Cat poop everywhere

BenMCOB

I live in one of a set of terraced houses where most of the gardens are just large stone slabs with a few plants in it (mine certainly is). A couple of months ago we started seeing a new kitten around, and a few days after that we started getting poop appearing in the garden. Soon after that, we started seeing poop of all shapes and colours. After checking a few places online the impression I get is the garden has become the battlefield where all the local cats are having some sort of poop-fuelled territorial war. This isn't too much fun to clean up as the place seems to fill right back up a couple of days later.

I've heard all sorts of crazy sounding ways to stop this from happening, including burying used teabags everywhere and setting up some sort of sonic emitter (which sounds a little extreme to me). Does anyone more knowledgeable on the subject of cat poop have anything to offer?

EggyToast

For outdoor cats, poop begets poop because cats naturally try to be inconspicuous -- so they'd rather poop where another cat pooped instead of risking a new spot.

In general you want something that repels cats (and I assume not harm them). Cats hate citrus, so I would imagine a good way to keep them out of your garden is to buy some oranges/lemons and shred the skin, and then sprinkle that up outside. It wouldn't affect the other plants in your garden but should prevent the cats from scratching around, as long as you do it regularly. Once they stop doing it they probably won't come back (unless a new cat comes by).

nuclearalchemist

Another thing that has worked for me in the past is to spread cayenne pepper around on the soil. Cats hate that too.

Spacemilk

Eggy is right - cats try to keep poop all in one area. Also once a cat picks a spot, it can be very hard to get them away from that spot if you let them go there long enough or often enough - hence why it can be very easy or very difficult to litter-train a cat. Once you get them out of this spot for a few days, though, they'll find a new location and it's not likely they'll be back.

Cats also hate when they can't dig and scratch to bury the poop. Can you put chicken wire or something like that over the poop-filled areas or plants, at least for a few days, until they stop pooping there?

Alternatively there are supposedly "cat-away" sprays that work for indoors, I doubt you could use them outdoors but it may be worth checking out. (though if it rains all the time, this might be worthless)

BenMCOB

nuclearalchemist wrote: »

Another thing that has worked for me in the past is to spread cayenne pepper around on the soil. Cats hate that too.

I've tried covering pretty much everything in paprika, but the poop was back within a couple of days.

EggyToast wrote: »

In general you want something that repels cats (and I assume not harm them). Cats hate citrus, so I would imagine a good way to keep them out of your garden is to buy some oranges/lemons and shred the skin, and then sprinkle that up outside. It wouldn't affect the other plants in your garden but should prevent the cats from scratching around, as long as you do it regularly. Once they stop doing it they probably won't come back (unless a new cat comes by).

How regularly is regularly is regularly? Will once a week do, or should it be daily?

Spacemilk wrote: »

Cats also hate when they can't dig and scratch to bury the poop. Can you put chicken wire or something like that over the poop-filled areas or plants, at least for a few days, until they stop pooping there?

Alternatively there are supposedly "cat-away" sprays that work for indoors, I doubt you could use them outdoors but it may be worth checking out. (though if it rains all the time, this might be worthless)

Problem is they're not even trying to bury it. They just leave it sitting on top of the soil of the few plants we have or, more commonly, lying on top of the stone backyard to dodge around when going to work in the pitch black morning.


General problem with leaving things out is the weather's so unreliable at the moment. It could be fine one day, snowing the next, then chucking it down the day after. I imagine some things like the orange and lemon peelings will last a little longer, but wouldn't most of the sprays just get washed away?

Dark_Side

Oh man, I've already sketched it out in my head as to a good way to rig up an automated, motion detector sprinkler system to chase them out. But that's probably a bit much.

Low tech solution I would probably use is just to go out and buy some of that rabbit fence home garden places sell, if you can find it tall enough it should keep the cats out no problem. That's if you can live with staring at the fence all the time...

Armored Gorilla

Cats also hate mothballs. Also, most pet stores sell an indoor/outdoor cat repellant spray, which has worked for me in keeping my cat away from areas i don't want her.

EggyToast

BenMCOB wrote: »

nuclearalchemist wrote: »

Another thing that has worked for me in the past is to spread cayenne pepper around on the soil. Cats hate that too.

I've tried covering pretty much everything in paprika, but the poop was back within a couple of days.

Paprika isn't really a spice. The idea is that the pepper gets in their eyes and nose and irriates them. Paprika isn't much different than dust (to a cat).

BenMCOB wrote: »

EggyToast wrote: »

In general you want something that repels cats (and I assume not harm them). Cats hate citrus, so I would imagine a good way to keep them out of your garden is to buy some oranges/lemons and shred the skin, and then sprinkle that up outside. It wouldn't affect the other plants in your garden but should prevent the cats from scratching around, as long as you do it regularly. Once they stop doing it they probably won't come back (unless a new cat comes by).

How regularly is regularly is regularly? Will once a week do, or should it be daily?

Twice a week, possibly every 3 days or so. If you like oranges, you can simply have an orange a day, chop up the peel and put it in your yard every day where they seem to poop.

Of course, a persistent cat might be unbothered. In which case you need to spend a few hours on the weekend sitting out there with a spray bottle and squirt the guys whenever you see them. That'll suck in the wintertime, but if the other methods don't work it's something to keep in mind for the spring. Sit out there, read a book, and squirt 'em.

MetroidZoid

I use this stuff frequently. And it doesn't smell at all repulsive unless you happen to hate the slightest scent of spicy food.

Has also kept skunks out of my bulbs, raccoons away from my pond, dogs out of my veggies, and of course my own cat out of houseplants and outdoor planters among other things.