# Cat pooping on lawn..



## valcarmo72 (Feb 20, 2013)

OK...I am sick of these stray cats POOPING on my lawn. I can't use cayenne pepper because I have a 4 yr old who love to be in the yard. I have to go outside and scoop up and rinse off the poop before she goes out. NO I won't buy a pellet gun and they will not go in a trap. Tried that. Does anyone have any ideas...don't forget the children. I tried Heartz repelent but its to strong it even repels the kids...LOL any thoughts would be great.

Don't know?...ask someone...


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

A sprinkler with a motion detector. They will soon stay away.

Mothballs are supposed to be a deterrent, but you'd have to make sure she didn't think they were mints


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## NestHI (Jan 11, 2013)

I have heard the sprinkler with a motion detector will keep most household animals as well as wild ones away.


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## valcarmo72 (Feb 20, 2013)

I have to try that. I found one that's called the scarecrow. Motion sensor water sprinkler...

Don't know?...ask someone...


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

I agree with creeper. A motion activated sprinkler will keep the cats away. Here is an example of one:http://www.amazon.com/Contech-CRO10...57&sr=8-1&keywords=motion+activated+sprinkler
If posting this link violates the DIY Chatroom rules, I guess it will be removed. I have no interest in the product or the vendor.
Cats don't care much for getting a snootfull of water and you won't harm them. So it's a win-win situation, except for the expense of the device. I feed feral cats (they are neutered/spayed and get vet care if needed) on my deck and hard to say why, but there is no cat poop in my yard or on my deck. Once in the past year and a half, I saw a cat dig a hole, urinate and then carefully cover the spot. Are you certain cats are responsible?


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

A happy healthy cat doesn't want to soil his own quarters. They either think of your yard as a giant dining room or they are burying it without you knowing


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

creeper:
They are certainly happy and healthy so I'd say your explanation is right on the money. It started with one hungry cat and then word got out that I was running a cat cafeteria. There is a lot of controversy over feral cats. I understand why people object to them. Mine aren't breeding and are disease free. Plus the yard has no squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs or mice. And no cat poop.


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## valcarmo72 (Feb 20, 2013)

Guaranteed its cats. I see them all the time. In my neighbors mulch..in my grass. I have nice tall fescue that I take really good care of. It's like a rug. They live to scratch at it and when they kick back...grass gets kicked up. Not sure why they love it but they do. And I would not hurt them but they need to go poop somewhere else. Gonna try the sprinkler..Thx a bunch.

Don't know?...ask someone...


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## valcarmo72 (Feb 20, 2013)

Even tried Orange and lemon peels...they hate citrus...works for a while but they come back when I mow and pick up the peels..

Don't know?...ask someone...


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## Ocelaris (Oct 9, 2012)

We had a problem with feral cats in our last house, which we tried a number of things. We tried an ultrasonic pest repeller, which worked fairly well, but I think it annoyed the neighbors... Despite it being "inaudible to humans" you could still kind of hear it. But crank that puppy up and I felt it was fairly effective. But we had to turn it off because of the close proximity of other houses, and there was a day care center behind our house. We ended up getting rid of the problem by planting prickly things around the borders, basically their entrance/exit was blocked by creeping junipers and roses, and for us that was the best deterrent. Not sure if that's applicable to your case, but you might look at those two alternatives.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I have heard moth balls work, is this true? We have the same problem, a neighbor will do nothing to keep their cats from breeding and the neighborhood is over run by cats. The animal control here is a joke, they won't come out unless an animal is attacking someone. Cats track our car up with mud also, not to mention killing all the birds and squirrels.


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you..


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

BigJim,
I am sorry your neighbor is irresponsible. You have a right to be angry at him/her. I hope you see the cats as innocent victims despite the problems they are causing. Trap/Neuter/Release really works. The cats don't reproduce and when fed by volunteers, they ignore birds and squirrels. I suppose you considered talking to your neigbor. Maybe that would help.
valcarmo72,
Your nonlethal approach will teach your children compassion and will make them better human beings, in my opinion. :thumbup:


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

Retired Guy: 
I like you. You seem like a kind and gentle non violent soul and I agree that animals must be treated humanely.

But i once had two well fed happy brothers. One was fat and lazy..in charge. The other was skinny and wiry and was an excellent hunter for the sheer sport of it. I had to put two bells on a collar and it still did not stop him from catching blue jays that were almost as big as him. Blue jays are an aggressive bird that will fight a squirrel for a peanut.


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## Ocelaris (Oct 9, 2012)

I had a huge reply written, but basically BigJim, the no-kill, neuter/spay/release programs require years of time and thousands of dollars to feed, befriend, trap, spay/neuter, and give these animals a better life until they expire naturally. I couldn't afford the time or energy, nor convince my neighbor to act responsibly. I suggest building a huge fence the can'ts can't climb (that's sort of what I did, and it mostly worked). You might try reporting the neighbor to groups that might help, but basically I tried that, and they all suggested strongly that I should maintain the colony until it's eliminated, which was impossible with my neighbor enabling their reproduction without spay/neutering. 

There is a huge debate going on these days about the problems cats (both domestic and feral) pose to wild bird populations, and an Audubon author in an op-ed piece criticized the method and suggested using tylenol to poison the cats (apparently it's very poisonous to them). Basically Alley Cat Allies bombarded the Audubon society with complaints and they put him on administrative leave. He apologized and the reinstated him, but just be aware there is a lot of heated debate. 

You can get the free handbook from Alley Cat Allies, which I did, and I have come to disagree with their methods, but maybe that's something you want to look into.

http://www.alleycat.org/


Article on the guy who brought up the big debate:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/b...ams-audubon-columnist-is-reinstated.html?_r=0


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I don't want to harm the little dickens, it isn't their fault. Talking to the neighbor isn't an option, he doesn't care and said he was trying to starve them to death. The other neighbors are feeding them so at least they aren't going hungry. Not only are the cats coming over here it seems like every dog that happens by drops by to leave us a present. Oh well, at least we don't have any mice or snakes in the neighborhood.


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## Ocelaris (Oct 9, 2012)

Yeah, it's a sad situation, I don't think anyone wants to hurt them, but at least in my neighborhood in the city, their lives were terrible ( 80% kitten mortality rate within the first month) and perpetuating the cycle is unfair to them.


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

creeper, thanks for your kind words.
My obsevations of my small colony (five) has led me to conclude that well fed ferals rarely attack other animals. As we know from your experience some cats are more aggressive than other. One of my ferals, a small female will chase squirrels but it's just game for her. She could never win a fight with a squirrel and she would probably run if the squirrel did not retreat. A large back male cat will sit in his house and watch starlings eat the food left in his bowl. He has no interest in catching birds. None of the ferals I care for want to tangle with possums or raccoons that have shown up in the past. I do not leave food out at night when the raccoons and possums are active.

In Cape May, NJ there is a big issue with ferals harming protected birds. Not far from Cape May in Atlantic City, there is a safe zone for ferals along the boardwalk. Volunteers feed these neutered/spayed cats and so far I have not heard of any complaints from the people who live there or the visitors.

The issue of what to do with ferals is complex. It takes motivation, energy, money and common sense to care for ferals. I know that many people oppose what I do. Fortunately I have found a local organization that provides information and assistance to anyone who wants to get involved in TNR. I have found it to be a rewarding experience.


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

Feral Cat sanctuary on the grounds of our nation's captial ..Parliament Hill in Ottawa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZeSdaqZDT8


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

creeper,
The video you cited in your post is blocked in the US on copyright grounds. I was hoping to see it.


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

I will see if I can bring up another


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

Try this one ..there is a lot of them on you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuIEF3Hl8f0


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

Of course the video does not show the fat cats that reside inside..:laughing::laughing:


The cat sanctuary is behind these buildings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s37OuqYNGw


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## TarheelTerp (Jan 6, 2009)

valcarmo72 said:


> I am sick of these stray cats POOPING on my lawn.
> NO I won't buy a pellet gun...


any progress?


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## valcarmo72 (Feb 20, 2013)

Nope...had some fresh poop today. Going to rake up the lawn this weekend and put some moth balls in place kids can't get to around the perimeter and then sprinkle some Hartz repelent( organic crap) hopefully it will deter them. Going to get the scarecrow sprinkler to see how that goes soon. Let u know then.

Don't know?...ask someone...


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

If you can trap them? Call LAPD. They have cleared their precincts of rats and mice using feral cats. I doubt LA will let you mail them a boxful though. Never know though. Celebs are into causes out that way. Box-o-cats.org could just work?


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