CAPITAL HUMANE SOCIETY
2320
Discouraging Roaming Cats
Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and
Humane Society of the
Many
people have a problem with roaming cats that attack wild birds as they feed or
nest in their yards, that use their garden as a litter box, or that upset their
pets by invading their territory. You certainly have the right to enjoy your
yard and the birds that visit it, and to protect your own pets. However, it's
your responsibility to use only humane methods to solve the problem.
Why
Are They Picking On Me?
Although
a destructive neighborhood cat can be very frustrating, don’t take it
personally. The cat isn’t acting out of spite or picking on you for some
unknown reason. He’s behaving naturally, just in places that are inappropriate.
The solution lies in making those places undesirable so the cat will behave
naturally somewhere else.
Unless
they’re literally starving, most cats won’t eat birds, but they do enjoy the
"thrill of the hunt." Cats have preyed upon birds for thousands of
years and there’s no foolproof way to discourage this natural instinct.
Fortunately, birds have developed survival techniques over the years, and it’s
unusual for a cat to actually catch a healthy, mature bird.
Another
natural instinct for a cat is to relieve himself in an area where he can cover
his scent by burying the waste. Therefore, a cat that spends most of his time
outdoors, appreciates the soft, pre-dug dirt of your garden, or your child's
sandbox, as a handy toilet. When a cat naps on the hood of your car or in the
center of your flowerbed, he’s simply sunning himself in a nice, warm spot and
doesn't realize the damage he’s doing. He won’t connect your negative reaction with
the place where he naps, and although he may learn to avoid you, he won’t avoid
the place or the activity.
A
roaming cat may approach your window or patio door and challenge your cat or
dog through the glass with blatant body language and/or vocal insults. The best
way to relieve your pet from this type of situation is to keep the outside cat
away from the areas that your pet can see. Of course, the ideal solution is for
all cat owners to keep their cats safely indoors. Unfortunately, not all cat-owners
are willing to do this, so you’ll need to take steps to solve the problem
without harming the cat, the birds, the yard or other innocent animals. Since
each situation is different, you may need patience and ingenuity to find the
appropriate deterrent through trial and error.
Repellents
Repellents
and devices designed to startle the cat "in the act" will work best
to condition him to avoid the area. Never use poisons. Not only is poisoning
animals inhumane and illegal, it’s not an effective solution to the problem.
Poisons will only rid you of one pest, but won’t deter any others. You’d have
no way of knowing or controlling what, or who, might find and ingest the
poisonous substance.
The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered over thirty compounds for
safe use in repelling domestic cats. Check with any pet supply store or garden
suppliers for commercial cat repellents. Most commercial repellents are based
on the simple mothball compound. Mothballs or moth crystals, encased in cheesecloth
bags to help protect the soil, work quite well to keep cats from digging in
garden areas or potted plants.
Keep
in mind that the effectiveness of any repellent will deteriorate with moisture
and/or time. Whether you use mothballs or a sophisticated, commercial mixture,
you’ll need to re-apply the solution after each rain, heavy dew or watering.
Check with your garden supplier to be certain that the solution you choose won’t
harm plants growing in that area, especially if you use fertilizers or other
additives. For areas where cats want to dig, ornamental pebbles may be an
effective deterrent. Avoid those that are very round or smooth, as they make a
great cat bed. Rocks or pebbles should be firmly secured into the dirt or
mulched area so they can’t easily be moved or overturned. Small-gauge chicken
wire can also be buried under a light layer of dirt or mulch, and may even
restrain some weeds. The sharp pebbles and/or rough wire will be uncomfortable
to soft paws.
"Surprise"
Devices
To
teach a cat to avoid a specific area, you must make that area unattractive to
him. The best method is to surprise the cat "in the act," but the
villain should be the area itself, not you. Simple devices can be used to
effectively "booby-trap" the area that a cat has found attractive.
·
Sound & Movement: Scatter
dry beans, macaroni or birdseed on a metal tray (disposable pie pans or cookie
sheets work great and are inexpensive). Balance several trays along the fence,
porch or deck railing, the windowsill, or around the edge of any vehicle where
the cat jumps onto the surface. Birds can still land safely if the trays are
balanced properly, but the weight of a cat leaping onto the surface will upset
the tray. The cat will be startled by the noise and by the unsteady, collapsing
perch.
·
Texture: To
keep a cat from jumping onto flat surfaces (railings, vehicles or decks),
criss-cross doublesided tape onto a piece of sturdy plastic - either a heavy,
plastic drop cloth or a vinyl tablecloth would work well. Drape the plastic
over the surface, and secure it with cord, or at least one weighted object, to
keep it in position. The sticky tape on the cat's paws is annoying (without
causing pain or panic), and the slick plastic rattles and offers no foothold.
·
Water: This
method works especially well for those areas where birds feed on the ground or
where cats are using a garden area as a litter box. When the temperature
permits, turn on a water sprinkler during the usual time of disturbance (dawn
or dusk if the cat is on your property to hunt). A timing device for the
sprinkler, set to a staggered schedule, will help discourage those intelligent
cats who would otherwise simply avoid the area at "regularly wet"
times of day. As a variation on the "falling tray method, set shallow
plastic lids filled with water on each end of the tray to add a shower to the
noise and movement of the falling tray.
·
Obstacle: If
your bird feeder or birdhouse is mounted on a post, nail a galvanized metal
guard in the shape of an inverted cone to the post to protect the platform.
Responsibility
If
these suggested remedies fail to provide relief, we encourage you to call our
Behavior Helpline. The “problem cat” may be an owned cat that’s allowed to roam
or the cat may have no real owner. If the cat belongs to a neighbor, your
problem is a shared one. It's not always easy to discuss neighborhood issues
diplomatically. Remember that the cat is your neighbor's pet, even though he’s
a pest when he’s on your property. By emphasizing your concern for the cat's
safety, instead of the problems he’s causing, you have a greater chance of
gaining your neighbor's cooperation. If you’re unable to establish the cat's
ownership, the problem is in your hands. It’s often impossible to distinguish a
feral cat from a potentially friendly stray, so play it safe and don't touch
the cat. Assuming you’ve already tried the above re-conditioning tactics
without success, you may need to resort to a humane trap.
Humane
Traps
Don’t
use anything other than a humane cage trap designed to lure a cat into the cage
with food, and to safely contain him until he can be moved to another area.
Most animal control agencies and humane society’s loan or rent out these traps
and some will even deliver and/or pick them up. If you have any reason to
believe that the cat has an owner, please think twice before trapping the cat, unless
you plan to return him to his owner.
To
trap a stray cat, bait the trap with canned cat food. Place the trap in an area
that’s sheltered, as much as possible, against the weather. Although you may
hear some alarming noises when the cat realizes he’s trapped, he’s only angry,
not hurt. If the cat is confined with no access to water or shelter from
inclement weather or predators, it’s important that you remove the trap from
the area as soon as possible. Using gloves to prevent scratches or bites, put
the trap in a protected area until you can take the cat to an animal shelter.
Please don’t release a stray cat. This will only cause further overpopulation problems
and inevitably, a painful life and death for the cat.