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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Herding Cats

Dear neighbours, we are facing a pretty demoralising cat situation. We moved to our home about a year ago and found the garden littered with layers of cat excrement. We have cleared it since, laid bark over the soil patches and consistently aim to chase cats away when we see them. I have also tried some of the store bought cat repellants. There has been not much of an effect.

To make matters worse, one of the cats that's a regular visitor to our garden is now preying upon a family of robins nesting in some of the bushes. I have chased it away twice but it keeps on returning. I have to say that I love cats but I am finding this quite frustrating and thinking of having a word with our neighbours on the assumption that the cats are:

A) not being fed
B) are being let out in the evening (when they are more likely to be on the prowl)
C) aren't properly litter trained or their litter isn't cleaned regularly enough and they are using our garden as a toilet

Has anyone had any success in deterring cats before? Muchas gracias.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on May 10, 2017 at 18:28

They trolling you. They'd use their own house as a toilet if A, B or C were the case.

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on May 10, 2017 at 19:23
Maybe go back to first principles. Cats have territories and your garden seems to be part of theirs. The trick will be to stop them seeing your garden as their fiefdom.
A cat of your own may help to shift the border but that's quite a radical solution (and may not work if your cat is laid back about invaders)
Another is to make your garden as unattractive as possible to them. Look for where they come into your garden in the first place. Squeezing under fences is popular so you can block any tunnels they have made with slate. Thorny planting along fences is pretty cat unfriendly too.
Putting down bark is creating the biggest cat loo in the world. Covering bare soil with thorny clippings is quite effective (pyracantha is brilliant).
We had about five using ours as a toilet a few years ago and we ended up using an automatic water spray. The cats trigger it and it sends out a short and unpleasant spray. We had to persevere for a few months but it eventually did the trick. Remember to turn it off before you go out to hang out the washing though.
Permalink Reply by LSquared on May 10, 2017 at 21:18

The automatic spray sorted out our cat problem in the back garden.

In the front I ended up covering the flowerbeds with green chickenwire.

Permalink Reply by Finsbury Park Ranger on May 10, 2017 at 22:27
Mode up the hill to woodgreen where we don't have such a middle class problem.
Permalink Reply by Antoinette on May 11, 2017 at 13:36
This would be the Wood Green way of dealing with the problem....
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Permalink Reply by Justin Guest on May 11, 2017 at 15:54

Zoo Doo- or Lion Shit to you and I.

Scares the bejeebers out of cats apparently.

Permalink Reply by Adilson Pereira on May 12, 2017 at 9:21

Hi Kotkas, I put up a mesh fence in my garden to keep my cat's safe an in my garden, so this not only stop them going out but stopped the foxes to use my gardens as well. I used recycled wood I collected from skip maybe this will help you. you can do yourself the only cost will be to buy the mesh net.

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Permalink Reply by Jon C on May 12, 2017 at 10:19

Apparently they are put off by strong smells - garlic, citrus or pepper sprayed around the place may do the trick.

As well as cat poo, we also have a "fox problem" here so I use "prickle strip" in the flower beds, and on top of pots to deter the squirrels.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defenders-Prickle-Strip-Dig-Stopper/dp/B00...

It's a jungle out there.

Permalink Reply by Andrina Bamber on May 12, 2017 at 14:29

For years we have had the problem of cats deficating in the garden and now in the planters in the front after placing down shale.The only time there was a break ward when I had a dog.Then I was made a pariah when my dog killed one of the offenders.Cat owners should be responsible and train their cats to use the litter trays.We had a cat and dog at the same time.The cat used it' s tray and we cleaned up after the dog.It should be noted that pregnant women are at risk of contamination by a worm that can transfer very easily into her system affecting the foetus.It can cause blindness and even affect the brain.So please take this seriously and if working in your garden make sure to wear gloves.This parasite is found more often in cats though if people don't worm their pets regularly it can occur after your pet has been in contact with the faeces of other pets,and as they do wander you must take care.

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