What to do about stray cats

[USAF385]

Greetings forum. Long time, no posts.

Long story short:

My wife and I turned over our very secluded house to my brother and are temporarily living in what used to be my uncle's house on five acres that is next to our large parcel. We gave the house to my brother because he WANTS to live there (my wife doesn't) and are now in the spare house while we get things in order to build a new home.

Going from no neighbors within a mile to having neighbors 200 yards away has been fun. Our current house is still in the woods, but we live on a hill above a little "neighborhood" of three homes. Woods on three sides, neighbors down below.

Here's the issue I'm having with the stray cats. One of the neighbors has taken on the task of caring for some stray cats. By some I mean at least 8. One day recently while coming home from work I counted 8 cats sitting on their porch and around the house waiting for their 5:00 dinner. They feed them and offer warmth in the form of leaving their garage door open a few inches so they can go in and out. Great.

The problem for me is the cats enjoy walking up the hill to poop in my mulch beds. My two little dogs (mostly just the one) are tempted by the care packages left by the cats and we are constantly yanking them out of the mulch beds when they go searching for the feline deposits.

Tonight I took the dogs out for their evening business and the one dog immediately bolted over to a spot in the snow about 6 feet from the door and grabbed a not yet frozen treat. Not being one to let my dogs eat random things found outdoors, I grabbed her and pried open her mouth to retrieve the (what was at the time) mystery item she was so intent on ingesting. Well, as I'm sure you can guess, it was a semi fresh cat dropping that was just plopped by my door.

So yeah, I grabbed cat poop out of my dog's mouth with my bare hands. For probably the second time in our marriage my wife had heard me swear for real.

Any recommendations on how to deal with this? I have in the past made light hearted remarks to the neighbor condemning their practice. I've never come right out and said anything about it getting out of hand. I can't see them stopping just because I say something. I've spoken to another neighbor and he HAS been actively complaining about the situation.

Aside from lethal solutions (I'm not going that route), what else can I try? Any deterrents that actually work?

 

[Rpg]

8 stray cats.

Won't be long before you have 24.

The beasties are trespassing: a havahart trap or two and trips to the local animal shelter should help.

Check with the animal control folks or sheriff first.

 

[Sevens]

Good solution I have read about but never tried because I have never had a cat problem-- hopefully others can comment:

Chili powder sprinkled heavily anywhere/everywhere the cats go that you don't want cats to go, assuming the chili powder won't harm that place.

Supposed to work because cats walk there, get chili powder on their feet, they bathe themselves and do NOT like the flavor, and they are smart enough to figure out how/why they end up licking chili powder. The cats very quickly recognize the chili powder on their next trip... and change their plans to avoid it.

If you try this and it works, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[Philadelphia Patriot]

 

[oneounceload]

Cayenne can sometimes work, you might also try some of the deer repellent types as well. Horse electric fencing down low might work as well.

 

[Tom Beavert]

Solution

Think sub sonic.
We hunt deer to thin the herd, and preserve the breed. Cats are no different.
SSS
Tom Beavert

 

[amazingflapjack]

They are wonderful pets. If you spray them or hurt them the humane society will react. There are low cost neuter facilities in many communities, some that are mobile. Some of them may already belong to someone.

 

[DBenn]

Electric fence solved my cat problem similar to yours.
Doesn't kill them but they sure puff up a squeal.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Found this searching "Citronella works best for cats as well as citrus scents such as orange or lemon (primarily towards cats), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil."

"

 

[Targets Guy]

The cost for strays to stay at our place is to get fixed. The fixed ones help run off the new arrivals and we don't get any babies. So far the neighbors are okay with it given the decrease in mice, squirrels and rabbits on our block.

The birds are considering a fly-in to protest.

The amazing thing is we keep our strays in a three seasons porch during the winter. After staying in most of the winter and using the litter boxes they wait until they come back onto the porch the rest of the year to use the litter boxes rather than go outside.

Cats are weird.

One thing you might try is talk to the neighbors and see if they will go halves on neutering with you and also if they will put some flower beds in around their place to give the cats a closer place to mark rather than your property.

 

[JayFramer]

NOT milk and saucers.

They best thing to do is plant a cat nip tree in your neighbor's yard.

 

[BigBill]

Cat nip or cat grass in your neighbors yard. Or bring them to a shelter.

 

[Fishslayer]

Catch, alter, release.

Short of lethal force I would try the repellants and then the electric fence if those don't work.

Cat's are great rodent control but can be a major PITA.

Obligatory photo of my Orange Assassin!

 

[Fishslayer]

I'm sorry... couldn't resist...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYiwxM_RVEI[/ame]

 

[misswired]

Get a fuzzy yard dog from the shelter.
Guards the property and the house...win win.
Instead of treating it like a family pet, let it be a working dog...with a job to do.

 

[Arik]

How about just talking to the neighbors first. They may not realize what's happening. Then I would call the local no kill shelter. Or set my own traps and then bring them to a no kill shelter. Depending on how easy or inconvenient it is.
They certainly aren't trespassing. Animals don't have an understanding of that.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Funflyer]

A scarecrow sprinkler would work. They're just motion activated and spray for a few seconds. Not cheap but they work.

 

[Wrangler Rich]

My neighbor at our lake house had a German Shorthaired Pointer that would take the stray cats out in the lake and teach them to swim.

 

[deadin]

We used to have stray cats here in town. Haven't seen any since the coyotes moved in.......

 

[BearBio]

My neighbor at our lake house had a German Shorthaired Pointer that would take the stray cats out in the lake and teach them to swim.

GSP's HATE cats! Mine have never tangled (as far as we know=they are pound dogs) but the word "cat" has them at the door, whining. My brother's taught the neighborhood cats to avoid his yard (he buried more than a few before they learned!)

Try the pepper spray (or even black pepper)=will also keep the dogs out. Electric fence? Don't know. A beekeeper had an apiary in my area where I studied bears==electric fence didn't keep the bears out.

Also, can try a very weak BB gun and shoot them in the fanny==not something hard enough to break the skin but enough to sting!

BTW: Feral cats (and roaming household cats) are the number one factor in native bird populations disappearing!