Neighbour put chilli powder on garden - cat deterrent?

[KayBea]

Pet cats are part of life in the UK. Whether you like it or not, they are allowed to wander outside and that means pooing in gardens too. Birds, foxes, mice, rats, rabbits, ferral cats etc all poo in gardens as well... I've often found fox poo on the garden wall in the morning, or when there were babies around it would be outside the front door too! I've also seen a few mice around and they poo and wee everywhere they go. I really don't see the difference between people letting cats roam and letting wildlife roam. Cats aren't like dogs, most of them need to be free to go outside (not just a garden), they're half pet, half individuals/wild. If anybody is saying cats should all be kept confined to a house or garden, perhaps they want to catch all the wild animals who might poo too?

Actually, I can see a difference between pet cat poo and other wildlife (including ferral cats!) - pet cats are more likely to have been wormed so their poo is less gross from that perspective!

unfortunately not many people worm & deflea their pets though.

 

[Pink Flowers]

Pet cats are part of life in the UK. Whether you like it or not, they are allowed to wander outside and that means pooing in gardens too. Birds, foxes, mice, rats, rabbits, ferral cats etc all poo in gardens as well... I've often found fox poo on the garden wall in the morning, or when there were babies around it would be outside the front door too! I've also seen a few mice around and they poo and wee everywhere they go. I really don't see the difference between people letting cats roam and letting wildlife roam. Cats aren't like dogs, most of them need to be free to go outside (not just a garden), they're half pet, half individuals/wild. If anybody is saying cats should all be kept confined to a house or garden, perhaps they want to catch all the wild animals who might poo too?

Actually, I can see a difference between pet cat poo and other wildlife (including ferral cats!) - pet cats are more likely to have been wormed so their poo is less gross from that perspective!

unfortunately not many people worm & deflea their pets though.

We pay £10 a month to the vets and every time it needs doing it is already paid for. IMO if you get an animal you should be prepared to pay for the bills that come with it.

That being said I mentioned to my SIL that she should maybe look into something similar as they are getting a cat and can't really afford to feed themselves let alone a cat. But she told me they won't be worrying about it because it doesn't have to be done... i was shocked.

 

[6lilpigs]

I was having this problem with somebody elses cat poo for a while, I read somewhere that if you fill a transparent bag with water, tie the top and stand it in the affected area the cats will avoid the area! I never tried it as the problem stopped but it might be worth trying. I think the cats don't like the skewed reflections maybe??

 

[KayBea]

Pet cats are part of life in the UK. Whether you like it or not, they are allowed to wander outside and that means pooing in gardens too. Birds, foxes, mice, rats, rabbits, ferral cats etc all poo in gardens as well... I've often found fox poo on the garden wall in the morning, or when there were babies around it would be outside the front door too! I've also seen a few mice around and they poo and wee everywhere they go. I really don't see the difference between people letting cats roam and letting wildlife roam. Cats aren't like dogs, most of them need to be free to go outside (not just a garden), they're half pet, half individuals/wild. If anybody is saying cats should all be kept confined to a house or garden, perhaps they want to catch all the wild animals who might poo too?

Actually, I can see a difference between pet cat poo and other wildlife (including ferral cats!) - pet cats are more likely to have been wormed so their poo is less gross from that perspective!

unfortunately not many people worm & deflea their pets though.

We pay £10 a month to the vets and every time it needs doing it is already paid for. IMO if you get an animal you should be prepared to pay for the bills that come with it.

That being said I mentioned to my SIL that she should maybe look into something similar as they are getting a cat and can't really afford to feed themselves let alone a cat. But she told me they won't be worrying about it because it doesn't have to be done... i was shocked.

i was a manager in a chain of pet shops & hardly anyone treated for fleas or worms, or chipped their pets :/
it was quite worrying. xx

 

[smallpeanut]

Of course there's a difference between wildlife mess and cat mess. One is owned and has someone who is responsible, the other doesn't...

IMO there should be laws put in place for cats as there is for dogs. Dogs are hunters and roamers too. As a lot of the cats owners on here have said cats are easily trainable so there is no excuse. Train your cat to use a 'shitbox' and the problems gone.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Pet cats are part of life in the UK. Whether you like it or not, they are allowed to wander outside and that means pooing in gardens too. Birds, foxes, mice, rats, rabbits, ferral cats etc all poo in gardens as well... I've often found fox poo on the garden wall in the morning, or when there were babies around it would be outside the front door too! I've also seen a few mice around and they poo and wee everywhere they go. I really don't see the difference between people letting cats roam and letting wildlife roam. Cats aren't like dogs, most of them need to be free to go outside (not just a garden), they're half pet, half individuals/wild. If anybody is saying cats should all be kept confined to a house or garden, perhaps they want to catch all the wild animals who might poo too?

Actually, I can see a difference between pet cat poo and other wildlife (including ferral cats!) - pet cats are more likely to have been wormed so their poo is less gross from that perspective!

unfortunately not many people worm & deflea their pets though.

We pay £10 a month to the vets and every time it needs doing it is already paid for. IMO if you get an animal you should be prepared to pay for the bills that come with it.

That being said I mentioned to my SIL that she should maybe look into something similar as they are getting a cat and can't really afford to feed themselves let alone a cat. But she told me they won't be worrying about it because it doesn't have to be done... i was shocked.

i was a manager in a chain of pet shops & hardly anyone treated for fleas or worms, or chipped their pets :/
it was quite worrying. xx

I don't think you can assume because people didn't get it from you they didn't do it. I have 2 cats and a dog and they are treated monthly for fleas and worms but we buy the proper stuff from the vets as I trust this over the things you can buy in store (plus we have a similar monthly deal). We also had them microchipped when young and were neutered.

I do buy them food etc from pet stores but not items like flea treatments, so in your eyes I wouldn't be a good owner, yet I know my animals well enough to notice my cat had the start of cystitis the other day (£80 at the vets, said it was very mild) so I think I am a good owner.

ETA: We have a litter tray in the bathroom which is cleaned every day. I did this all the way through my pregnancy. Once Millie is mobile a stair gate will go up so she can't get into the tray. My cats, my responsibility to clear up their poo. I am lucky though that mine will either wee/poo in my garden (they don't leave for various reasons) or come into the house to use the tray.

 

[KayBea]

Pet cats are part of life in the UK. Whether you like it or not, they are allowed to wander outside and that means pooing in gardens too. Birds, foxes, mice, rats, rabbits, ferral cats etc all poo in gardens as well... I've often found fox poo on the garden wall in the morning, or when there were babies around it would be outside the front door too! I've also seen a few mice around and they poo and wee everywhere they go. I really don't see the difference between people letting cats roam and letting wildlife roam. Cats aren't like dogs, most of them need to be free to go outside (not just a garden), they're half pet, half individuals/wild. If anybody is saying cats should all be kept confined to a house or garden, perhaps they want to catch all the wild animals who might poo too?

Actually, I can see a difference between pet cat poo and other wildlife (including ferral cats!) - pet cats are more likely to have been wormed so their poo is less gross from that perspective!

unfortunately not many people worm & deflea their pets though.

We pay £10 a month to the vets and every time it needs doing it is already paid for. IMO if you get an animal you should be prepared to pay for the bills that come with it.

That being said I mentioned to my SIL that she should maybe look into something similar as they are getting a cat and can't really afford to feed themselves let alone a cat. But she told me they won't be worrying about it because it doesn't have to be done... i was shocked.

i was a manager in a chain of pet shops & hardly anyone treated for fleas or worms, or chipped their pets :/
it was quite worrying. xx

I don't think you can assume because people didn't get it from you they didn't do it. I have 2 cats and a dog and they are treated monthly for fleas and worms but we buy the proper stuff from the vets as I trust this over the things you can buy in store (plus we have a similar monthly deal). We also had them microchipped when young and were neutered.

I do buy them food etc from pet stores but not items like flea treatments, so in your eyes I wouldn't be a good owner, yet I know my animals well enough to notice my cat had the start of cystitis the other day (£80 at the vets, said it was very mild) so I think I am a good owner.

ETA: We have a litter tray in the bathroom which is cleaned every day. I did this all the way through my pregnancy. Once Millie is mobile a stair gate will go up so she can't get into the tray. My cats, my responsibility to clear up their poo. I am lucky though that mine will either wee/poo in my garden (they don't leave for various reasons) or come into the house to use the tray.

oh no im not saying people are crap owners of they didnt buy from my shop, they didnt flea or worm their pets at all, weither it be on the shelf stuff, our vet meds we sold (frontline & drontal) or go to the vet & buy it.. they dont do it at all.. thats not me just guessing thats them telling me when im offering advice etc x

 

[kit10grl]

Of course there's a difference between wildlife mess and cat mess. One is owned and has someone who is responsible, the other doesn't...

IMO there should be laws put in place for cats as there is for dogs. Dogs are hunters and roamers too. As a lot of the cats owners on here have said cats are easily trainable so there is no excuse. Train your cat to use a 'shitbox' and the problems gone.

I think there are laws in place regarding cats. The right to roam is protected as that is in the nature of a cat. The difference between dog and cat roaming is also noted in the fact that if for example you ran over and killed a dog with a car you are obligated to notify the police. As its assumed a dog wouldnt have wandered that far and its owner could be located locally. Cats dont have this protection. If you run over and kill a cat its assumed the owner could be many miles away so they dont even try to locate them.

For the record both my cats were litter trained and while i cant say i loved doint it yes i did (carefully) change the litter tray whilst pregnant because it was my responsibility to my cat to do so. However one of my girls used to disapear for weeks on end so I'm sure at some point she must have pooed outside the house. She wasnt stray as she had a collar on with my contact details and to be honest I would have been raging if i had been called to a shelter to collect her cos she answered the call of nature and someone tried to take away her right to roam for it.

 

[monkee12]

I don't have cats anymore hit when I did, they were indoor and if they had ever escaped and gotten hurt then I would gladly do the same to the people who hurt them. We get cats pooping in our grassy area but as its communal garden there is nothing we can do.

 

[youngmamttc]

I have a cat and i choose to keep him indoors. My neighbor has 4 cats and they poo ALL over my garden and its so annoying! My cat only poos in his litter tray and i dont let him out so he never poos elsewhere so why should i have to clean up after her cats. The come and bask on LO's trampoline and sit by my door meowing!

My sister has a small box with sensor attatched to her wall that makes a noise only cats can hear. When a cat comes past it makes the noise and the cats flee.

 

[GypsyDancer]

I have a cat and i choose to keep him indoors. My neighbor has 4 cats and they poo ALL over my garden and its so annoying! My cat only poos in his litter tray and i dont let him out so he never poos elsewhere so why should i have to clean up after her cats. The come and bask on LO's trampoline and sit by my door meowing!

My sister has a small box with sensor attatched to her wall that makes a noise only cats can hear. When a cat comes past it makes the noise and the cats flee.

I had one of these but within a week or two the cat got wise to it and started going where the sensor couldnt pick it up

 

[Feltzy]

I've used chilli powder as a deterrent for cats before in my garden. My neighbours cat literally used my garden as a toilet about twice a day. So every time I let the kids play out or mowed the lawn I had to spend ages picking it up. It's the smell of the chilli powder that deters them they smell it before they get to it.

The way I see it is that cat poo is a lot more harmful to my children than a bit of chilli powder is to someone elses cat, that is in my garden. Its my garden I'll put a deterrent down if I want, just like I would if a wild animal was being a pest on my property. I'm the one that has to deal with them jumping all over my car, going through my bins, killing animals of all kinds on my front lawn and leaving their body parts everywhere, not to mention the poo.

Roaming cats will come across much worse things than chilli powder when out, there are harmful chemicals/plants everywhere. That's a risk that a cat owner takes every time they let their cat roam the streets. If I liked cats and owned one I'd be too scared to let them roam, all too often I hear of friends/family saying how their cat never came home/got run over etc and it must be heartbreaking for the family.

 

[little_cookie]

I've used chilli powder as a deterrent for cats before in my garden. My neighbours cat literally used my garden as a toilet about twice a day. So every time I let the kids play out or mowed the lawn I had to spend ages picking it up. It's the smell of the chilli powder that deters them they smell it before they get to it.

The way I see it is that cat poo is a lot more harmful to my children than a bit of chilli powder is to someone elses cat, that is in my garden. Its my garden I'll put a deterrent down if I want, just like I would if a wild animal was being a pest on my property. I'm the one that has to deal with them jumping all over my car, going through my bins, killing animals of all kinds on my front lawn and leaving their body parts everywhere, not to mention the poo.

Roaming cats will come across much worse things than chilli powder when out, there are harmful chemicals/plants everywhere. That's a risk that a cat owner takes every time they let their cat roam the streets. If I liked cats and owned one I'd be too scared to let them roam, all too often I hear of friends/family saying how their cat never came home/got run over etc and it must be heartbreaking for the family.

Im just wondering- if that chilli power DID affect somebodys cat- and they found out it was you. How would you feel when a) they came knocking with the vets bill and b) with an upset child because you have injured your cat.

How is the cat getting into your garden?

 

[Feltzy]

I've used chilli powder as a deterrent for cats before in my garden. My neighbours cat literally used my garden as a toilet about twice a day. So every time I let the kids play out or mowed the lawn I had to spend ages picking it up. It's the smell of the chilli powder that deters them they smell it before they get to it.

The way I see it is that cat poo is a lot more harmful to my children than a bit of chilli powder is to someone elses cat, that is in my garden. Its my garden I'll put a deterrent down if I want, just like I would if a wild animal was being a pest on my property. I'm the one that has to deal with them jumping all over my car, going through my bins, killing animals of all kinds on my front lawn and leaving their body parts everywhere, not to mention the poo.

Roaming cats will come across much worse things than chilli powder when out, there are harmful chemicals/plants everywhere. That's a risk that a cat owner takes every time they let their cat roam the streets. If I liked cats and owned one I'd be too scared to let them roam, all too often I hear of friends/family saying how their cat never came home/got run over etc and it must be heartbreaking for the family.

Im just wondering- if that chilli power DID affect somebodys cat- and they found out it was you. How would you feel when a) they came knocking with the vets bill and b) with an upset child because you have injured your cat.

How is the cat getting into your garden?

On the other hand, if one of my children DID get affected by cat poo and toxoplasmosis, how would the cat owner react when I come knocking on their door? Why do some cat owners only ever see it from their perspective?

No vet bill would be being paid, just like if someone's cat was injured by a car because it ran infront of it the driver wouldn't have to pay the vet bill. It's a risk that the cat owner takes when they allow their pet to roam unattended, not everyone else.

The cat walks into my garden, climbs over the garage or jumps the fence. Pretty hard to keep them out really unless I cage my garden completely.

 

[lilyd]

If you put chilli powder in your own private garden, surely you are not legally responsible for a vets bill that may result? If a cat gets injured when roaming, doesn't the liability remain with the owner?

Genuine question, where does the legal (not moral) responsibilty lie?

 

[KayBea]

If you put chilli powder in your own private garden, surely you are not legally responsible for a vets bill that may result? If a cat gets injured when roaming, doesn't the liability remain with the owner?

Genuine question, where does the legal (not moral) responsibilty lie?

yep it remains with the owner hence why pet insurance was invented xx

 

[sue_88]

I've used chilli powder as a deterrent for cats before in my garden. My neighbours cat literally used my garden as a toilet about twice a day. So every time I let the kids play out or mowed the lawn I had to spend ages picking it up. It's the smell of the chilli powder that deters them they smell it before they get to it.

The way I see it is that cat poo is a lot more harmful to my children than a bit of chilli powder is to someone elses cat, that is in my garden. Its my garden I'll put a deterrent down if I want, just like I would if a wild animal was being a pest on my property. I'm the one that has to deal with them jumping all over my car, going through my bins, killing animals of all kinds on my front lawn and leaving their body parts everywhere, not to mention the poo.

Roaming cats will come across much worse things than chilli powder when out, there are harmful chemicals/plants everywhere. That's a risk that a cat owner takes every time they let their cat roam the streets. If I liked cats and owned one I'd be too scared to let them roam, all too often I hear of friends/family saying how their cat never came home/got run over etc and it must be heartbreaking for the family.

Im just wondering- if that chilli power DID affect somebodys cat- and they found out it was you. How would you feel when a) they came knocking with the vets bill and b) with an upset child because you have injured your cat.

How is the cat getting into your garden?

The responsibility of the cat is the owner.

Therefore the reaction to that vet bill would be a swift slam of the door in their face.

And if the poor upset child was so upset that their cat got hurt whilst roaming, maybe the irresponsible owner would think twice about letting it roam free.

 

[Pink Flowers]

If my cat went on some ones garden who had chilli powder around it I wouldn't go knocking on their door with the vet bill. Some one round here gave my cat potatoes it makes cats sick. Now to me that person has purposely given my animal something to make them ill? But I didn't knock on their door demanding vet bills, same as if my cat got run over I wouldn't be asking the driver to pay the bills.

But what I did do is just asked everyone politely to stop feeding my cat, as if they don't want her in their garden feeding her isn't going to stop her coming in.

I know that chilli powder normally stops the cat going in as the smell gets to them, they won't go in there. I would say 9/10 the chilli powder doesn't even touch the cat.

 

[Feltzy]

Another point is that if people are responsible for vet bills for pets that get injured on their property, you can also argue that I should be able to go to my neighbours with a bill for replacing the windscreen and respraying my car, and maybe I could even pay someone to clean the cr*p and dead animals up and send them a weekly bill for that too? Surely it must go both ways?

And these are things that actually have happened, not just speculation.

 

[smallpeanut]

The way I see it is that cat poo is a lot more harmful to my children than a bit of chilli powder is to someone elses cat, that is in my garden. Its my garden I'll put a deterrent down if I want, just like I would if a wild animal was being a pest on my property. I'm the one that has to deal with them jumping all oveUr my car, going through my bins, killing animals of all kinds on my front lawn and leaving their body parts everywhere, not to mention the poo.

Roaming cats will come across much worse things than chilli powder when out, there are harmful chemicals/plants everywhere. That's a risk that a cat owner takes every time they let their cat roam the streets. If I liked cats and owned one I'd be too scared to let them roam, all too often I hear of friends/family saying how their cat never came home/got run over etc and it must be heartbreaking for the family.

And that sums my feelings on cats in one. Amen.