I have a cat that visits, ( a big old tom) and he NEVER dug up my garden, he must have his old haunts to use. In 3 yrs of freshly dug beds and all kinds of other surfaces that cats are supposed to like, he has been a good boy. He keeps down the rats etc, and mt wee dog is terrified of him. But recently, a new cat has come to the area and kept digging up my carrot bed. (hardly any carrots this yr) I think Old Tom may be getting too old to patrol all of his territory. (he has been here for yrs, and no-one knows whether he even has an owner) New young cats don't last long here, as the road is not busy but is fast, and any new people who get a cat don't have it long so cats have not been a prob of mine. This is obviously a 'streetwise' cat, and I have heard them fighting at night in my and surrounding gardens. Old Tom was obviously the best repellent, but his power eppears to be waning. I will be giving all of your answers due consideration, and if I find something that works, will let you all know. My so-called terrier seems to be useless, but as he has been trained to allow me to groom other dogs without jealousy, and plays with our pet rats, I can't ask too much of him! A mouse ran under his nose last yr in the kitchen and by the time he relised that it didn't belong, it was well gone! Useless article!
First thing I would do is dump the 'droppings' back over the fence. Their cats, their ****! If they are using the borders as a toilet maybe netting would discourage them in the short term and they'd find somewhere else. If, as in my garden, they are doing it on the lawn it's a whole different problem. I keep a supply of stones and lumps of hard soil ready and it does seem to have reduced the number of times the calling cards are left.
I'm assuming shotguns and flamethrowers aren't permitted
Unless the neighbour has been spoken to about the problem and has been unreceptive, dumping droppings over the fence is likely to be unproductive and could be deemed as antisocial behaviour. The civilised approach is always the best start.
As for throwing stones and lumps of hard soil at an animal - that's cruel and illegal and likely to warrant a visit from the police or at the very least the RSPCA, and not likely to produce cooperation from a neighbour.
I'm glad you're not my neighbour - and I don't have any pets.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't have any pets and would never throw stones at the furry purries. I use Jeyes fluid too, this seems to work very well, though I still get one black and white cat come in but just to drink from my pond
I didn't say throw stones etc AT the cats. I throw them to land near enough to scare them away. Elicit a Pavlovian reaction if you like. They associate their actions with a reaction they don't like and modify their behavious accordingly.
As for anti-social behaviour - letting your cats foul a neighbour's property ain't exactly a sociable act is it??
Even thowing stones towards someone's pets is hardly likely to elicit a co-operative response. A water pistol is far better and the RSPCA are happy that it is not cruel.
The UK law acknowledges that cats cannot be controlled in the same manner that dogs can.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I use a water pistol and rarely hiting them, it's just that they don't like it and eventually should avoid coming back. Throwing stones at someone elses pet is wrong. Deterent and no aggression is needed. If my cats had pooped in someone elses's garden and then started chucking it over my fence, I'd be very upset as that is then being aggressive. All it takes is someone to say "Please, could you pick up this poo as your cat did it..." i wouldn't mind. I would even put some of my successful granules down that I mentioned before for them. Cats are loved animals and cared for by most owners. We have a ginger and white, ugly monster of a cat that bullies my two and terrorises the neighbourhood - it even has upturned, slitty, evil eyes but the owners must love it, yak. But it's cards have been marked and gets a glass of water chucked at it, I wouldn't hurt it. Afterall, it's not its fault that it's an ugly, fat, unhappy excuse for a pussy.
Posts
I have a cat that visits, ( a big old tom) and he NEVER dug up my garden, he must have his old haunts to use. In 3 yrs of freshly dug beds and all kinds of other surfaces that cats are supposed to like, he has been a good boy. He keeps down the rats etc, and mt wee dog is terrified of him. But recently, a new cat has come to the area and kept digging up my carrot bed. (hardly any carrots this yr
) I think Old Tom may be getting too old to patrol all of his territory. (he has been here for yrs, and no-one knows whether he even has an owner) New young cats don't last long here, as the road is not busy but is fast, and any new people who get a cat don't have it long so cats have not been a prob of mine. This is obviously a 'streetwise' cat, and I have heard them fighting at night in my and surrounding gardens. Old Tom was obviously the best repellent, but his power eppears to be waning. I will be giving all of your answers due consideration, and if I find something that works, will let you all know. My so-called terrier seems to be useless, but as he has been trained to allow me to groom other dogs without jealousy, and plays with our pet rats, I can't ask too much of him! A mouse ran under his nose last yr in the kitchen and by the time he relised that it didn't belong, it was well gone! Useless article!
Many thanks to you all, for your advice. I will certainly start today,and hopefully by the end of the month they will have gone to pastures new.
First thing I would do is dump the 'droppings' back over the fence. Their cats, their ****! If they are using the borders as a toilet maybe netting would discourage them in the short term and they'd find somewhere else. If, as in my garden, they are doing it on the lawn it's a whole different problem. I keep a supply of stones and lumps of hard soil ready and it does seem to have reduced the number of times the calling cards are left.
I'm assuming shotguns and flamethrowers aren't permitted
Unless the neighbour has been spoken to about the problem and has been unreceptive, dumping droppings over the fence is likely to be unproductive and could be deemed as antisocial behaviour. The civilised approach is always the best start.
As for throwing stones and lumps of hard soil at an animal - that's cruel and illegal and likely to warrant a visit from the police or at the very least the RSPCA, and not likely to produce cooperation from a neighbour.
I'm glad you're not my neighbour - and I don't have any pets.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't have any pets and would never throw stones at the furry purries. I use Jeyes fluid too, this seems to work very well, though I still get one black and white cat come in but just to drink from my pond
I didn't say throw stones etc AT the cats. I throw them to land near enough to scare them away. Elicit a Pavlovian reaction if you like. They associate their actions with a reaction they don't like and modify their behavious accordingly.
As for anti-social behaviour - letting your cats foul a neighbour's property ain't exactly a sociable act is it??
Even thowing stones towards someone's pets is hardly likely to elicit a co-operative response. A water pistol is far better and the RSPCA are happy that it is not cruel.
The UK law acknowledges that cats cannot be controlled in the same manner that dogs can.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I use a water pistol and rarely hiting them, it's just that they don't like it and eventually should avoid coming back. Throwing stones at someone elses pet is wrong. Deterent and no aggression is needed. If my cats had pooped in someone elses's garden and then started chucking it over my fence, I'd be very upset as that is then being aggressive. All it takes is someone to say "Please, could you pick up this poo as your cat did it..." i wouldn't mind. I would even put some of my successful granules down that I mentioned before for them. Cats are loved animals and cared for by most owners. We have a ginger and white, ugly monster of a cat that bullies my two and terrorises the neighbourhood - it even has upturned, slitty, evil eyes but the owners must love it, yak. But it's cards have been marked and gets a glass of water chucked at it, I wouldn't hurt it. Afterall, it's not its fault that it's an ugly, fat, unhappy excuse for a pussy.
And the ginger thing is not mine. I have its address though.
And before anyone suggests that I am being gingerist, I may have a ginger hue about me - so don't start.