How to teach neighborhood cat that my garden is not its personal litter box?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd fill a water gun with paint and have some fun with it. Otherwise very strong vinegar or something very, very smelly.

To the PP saying that the cat wouldn't like plain water, I wouldn't really care about what the cat likes or doesn't. I'm trying to teach the owner a lesson. If the cat comes inside with wet paint every day (water based paint the first day, permanent after that) then they have some personal incentive to fix the problem. Selfish people don't care about others, you need to give them a personal incentive to do the right thing.

Gross. You're more of a turd than what the cat is leaving in the OP's garden. It's hard to imagine you are a mature adult. Most adults outgrow their childish pleasure in punishing others way before they become teens. Don't waste your time preaching about "selfish people don't care about others" or "incentive to do the right thing" since you are clueless about both. You are a closet sadist. Terrible neighbor material right there.

Forget about the cat -- I would keep my children and family away from you. But I'm sure people who interact with you get a good read on what you're all about on the inside.

OP! Over here! We found the selfish entitled cat owner!

Wrong. My cat is an indoor only cat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cayenne powder

Has this actually worked for you? How much do you use per square foot and how long does it last?

Black powdered pepper user here. Oh, YES, it worked.
Bought 6 large ones from SAMS club and generously sprinkled it for 3 weeks over affected areas, every few days. Worked like a charm.
Rain will neutralize the smell of pepper. You will need to reapply.

Another solution - a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cayenne powder

Has this actually worked for you? How much do you use per square foot and how long does it last?

It has kept 20 years of our cats out of the house plants and patio containers. It doesn’t take much because after they lick their paws, they dislike it.

This seems like a good thing to try but I wonder if this cat, who seems particularly clueless, will be able to make the association between our garden and the icky taste on its paws when it grooms itself later on. I think spraying it with water would be a more immediate negative association. (I wouldn't spray it with something harmful. Even though I hate that the owners let their cat out to pee, poo, and kill birds in our backyard, it's not the cat's fault and I don't want to hurt it.) Since I can't sit outside all day and wait for the cat to come visit I think the motion activated sprinkler might be just what we need. I will order one and report back. Thanks everyone!

Cats sniff the ground before starting digging. He will associate your garden with pepper real quick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

Nope.

I guarantee you if their cat showed up at home covered in blue craft paint, his owners would keep him inside for at least a few days. Start with washable paint or food coloring. It’ll much harder after the cat gets a little skittish from motion activated sprinkler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

I don’t care what’s “difficult” for my entitled neighbors. If they can’t control their animal, they should put it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

I don’t care what’s “difficult” for my entitled neighbors. If they can’t control their animal, they should put it down.

Wow, that is pretty bold statement. Hope your kids are well behaved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

I don’t care what’s “difficult” for my entitled neighbors. If they can’t control their animal, they should put it down.

Wow, that is pretty bold statement. Hope your kids are well behaved.

Most neighbors would object if someone’s kids consistently pooped in their garden. Most dog people pick up their dog’s poop (or at least they’re supposed to). There’s no comparison to outdoor cat people in terms of invasiveness. I don’t even mind them but it’s objectively a whole other category. The poop, the pee, the screaming fights...it’s a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either the vinegar or the ammonia. Squirt the cat, and it will slowly learn.

You can also buy something like this: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/animal-repellents/7692353?x429=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fB-7__6AIVForICh0FDQnDEAQYBCABEgJq-_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We use it for deer, but would probably work with cats too.
There are also Orbit sprinklers.

You would squirt a cat with ammonia? I would have you arrested. You are gross. Worse than a cat.

I would be tempted to fill a supersoaker with vinegar water. Wild birds have enough trouble.

Do it!

If nothing else, it will alert the cat’s owner that they’re being a neighborhood nuisance. Maybe they’ll keep the cat indoors more often.

How would the owners know if they are outside cats? Also could be a homeless cat.

Is poop a good fertilizer? Serious question as I dont garden

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cayenne powder

Has this actually worked for you? How much do you use per square foot and how long does it last?

Black powdered pepper user here. Oh, YES, it worked.
Bought 6 large ones from SAMS club and generously sprinkled it for 3 weeks over affected areas, every few days. Worked like a charm.
Rain will neutralize the smell of pepper. You will need to reapply.

Another solution - a dog.

How would the dog work? Not every body has a fence. Would you release the dog?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's another idea. The cat needs a litter box. If you just try to take it away with nothing to replace it, he's not going to give up easily.

What if you get the cat a litter box and put it by your garden? You'd have to get his scent on it. it's not like you'd have to clean it often.

Umm you got the part where this is not her cat and she doesn’t want it on her property, right?

OP here again. I absolutely want to keep this cat out of my yard. Not only has it left copious poos in my garden, it also sprays and tries to hunt birds. I don't know who owns the cat but I have my suspicions and will do some more detective work. If the owners are who I think they are, the irony is that they are big time gardeners and are always out working in their yard. I'm sure they would be equally upset to discover cat crap all over their own precious garden.

Anyway, this is what I'm going to try:
1. motion detector to attach to hose as several of you have suggested. The problem with this is it sounds like a pain to have to attach and detach every time I want to use the hose for something else. And I discovered that the cat has been going in at least 2 place in our yard so I'll have to move the sprinkler around to really scare it away. Like I said before, this cat seems either really dumb or really brave because isn't scared of me chasing it away at all. Stupid thing just keeps coming back.
2. the cat scat mat in the area of the garden where the cat has been pooing all winter long. Hopefully the spiky mat will provide instant feedback that this garden is off limits.
3. some type of repellent like many of you suggested. I'm less optimistic about this after reading reviews of multiple products on Amazon but I'll spread that stuff everywhere if it helps at all.

The cat is actually really cute but I wish they would keep it inside

You can get a hose “splitter” (no site exactly what it’s called) that you attach to the spigot and then you can attach two different hoses to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started using a spray bottle of vinegar and water and squirted the hell out of our neighbors’ cat after they refused to keep him on their property. My whole garden smelled like cat pee.

OP here. Thanks for the suggestions and the . I wonder if anyone has had success with something like this "scat mat" that you lay in the garden:

We used plastic deer netting over the planter so if a cat tried to dig their claws would catch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

I don’t care what’s “difficult” for my entitled neighbors. If they can’t control their animal, they should put it down.

There's a reason Miss Gulch was single.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

I don’t care what’s “difficult” for my entitled neighbors. If they can’t control their animal, they should put it down.

Wow, that is pretty bold statement. Hope your kids are well behaved.

They're very well behaved, thanks for asking. And as a bonus, they don't go onto others' properties OR poop on their gardens!

The fact that you seem to equate noxious animals with children is also seriously disturbing, btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will never keep it inside until you have it covered in wet paint or similar. And you have a much better chance of doing that now before things like automatic sprinklers.

If the cat has been going outdoor for a long time, it’ll be difficult for owners to keep it indoor. Op will have more success with things that deter the cat from specifically using her yard.

I don’t care what’s “difficult” for my entitled neighbors. If they can’t control their animal, they should put it down.

Wow, that is pretty bold statement. Hope your kids are well behaved.

They're very well behaved, thanks for asking. And as a bonus, they don't go onto others' properties OR poop on their gardens!

The fact that you seem to equate noxious animals with children is also seriously disturbing, btw.

^ AND my kids don't carry any parasites (that come out in their poop!) that cause miscarriages and stillbirths!

[Anonymous]

You can get a hose “splitter” (no site exactly what it’s called) that you attach to the spigot and then you can attach two different hoses to it.

https://www.amazon.com/2wayz-Metal-Garden-Splitter-Upgraded/dp/B019MS0HK8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=HTBGD6VYW8JP&dchild=1&keywords=hose+splitter+4+way+heavy+duty&qid=1588049809&sprefix=hose+splitter%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExS1U5TlJBQlZMNEhMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzM3MDkwMjczNzdBVk1SVDExVyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDM1MTMzMjM0V0JDUUtaTEE1UyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=