What can I do about cat using my yard for a litter box??? [Archive]

View Full Version : What can I do about cat using my yard for a litter box???

shadoww

01-04-2007, 09:17 AM

I am so incredably frustrated right now!!!! Please help me!!!

I used to be a cat lover but that has changed because of my neighbors cat!! Their cat( yes I know its their cat I have watched him do it) is using the sand under my chidlrens swingset for a litter box!! He was doing it at the beginning of summer and we complained but the neighbor was an idiot, tried to say it wasnt his cat even though I told him I saw it and tried to catch it but it tried to bite me when I did. We explained to him I babysit children and they could get very sick from this but he doesnt care, they suggested we cover the sand with a tarp but this is not an option as it would be impossible to cover as it has a wooden wingset over it. So for a cpl months they actually got better and started keeping it in the house and tieing it up, but since Fall they are letting it out again and here he is back at it!! So I tried the mothballs in the spot he was going now he is going in a different spot!! We actually put mouse traps out there hoping that would scare him off ad once again he moved to a different corner, this is a 16 x 16 area. The owners do not care and it has affected the relationship with our kids even. I told their son this morning I am going to catch it and take it to animal control he said he doesnt care he doesnt even like it anymore!! Then he says( I wonder where he got this from,lol) how do you know its our cat? Theres lots out here that run around. I tell him again " I saw it it it is the only cat I have EVER seen in my yard"( which by the way is fenced in) I HAVE chased this cat out of my yard several times, when there is snow you can see cat prints from their house right to my yard! You can not tell me they dont see him coming out of my backyard.
There is a critter thing you can buy at Halifax seed for 100.00 that will spray small animals to scare them away but hubby doesnt think we should have to pay out 100.00 to keep an animal out of our fenced in yard!! Not to mention it will cost us another 100 or so to replace the ruined sand which theres no point in doing until the cat is dealt with.
I hate to be in conflict with these people but this is driving me insane!!!! I dont want to fight with my neighbors, I just want them to take care of their cat and have respect for my property!!

Any suggestions?????????????

user5624

01-04-2007, 10:13 AM

I can sympathize, big time!!!! I had a similiar issue.

It is against bylaws to let cats run lose. And the neighbour knows what his cat is doing. Catch it and take it to the animal rescue league. Or call them and get them to come catch it. You are right, if a child eats that sand with cat feces in it, they will get very sick. And then it's on your head, aspecially if it's a child you babysit.

This type of situation is extremelly frustrating! I know, I had this issue for a few years.

shadoww

01-04-2007, 10:28 AM

We are trying to catch it but its too fast for me by the time i get my shoes on and run out its in their yard!! What makes it worse is they keep saying its not our cat its one down the street while I will sit there and see it coming out from behind my house!!

I wish I could fidn a trap somewhere to leave out there to catch him!!

user5624

01-04-2007, 10:38 AM

Call the Animal Rescue League, they'll come catch it. Or get a cheap bag of cat food and leave some out, try to draw it closer to your door. You might be able to catch him then. Those people seem to be very irresponsible pet owners. And it's already going to cost you to replace that sand. Your husband is right, paying another $100 because your neighbours won't abide by the bylaws isn't your responsibility.

My neighbours dog used to come here, pooped on my deck a couple of times. Would poop all over my front yard, on my walkway. It was horrible. Then when I got a dog, a puppy, if she was outside, their dog would come over barking at her and terrify her. Shortly there after, they gave the dog away.

shadoww

01-04-2007, 10:41 AM

I called animal control last spring they said they would come get it if I catch it.

user5624

01-04-2007, 10:42 AM

Then get a cheap bag of cat food or treats and try to draw it in I guess.

shadoww

01-04-2007, 10:49 AM

Its probably my only option about now, so I will give it a try!

girdy

01-04-2007, 11:25 AM

I expect if you contacted the NB Trappers association http://www.nbtrappers.ca/main.html, they could refer you to a local licensed trapper who could live trap it for you (I expect for a fee). There is also a private firm listed in the yellow pages under "Animal Control". I'm not sure you want to try and catch and contain by hand a cat that might not be declawed, could be full of lice, have had no shots, what have you.

shadoww

01-04-2007, 11:53 AM

Thanks Girdy I will look into it.

jdcb

01-04-2007, 12:03 PM

if you want to catch it, you can setup some sort of small trap yourself, and use catnip flakes...

margay

01-04-2007, 03:19 PM

Go to the dollar store and buy two boxes of moth balls. Poor them everywhere in the sand.. Don't cover them up.

Trust me...the cat will stop!!!

They can't stand the smell of moth balls. I've done this for my cats to stop doing there thing in the corners or behind some places I can't reach and it really helps!!! trust me!!

shadoww

01-04-2007, 03:21 PM

margay

01-04-2007, 03:32 PM

Oh.. wow smart kitty!!

I would definately call animal control then. See if that was my yard and it was fenced in. I would be borrowing a friends dog for a week to give this cat a good scare. Thats not fair to you. If your neighbour doesn't appreciate a dog chasing his cat then keep his cat in the house.

Cherry Pop

01-04-2007, 05:00 PM

Don't know if this will work but I was told cats hate vinegar. I was told if your cat starts using the bathroom other than the litterbox to spray vinegar around the area and they will leave it alone. Don't know if you sprayed vinegar on the sand if it would work or not but it would be cheap to try. Also apparently they don't like tin foil either. They don't like to feel it when they scratch so maybe if you laid some under the sand, it wouldn't go to the bathroom there cause it wouldn't like the feel when it scratches the sand. Again, don't know if it will work but it's cheap to try. Good luck!

puppyluv

01-04-2007, 05:26 PM

domarloc

01-04-2007, 06:45 PM

critter ridder...it is a natural mix of cayenne pepper etc...spread it aournd on the area's kitty goes on..it will irritate their paws etc..you will need to re-apply it after the rain, but I think after once or twice kitty will learn

I am sure Critter Ridder does work but the cheaper alternative to that would be to go to the Bulk Barn and buy a big bag a cayenne pepper and spread it around the sand box. We had the same problem with the neighbourhood cat but it was using our flower bed mulch as it place of preference. It wasn't long leaving once it got a sniff of it!!

girdy

01-04-2007, 07:01 PM

Did the cayenne pepper work as a permanent solution, or did the cat return?

I wonder if the same thing would work with the deer in flower beds and vegetable gardens?

domarloc

01-04-2007, 07:06 PM

Did the cayenne pepper work as a permanent solution, or did the cat return?

I wonder if the same thing would work with the deer in flower beds and vegetable gardens?

I can't imagine why it wouldn't work for deer as well. I did have to re-apply it a couple times over the summer but the cat must have found a new place to go.

puppyluv

01-04-2007, 07:12 PM

good idea dormaloc! we will be trying that out too!

jenne_howie

01-15-2007, 12:25 PM

be careful with the cayenne pepper ...if one of your children accidentally got some in thier eyes it wouldn't feel too good....good luck my neighbors are the same way with their dogs....irritating and extremely frustrating for sure!

xippi

01-17-2007, 04:11 PM

Moth balls are toxic .......If the child was to eat the sand with traces of moth balls in it I don't suspect it would be much better than the cat Fesces.

The NB trappers association will not trap them either .....(too close to the house) has to be 300 Meters from the house. You would have to contact somebody with a Nuisance Animal Control Operator Licence. You may even have a hard time with them trapping doestic animals

Go to the dollar store and buy two boxes of moth balls. Poor them everywhere in the sand.. Don't cover them up.

Trust me...the cat will stop!!!

They can't stand the smell of moth balls. I've done this for my cats to stop doing there thing in the corners or behind some places I can't reach and it really helps!!! trust me!!