We have an extreme problem with cat fouling, in both our front and back garden. Cats now a days don't seem to bury their deposits, just leave them in the middle of the lawns. Very frustrating for those of us who choose not to have pets. I tried all the granuals, powders, moth balls, oranges, olbis oil etc to no avail. Can any one give me a fool proof method of dealing with this. PLEASE.

Don't know of a fool proof way that they won't beat. Try sprinkling soda crystals everywhere. It may sting their paws and put them off.

Since we moved house a year ago our cats have taken to fouling in our garden. I bought some "Get Off" gel last week from a pound shop and it appears to work. Only problem is, you need to put it everywhere as they stopped going in their usual spot and started somewhere fresh. It smells of Deep Heat and they absolutely hate it. Another tip I read is to spray Deep Heat on tea bags and bury them just under the soil where they go. And my mother in law has had success with one of those electric devices which give off high pitched sound to scare them off. Or you could try a motion activated sprinkler to scare them off. Good luck.

Cheryl1974 I consider you action to prevent YOUR cats from fouling in YOUR garden highly iresponsible. By stopping them from messing on your property where do you think they might do it??? On someone elses property!!! How would you feel if my two dogs jumped over your fence and left something warm and squegy for you to pick up??

I feel the time must come when the aveage home owner has the power to do something to stop other peoples cats fouling there gardens especially considering the dangers associated with cat faeces and pregnant women/young children. If I were allowed to lay traps or snares to catch the offenders as I can for other pests such as rats and mice then iresponsible pet owners like you would think twice before letting you cats roam free anoying people. As a family man it really anoys me when my child comes in from the garden after walking or worse falling in some cat mess belonging to ?????

Catcatcher, for your information, I am a pregnant woman with a toddler so hence you can see why I wish to deter cats from fouling in my garden. I have other people's cats fouling in my garden too. Also, we have a field behind our house and I have spent a long weekend clearing up after irresponsible dog owners who not only let their dogs foul on the field where children play but also drop their empty crisp and chocolate wrappers as they can't seem bothered to put it in their pockets and take it home to their bins!

Perhaps something should be done about selfish dog owners who don't keep their muts on leads and don't clear up after their "pet wolves" and themselves! Are you really so stupid you think we "let our cats roam free annoying people"? Do you think we have much choice in the matter? What do you suggest we do? Lock them up in a little room never to see the light of day. Get real. Cats are free spirits and have their own minds. And at least they don't go round scaring kids and attacking them.

Don't you think it's a little like moles; pigeons; bats; etc ( not to mention 2 legged litter bugs!). These things are a fact of life which we have no choice but to live with and each arrive at our own method of deterring them.
Amuse yourself with .

cheryl1974 - dropping litter has nothing to do with ppl who have dogs! who is to say that you have to walk a dog to be dropping little. you never know when you drop your sprog that it wont drop any litter when it gets old enough? or even that your toddler doesnt drop any litter?!
i own a cat and a dog, so does that mean i also drop litter when i walk my dog? and does it automatically mean that i let my dog S**T everywhere and leave it there? because i dont! i always pick up my dogs mess as i am also a parent and dont want my child to stand or pick any up.
dogs also have their own minds aswel as cats and believe it or not, so do ppl. if you dont like picking up after others then quite simply - DONT! i think you need to seriously think about what you say before you post on here!
i dont agree that cats should be locked in a little room, however i do think that some sort of responsibilty should be held for them. the more you shoo your cat out of your own garden then it will obviously have to look for somewhere else to do its business and yeah that normally means someone elses garden. i would hate to be your neighbour and have to clean up after your cat aswel as my own - if i saw your cat doing its business in my garden (if you were a neighbour) then i would put it back into your garden or on your doorstep - especially seein that you seem to have such a highly bad opinion of dog owners!
cats are just as bad as dogs for scaring children - and even attacking them. both animals have to be provoked normally to attack someone, and lets face it, children should be supervised anyway, so why would you let your child near a cat or dog that you didnt know to safe to be around - its like a stranger giving candy to a child - it just wouldnt be allowed to happen!
supervise your child correctly and no problem with being attacked or scared!

Catwoman,

This is supposed to be a discussion on ways to prevent cats fouling in your garden. Can we just keep to the subject. If you don't have anything constructive to add to the discussion, perhaps you should take your own advice and think before you type.

But to reply to your email, my child is very well supervised and behaved at all times, as will be my future child. I do not have a bad opinion of dog owners, just the ones who call cats "pests", let their dogs run wild in public without a lead, and who do not clean up after them. And I can not recall hearing on the news of cats killing toddlers, but I can certainly list several recent cases of unsupervised dogs attacking and killing them. I have never left my child unattended with any animal or stranger and it's extremely rude of you to suggest so.

I mentioned dog owners dropping litter as I have seen it with my own eyes. I admit it's not just them, and not all dog owners do it, but unfortunately, some do. And I clear up rubbish from behind my fence as I actually care about the community in which I live. Cats fouling in my garden I have little control over so have to accept it, but adults dropping litter is, quite frankly, disgusting. And before you go off on one, I'm not implying you're one of them.

well think about what you are saying in your posts as you started the arguement on the dog side of things. and shooing your cat out of your own garden, meaning that they are having to find somewhere else to go. cats mess can seriously affect peoples health aswel. yeah granted they may not have killed ppl (yet) and dogs have attacked and seriously harmed ppl. but thats only for ppl who are irrisponsible and dont know how to look after their animals - all animals have minds and are actually upredictable! alot of ppl do leave there young children to wander around and dont properly supervise them - which i find out of order on both the children and dogs that are accused of being 'wolves'.

I live in a mid-terraced house, two cats on one side and at least three on the other plus a dog! The neighbour with three cats, six two and big with it, has never done anything to his garden, it is now a wilderness, since he moved in about five years ago!
I am disabled, and I try to grow roses, and have a nice flower bed, and so my garden is fairly well cared for, and it used by all the cats as a cat litter!
The neighbour with two cats looks after her garden and will pick up any mess I can attribute to her cats... fine!
Two weeks ago I had a visit from the police... I had been caught on video, returning cat mess to the neighbour with the overgrown garden, by throwing it over the hedge!
The stalwart boys in blue, didn't want to hear about all the intimidation and hassle I had been getting from this fellow, the were all for arresting me for performing this "Hanging offence", and in fact my neighbour had accused me of spying on him! because I had put a cctv camera of my own to work looking at my car at the front of my house because my tyres have been let down three times in a month and my phone line has been ripped off the wall... so I thought a camera was justified. (looking down from a bedroom window), I can't even see his house unless I lean right out of my window! but the thing wasn't even plugged in!
This same neighbour lets his dog into his yard to do it's business, and sometimes weeks, even months go by before anything is picked up!!.... well it is his yard and he can do what he wants with it, or so he informed me when I had the "Gall" to complain about the stench and flies
What I want to know is, how do I stop these cats from "Dumping" (Sorry) in my garden legally?? I have tried everything from chilli powder to orange peel, mothballs to "Get Off"... nothing works!

Too often, I find that cat owners smile benignly at their little darlings, shrug their shoulders and say 'Sorry, it's what cats do'. So does that mean I am supposed to put up with a ruined lawn which is constantly being dug up by the neighbour's cat? It goes without saying that the neighbour's garden is untouched. So I am one of those desperately seeking a solution. Yes I have a dog and she gives chase whenever she sees a cat but it doesn't stop them using the garden as their personal toilet when she is not around.
The growing cat population is also responsible for an unprecedented decimation of the UK wildlife. Have you seen a cat toying with a half dead bird? Oh but it's what they do, so that's alright then. Never mind that your garden is full of mounds of earth and the odd little furry body. Cat owners have a responsibility to fit their cats with loud bells and other warning devices. And it is possible, according to a cat owning colleague, to litter tray train them. If you can't train your cat to crap on it's home territory then you shouldn't have one and the rest of us certainly shouldn't have to put up with it.

Being a cat owner reading some of these posts i feel quite disgusted at some peoples views about cats, unfortunately cats can not be trained as a dog can be (as they do have a bit of intelligence, sorry to dog owners!), my cat is litter tray trained and (as far as i know) will only go in there, even if he has been out all day he still comes in and does his thing in the tray, which i have to say costs me a lot of money on litter but as i got a cat its an expense i have to pay,
None of my neighbours have complained that the cat mess' in their garden, if any thing he helps to keep other cats from messing in their gardens as it his territory.
Unfortunately (and i can hear the response already) cats are cats and they will do what they will, they are not animals which can easily be controlled like dogs, it very hard to put a lead on a cat and take it for a walk and pick up its mess, trust me i have the scares from trying!

Jamie36

alc28
I wish all cat owners were as considerate as you but unfortunately you are one in 100,000. I have tried all sorts to stop cats fouling in my garden which I spend hours in as it is my main pastime. I have also sited ultrasonic devices at strategic points but cats get used to them.
After much thought about the seemingly insurmountable cat problem I came to the conclusion that the cat is the property of it's owners and therefore what is inside the cat is also property of the owners. So when I find cat faeces in my garden I return this to the cat owner as this is to whom the faeces belongs, as it was inside their cat.
Talking to most cat owners is a waste of time. They are the cruellest people towards cats as they allow their cat to roam without giving a thought to what might happen to the animal in its wanderings. Knocked down by a car, attacked by a dog or children, poisoned, attacked by carrion crows, trapped and sold off as fur after being killed by the trappers.
Think again alc28 for your little cat before you settle down to your tea and TV after letting it out for the night. I think the RSPCA should be doing something about this kind of irresponsible treatment of a very vulnerable animal.
In Wisconsin the law about cats has been accepted as the animals being fair game when let out by the owners without supervision.

hi,i`m a cat owner and have 3 small children ,i`m trying to get my 3 cats to poo in one part of my garden so the kids can play without standing on poo,for me having animals is an important thing for children ,to care for something other than themselves etc,but i cant stand the mess,i`m lucky my back garden is about half an acre and i am going to cut some of it off just for the animals,there are cats all around me,my neighbours have them,i`m going to try lions poo in on part of my garden to see if the animals stay away,mind you whats worse,kids coming in with cat poo or lions poo?

Hi Lampkinds
I wish I had half an acre of garden..nice to hear from another decent responsible cat owner. Lion poo I think would only last for a short time then the cats would grin and bear it so to speak. Ultrasonic cat scarers work not too bad.
I discovered today that there is a plant called Coleus Canina nickname the "pee-off" plant and cats hate the smell. It has yellow flowers in the summer and can be planted just about anywhere. Cost is around £7 for 5 plants. Available at most Garden Centres. There is also another shrub called Rue which has a pungent aroma that cats hate. They wont go near either of these plants. I hope this helps you in your dilemma about Lion's Poo.

I cannot believe some of the comments on this message board - I though this was a board for gardeners to get gardening tips not a board for people to be rude about cats, rude about dogs and xxxx right rude about each other.

As for some of the comments - crazy!!!! Jamie36 - cat owners are not cruel - keeping them locked up would be cruel - cats roam - thats their nature - it doesn't mean the owners don't care about them - have you ever tried telling a cat it's not allowed to leave the garden in case they get run over or it has to be home by 10pm - get real!!!!

Those who keep cats have a responsibility to keep them under control. If you own a cat, the cat is your property - negligence is not an option.

To say you have no choice in the matter is nonsense - you should simply choose not to keep a pet if you can't control it.

To say cats are different from dogs and can't be trained or controlled is no excuse - if you can't train or control them don't keep them.

How much litter is created by cat owners defacing trees, fences and lampposts with their pathetic "missing" posters? (If it was a poster for a gig or a rave the cat owners would be the first to whine.)

How may accidents are caused each year with cats running out into roads and cycle paths, causing drivers to swerve or brake sharply (and how many cat owners blame the drivers if they fail to avoid the xxxxed animal)?

Saying they are "free spirits" and should be allowed to roam is just plain selfish and stupid - "pet tigers" are no more or less free spirits than "pet wolves" and the law says dogs have to be kept under control at all times - the same should apply to cats.

If you can't let your cat outside without it wondering off - don't let it outside - or get a cage. If you can't be bothered to do your bit don't get upset when your cat has an "accident".

I don't want to upset people here but I get frequently upset by our local cats. They have regularly done their business on my lawn which is unpleasant and a risk. I am also extremely allergic to cats as well. I've tried repellants, they only work a bit, I've found shouting at them out of the window is most effective! In reality though nothing works 100% and that's what is so frustrating to us non cat owners.

The fact is, people can chose to have cats but I don't get a choice about the mess, them using my garden as a highway and the fact they scare the birds. I feel like I'm getting all the downside while someone else is getting the benefit of having a pet!

I am not a fan of cats but agree with the couple of posts stating this is a gardening site . I have tried coleus as recommended in a post - it didn't work at all in my garden. I have tried just about everything from the stay off gels, water, shouting, closely placed bamboo sticks, eucalyptus oil on tea bags and nothing has worked for me - it has become a real battle of wills - so please all do keep the advice coming. I am even now finding the 'deposits' on top of smaller plants in my garden.

This thread is turning into a "I HATE CATS" moan... so will tell you what i've tried to do to deter the little fluff balls...

I have lived at my current address for 2 years and a new family have just moved in a month ago along with their new kitten... it's well cute... but has decided to set up it's litter tray among my roses...

I researched into many different ways of deterring this fluff ball away and eventually bought "Growing Success Cat Repellant". It says it contains "natural aromatic essential oils"... but blimey it doesnt half smell bad!

Unfortunately, it's only deterred the Miaow away from my lavendar and not my roses... i keep removing the p00, putting down the granules... removing the p00... putting down the granules.. to no avail.

To try and stop the kitty once and for all i've plucked up to buy the plant Coleus Canina "Scardy Cat" from Thompson & Morgan.. whose smell is supposed to deter any cat, dog or rabbit... so we'll soon see if that works!!

I havent tried any sonic device yet as they're too expensive nor the old lemon peel but they're going to be my next try if this plant doesnt work!

my wife and i both like cats (we've not had one of our ownsince the last one was poisoned some 10 yearsago)since i fell of a ladder some time ago my wife has done the gardening.our neighbours got a rescue cat to go with their two others a short while ago ,the other 2 were not too bad a problem but the new one is a little menace.she leaves her 'messages'any where and everywhere.the neighbours say we can spray water at her if we catch her but as soon as she sees us she 's off!the only places she will not use are where we have alliums planted (we assume its the onion smell she do's not like so intend to get more) we also get squirrel.,hedgehog and urban fox poo on our garden from time to time soare fairly used to 'clearing up'.so never say die ,you may not get rid of cat mess completely but it can be 'manageable' my wife only hates it when she forgets to wear her gloves and finds some while doing her planting.

I have two cats and can hand on heart declare they do not go in peoples garden to do their business not even my own as they will only use the litter tray I know this as one of will shout the sky down if outside and then runs like the clappers to his try and then ponces back out again. But I believe that it should be the responsibility of the cat owner to make sure that if their cats are being a neusence that they clean it up. My neighbor moved in 6 months ago with 4 cats all live outside - they insist on feeding them on the front door step and the cats were fouling everywhere and shredding any bin bags left out on bin day.

The only thing that I have found is that for some reason they dont go in the areas where I have slate mulch - they will sleep on it but not go in it. I have had a slate path for 3 years and nothing, recently put in beds and nothing.....

You wait til they bring fleas in your house!!! one of them got in 6 weeks ago with fleas I was bitten 65 times - just me! I was a stalker at the vets as I kept wanting mine checked but reassured that it was not mine. This week I have caught each one and doused in flea spray. Good luck (yes we are flea free now - £250.00 later!)

Not only do I have cats fouling in my garden but they are digging up my allotment and fouling in there as well! I have no choice but to dig up and throw away after they have fouled in amongst my spring onions and lettuce. I now know where the cat responsible resides, and they are going to get a very hefty bill not only for the produce but also for my time. This might make them think twice about owning what can only be described as vermin. Perhaps they should bring in cat fouling laws just like the ones for dogs...

Reading these posts really made me want to have a rant about cats...but this is probably not the time or the place. But in particular, the above post talks about wasted crops etc which is where my main frustration lies...I too am fed up of throwing away runner beans and alike (this year my cauliflowers (first of all they have to dig them up so they can poop in the hole they have created). This all happens in my garden - we are surrounded by cats...but now on the allotment too...unfortunately I don't know where our 'allotment cat' resides or I would return the goodies it left behind.

But as for deterents, reading these posts made me realise that none of these methods really work. The only sensible option would be for people to train their cats (if some people can do it, surely they are all 'trainable'?). When I lived at my parents house my Dad bought a sonic cat device whose only effect was to cause me great pain (I must have supersonic hearing!) even the cats didn't mind it as much as me, so I used to spend the whole time sneaking into the shed and turning it off!

So that is definately not an option for me...I am however getting desperate now because as the above poster says, it's the time and care you put into planting vegetables etc and then for no reason they are destroyed. Not to mention the smell and pain of having to dispose of it. It's hard enough fighting the other garden pests, and if someone's child came into your garden and dug up your beans, would you let them continue to do this? No.

Oh and Gypo Pete, you sound like you have the neighbours from hell, come and live next to me!!

Perhaps we could designate some streets cat owners streets, and others for people who not enjoy muck in their gardens...??? Just a thought, like we used to have smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants, may seem far fetched but I bet you never thought you'd see the day smoking was banned in pubs!!!

I think everyone who owns a pet is responsible for their animals actions. If you have a cat it is not cruel to keep it indoors I have always kept my cats in and they are perfectly alright, cats sleep almost 23 hours a day and so long as you play with them every day to exercise them they are fine. If they are indoors they can't be accused of pooping everywhere, they are safe from preditors (and that includes the worst one mankind)