Cats ,is it just me ?

I am totally fed up with other peoples cats .They use my flower beds as a toilet and have just destroyed 12  wonderful and  lovingly nurtured sunflower seedlings I was hoping to watch grow to a great height this summer . I have never owned cats and bear them no ill except when it comes to my garden . I have tried every cat friendly method to keep them away  and nothing seems to work . I am now soooooo angry that I feel like buying an air gun and letting them have it (Joke ! before the cat lovers attack me ) .

Am I being " cat naive " or is there anything responsible cat owners can do to stop their pets destroying other people gardens by using them as a toilet  .

I also worry about young children being able to plant /play etc without being exposed to cat pooh and the associated health risks and diseases . (My brother is blind in one eye as a result of being exposed to a virus commonly associated with exposure/contact to cat pooh)

Sorry but it is Monday and I feel like a bit of a moan . As if the cats are not bad enough my OH has just phoned to say they have had someone in the office confirmed as having swine flu  ,,,,,,,,,,  life is a bitch   !     moan moan moan moan !!!!!!!!!!     MM

Hi magicmeg

try this link

http://www.ehow.com/how_2213645_stop-cats-pooping-garden-flowerbeds.html

PS sorry dont have acure for swine flu

Thanks Phil I will have a look.

 If the cats don't kill me the swine flu will .

PS  . do you think I should make OH sleep in the spare room for a few nights until we are sure he shows no flu symptoms or perhaps he could  sleep outside next to the sunflowers and scare off  the cats !!    

Sounds like a plan

MAGICMEG

I used to get them coming in my garden, so one day I chased one, screaming out loud and making as much fuss as possible with a pan and spoon. Seems to work as after doing that a couple of times, they haven't come back and we have garden full of birds again, and no foul cat poo. If that doesn't work get a powerful water gun and give it a damn good squirting. Good fun and should get rid without hurting them!

I hope you don´t live in La Zenia?

I have cats and I feel your behaviour is a bit over the top.  I also have a water gun so watchout! 

Perhaps you should get out a bit more too - (maybe help out APAH at the cattery they are always looking for volunteers.)

from an animal lover

HI

Maybe you should adopt a cat (there are loads looking for good homes) because once your garden belongs to your cat, no cats will come in to pooh, including your own!

I am serious,,, I had loads of cat problems.  They even walked into my house liked they owned it...even with my 2 dogs!  So I adopted a poor little mite who was nearly dead at the time.  She and now her other adopted brothers and sisters have put a stop to all my problems........unfortunately they pooh elsewhere..OOOOpppppsss!  Really....they pooh in the wild fields next to me so please dont blame me (I have grown out of it!!!lol) or them for poohing in gardens!!!

Good luck!!

XXXXXKidaXXXXX

Donna

glad to hear you have a water gun as well. If you get one with a pump it will reach about 10 metres or more, so you can get them as they go over the fence!!

........c'mon Donna, a bit of water won't hurt a moggy, might even have a cooling effect?

I read somewhere that if you get some lions poo or urine, the cats will run a mile as they won't risk going on the king of the jungle's territory!!!

Problem is, getting into the lions cage to get it!!!

FibbyUK

well if there's a local lion handy I guess it's worth a try.  I'm not sure about replacing little cat poo with big cat poo though?  My garden is cat free at the moment thankfully, so we have a nice collection of small birds mostly. We did have a sparrow hawk fly in a couple of weeks ago which killed, plucked and et a blackbird only feet from our window. (I got a good photo of it) That made the poor old local birds stay away for a day or two, much like a cat prowling about, but all calm again now.

Sounds like you´re a bit of a comedian Goodstich44? 

Hi Donna

no no no........we have had a 7 year nightmare trying to buy a property in Spain, so I do try and see the funny side of life whenever possible.  The Sparrow hawk situation was pretty grim, but to be fair it was a quick death unlike the torture for pleasure our family cat dished out on several small creatures (which had to be destroyed) when I was a young lad. I've not been much of a cat lover since, but love dogs. I am an animal lover by the way, and even produced some T-Shirts to promote the banning of fox hunting in the UK, and I would probably do the same against bull fighting in Spain if I ever moved my T-Shirt printing business to Spain?

Hi goodstitch44

I have a bird feeding station here in the UK and I own 2 cats.

No birds caught by the cats yet................

I haven't had sparrow hawk's visit mey garden, but one did crash land in our town high street a couple of weeks ago!

It is currently in our wildlife hospital recovering!

My cats use a litter tray so don't use mine or the neighbours gardens thankfully.

They are not house cats, they roam free and I don't have lions poo or wee in my garden, just polite cats!

Now we know about the T shirt business, we all want an EOS one please, talk to Justin?!

Hi FibbyUK

cats that don't kill or torture birds or small animals or poo in the garden are ok by me! .......are you sure you're not using lion poo?

I'd never seen a Sparrow hawk close up before, a fearsome predator. The speed it plucked the dead blackbird before eating it was amazing, all it left was the plucked feathers and 1 foot! 

Yes an eos T-Shirt would be possible.

safe and eco friendly suggestions for getting cats out of your garden. spread pepper dust around flowers and plants A safer alternative (for you, given the amount of cat lovers around)to an airgun is a water pistol or garden hose. I once heard that if you can get lion dung .... it makes the cats think there is a much bigger cat there and will avoid the place.  but collecting it may be tricky ..lol

Well maybe some lion has been in my garden Goodstitch, when I wasn't looking??!

Bring on the T shirts, mines a size 8..........mmmmmm, what a little fibber Fibby!!!

dunmovin

oh I see, they sniff the peperdust which makes them sneeze, banging their head on the floor, so puts them off coming in........brilliant!

NOOOOOOOOOO!! it messes up their sense of smell, and they don't like that.