Getting Rid of Cats!

I can't help but think of that song "the cat came back"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bETCusT5kNM

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm not a big pet person either. Hopefully you will get some helpful advice.

We have feral cats all around my house. I am so glad because when there are not cats there are mice and they are way way way way worse. They eat everything and take over the house. I would rather have a cat that would chase that mouse away just by leaving it's scent all over than deal with one mouse.

My parents were having a big problem with rabbits eating their garden and bought an automated sprinkler that's sensor-triggered. It sprays a big area when it detects activity. I'd look into that for your problem. Bet it gets the cats and the neighbor lady to move on.

Don't you have Animal Control in your town/city? These are not your animals, someone else is feeding them on your property in spite of your requests and demands not to, and it's very unlikely that these animals are neutered or altered. If you trap the animals and relocate them, cats are notorious for traveling many, many miles to go back to where they "live." My mother grew up with cats and moved frequently. They sometimes had cats that they took with them but ran away to go back to the old house and the new owners would call them to let them know.

If you don't have Animal Control, then why can't you keep that garage closed?

You can also make your yard uninviting to cats. There are plants you can line your yard with that "most" cats dislike and avoid: geraniums, lavender, garlic, lemon thyme, lemon verbena. My MIL uses these to keep deer and other wild animals out of her garden in the spring and summer. The rest of the year my SIL's dog (who lives next door) does the trick.

You can get some common household spices and sprinkle them in the areas that the cats are most likely to hang out. The spices stick to their paws and when they lick... well, they dislike it. Pepper flakes, crushed cinnamon, coffee grounds, used tea leaves, or cayenne pepper although some people think the hot spices are a risk to get in the eyes.

Spray white vinegar around the area where you don't want them frequently until they get the message. Place moth balls around the area too.

When your neighbor shows up with food, bring it in the house and dump it in a sealed trash can.

Make sure you're letting your dog urinate all around the edges of the yard to mark his/her territory. Right now you can bet that the cats are marking their territory around your yard and that's going to have to be washed away. They believe your yard is THEIR yard. If you find their poop, remove it and hose down that area, put the poop somewhere else not on your property and then the area they pooped or peed in should be covered up with a new fresh smell like orange peels or other citrus or moth balls or vinegar.

How are they getting into your garage? I'd think if you blocked however they're getting in, picked up the food the catlady puts down, made your garbage cans inaccessible, eventually they'd find somewhere else to live.

(We have animal benevolent groups in our area that rescue strays. Maybe google it in your area?)

:)

Can't you shut the door to the garage? With them outside and never open it for them again? You could try spraying them with water but doubt those kind of cats would fear water. You will have to somehow block them from your home, garage, etc. and then somehow scare them away. That lady feeding them should be gotten in trouble since they aren't in her garage. I know we had a large number of outside cats once but they were our own cats, were tame and kept mice away in our rural setting. I would hate this situation and it's a shame you let it go on so long. How are they getting into your garage?

Use spray foam insulation for the holes but put some wire mesh in there too. Or cement with wire mesh to fill the holes. Closing up your garage is the first step to stop your problem.

Very sad situation and It disgusts me that people just sit back and let things get this bad. The neighbor is trying to have a heart. The neighborhood should take up a collection to come up with the money to trap and fix these cats. I've seen reports of empty and abandoned houses ending up with 100's of cats and the cities usually won't do anything about them. This is so horrible! But yes, it is offensive to think of shooting them. You really SHOULD just shut up your garage, caulk and cover those holes.

You should go out and buy a couple of very nice dog houses, or a child's play house or something else that those cats could be in and drop it in your neighbors yard. Tell her to take them over.

A pest control company would come out at your expense to trap and relocate your unwanted cats.

Can you seal off the gargage? How are they getting in and can you close off their access to your gargage?

The other thing I think would probably get the PETA people all over you is to poison them in the food. I know my town has animal control that will come and get the cats or stray dogs to and won't charge you because they know they are strays.

I feel so sorry for you but the best I can come up with is a pest control company. They will trap and remove the critters but they may find their way back to your house.

There is a spray that deterrrs cats. I can't think of the name of it, but you can buy it online. If you spray it liberally in the area that they get in, they will stay away. Citrus does it (like orange peels) but they don't last and they won't always work.

Can you figure out when the neighbor lady goes to feed the cats and then remove the food? Cats are smart, and if their food supply disappears, they will go elsewhere. The lady needs a stern talking-to. I'm sure she thinks she's helping, but she's not! Perhaps she would like to foot the bill for the cats spay/neutering?? Also, you could remove the food and put it in HER yard!

If you spray the stuff around, the cats won't even come near your garage, or near the food. So you'll solve that problem right there!

Also, you could try taking contact paper and put it sticky side up on the other side of the hole. Cats HATE sticky paper!

First, I would talk to the neighbor lady and tell her that you have nicely asked her to stop feeding the cats but since she hasn't, you will have to call the cops next time she comes on your property since she will be trespassing and you have already asked her to stop. Try to scare her a little. Also, set out big water sprinklers where the cats normally are fed. Have them on every night and maybe they will move on. And block however they are getting into the garage too. Maybe "borrow" a friends younger dog to chase them away for a week and that might help too. I hope you find something that helps. Good luck!

All the answers previously are good: leave NO food, secure garbage, patch the holes, use stuff to get rid of the smell (there's stuff called Trail that pounds use, go to a pet supply shop).

Look to see if there's a local independent Trap/Neuter/Release person around. My dad does this. They will trap the cats, spay them, get them shots and let them loose (usually back into the colony). That will help stop them from making babies. That person may also be able to talk to the lady next door.

On a lighter note, perhaps you could suggest that, if she's so fond of the cats, she could open HER garage to them!

Whenever the neighbor lady puts food in/near your garage, immediately go move it to her garage. No joke. Also, close your garage so the cats can't get in anymore. Set up a motion actived sprinkler to spray them -- or the neighbor -- if they come near. Or, you could always put rat poison in their food. I certainly don't advise it, but it would probably work. But then you'd have to dispose of all of the cat bodies.

Well I say catch them and drive them out to the country and leave them. My entire family is/are/were farmers. My mother and father I'm pretty sure were the first ones that weren't and choose to come to a city and such.

Anyways all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc have farms. They all have feral cats. Not a one of them complains about the cats. They get rid of rats. Keep them out of the corn bins and barns. Scare off alot of other predators. I've never heard a one of them say anything bad about the wild cats. They see them as friends. One of my aunts just took in a kitten she found till winter. As long as they aren't trying to eat the chickens all is well and everyone is fine with them.

That's just what I've always heard. My only thing is I would have a problem letting them go if they weren't fixed because you are just contributing to the problem even more. I WOULD fix any animal before I asked a farmer if he was ok with it being on his land. Oh and I'd definitely ask the farmer. Otherwise you are just being rude and extremely irresponsible.

If you want to be more responsible I'd have someone come look at your garage and fix the holes. I'm certain a professional could find a way to firm it up and get rid of the holes. You can drill into brick, concrete etc if you know how to. Then I'd clean out the garage and wouldn't let them in anymore. More than likely there is stuff to hunt in that garage and you pry have rats and mice etc in there in the first place because if the cats can get in certainly the rodents can too! Once you get it cleaned up, the rodents and such out, and the holes closed the cats will move on. They will find other shelter. Cats are by far not stupid creatures and right now you are just making it too darn easy.

A couple of things....

A mason could patch those holes for you. Or you could do it yourself with some liquid cement and rocks. For smaller holes, you can get a foam silicone sealant. That stuff is a wonder! I would definitely say that patching the holes is a first step, because as long as they find shelter at your home they're going to keep coming back.

Another step is to remove their scent from your garage. I am sorry, but that means a thorough cleaning. Vinegar is an awesome odor neutralizer. Were I you, I would buy it in bulk at someplace like Sam's club and after cleaning out the garage, spray it down.

Another thought is, do you have a friend or relative with a younger, maybe fiercer dog? My Akitas keep the neighborhood cats out of our backyard fairly effectively. Perhaps you could borrow someone's anti-cat dog for a little while until you get the problem under control. Allow the dog to pee around the outside of the garage and maybe let the dog hang out in there a a bit after you get it cleaned out and patched. It will help as a deterrent. Sounds like a lot of work, I'm sorry. I wish you the best.

You need to start by securing the garbage. We live in raccoon land, trust me if we can keep those guys out of our trash you can keep the cats out. Secondly, why can't you secure the garage? If this continues you will have a lot more than 13 cats, they will just keep coming and keep reproducing.
I would tell the lady you are going to have her arrested for trespassing, if you can cut off all food sources the group may shrink down to what number can live in the area simply by hunting, I doubt that would be 13 in your yard!
Finally, why can't you trap them and take them to animal control to be euthanized? We had a similar situation with a single very aggressive stray that was attacking our kitten. Neighbor refused to stop feeding it and after the second trip to the vet to have my kitty sewn up we trapped it and took it to the pound. The situation you describe unnatural and a health hazard to other animals and people.

Sounds like they are Feral Cats. They could possibly be sick so you should be careful if you try and trap them. I have heard that spreading fox urine around the area can help to get rid of them, also spreading hot pepper.

Can you notify the police about that crazy woman who keeps feeding them? Seems like she could be fined for trespassing on your property! I don't think you stand a chance of getting rid of the cats if she keeps feeding them.

I can't believe the Humane Society can't offer any help. It's almost as if you have a rodent problem with how you describe them to be ruining your garage. I think I'd look into hiring someone to come trap them and drop them off somewhere...sounds cruel but you can't have them ruining your property.

We live in the country and have had feral cats before but fortunately for us, they quickly become a part of the food chain with all the coyotes we have as well.