Here is my promblem, my next door neighbors, these two woman, have about eleven cats...and well, they use my driveway as there kitty litter box.we have a gravel dirt like driveway, and the thing is, me and my kids are allergic to cats and also, our yard stinks big time and we can't even open the windows of our house because it stinks, i've used a shovel and picked this crap up like everyday for years,,,,and then i went and talked to them and told them, my kids have gotten ring work and infintigo from playing in the yard which the doctor says come from the cats messing in the yard...so, they said they were sorry and that cats just roam..but i'm so tired of this.i dont' want to pick up an animals mess that doesnt' even belong to me and i hate the dang smell, what can i do?..i mean, any way of keeping cats out of your yard?...some kind of spray or anything?...I hate to go file a complaint because they love there cats and all...what should i do? what would you do?
Answers:
This kind of thing makes me so mad!! This is what gives cats a bad name. It isn’t the cats fault they have a bad name, its people like your neighbors who are not responsible pet owners!! Arrg!!
Well now that I got that out lets get to your problem. You have spoken to them and you have put up with it long enough! Maybe they love their cats, but someone who lets eleven cats “roam” can’t feel much for their safety! And if someone’s cats made my kids sick and I’d spoken to them about it and they wouldn’t do anything, I would not hesitate to make a complaint! You and your kids health and safety comes first, don’t feel bad about making the complaint! Their cats must have worms if they gave your children worms, so how much do they love their cats to let them be sick?
Look into the laws in your town/city because I know where I live it is illegal to have 11 cats in one house with out a breeding license (I know this differs for rural properties but it sounds like your not rural)
I don’t know that there will be much you can do to stop it without your neighbors cooperation, you could try the sprinkler idea and pepper/moth balls etc but it sounds like you’d have a big place to cover so I don’t know that much will work. Other products on offer are expensive and don’t work very well (especially if 11 cats have made your yard their favorite place) and you shouldn’t have to fork out big money when they are not your responsibility!
If you were to get a dog like people have suggested I would be very careful about the laws, because if your dog was to harm or kill your neighbors cats you may find that you will be the one that is up on charges and your dog may be put to sleep (even if the cat was in your yard) so make sure you look into that before you run out and buy a guard dog. And having a dog just means you will be shoveling its poo so it won’t really solve the problem.
You need to make the complaint so that professionals can come and look into the eleven cats situation and their health and safety, plus that of your family!! I don’t think it is right that anyone let eleven cats roam the streets! Just think of what they are doing to the wildlife, think of how many cars could hit them, think of how many other cats they could injure or be injured by, not to mention the unwanted kittens and diseases they could catch and spread if they are not spayed/neutered! So think about all that when you say they love their cats so you’d hate to make a complaint! Good luck and I hope soon you will be able to enjoy having all your windows open! :) I LOVE the idea of scooping the poo up and putting it back in their yard or wrapping it up and putting it on the doorstep!! lol
TELL THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE CATS OR CALL ANIMAL CONTROL??
i would tell them that if there cats dont stop that you will file a complaint or ask them to buy you a fence.
Try a nice tub of pepper sprinkled around the place, or get a cat hating dog
If have heard that placing some moth balls or crystals around will deter them from coming into the area. water pistols would probably work, or maybe a sprinkler set on a timer to come on randomly throughout the night. Just some ideas. Good luck because a fence will not keep cats out of your yard. IF you had a dog inside the fence; however, that would probably deter them.
If they love their cats they wouldn't let them roam the streets. So don't make that your excuse not to complain. You can do so anonymously. There's different rules for different areas. I know my town has a law that your cat has to stay in your yard. Not that I see it enforced much as I do see cats crossing the street but a law this may help you if there's several and they're creating a health hazard for you and your family.
Don't get me wrong - I totally love cats and have had them for over 20 years. But I have little patience for those that don't take responsibility for their pets and allow them to roam free. You could also print this out and tape it to their door - http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac... Maybe it'll scare them into realizing indoors is where cats belong!
It's their problem not yours. Quit making it your problem.
Talk to them one more time and insist that if they wish to have that many animals, that they must control them.
If they refuse to address the issue, contact the health department and animal control.
If that fails to do anything, than it's time to purchase a "have a hart" trap. Start trapping cats and taking them to the pound.
People may disagree with my solution, but if I have to choose between my kid's or those cat's, the cat's lose.
Forget about those repellent sprays and treatments, their barely effective and expensive. Also why should you have to pay to address someone's lack of resposibility?
Hmm.. I'm not sure this is the best way but it's works for me. It may sound a bit inhuman but you can try. I've used to sprinkled chilli powder at the area they used to do their "job". Chilli powder is quite cheap in my country so I don't mind using them. Well, best of luck then.
Cats that are allowed to roam freely can be a big problem. The only permanent solution I can think of is to get a humane trap (or sometimes you can borrow one) and trap the cats. They need to go to the animal shelter. Then your neighbor can either pay to get them back or the cats will get a new home in another part of town. Since there are so many cats, it will take awhile to get your neighbor to see reason. If you set up lawn sprinklers to keep the driveway moist, the cats won't be able to use it for a toilet because they'll get wet, and cats don't like that. It will also dilute any odors that remain. Another thing you could do is pack all the droppings you pick up into a nice box and wrap it like a present. Sneak around and put it on your neighbor's front door. How's that for a hint?
No matter what you decide, your family comes first. Please don't feel bad if you just report them, because you asked them nicely and they didn't think it was a problem. If your city has an ordinance that limits the number of pets per home, they could be in big trouble. Serves them right.
First off - it's 'ringworm' (actually skin fungus) and 'impetigo.' The former *can* be contracted from pets but can also come from the environment; impetigo is a bacterial skin rash which can come from almost *anything* but most often kids scratching themselves. So either your doctor is an idiot or - well, let's not go there, I'm trying to be nice.
That said, there are a number of pet repellents designed to keep animals out of your yard. Many of these are citrus based - cats hate citrus scents. There are also devices which produce high-pitched sounds which annoy cats but humans can't hear. If all else fails, fencing may deter the cats but it's hard to get a fence that's completely cat proof.
I'm more intrigued by the claim that the yard smells so bad you can't open the windows. It is not typical for cats to go in one area, especially out in the open, and especially for a long period of time. They prefer somewhat out of the way locations, often bury their poop given the chance, and tend to vary the location from time to time. Most importantly feces left out in the open tends to dry out and degrade. You usually need a *lot* of poop - more than 11 cats would leave sitting out - and in an enclosed area to get the really ripe eye-stinging smells to accumulate. This suggests that other factors should be considered:
1) You might be smelling the neighbor's house, not the cat poop in the driveway. In this case they might have well over 11 cats and a need to call the local health department.
2) There might be some other critter pooping in the driveway. I'll assume you've actually seen the cats going there, but it might still pay to check whether some un-owned cats, dog(s) or other animals might be making contributions. (Note: It's unlikely to be raccoons, but if so you have a *MUCH* bigger problem than the smell.)
3) The neighbors might be dumping their litter boxes in the driveway when you're not looking.
I have the same problem the cats do their business in my garden beds so when I am weeding or planting I end up covered in cat ****! pepper, chilli powder and lemon all seem to deter cats, but it's not a long term solution as soon as you stop they'll be back. Speak to the owners again and talk to animal control... I got petty and scooped up all the poo and put it in a pile on their yard... they didn't like it so much then...
Seriously you have to call animal control if the old women won't keep the cats off your property. It's either that or you live with it. They don't seem to be aware of your allergies or they don’t give a hoot.
If you do call, take pictures of the cats doing their business if you can. You could try putting a litter box out for them but why should you pay for their cats?
Get a DOG!!!
Ok, I love cats, I have two, but they stay inside and don't bother anyone. Also, who has 11 cats? How can you possibly give them all the love and attention they need? If they are outdoor cats, they are probably closer to feral than actual housecats. The best suggestion is getting a dog, for real, the cats will soon know that your home is a no go area. I hope neither you or your kids are allergic to dogs. Alternatively, you could approach your neighbours and tell them that as it's their cats, you have an opening on Saturday mornings when they can come over to your house and shovel sh*t for you! LOL, it may work!
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