Gransnet forums

Pets

How do I stop cats coming into the garden

(30 Posts)
jeanie99 Sun 14-Apr-19 08:16:03

I use a field camera in the garden to records the hedgehogs and any wildlife which visit.
This week I have seen two different cats in the garden at night never during the day.
Does anyone have any idea of how I can discourage cats.
Is this possible,they tend to eat from the food dish I put out for the hedgehogs.

Humbertbear Sun 14-Apr-19 08:29:40

Our gardeners bought us a small piece of equipment that detects movement and emits a high pitched noise which scares away cats and foxes. Look online.
NB you have to turn it off when small children visit as they can hear it.

tanith Sun 14-Apr-19 08:30:46

I don't think there is much you can do cats will wander their neighbourhood especially at night. Day time a timely squirt with a water pistol might discourage them. Food is bound to bring them in of course at least the cats will discourage rats.

Witzend Sun 14-Apr-19 08:41:37

A neighbour's cat likes to lurk under shrubs near our bird feeders and bird bath.
When I remember I strew some prunings from a very prickly pyracantha underneath! We've had cats and loved them, but we love our birds rather more than we love other people's cats now.

I like the idea of the high pitched noise - must look into that.,

Sparklefizz Sun 14-Apr-19 09:26:45

Lion poo. You can buy it in garden centres.

Teetime Sun 14-Apr-19 10:00:20

We have one of the devices mentioned by humbertbear works a treat and doesn't hurt anyone. No more cat poo to clear up in the mornings.

Gonegirl Sun 14-Apr-19 10:06:22

this Silent Roar seems to put the fear of God into the cats round here. Y9u can get it from most garden centres, or online.

Gonegirl Sun 14-Apr-19 10:07:09

It is NOT "lion poo"!!! It is pellets that have been soaked in lion urine.

Chinesecrested Sun 14-Apr-19 10:19:04

What harm are they doing? Apart maybe from the odd poo occasionally?

Littleannie Sun 14-Apr-19 10:23:05

We have 2 neighbourhood cats who use our back garden as a toilet, on all the areas of bare soil. I am gradually filling these areas with plants. I cut some bamboo canes about 18 inches long and stuck them in the soil at an angle of 45 degrees, wherever there is bare soil. This has stopped them squatting down.
It has worked a treat - they now use our front garden.......

quizqueen Sun 14-Apr-19 10:34:16

Never heard of lion poo! I must buy some for my neighbour for Christmas, as I know my cats annoy her, and she likes to encourage birds into her garden.

Sparklefizz Sun 14-Apr-19 10:57:05

^Gonegirl Sun 14-Apr-19 10:07:09
It is NOT "lion poo"!!! It is pellets that have been soaked in lion urine.^

"Silent Roar" brand is made from "lion dung" according to their own info.

Sparklefizz Sun 14-Apr-19 10:59:58

Come to our garden centre, Gonegirl and you will see that it's lion poo .... but I guess lion "anything" is probably a deterrent. grin

Whitewavemark2 Sun 14-Apr-19 11:01:19

I’ve recently gravelled part of my garden, and put down some stuff my DH bought in Sainsbury’s. Seems to work, but I expect I shal have to use it quite regularly. Keeps foxes away from playing in it as well. I feel a bit mean, but they pull up the Moss I’ve planted and dig big holes.

Gonegirl Sun 14-Apr-19 12:41:46

well that's not Silent Roar then sparklefizz. I've never seen your one. Wouldn't want lion poo in my garden tbh. Seems to defeat the object somewhat!

Gonegirl Sun 14-Apr-19 12:55:42

Ok! "essence of lion dung". That's got to be a mixture of poo and wee.

And I'm not using it anymore. [retch]

craftyone Sun 14-Apr-19 12:59:50

lion poo does not work the motion detector device does work. I don`t use anything since I saw a very unafraid rat in my garden. That night I heard the most dreadful catfight, never saw a rat since then. I think 2 cats were fighting over a rat. I don`t encourage the cats at all and would use various dusts to keep them away but nothing else

grandtanteJE65 Sun 14-Apr-19 13:01:54

Buy a dog! Nothing else will work, unless you keep a cat who doesn't like sharing his or her property.

bikergran Sun 14-Apr-19 17:37:22

I bought one of those sonic things on Thursday.

Set it up etc 2 days later the cat from 2 doors down strolled about right in front of it! never give it a second glance! and got ready to crouch down and deposit its stuff!

So it has been packed up and is going back to B n M tomorrow.

Must say it was only £9.99 so a cheapy one, but I have heard of good reports from the dearer ones (around £14.00)

Quite interested in the water spray sensor but it has to have constant water supply and I am on a water meter so bit worried about that one.

cornergran Sun 14-Apr-19 23:34:43

An as yet unidentified cat has taken to using our front garden as a toilet. I would mind less if I could pick up and remove the offerings but this one has a chronic seriously upset and very smelly digestive system, it’s been weeks.

Last night he or she found the doormat outside our front door - we need a new one now. We haven’t found the sonic deterrent we bought any sort of a deterrent sadly. Every type of spray and powder has been used, a lot work for a short time if applications are made every couple of days. Then the cat seems to get used to it and takes no notice so we begin the cycle again. It is frankly driving us nuts. I’ll try the bamboo canes and see if that helps the borders, can’t cover the lawn with them though as this cat isn’t fussy about location and definitely is comfortable using grass. If anyone has a sonic deterrent that works would they please share the name? Sorry, moan over smile.

sharon103 Mon 15-Apr-19 00:17:56

I must have the best behaved cats ever. I have two now both 11 years old.I have had five over the years and four out of five have never ever attempted to climb the 6 foot fences on all sides of our garden. I have a large garden and they have been quite contented staying in it and they stay close to the house and rarely venture down to the bottom of the garden. When they need to go toilet they come back into the our downstairs toilet where the litter tray is and then go back out again. They have never attacked birds. I have a bird table half way down the garden and they just sit in their 'hidey hole' a rabbit run with the door taken off which is covered over on three sides with a sheet and they just sit and watch the birds when they feed. Only once did one of them bring in a live baby mouse into the kitchen. It ran here and there, shut the door so that it couldn't go into the hall but left the back kitchen door open and hoped it would run out. Left it a while, thought it had gone. Job done, then one of the cats started to sniff inside one of my son's trainers. I picked it up. looked inside and there was the mouse inside the foot. I screamed and ran down the garden with it and let it loose at the bottom of the garden. I think I have the perfect cats. I've been lucky.

Littleannie Mon 15-Apr-19 09:23:19

cornergran I believe putting small holly branches or something prickly on the bare soil stops them, as they will not squat down where they are. I wanted to try that, but we don't have any prickly shrubs I could cut, which is why I tried the canes. As I said, they work, and it has stopped them coming into the back garden. They are now using the front garden, but we are going to completely redesign that soon, so I am not too bothered with that.
I read on the internet that a short length of garden hose, curled round, on the lawn deters them as they think it is a snake. We have not tried this. We did try the device that emits a high pitched noise. They used to saunter past it, with smirks on their faces!

JessK Mon 15-Apr-19 09:39:58

We have motion detectors and we are very satisfied with them. Mind you if you have old cats straying into the garden that are a bit deaf they are no deterrent!

ginny Mon 15-Apr-19 10:50:50

Even having a dog or dogs does not deter them around here.
Tried all sorts but nothing has ever worked they still seem to find any small bit of loose soul to pop in even using the larger flower pots sometimes !
I don’t dislike cats just don’t want them in my garden.

bikergran Mon 15-Apr-19 16:42:52

I am slowly putting gravel/stones in my borders now and just putting few shrubs. I have soil right next to the lawn but the cat/s seem to like the lawn better tut! keeping the grass very short does help.

I have read of a Sonic Detector that seems to have very good results thinks its about £14.99 prob plus packaging..I will try and find it.