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Cats - how to get rid if them |
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| message from Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
Hi,
Our neighbour has recently moved and take his very large woofy dog with
him. Whilst the silence is nice, we have started to get cats in the
garden and I draw the line at having to eat my breakfast whilst watching
a nasty black and white moggy helping himself to a fresh wagtail from
the bird table.
Since my wife tells me that all my preferred options (involving
projectile weapons, high voltages and toxic chemicals) are illegal, we
need to find a less destructive solution.
The garden centre offers two solutions, scent chemicals or ultrasonic
sounders.
Having had limited success with the scent chemicals at a previous house
(particularly the need to reapply them every time it rains), I was
wondering if anyone had experience with the ultrasonic devices. The one
we were looking at cost around £40 and offered 3 frequency ranges
(suitable for a wide range of pest).
Can anyone say:
a) if they are effective.
b) whether such a device, when set to scare cats, will also frighten off
the birds?
Thanks,
Martin Wiseman
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| mike. buckley replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
Try filling the supa-soaker with orange squash, they hate the taste.
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| Andy Hall replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
Not very. My neighbour has one and it has no effect at all.
It does not seem to do that either.
The best solution would be your own cat.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
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| Eric Dockum replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
My local Garden Centre (Intratuin in Assen, Holland) is selling a
garden sprinkler on a post, the type that has a little paddle that
goes flick flick through the water jet.
Nothing special in that. However also built into it is a IR detector
in a small waterproof housing, that when triggered gives a short burst
of water from the sprayer. It is powered by a PP9 battery. The
drawings on the box show a dog, cat and a small deer being scared
away!
I was tempted to buy it just for the hell of it. We have a tiny
garden however, so I suspect it would spray ours and the neighbours as
well.
If there is interest I will go back and collect the makers name and
cost.
(Thinks - same idea but using a noise detector.... every time the
neighbours dog barks it gets a soak???)
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| fred replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
How about a PIR activated spraygun?
http://www.smarthome.com/6120.html
$80 so prob 80quid here but prob DIYable for a lot less with a sensitive PIR
and washing machine valve . . . . plus override switch :-)
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| Ed Rear replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
I bought an ultrasonic device a few years ago, I think it cost me about £30.
Seemed to work for about a week, then maybe the cats got used to it, because
it had no effect after that. The trouble is, since it is inaudible to
humans, you never know if it is working or not. Don't waste your money.
Ed
"Martin Wiseman" <usenet@rimfall.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:d6u9xXDMexsAFwLI@rimfall.demon.co.uk...
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| Nick Brooks replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
My guess is that they won't work. I use a "super soaker" water pistol
which keeps them away for a few weeks at a time. Great fun too.
The trick is not to let the cats see you because if they do they become
scared of you but will still go in your garden when you're not around.
If you can get them from an upstairs window with the curtains partially
drawn they become "afraid" of the house and so stay when you're not there
Nick Brooks
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| Dave Gibson replied to Nick Brooks on 25 May 2004 |
LOL - I particularly liked the "flip-up non-precision sighting system"
Dave
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| Andy Hall replied to Nick Brooks on 25 May 2004 |
Any citrus thing will work for this in fact.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
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| Owain replied to Nick Brooks on 25 May 2004 |
"mike. buckley" wrote
| Try filling the supa-soaker with orange squash, they hate the taste.
But an additive-free one please. You really don't want to see a Siamese cat
in the throes of tartrazine-induced hyperactivity.
Owain
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| Chris replied to Owain on 25 May 2004 |
PMSL. That must be one of the funniest things I've read in ages.
Cheers,
Chris
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| Mary Fisher replied to Chris on 25 May 2004 |
Owain's posts are always worth reading.
Mary
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| The Natural Philosopher replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
Water pistols are not.
Arrange to have a hose pointing directly at the spot and wire a
motorsied valve in.
Soggy moggies vanish quickly.
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| Bob Mannix replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
Even speaking as a cat owner, if the projectile in the projectile weapon is
water, it's allowed. Repeated target practice with a super soaker may get
the message across.
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| Robert replied to Bob Mannix on 25 May 2004 |
Put the bird table in the moiddle of a pond.
R
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| Mary Fisher replied to Robert on 25 May 2004 |
news:<c8v68o$sgu@newton.cc.rl.ac.uk>...
That's an excellent idea!
Now - how do I keep the cats away from birdboxes?
Mary
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| Ian Stirling replied to Mary Fisher on 25 May 2004 |
Put them on little rafts?
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| Mary Fisher replied to Ian Stirling on 25 May 2004 |
"Ian Stirling" <root@mauve.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:PzKsc.8142
The cats?
Mary
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| Mary Fisher replied to Bob Mannix on 25 May 2004 |
Not in my experience :-(
Mary
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| Marcus Fox replied to Bob Mannix on 25 May 2004 |
Use ground cayenne pepper.
Marcus
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| Ian Stirling replied to Bob Mannix on 25 May 2004 |
What about a catapult.
Simply arrange a square round the real bird-table, that is connected to
a big spring-loaded arm.
Cat jumps onto edge, and goes sailing into the distance.
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| Ian Middleton replied to Ian Stirling on 25 May 2004 |
In my last house, I was plagued by cats using my garden and garage roof as a
toilet rather than their owners property. Tried chemicals, sprays etc just
carried on crapping, probably to hide the smell of the chemicals.
Finally, after getting sh*t on my shoes for the n'th time, got a £50
ultasonic thing. Brilliant, cats no longer visted the garden, garage roof
crap free. You could see cats enter the garden, bottoms already lowering
ready to drop, trigger the scarer and then run off. My one was green box
running from PP3, also had an LED lit when active. You could just about hear
it when active and near. Worked wonders in my new house as well, when cats
discovered the my newly dug flower beds and kept on digging holes into to
crap.
"Ian Stirling" <root@mauve.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ltJsc.8120$NK4.962414@stones.force9.net...
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| Tim Mitchell replied to Martin Wiseman on 25 May 2004 |
a) No they aren't
b) No
c) They are very annoying to humans, being just on the edge of
audibility.
Strategically placed spiky sticks and water pistols had some effect for
me.
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