Apart from keeping a dog ( and I’m not advocating everyone go out and buy one ,don’t be daft) which is the sure way of keeping cats at bay ,the only other way I can think of is that my mother used to fill an empty wash up liquid bottle ( or water pistol/ gun) with orange squash and fire it at the cats . Apparently the thinking is that the orange flavour is abhorrent to the cat ….but being a cat and needing to clean it off it hates the taste and so keeps said creature away . Worth a try ?
From my experience as a dog owner, it won't stop cats frequenting your garden( unless you keep your dog outside 24/7). As has been already mentioned, owning any animal as a pet is a privilege, one that comes with responsibilities to the pet and your neighbours etc. Too many people view pets as ' accessories '.
@bcpathome buying/getting a dog to solve the problem is indeed a daft idea - however, the more this idea is suggested as a solution, the more often some people will do precisely that if they are led to believe that it works. The Orange squash suggestion rings a bell - I'm pretty sure that mention has been made of scattering citrus peel on vulnerable areas as cats dislike the scent.
My NDN has a Boston Terrier. He is terrified of my fairly placid Tom cat I think “get a dog” is a fairly stupid suggestion. My NDN loves my cat and feeds him treats. That’s the only garden he ventures into and he is far too lazy to kill anything. I do think all pet owners need to be as considerate as possible.
Nobody has said get a dog as far as I can see . My original post which started all this bruhaha said * the only way to get rid of cats is a ruddy great dog* . Nowhere have I or anyone else suggested buying a dog . I just made a statement. If all you cat people want to take offence that’s up to you . Offence is not given …..only taken .
On the other hand, I have two ruddy great dogs and still have to scoop the cat poo out of my raised beds. I appreciate it's a joke but it's not remotely true. The cat just waits for the dogs to go indoors. Which I think others have said. Cat scarecrows are the only things known to work, but they have their drawbacks
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Precisely @bcpathome - if cats are in the neighbourhood and the owners don't restrict them to their own properties, the cats will roam wherever they can. An ongoing problem for many and something which is unlikely to change any time soon. A conclusion which many of the Cat threads on here have reached. The only advantage is that each thread adds to @Hostafan1 ' s bank balance
The general consensus among non cat owning gardeners (and quite a few of the cat owners) is that it should be part of the responsibility (and cost) of owning a cat to fence your property such that your cat stays in your garden. Rather than the rest of us having to spend a fortune on deterrents that are generally pretty ineffective to try to keep them out.
There's a substantial portion of the cat owning public who don't see it that way. This is why it always turns into a row and why cats are one the very few subjects not allowed in Curmudgeon's Corner. It never goes well (except for Hosta)
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Posts
loaded and after a short while they will be petrified of your garden (hopefully).
@bcpathome buying/getting a dog to solve the problem is indeed a daft idea - however, the more this idea is suggested as a solution, the more often some people will do precisely that if they are led to believe that it works.
The Orange squash suggestion rings a bell - I'm pretty sure that mention has been made of scattering citrus peel on vulnerable areas as cats dislike the scent.
bruhaha said * the only way to get rid of cats is a ruddy great dog* . Nowhere have I or anyone else suggested buying a dog . I just made a statement. If all you cat people want to take offence that’s up to you . Offence is not given …..only taken .
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
The only advantage is that each thread adds to @Hostafan1 ' s bank balance
There's a substantial portion of the cat owning public who don't see it that way. This is why it always turns into a row and why cats are one the very few subjects not allowed in Curmudgeon's Corner. It never goes well (except for Hosta)
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”