Cats

[perigra]

i live in a terraced house with and have young children who are unable to play in the backyard due to cats fowling the area every night. i'v tried all the usual remedies - pepper dust etc but to no avail.

i'v complained to the local council but they say there's nothing they can do (if it was a dog there would be no problem as action could be taken against the owners)

i'v approached the cat owners in the area but none are interested and continue to "put the cat out" at night.

i have the means to get rid of the problem permanently by killing the cats as a last resort but what law would i be committing? if i got caught! (i don't want to do this but feel that i'm left no option)

[CheekyChops]

If you kill the cats you will end up with a criminal record and possibly in jail, how would your kids feel then?

I know its not nice but unfortunately you can't stop cats going where they like, it is in their nature. Even if resonsible cat owners keep their cats indoors at night (like I do), you will still get ones that don't and also stray cats will still come into your garden.

[CheekyChops]

Just found a reference on the BBC News website regarding cats poisoned with antifreeze, the culprit was looking at a maximum �20,000 fine and a maximum prison sentance of 1 year.

[perigra]

the point is i can stop them going onto my land (or at least stop them leaving)

my children have the right to play in their own back yard so i think i'll take the risk.

[Ethel]

The only way you can stop cats getting in your garden is by putting up four walls and a roof.

Carpet gripper on walls and fences does not work, broken glass and barbed wire is illegal in most domestic settings, poison is illegal and plain nasty,shooting is illegal.

As you have already approached cat owners in your neighbourhood, you can be sure you will have a visit from the police if cats are harmed or killed.

All you can do is clear up the mess before the children go out.

[Stu Dent]

Are they fouling a grassy area? Doing so would not be cat-like as they like to bury their faeces.

Try setting aside an area where the cats can do their thing using compost or gravel - an outside 'litter tray' if you like. Given the choice a cat will always prefer to use an area where it's mess can be covered than simply being done on your lawn. They do this apparently to cover their tracks from potential predators.

I know you shouldn't have to do this but it's a better solution than getting yourself into trouble by killing them.

[JB]

Killing cats is not the answer! Yes you may get temporary respite from cat poo, but another cat will soon come and you'll be back to square one!
Look on the bright side - rats urine can carry (potentially fatal) Weills disease. At least while there are cats around the rats will be detered! Just keep the area as clean as you can, and let your kids play - you can't protect them from every eventuality (and experts reckon that over protection weakens our immune systems anyway!)

[Stu Dent]

Here you go:

http://www.cats.org.uk/catcare/leaflets/530_ca ts_and_gardens.pdf

I knew I'd read this somewhere a while back when looking after a cat for a while after it's owners abandoned it after moving house. Being more of a dog lover I'd never looked after a cat so I did some googling.

[Batman7070]

get a dog

[natalie_1982]

Are you being serious? I can't believe you're actually considering killing a cat. I know as a child, I would have preferred to have played indoors in the knowledge that my parents didn't maim or kill animals, than play outside happy in the knowledge that they kill other peopel's pets. It's ludicrous.

Keep a water gun by the back door and when they come in, squirt water at them - this is how a responsible cat owner would repel their pet from doing something naughty (biting, scratching furniture, etc) so I would think that it would work in this instance too.

Also, there are zillions of cat repellants out there, I think the most effective ones are citrus.

http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/cat_control.ht m#crystals

Try googling "Cat deterrent", loads of suggestions will come up and unsurisingly, none of them involve killing an animal because it's utterly ridiculous and downright cruel, what if someone was to throw a stone or something at your child because they were causing a nuisance by making too much noise in the garden? Would that be fair?

[perigra]

Thanks for all of the sugestions, i'll certainly try them out rather than killing someones pet but if it doesn't work then i think i'll go back to plan A.

[Drisgirl]

I am aghast at the example you are setting your children.
For as much as it can be a nuisance consider yourself bloody lucky you dont have anything more serious to concern yourself with.
If anyone touched my cat then THEY would know all about it.
BTW -I dont mean to appear harsh but come on get a grip -killing an animal -just tell your kids not to dig in the soil -just one of the things as a parent you will have to warn them about.

[redcrx]

what on earth do you do when your kids have an accident?
I cant see how you think killing other childrens pets is a good example to teach your children.
Try the usual remedies and ensure that your children wash their hands when theyve been outside for a start

[perigra]

looks like i'm on a hiding to nothing with the cat owners on here. the cats have more rights in my garden than my children do.

anyway i'll keep you updated on the none lethal methods i try.

[funnygirl]

Won't barbed wire help on top of the fences?

[Katy May]

Someone killed my cat a few years ago - have you considered the pain you would bring to others and to their children - my daughter was inconsolable. The cat clearly suffered a great deal and it was she who found it in the final throes when she was 6yrs old - a nightmare situation for her. I can't see that inflicting suffering and pain on animals and other humans ( a number of others by the sound of your post) is worth it.

The other suggestions about providing an alternative are much more sensible as is the one about cleaning up before your kids go out. I have heard that if you get your own cat then it will keep others away from it's own territory - ie your garden. Certainly I have no problems in my garden. However, probably not the answer for you as you don't seem to be very keen on animals.

Incidentally - what kind of surface do you have on your garden? If concrete or grass then cats won't want to foul it, if gravel or bare soil then it's an open invitation.

Finally, try sprinking the area with menthol. My cats hate it.

Please reconsider your 'final solution'. If you get caught then you risk not only a fine and a prison sentence but also notoriety from the inevitable publicity surrounding the case which could be very unpleasant for you and your kids.

[Pippa68]

I clear up my garden before the kids go out to play..simple.

As the law stands, cats have the 'freedom to Roam'.

[paulos66]

As a cat lover I suggest you get your children involved, make it into a game and see which child can come up with the best way of killing the cuts - perhaps the best idea gets to carry out the act. Which of your children would you prefer to watch slitting a cats throat ,smashing with a paving slab or setting alight etc. Yes I see this as an excellent opportunity for family bonding, and I'm sure you'll be able to expand on my suggestions - they must be so proud of you

[innocenti]

I cant believe you would even consider killing a cat. And just for the record I dont have cats, only dogs. And my neighbours have 2 cats who are always in my garden, I find half dead mice, dead birds, all sorts in my garden. They are a pain in the neck as they like to sit on my wheelie bins to wind my dogs up, the most lethal thing I do to them is fire a water pistol to make them move.

I am not a cat lover but I would never hurt an animal because it was an inconvenience to me.

[perigra]

believe it or not i do like cats! i have a thirteen year old cat which uses a litter tray.

i also like pigs, cows, sheep, deer, rabbits and even the odd grey squirrel, all of which i eat, some of which i kill myself.

i also have killed house flies, mice, and rats which i don't eat but find a nuisance but not as much as the cats that fowl my yard.

[tufty7]

I have a friend who also had a similar problem to yours, they thought they had several cats coming into the garden , doing there business etc etc etc , they got a wire trap like the rspca use , placed some food in it and caught the offender, they then took the cat to a cat shelter in the neighbouring town and it was presumably re homed to another loving family , cat lived and they were happy with the outcome as the garden was clean again ..... probably illegal but a roaming cat looks like a stray cat to me....... your kids have rights to not get sh*t on them from cats or dogs which can lead to blindness......