Neighborhood cats are curious creatures and sometimes that inherent curiosity causes them appear unexpectedly in your backyard or garden. They may stalk and harm the wild birds at your feeder or leave unwelcome calling cards in your flower or vegetable garden. Their roaming may cause your own pets to become aggressive towards the cat (for example if you have a large dog) or even intimidated (if you have a small dog or another cat. There are humane steps you can take to discourage the cat’s roaming and avoid problems in your yard.
The first step is to try and identify where the cat lives. Walk around the immediate neighborhood if you need to and look for the cat. Chances are it will be resting in the cat’s “home turf” taking a break from ventures into other people’s yards. Once you know the cat’s home, ask the owner if they could keep the cat indoors. If the owner isn’t cooperative then don’t worry because there are other steps you can take without their assistance.
The next step is to make you backyard uninviting to the cat. A quick shot from the garden hose will scare away a cat, but they will quickly learn to watch for you and return later. A better solution is to purchase an automated sprinkler that turns on when it senses the cat’s motion. Place the sprinkler in your problem areas such as the wild bird feeder or your flower garden.
Another common method used to discourage roaming cats is to place pie tins with lima beans on the fence tops, ledges, railings and other places where the cat walks or jumps. The uneven surface and noise will startle the cat when it steps on them and reduce the chances that the cat will return.
Double sided tape is another great option if pie tins are not an option. Cats hate walking on sticky surfaces and the double side tape is sure to get their attention.
You can also try several safe cat deterrent granules and powders found at local pet and home improvement stores. These work by emitting unsavory scents that while not harmful to the cat, will make the cat avoid the areas where they are sprinkled. These work best in flower gardens and other areas that the cat has repeatedly visited.
Call the local humane society if these suggestions fail to discourage the neighborhood cat roaming behavior. Above all, remember not to do anything harmful to the cat as it is just following its natural instinct to explore. With luck, you’ll soon have your backyard to yourself again.
Written by Brianna Mavallini, CityPetSite.com Staff
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