keeping cats out of my yard

bebonner

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I need help. My neighbor has 3 cats that roam the neighboorhood each day, attacking our birds, scratching our trees, urinating on our decks and furniture cushions, and generally just being cats. Several of the residents have spoken to the owners of these pests about keeping them indoors and the owners just refuse. Since the animals are only doing what cats do, we have no wish to cause them harm. We would like to humanely capture the cats and take them to a shelter. Does anyone have any ideas on how to solve our problem?
 

rosiemac

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Originally Posted by bebonner

We would like to humanely capture the cats and take them to a shelter.
Are you saying these cats actually belong to your neighbours?!, if so you can't capture them and send them to a shelter, because their someones pets!.

If i found someone doing that to my cats they'd find themselves straight in the small claims court, and with an even bigger case if i found that the shelter had put them to sleep


Like you say " Their doing what cats do! " so their anything but pests!, and you can't force a cat to stay indoors if it's been used to being outside.
 

nano

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Call your local animal control center and report that you have some unattended cats causing a disturbance in your yard. If people tried speaking rationally with the owners, and they just waive off the neighborhood's concerns -- then to hell with them!

As much as someone else might love their cats, you have a right to enjoy your private property without disturbances.
 

daidreamer

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Originally Posted by Nano

Call your local animal control center and report that you have some unattended cats causing a disturbance in your yard. If people tried speaking rationally with the owners, and they just waive off the neighborhood's concerns -- then to hell with them!

As much as someone else might love their cats, you have a right to enjoy your private property without disturbances.
I agree totally..
 

ginger's mum

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There are products that deter cats, usually sprays or crystals.

I had the same problem with my front porch and garden, managed to stop the little beggars. Hose your deck and chairs down, wash the cushions and remove everything for about a week. In garden areas the cats are going toilet in lay down wire mesh or you can also get black plastic mesh with prickly bits that are especially for that purpose. My neighbour used kebab sticks for her narrow strip of garden.
After you've given garden and deck a good hose-off then apply your deterent.
By hosing it down you're removing the cats scent. Water filled plastic bottles also will scare them off, but just for a while.
Perhaps you could ask your neighbour to provide them with a scratching post and toilet area in "their" yard.
 

hissy

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be-

As already stated, these cats belong to someone else. They could be socialized feral cats that aren't happy in the home, which is why she lets them roam. But you cannot trap them and send them off to a shelter! If one of my neighbors did that to the two cats I have now that aren't comfortable living either in the house, or our outside enclosure, I too would go after them legally because you have no right.

You can invest in a scarecrow- it is a motion detector type sprinkler- if you go to www.meowhoo.com and look under Cat Behavior, you will find several links that give you products to deter cats. I find it interesting that you state you have no wish to do them harm, but are thinking of trapping owned cats and taking them to an shelter? Unless it is a no-kill shelter, they will maybe keep them three days top then put them to sleep. And if it is a no-kill shelter, chances are good there is no room anyway because it is kitten season.
 

deb25

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If the town has an ordinance about letting pets roam unleashed, aren't the neighbors breaking the law? I am all about cat welfare, but what recourse does this poster have if he does not want the animals on his property? And people wonder why roaming cats are often the target of inhumane acts.

I say if a deterrent product is ineffective and letting pets roam is against the law in your area, you have little recourse but call Animal Control.
 

mark kumpf

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Originally Posted by hissy

be-

But you cannot trap them and send them off to a shelter! If one of my neighbors did that to the two cats I have now that aren't comfortable living either in the house, or our outside enclosure, I too would go after them legally because you have no right.
As Hissy mentioned and others, they would take legal offense at this practice. I encourage you to check with your local animal control center or city clerk to determine if the cats are allowed to roam without penalty. If they are, then you can seek legal redress in small claims court for any damages you can prove were caused by the cats.

BUT - if the laws prohibit the cats from roaming at large, then it is legal to capture and take the animals to the animal shelter. Just because the cats have an owner does not give them the right to roam on your property. If this is the case, the legal threat is to the cat owner for criminal or civil violations.

Again, check your local laws.
 

animalresources

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Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sorry the neighbor's cats are disturbing you. Cats should be contained whether indoors or outside, when possible. Please do all you can to help the residents work things out with the neighbors. Perhaps you can help them fence in their yard and so on. Try community dispute mediation (found through neighborhood associations and city or county resources.)

Here are links to further ideas for non-lethal and non-toxic solutions:

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/keepingout.htm

http://fixourferals.org/index.php?pager=10_tips

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/820

http://www.catfencein.com/brochure2.php

Are these cats spayed or neutered? Let us know if you need help finding low-cost spay/neuter resources.
 
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bebonner

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I have contacted our ASPCA and our township. It is in fact against the law for cats to roam unattended. I can capture the cats and take them to the shelter. Once there, the animal welfare officer will fine the owners $75.00 to get the cats back again. They will not put the cats down. My problem is how to catch these cats. Any suggestions
 

abbeycat

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have you contacted the owners and let them know you will go to these lengths? they might listen better..
I don't agree with trapping them and sending them to a shelter, even if they will be returned, because apart from the stress they could pick up illnesses etc there.
 
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bebonner

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Yes, I have contacted the owners and they say, "Oh well, I guess you gotta do what ya gotta do."
As you can tell by the quote, they are not rocket scientists.
 

eatrawfish

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I feel bad for the cats, but it's insensative cat-owners like that who give the rest of us a bad-name. Very frusterating.

Is the shelter willing to loan you any traps?
 
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bebonner

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No, they do not have the equipment to lend out. I need an inexpensive way to trap these cats.
 

hissy

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Holy smokes, what jerks for cat owners! Any time any of my neighbors have complained about my cats, I have bent over backward trying to solve the problem- jumping on cars, hiding in the garage (turned out the neighbors had mice in thier garage) But to just say you gotta do what you gotta do is insane! Contact the local animal shelter- they usually have traps you can put a deposit on and rent. When you turn them back in good condition, you get your money back. Failing that call a local pest control company and pick their brain. Often they will also rent you a trap to catch the cats for a small fee-

Good luck!
 

loveysmummy

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In my city, even if the cat owners are misdirected albeit loving cat owners, any cat can be trapped without legal consequence whatsoever if they are not on their own property.
I would get a trap and leave the owners a note telling them where they can be picked up. Outline the entire situation to them again in the note and state that, as they wouldn't listen to reason, you had to exercise this last resort.

Good luck to you and these cats...
 

abra

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There are products that deter cats, usually sprays or crystals.
what crystals are these? or what do you mean by that?

Abs
 

esrgirl

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There might be a feral cat group in your area that can lend you a trap. I've seen traps at the Tractor Supply Store, but I can't remember how much they cost. The links that AnimalResources provided might help you find a group that can lend you a trap.

Can Animal Control just come out and get the cats themselves? That would be easier, if they are willing. I'd hate to see the cats go to a shelter, but to me that's better than leaving them outside, roaming on someone's property. Who knows, you have have a neighbor who doesn't care for cats and might hurt them. The owners are obviously not prepared to accept responsibility for their cats- maybe someone else would be. At least that would be a chance, albeit a small one. I just worry that the cats might make someone angry enough to hurt them.
 
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