't like it, either).

Thanks for any suggestions.

No more suggestions like "chicken + antifreeze" or the burlap bag one, please. Posting such "suggestions" means you either fail horribly as a comedian or worse, as a human being.

Next sap to post something like this gets a vacation. The rest of you are now warned.

Perknose
Senior AT Mod

 

[randay]

a dog

 

[Kntx]

Put the cats in a burlap sack and take them to the river.

 

[isekii]

why not just call animal control ?

 

[mugs]

Urine

 

[So]

Isn't dirt pretty much poop already anyway? It seems like it's not worth the effort, especially since I'm sure the feral cats are keeping the rodent population near your house WAAY down.

 

[xboxist]

a) nuke from orbit

b) a dog

c) vigilantism

d) become a cat

e) call the applicable city/county services dept.

take your pick.

 

[HannibalX]

.22-LR

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: So
Isn't dirt pretty much poop already anyway? It seems like it's not worth the effort, especially since I'm sure the feral cats are keeping the rodent population near your house WAAY down.

You make some good points. My GF just doesn't want her puppy eating cat poop and hates having random crap all over her back yard.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: So
Isn't dirt pretty much poop already anyway? It seems like it's not worth the effort, especially since I'm sure the feral cats are keeping the rodent population near your house WAAY down.

You make some good points. My GF just doesn't want her puppy eating cat poop and hates having random crap all over her back yard.

feed puppy a strict diet of raw meat and anger

 

[Newbian]

Have your GF become the dominant pussy and order them out.

 

[Nik]

http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/pets/catpoop.html

This column was in a recent SF Chronicle Home and Garden section:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...003/05/03/HO286052.DTL


-- Scatter pinecones in the areas the cats like to visit, especially under bushes. Ponderosa or other prickly cones work best.
-- Buy a commercial cat repellent and scatter or spray it in the places where the cats are doing their business.
-- Sprinkle heavy coats of pepper in those areas (I use about one 4-ounce can) where they are leaving their calling cards. fiona

Ground up orange peels supposedly repel cats

http://www.justrite.com

Check out: http://gardenweb.com It's a great place for gardening information. It has both specific plant and location forums. You can use their search button to search for ''cat'' to get lots of different ideas about approaches to the problem that you have encountered

we've used chili pepper flakes successfully in our backyard. The drawbacks are that you have to put it out every coouple of days and that you have to wait until your child doesn't eat everything she comes in contact with. Also, I've seen machines in catalogs that emit sounds that cats, dogs, mice etc get annoyed by. I've never seen them in stores though.

Black pepper works pretty well, in my experience. Strong black pepper burns the nose when the cats go sniffing around. They're not likely to return while the scent is still there.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: Newbian
Have your GF become the dominant pussy and order them out.

Haha, "FERAL CATS, HEED MY CALL! I AM YOUR NEW GOD NOW! THOU SHALT SHIT IN MY NEIGHBORS YARD."

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: Nik
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/pets/catpoop.html

This column was in a recent SF Chronicle Home and Garden section:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...003/05/03/HO286052.DTL


-- Scatter pinecones in the areas the cats like to visit, especially under bushes. Ponderosa or other prickly cones work best.
-- Buy a commercial cat repellent and scatter or spray it in the places where the cats are doing their business.
-- Sprinkle heavy coats of pepper in those areas (I use about one 4-ounce can) where they are leaving their calling cards. fiona

Ground up orange peels supposedly repel cats

http://www.justrite.com

Check out: http://gardenweb.com It's a great place for gardening information. It has both specific plant and location forums. You can use their search button to search for ''cat'' to get lots of different ideas about approaches to the problem that you have encountered

we've used chili pepper flakes successfully in our backyard. The drawbacks are that you have to put it out every coouple of days and that you have to wait until your child doesn't eat everything she comes in contact with. Also, I've seen machines in catalogs that emit sounds that cats, dogs, mice etc get annoyed by. I've never seen them in stores though.

Black pepper works pretty well, in my experience. Strong black pepper burns the nose when the cats go sniffing around. They're not likely to return while the scent is still there.

Thanks a lot! My GF asked me if pepper works, so I'll suggest she try that.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: So
Isn't dirt pretty much poop already anyway? It seems like it's not worth the effort, especially since I'm sure the feral cats are keeping the rodent population near your house WAAY down.

You make some good points. My GF just doesn't want her puppy eating cat poop and hates having random crap all over her back yard.

That puppy is going to eat all sorts of poop if you let it outside. If the cats are crapping in the middle of the lawn or on a walking path, I can see her consternation, if it's just in the gardens, I think it's silly. I'm also unclear how much we're talking here. Is this like a few here or there, or a carpet of cat poop?

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: So
Isn't dirt pretty much poop already anyway? It seems like it's not worth the effort, especially since I'm sure the feral cats are keeping the rodent population near your house WAAY down.

You make some good points. My GF just doesn't want her puppy eating cat poop and hates having random crap all over her back yard.

That puppy is going to eat all sorts of poop if you let it outside. If the cats are crapping in the middle of the lawn or on a walking path, I can see her consternation, if it's just in the gardens, I think it's silly. I'm also unclear how much we're talking here. Is this like a few here or there, or a carpet of cat poop?

It's a "here and there" situation. It doesn't bother me personally, but it bothers her.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: So
Isn't dirt pretty much poop already anyway? It seems like it's not worth the effort, especially since I'm sure the feral cats are keeping the rodent population near your house WAAY down.

You make some good points. My GF just doesn't want her puppy eating cat poop and hates having random crap all over her back yard.

That puppy is going to eat all sorts of poop if you let it outside. If the cats are crapping in the middle of the lawn or on a walking path, I can see her consternation, if it's just in the gardens, I think it's silly. I'm also unclear how much we're talking here. Is this like a few here or there, or a carpet of cat poop?

This is why I wouldn't want my new puppy getting in to feral cat poop.

 

[Kelemvor]

Rags soaked with Ammonia and left in the general are should deter them. Or put the puppy outside...

 

[Lorax]

i thought cats stick around because they are getting food from the area... so maybe someone is feeding them? either that or you have a meat tree somewhere.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Kntx
Put the cats in a burlap sack and take them to the river.

I hope you get a vacation.

They have repellants you can buy if you don't have your own animals.

In general if you don't have food available they will not come around.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: Lorax
i thought cats stick around because they are getting food from the area... so maybe someone is feeding them? either that or you have a meat tree somewhere.

Unfortunately there's a lady 7 or so doors down that feeds the cats. We can see them hanging out right outside her door every so often.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: isekii
why not just call animal control ?

You will get a nice fat bill for services rendered when they're done cleaning up.

 

[lokiju]

Call the humane society?

 

[Kntx]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Kntx
Put the cats in a burlap sack and take them to the river.

I hope you get a vacation.

They have repellants you can buy if you don't have your own animals.

In general if you don't have food available they will not come around.

They're not someone's pets. It's an infestation of animals that needs to be removed. Trapping is a perfectly legitimate way of eliminating the problem. If it were rats or racoons you wouldn't have a problem.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Kntx

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Kntx
Put the cats in a burlap sack and take them to the river.

I hope you get a vacation.

They have repellants you can buy if you don't have your own animals.

In general if you don't have food available they will not come around.

They're not someone's pets. It's an infestation of animals that needs to be removed. Trapping is a perfectly legitimate way of eliminating the problem. If it were rats or racoons you wouldn't have a problem.

Trapping with a live trap is a reasonable solution -- but I'd bet there's a local group that spays / neuters colonies of ferals. Granted, it won't fix your problem directly, but it will solve it in the long run. (I.E. you need a two part solution).