Neighbour put chilli powder on garden - cat deterrent?

[08marchbean]

Surely if shes put chilli in her own private garden. Thays her perogative. The fact the cat comes in isnt her fault. My neighbours cats always poo in my garden and have shredded the surround of our trampoline dives me insane. Should I send them a bill to buy me a new one? Its her property if the cat goes on it and gets injured its the cats fault for going there. She should definatly be allowed to put any detterent she wants down.
A bit of chilli powder on your cat is nothing compared to dangers of cat poo for children and having to clean crap up from a pet u dont own like or want on ur property!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Surely if shes put chilli in her own private garden. Thays her perogative. The fact the cat comes in isnt her fault. My neighbours cats always poo in my garden and have shredded the surround of our trampoline dives me insane. Should I send them a bill to buy me a new one? Its her property if the cat goes on it and gets injured its the cats fault for going there. She should definatly be allowed to put any detterent she wants down.
A bit of chilli powder on your cat is nothing compared to dangers of cat poo for children and having to clean crap up from a pet u dont own like or want on ur property!

I do understand your point, but if someone puts something down with the deliberate intention of harming an animal (domestic or wild) and causing them suffering (such as the people who put antifreeze in water) then you can be done as its causing deliberate suffering. I would worry about the mentality of anyone who thinks its ok to harm animals, regardless of the circumstances.

 

[smallpeanut]

Rather a cat then my daughter.

However its a deterant not a trap. As other posters have said, the cats smell it then scarper.

 

[special_kala]

Im not a cat person, they seem to hate me

I'd be annoyed if a cat kept pooing in my garden. Surly chilli powder would just deter them?

Me or my kids picking up cat poo is more dangerous then chilli powder.

 

[Feltzy]

But antifreeze and chilli powder can't be compared surely? One is a deterrent and one is a poison. Of course if someone deliberately did something to harm an animal it would be animal cruelty, but to deter them from damaging/entering their property that's completely justified. If a cat stood on orange peel and rubbed their eyes it might sting, its the same thing.

 

[~RedLily~]

Surely if shes put chilli in her own private garden. Thays her perogative. The fact the cat comes in isnt her fault. My neighbours cats always poo in my garden and have shredded the surround of our trampoline dives me insane. Should I send them a bill to buy me a new one? Its her property if the cat goes on it and gets injured its the cats fault for going there. She should definatly be allowed to put any detterent she wants down.
A bit of chilli powder on your cat is nothing compared to dangers of cat poo for children and having to clean crap up from a pet u dont own like or want on ur property!

I do understand your point, but if someone puts something down with the deliberate intention of harming an animal (domestic or wild) and causing them suffering (such as the people who put antifreeze in water) then you can be done as its causing deliberate suffering. I would worry about the mentality of anyone who thinks its ok to harm animals, regardless of the circumstances.

I agree. My neighbour threw a brick at my cat and broke her back. It was in her garden but I would hardly say it was my cats fault because she shouldn't have been in there.
I know people on here haven't mentioned anything as extreme and I understand wanting to keep cats away from their property but the whole attitude of if the cat gets injured in my garden it's their own fault is really awful. If I put a deterrent down and later found out the animal had been injured I would feel terribly guilty.

 

[bluebell]

So many cat haters on here. I'm the complete opposite, I love cats.

I can see why people want to deter them from using their garden as a toilet and would totally understand if any of my neighbours shooed my cat away or sprayed water to scare her or let me know so I could do something to try and stop her going in their garden. But I don't think it's ever right to intentionally cause any pain or suffering to animals, especially people's family pets and I would be hurt and upset if that happened to my cat.

I'm sure there must be kinder ways of scaring them off. I guess I'm lucky i don't need to worry though, our cat goes to toilet in our garden

xx

 

[pompeyvix]

So many cat haters on here. I'm the complete opposite, I love cats.

I can see why people want to deter them from using their garden as a toilet and would totally understand if any of my neighbours shooed my cat away or sprayed water to scare her or let me know so I could do something to try and stop her going in their garden. But I don't think it's ever right to intentionally cause any pain or suffering to animals, especially people's family pets and I would be hurt and upset if that happened to my cat.

I'm sure there must be kinder ways of scaring them off. I guess I'm lucky i don't need to worry though, our cat goes to toilet in our garden

xx

Agree with this!

I also love cats and have one myself. He poo's outside (in our garden I must add!). However, he is a cat and once he is outside, I can't control where he goes...how could I? For those saying owners should keep tabs on their cats or keep them inside, you clearly have never owned a cat.

Yes, it is highly annoying when cats poo in your garden. We seem to have all the neighbourhood cats poo in our front garden and my hubby spent some time on Sunday picking it all up, only for there to be loads of poo in it again already. But though it is annoying, I would never ever dream of harming a cat or poisoning it.

People who harm cats (or ANY animal for that matter) make me sick and very angry.

 

[pinklightbulb]

Tbh, what I put in my garden is my choice. If a cat turns up in it and gets itself injured, I am sorry but that isn't my fault. So I would be paying no vet's bill, in fact I would be laughing because I wouldn't think anyone was serious showing up and expecting me to pay one.

Someone throwing something into YOUR garden, totally different. I've had a dog baited-- someone threw sausages laced with RatSak into my yard. Yes, if I found the culprit I would expect the bill paid. Not that they would, but it's the principle of the thing. If you harm my animal on my property, you should be coughing up for the bill. If someone harms my animal on their property, that is my fault and I should be taking responsibility.

If my dog wandered into a yard and attacked someone you bet I would be liable. Why should a cat owner be exempt from paying bills for a cat that causes damage to someone else's property, or gets itself injured on my property? No different.

 

[lilyd]

I think there is a massive difference between using a deterrent and using something intended to cause lasting harm to an animal such as antifreeze or a brick.

I'm sure most people that would use a deterrent would never dream of harming an animal is this, or any other way.

 

[Feltzy]

I wouldn't dream of harming a cat, and I'm not a cat hater. My friends have cats and I love stroking them on my knee when I visit. I just don't want them damaging my property. I'm happy for them to come into my garden if they don't do their business or damage it. I'm protecting my children from harmful cat poo by putting down a little chilli powder, they like to help me plant in my borders and I don't want them getting cat poo on their hands. There's no evidence it harms cats and my neighbours cats have never been harmed. It doesn't put me in the same category as someone who throws bricks at animals or poisons them!

Not one person on this thread has said they would do such a thing so I'm not even sure why its been brought up. If someone did say that then I would be as horrified as the next person.

Domestic cats were introduced to the UK by humans, they're bread by humans for humans. They're not wild animals in the UK. Roaming cats cause havoc with the native wildlife such as door mice which are close to extinction and many bird species. Its something I have a view on and it goes further than damage to my property.

I don't hate cats though! I just prefer them when they're controlled.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I think there is a massive difference between using a deterrent and using something intended to cause lasting harm to an animal such as antifreeze or a brick.

I'm sure most people that would use a deterrent would never dream of harming an animal is this, or any other way.

But its the nature of the deterrent. Water or a sonic thing, even certain plants is one thing but using something which you know if it did get onto the animal/in its eyes and cause damage is something else. What about wild animals too? If birds end up scratching in the soil for worms etc and get it on them? It just smacks of poor judgement and no care that you will harm another living thing and that attitude is worrying.

And pinklightbulb - laughing at someone's animal being hurt by something you did, even if it was in YOUR garden, shocking quite frankly. I'm glad you don't live anywhere near me.

As others have said, if you knock a dog down you have to report it, you don't a cat. Different laws/rules based on the animal.

 

[Pink Flowers]

But most cats won't actually go near the chilli powder? I read up on it and it says they smell it and won't go near it.

 

[sparkle_1979]

I don't mind cats, I wouldn't have one and don't like them on me. If a cat was doing its business all over my garden and my children were constantly walking, crawling n it then I'd probably think about doing something like that. It's not like poison which I'd never think about but if a bit of chilli would keep then away and stop my girls playing in it, I knw what I'd choose

 

[Feltzy]

I'll tell you what I've tried to deter them and what I won't try.

I've tried a couple of bottles of water, didn't work. I read up later and found out for it to work I would need about 10 bottles around my garden, it would look stupid.

Chasing them - fine if you see them come in and do their business, most of the time you don't. Useless method.

Firing water with a water pistol - my neighbours cat sat there and let me do it.

As for sonic booms etc - I'm not going out and spending a fortune to keep other peoples pets off my property. As you can probably tell its an issue I've dealt with a lot because there are about 10 cats on my street which is a small culdesac. I don't see why I'm expected to make all the effort chasing them, filling water bottles, firing them with water, I do have a life you know!

As for chilli powder effecting wildlife etc, I'm sure cats do far more harm than chilli powder, which doesn't effect many animals (heat/itching) the same way it does humans. I've never read of low population levels in certain species due to people putting chilli powder in their garden.

Like I said before, some people can only ever see things from their (or their cats) perspective. Try looking at the bigger picture.

 

[bluebell]

I've just done some google searching and chilli powder can be very harmful to cats if they get it in their paws as they will try and wash it away and are likely to get it in their fur and their eyes which is very painful to them

Here's a website with natural and kinder methods to deter them and as cats are very habit based/territorial it takes a couple of weeks for them to stop going into certain gardens...

https://www.amoils.com/health-blog/...o-prevent-cats-using-your-garden-as-a-toilet/

I find it quite shocking the attitude of why should I care/it's the cats fault if they come in my garden and get hurt by something I've done...is this not cruelty

Personally I much prefer to live with a compassionate attitude to all living things, to treat others how I want to be treated myself, animals included.

xx

 

[sparkle_1979]

Bluebell I think what people are saying is they care more about their children's health than the cats, is that really so wrong ?

 

[bluebell]

Bluebell I think what people are saying is they care more about their children's health than the cats, is that really so wrong ?

IMO, yes.

Of course I understand why people don't want cats using their garden as a toilet, especially with the risks of cat poo with young children, I just think there are more humane ways of deterring them without the risk of harm to cats or any other wildlife.

xx

 

[smallpeanut]

Bluebell I think what people are saying is they care more about their children's health than the cats, is that really so wrong ?

IMO, yes.

Of course I understand why people don't want cats using their garden as a toilet, especially with the risks of cat poo with young children, I just think there are more humane ways of deterring them without the risk of harm to cats or any other wildlife.

xx

If you can find me a cat deterant that doesn't cost me anything and that works, ill use it.

 

[bluebell]

Have you looked on the article I posted? There's some good ideas that are cheap aswell

I hope they work.

xx