Evicting cats
 

Aside from keeping the .22 loaded or setting aside a dish of antifreeze, is there an effective way to evict feral cats from my yard? My nutty neighbor puts food out, which attracts all the neighborhood strays, and they have taken to hunting birds and crapping in MY yard. They also enjoy pawing all over our cars' windshields, by the looks of it. I have gone after them with a bb gun, but they are smart enough to know what the shiny thing in my hand is by now -- they run before I can get a shot off, and when I head inside they're right back in my bushes relieving themselves or chasing more birds off. Sonsa*****es.

I don't particularly want to kill them, but the local animal shelter wants no part of trapping and relocating them. They say they're out of live cages, and that when/if one happens to come in, I have to drive out and get it, leave a hefty deposit, and then bring the cats in one-by-one 'til I get them all. No thanks!

Any thoughts? Anything I can put out in the bushes to run them off?

Thanks!

Killing them is about the only way, other then getting a mean dog.

I have rescued and rehabilitated feral cats. Google an animal rescue league in your area, they will take care of everything. Don't set out anti- freeze.

As stated, I think your only viable option is getting a dog...

It really irks me that people let cats go free/roam everywhere. They should be confined to their owner's yards.

This is going to get ugly.


abort while you can.

Hav-a-Hart traps. What you do with them after you trap them is up to you.

I think that's what the animal shelter owns (but never seems to have available). Thanks for the tip, but I don't want to buy a trap. I'll try calling the shelter and ask if there are rescue groups in the area who will come trap them and pick them up.

A moat.

I was out of town and missed the previous cat thread (which I now see was moderated). Hopefully this won't be perceived as stirring the pot... I really want to know what I can do to run these little bastards off w/o killing them.

Now that's creative thinking!

From the bottom of the page:

Cats in Your Garden?
Rid Cats from Your Yard & Garden. Cat Repellent - Stops Litter Abuse.
www.Keep-Cats-Away.com

Hav a hart traps are about $35-$45, and are good for catching squirrels, raccoons and opossums too.

lol, no, topic is fine. That particular thread was closed for other reasons.

I've had issues with roaming cats, can't really think of anything that would actually work, other than a big dog. Plenty of gimmicks, but cats are too canny for most of them. Educating the owners would be nice...:rolleyes:

"Woodsmen have understood the natural law of animal hierarchy for hundreds of years. Strategically, they have used the predator’s territorial marking tool, urine to successfully attract and repel animals even today."

Giggle.

That's a very real option, actually. Thanks for the link! I need to read more about it (after work) -- i.e. how long will it last between applications.

The traps are an option, but with the ten or so cats that wander my yard, it would take forever to get them all, and drive each one out to the pound. I might get lucky and snag the hedgehog who lives under my porch, though!

Yeah, it would be nice if folks would keep their cats to themselves. Outdoor cats are good in the country -- they keep the rodent population at-bay. In town, however, is another story. Cats are an acquired taste, and I never acquired it. I find them utterly useless and a nuisance to boot.

My wife puts down mothballs to keep the ****ting cats out of her flowerbed. I'm not sure how effective it is.