Using my Deck as a Litterbox

[HoneyPot]

There is a neighbourhood cat or two that have decided to use my deck as their personal litter box.

I am not impressed as everytime I go out onto my deck, I have to clean up cat poo - and to be honest, the horrendousness of having to clean a cat litter is why I have never gotten a cat.

I'm not too impressed by having to clean it up anyway when I don't even have a darn cat.

Any ideas why it would be doing this and how I can make it stop???

Nadia

 

[Leaf]

My neighbors dog always used o come up and poop on my deck.


I confronted the neighbors, no good.

I sprayed the dog with the hose if I saw him coming, no good.



I filled a baggie with his crap and tied it to his collar before sending himn on his way one ripe, hot summer day - dog now is tied out to do his business.

...

Try talking to the neighbor. If it doesnt work, consider live trapping the cat and leaving it on their doorstep with it's bag of goodies close by.

I dunno. That all seems harsh but when it comes to destruction of personal property...

Maybe make reports and complaints. If the deck gets damaged in any way (smell, scratches, whatever) perhaps the cat owners home owners insurance would have to do repairs - making their premium go up...

 

[HoneyPot]

The only problem is... I have no idea who the cats belong to. None of them have collars or tags, but they're not hurting for food - they're well fed. I know a lot of people in my area just put their cats out, but I have no idea who they belong to.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Leaf wrote:

I filled a baggie with his crap and tied it to his collar before sending himn on his way one ripe, hot summer day - dog now is tied out to do his business.

LOL! Hubby even thought that was a good one!

Nad, I'm not sure what you should do, hon, that sucks. I would maybe call animal control, I don't know what else you could do.:?

Keep us posted though!

 

[Luv-bunniz]

HoneyPot wrote:

The only problem is... I have no idea who the cats belong to. None of them have collars or tags, but they're not hurting for food - they're well fed. I know a lot of people in my area just put their cats out, but I have no idea who they belong to.

Could you live-trap it and take it to the vets to be scanned for a micro-chip? as it isnt your cat it wont cost you anything, but if it isnt micro-chipped then would it be possible to keep him/her for a few days and wait for the owners to put up posters or knock on doors looking for the cat? then tell them if the cat uses the deck as the litter box again they will be taken to a shelter? it isnt a threat, perfectly leagal and they have to pay to get the cat back from a shelter.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

oh Leaf that is the best thing i have ever heard!!!!!!!!!!



As far as the cat problem, this is one of my biggest pet peeves with people. If it was me i would spray them everytime i seen them and if you dont catch them that way , in hopes they will get the message and not come back i would live trap and take to your local rescue, humane society. If they are owned then maybe the owners will get sick of going to the humane society to get thier cat and keep them in. Good luck. Problem i see with them pooping on your deck is that they will , or are, most likely peeing somewhere too and cat urine stinks!!!!!!!!!! Also i dont know if the smell would start soaking into your deck warping the wood, and holding the smell.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi Nadia, my Mom use to put cayane (sp?) pepper all around where the cats and dogs did their business. It worked. I guess a little of that on their privates did the trick.

Susan

 

[NetherlandDwarf]

The hot pepper spice on the ground does work, unless its raining.. but the other thing my neighbor did, since the cats would always use his gravel walkway as a litter box, he went out and bought these (iwish i knew the name of them) small things that you can put in the ground or place on top of things that were for cats only, they were sensored so if a cat came in range of it it would emitt a very high pitched noise that I couldn't hear, but the cats did not like it and stayed away. i'm sure you can get it like at home depot or somewhere like that, maybe even a pet store? but it worked for him.

 

[HoneyPot]

Thanks guys! I'm going to look into that sounds emitter thing - I wonder if it will affect the buns. And I'm going to laden the area with cayenne. I just washed it all down today - I'm hoping tomorrow I don't find another surprise.

Bah.

Nadia

 

[nermal71]

Cats are also very shy of orange/lemon oil. We used to keep the peels in the garden to keep them from doing their business there. Worked then but I have found some cats are just oblivious to that. But it's something to try.

 

[seniorcats]

Coffee grounds work.

 

[HoneyPot]

Oh wonderful! I was hoping there was some kind of natural way to deter them. I'll buy some oranges and save our coffee grounds. LOL. I'll have the oddest smelling backyard ever... but better than cat poop.

Nad

 

[seniorcats]

Coffe grounds work in the garden too and in potted plants. I had to use coffee grounds in the pot for mybig long leaf ficus. Echo decided she wanted to pee in the dirt. Coffe grounds kept her out of the plant pot. Once they are dry, they are easy to sweep up.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

If you can trap the cat(s). Take them to the humane society. Keep doing it until the cats stop comming. You may want to put up signs saying that any cat that poops on your deck (or comes onto your property) will be taken the the shelter. I woundn't leave your name or number unless you want to deal with people. I don't know the by-laws in your area, but cats are generally not allowed to wander off the owners property and you can legally trap it if it is on your property (at least you can where I live). For the first time, put up a notice that your found a cat. When the owners come to get it say that it has been pooping on your deck and if it continues to do so the cat will go to the pound.

Using a device (like a sound one) to scare the cats away can work, scent deterants can work too (I don't know what kind work).

I have dog and they seem to keep cats out of the yard (and there are cats around). Maybe getting a dog could help

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Could you spray something to get them to stay away? My neighbors' dogs like to do that in my driveway...... oh the hubby curses them LOL!

Leaf, I've sent a note, but never the actual duty LMAO! great one!