Community Cat Deterrants
Easy Solutions to Cat Behaviors
Source: nobodycats.org
Problem: Cats are getting into my trash.
Explanation: Cats are scavengers and are looking for food.
Solutions: Place a tight lid on your trash can. Exposed trash bags will attract wildlife as well. If neighbors are feeding cats, make sure they are registered with Steelton Cats and are feeding them per the Township Guidelines.
Problem: There are cat paw prints on my car.
Explanation: Cats like to perch on high ground.
Solutions: Purchase a car cover or use deterrents listed in the next section.
Problem: Cats are digging in my garden.
Explanation: It is a cat’s natural instinct to dig and deposit in soft or loose soil, moss, mulch, or sand.
Solutions:
- Scatter fresh orange and lemon peels or spray with citrus-scented fragrances. Coffee grounds, vinegar, pipe tobacco, or oil of lavender, lemongrass, citronella, or eucalyptus also deter cats. These can also be added to your mulch to keep the cats away.
- Plant the herb rue to repel cats, or sprinkle dried rue over the garden.
- Use plastic carpet runners spike-side up, covered lightly in soil. They can be found at local hardware or office supply stores. Or, set chicken wire firmly into the dirt with sharp edges rolled under.
- Artfully arrange branches in a lattice-type pattern or wooden or plastic lattice fencing material over soil. You can disguise these by planting flowers and seeds in the openings.
- Obtain Cat Scat™, a non-chemical cat and wildlife repellent consisting of plastic mats that are cut into smaller pieces and pressed into the soil. Each mat has flexible plastic spikes that are harmless to cats and other animals, but discourage digging.
- Cover exposed ground in flower beds with large, attractive river rocks to prevent cats from digging. (They have the added benefit of deterring weeds.)
Problem: Cats are lounging in my yard or on my porch.
Explanation: Cats are territorial and will remain close to their food source.
Solutions:
- Apply cat repellent fragrances liberally around the edges of the yard, the tops of fences, and on any favorite digging areas or plants.
- Install an ultrasonic animal repellent or a motion-activated water sprinkler.
Problem: Cats are sleeping under my porch or in my shed.
Explanation: The cats are looking for a dry, warm shelter away from the elements.
Solution: Physically block or seal the location the cats are entering with chicken wire or lattice once you are certain the cats are not inside. Be sure to search for kittens before confirming that the cats have left—especially during spring and summer, prime kitten season. If the cars are feral and part of a nearby managed colony, ask the caregiver to provide a shelter for the cats per the Township Guidelines.
Problem: Feeding the cats attracts insects and wildlife.
Explanation: Cats are to be fed under proper guidelines. Leaving food out can attract other animals.
Solution: Cats should only be fed as part of an approved TNR program through Steelton Cats per Township Guidelines.
Problem: Cats are yowling, fighting, spraying, roaming, and having kittens.
Explanation: These are all mating behaviors displayed by cats who have not been spayed and neutered, and they will breed prolifically.
Solution: Spaying or neutering and vaccinating the cats will stop these behaviors. Male cats will no longer compete and fight, spray, and roam. Females will stop yowling and producing kittens. After sterilization, hormones leave their system within three weeks and the behaviors usually stop entirely. To combat the urine smell, spray the area thoroughly with white vinegar or with products that use natural enzymes to combat the smell, such as Nature’s Miracle®, Fizzion Pet Stain & Odor Remover, or Simple Solution® available at pet supply stores.