Keeping Cats Out of Our Yard

get a dog! just kidding.

try some cayenne pepper in the dirt. they get it on their paws and then when they clean their paws it's too spicy. the great thing is this is totally environmentally safe and it's quite effective. with so much rain, you might need to reapply often but it's worth a shot.

oh yeah, and you're assuming that all dog owners clean up after their pets. WRONG!

Kyane Pepper... sprinkle along yard line... You will have to re-do this every so often.. and more if you live where it rains. It helps!!!!!!!!! I know as I have tried it!!!!

Hi A.~

I have bred and raised cats most of my life - a couple things here don't add up. Cats don't leave their poop out in the open. Have you really seen them doing it or have you seen shadows at night? Racoons and opossums are actually really big culprits for this. The hole thing doesn't add up either. Cats can put holes in things but rarely do since they are hunters and not foragers. This again is a racoon or opposum trait (whose poopies are small and long like a cats). Do you keep your garbage in a side yard or in your garage? These things can attrack all three animals.

If you have having a regular cat problem there are ordinances - do you recognize any of the cats? If so go to their owners and let them know you will be calling animal control if they let their pets loose again. You don't have to get pushy, but we kept our cats on leashes or had indoor cats since it absolutely isn't ok to be letting your animal into other people's domains.
Also do you know what catnip plants look like? Here is a link: http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Ency/Index.cfm/id/206... . Do you inadvertantly have some of this growing in your yard?

I hope you find a solution! Best of luck!

C.

cats bury their poop. they hate to see it and smell it. If it is out in the open then it is a racoon or other night critter. plus cats do not normally rip holes in things. Dogs work good. the nice thing about cats is if you have any rodents in the neighborhood, they will keep them out of your house. We have some construction going on near by and the rodents have been up rooted. The cats have been getting them and I have seen the evidence of this in the front yard. As gross as it is and I hate to clean it up, i always praise the cats when i see them for it, because that is one less rodent i have to worry about trying to get into my home. Cheaper than an exterminator.

As a cat owner I can tell you that cats don't generally poop in the grass it will be in dirt or sand and usually buried so you can't see it unless you are digging there. Either get a really tall fence I mean 10+ feet or accept that cats will be traveling through your yard. If you have poop in your grass it might be a raccoon, we no longer have a dog and I am still doing poop patrol before mowing or the kids playing and it is because a pair of raccoons have decided to visit our house each evening, we knew we had one in the area but last night we saw both of them on our back patio. They will also put holes in the toys, cushions, move things around, dirty up water washing their hands and items. Cats don't generally put holes in things either so I would think you have a raccoon over a cat.

My husband and I just found a large cat poo stash beside our front porch. We couldn't figure out why it stunk so bad. We couldn't see the poop anywhere. While putting up lights this weekend my husband climbed behind and bush and lo and behold: poo depository! I did some online research and found that cats hate citrus. We bought a cheap box of oranges (lemons work too) and cut them up and placed them around that bush and area.
Good luck!

Actually as a cat owner most towns/ cities to have pet ordinances that include cats. and there are fines attached for not following the rules. Problem I would think would be catching the cat in the act. While you have seen it, Animal control can not sit at your home daily watching for this.

Have you tried locating the owner and letting them know that the cat is using your yard as a litter box? You could trap the cat and turn it in.

You could also put some coins in a tin coffee can and when you see the cat run out shaking the can and yelling at the cat to get out. Very fast the cat will no longer like your yard.

The behaviour you describe is not typical for cats, I think here you are dealing with other creatures. We have raccoons that use our front yard as a potty place. Good luck!

Leash laws were initially enacted for dogs because they became a menace to people and livestock, in a way that cats are not. Poop might be gross but it isn't lethal in the same way an aggressive dog is. Beyond that aspect, though, dogs are very domesticated while cats are only partly so. Leash laws typically do not apply to cats but there are exceptions and some cities require cats to be leashed just like dogs. Check your local ordinances to see if you can use that route to get the problem in check.

Have you talked to the owner(s) of the cats? Perhaps you can suggest they have a litter box placed outside their home to encourage the cat to use that as a place to poop?

I'm not a fan of this method but you could try to turn the hose on the cats when they access your yard. Be careful to avoid a really hard spray that could harm the cat. A spray of water might convince the cats that it's better to stay away from your house.

And I've got to agree with the folks that say this doesn't sound like cats. I've grown up with cats and they are very meticulous and clean for the most part. They also tend to be pretty private and are will try find an inconspicuous part of your yard (usually in flower beds or the like) in which to do their business. They also make sure to cover it up. The two cats I have right now are occasionally let outside and they are so conditioned to using their litter boxes, they'll come in to poop and then go back outside to play.

I agree with you completely on the "why is it ok for cats to run around and do their thing in my yard but not a dog". I had the same problem and here is my not politically correct solution. Get a tennis ball and everytime you catch them in your yard, throw it at them. You are not going to hurt it but you will scare the snot out of it. Or, everytime you see them in your yard, literally chase it out while screaming like a fool. Again, the neighbors will think you are nuts but the cats have stopped coming in my yard. Also, maybe if the owner of the cat sees you doing the yelling, maybe they will get the hint to keep their pets on their own property.

Hi A....
I have several methods I have used quite successfully over the years.
1.Aromatic cedar chips..just throw them around...or
2.Moth ball flakes...just throw them around...or
3.HOT!!! hot sauce and spray where ever they dump..or
4.Garlic juice,orange juice,lemon juice, and spray the fence and grounds...etc.,etc.,
Be sure you shield your children from these things. I find it also works for rats, mice,deer, squirrels, dogs, raccoons, pests of all denominations...
Good Luck;
C. M.Hamlin
Cave Junction,OR

i can certainly sympathize however i am confused by all the comments about people keeping their cats out of other people's yards. how on earth would you do that??

i have heard that you can buy wolf urine to 'mark your territory' to keep out other dogs and cats. google 'cat repellent' and you'll get some sites. i can't vouch for any product but i'm sure you can find reviews out there.

good luck! nothing more frustrating than poop that's not yours.

I've heard that Pine cones work. They are stickey and pointy and cats don't like them. Maybe try lining your yard with them maybe about a foot wide all the way around. I know it is a good way to keep them out of house plants and gardens. I have have cats all my adult life and most of the time as a kid. Currently I have 1 dog and 3 cats. Also when you see them use a spray bottle of water ONLY and spray it at them. It is a good training tool. I DO NOT advocate hurting them like others have suggested! Hope this helps.

cats hate water so build a moat (just kidding). I have used squirt gun to get rid of the neighbors cats out of my yard more than once. My cat doesn't like to go far, so she will stay in my backyard if I am out there, but will not go out unless I am.
AND since my neighbors are not very nice people and let their cats (ie encourage) to poop in other yards, I have picked it up with a ziploc bag and delivered it to their door with a note "your cat left you something in my yard!" My husband has bad aim but has shot at them with a paintball gun.

Cats hate anise. You can get it in all kinds of forms at the health food store or grow the plants.

I agree with others that the poo and holes are probably from raccoons (we have a family of 5 on our property, but can't really do anything about it). However, when you see the stray cats in your yard I would do one of two things: spray them with water, or throw something at them. Make it an unhappy place for them! I love all God's creatures, and wouldn't bring pain upon one, but they are just creatures and I have no qualms about physically picking them up and plopping them back over the fence if they are in your territory!

I completely sympathize with your situation, because we have so many cats in our neighborhood that like to come into our yard to climb up our trees so that they can sit there and taunt our dogs (We have 3 hound dogs that just cannot resist the little buggers). Then, the cats' owners get all mad at us because our dogs bark at THEIR cats!! We actually had to go to court over it and pay a $468 fine because our dogs were barking in the middle of the day (not even at night).

I had tried yelling at the cats, throwing things at them, etc., but I finally got fed up with it and took out the slingshot. I use dog food pellets as ammo that won't hurt them but do sting enough to get them moving. If this doesn't work, I'm resorting to my father's method (he has a koi pond and the neighborhood cats like to hang out in his yard, poop and go fishing despite the electric fence and automatic sprinkler deterrent system that he has set up): set out a live trap (it doesn't hurt them), and then when you catch one, spray paint the tail (with nontoxic paint of course... the kind they use for livestock). When the neighbors' cats start coming home with neon orange, blue, green and pink tails, their owners get the message. He had a neighbor complain, and his response to him was that he had asked him time and again to control his animals, and that if the cat had not been in his yard, it wouldn't have been painted.

And as far as the people who say that this isn't cats... wake up. I am a cat lover, but of inside cats who are well behaved. I have no patience with people who let their cats run all over the neighborhood making trouble.

Mouth balls! My father did this to keep cats out of the flower beds, but I will say that it doesn't smell nice when I was outside playing with the kids. I would say you don't have to use as many as my father did, a few will go a long way.

Just make sure that you are putting them where you kids can't get to them, if you get the balls they last longer even if it rains.

a can with small rocks or pennies in it, something that you can throw that will make lots of noise that you can toss at them when you see them out there.

I agree with the other posters that it doesn't sound like cats, as they don't leave their poops out in the open.

Cats (and possibly raccoons and possums) hate sticky stuff on their feet, so I'd suggest putting long strips of packing tape sticky side-up along the top of your fence. You can use staples to secure it. When the cats or other critters jump on your fence to get in your yard, their feet will touch the sticky tape and they (hopefully) will jump right off.

You have already recieved a lot of great advice.. Here are my two cents... The cats in our neighborhood love the sandbox and our gardens.. I found that if you get the coffee grinds from Starbucks (free) and sprinkle them in these areas.. It keeps the cats away free and clear.. I haven't had a problem since.. Plus it is a natural fertilizer too for your garden. Apparently the cats don't like coffee on their feet especially when they go to clean themselves..
Like anything, you have to do it often (in the pacific northwest) but becuase its free.. its a great option!
Good Luck!

wow, you've already had alot of great responses, and quite honestly i have the same problem and came to read them.. lol i have no advice just a very similar situation. I have seen raccoons in the backyard, even playing with the kids balls in a small plastic pool. 2 days after i found our blow up pool deflated, drained, and ripped up along with a ball. And I have seen cats in my backyard, now i must say, running and yelling and acting a fool or even throwing things at them doesnt work! trust me i do it all the time and they keep comming back lol! i do like the cayenne pepper or coffee idea and especially love the live trap, i think ill do that.. lol

I AGREEEEEEE! And will read your answers ;).

You are absolutely correct, A.- there is NO logic ( to our society's assumption that cats should be allowed to roam). Ok, good news and bad news. Good news --- I have read that the smell of moth balls will deter cats ( you'd need to have the moth balls OUT of the way- before your children play- as they are toxic to kids- but you could put a couple in an old panty hose ''leg'' -- tie it closed- and put it in a spot - then do it again- you could have several ''legs''' around the yard. those would be reasonably easy to pick up --when your children are outside. You might try one of the big pet stores like pet-smart and ask THEM for solutions- . IF you like dogs - you might consider a dog for your yard - but only if you like them--- otherwise you've solved one problem and created another-

Sorry, dear heart- it is a problem.

Blessings,
J.

A.,
There are a couple of things you can do. The least expensive would be moth ball crystals - they hate the smell. Sprinkle them around your beds. The problem is that you have to re-apply it after a rain, etc. The other is a commercial product called RoPel. It works very well, but is a bit expensive. I think you can get it a hardware stores, but you might check around to check pricing. Good luck!