Cats Getting into Trash

Cats are scavengers and will dig through trash looking for food.

Solutions:

• Make sure trash can lids are a tight fit.  Exposed trash bags or loose lids will attract both cats and other wildlife.

• Check with your neighbors to see if anyone is feeding the cats.  If they are, ensure they are doing so on a regular schedule.

• Begin feeding the cats yourself if no one else is.  Feed the cats on a set schedule, during daylight hours and in an out-of-the-way place.  Feed amounts which can be eaten in less than thirty minutes.  This helps ensure the cats don’t go hungry and will help keep them away from the trash.

Paw Prints on the Car

Cats sit on cars because they like to be on high ground.

Solutions:

• Gradually move cats’ feeding stations and shelters away from the cars.  This will discourage them from climbing on the cars.

• Purchase a car cover.

• Try some of the deterrents listed in the sections below.

 Cats are Digging in the Garden

Cats dig.  It is their natural instinct to dig and deposit in loose or soft soil, mulch, moss, or sand.

Solutions:

• Scatter fresh lemon or orange peels in the soil or spray with citrus-scented fragrances.  Other

• deterrents include fresh coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, and vinegar.  Oil of lavender, citronella, lemongrass, and eucalyptus also help deter cats.

• Plastic carpet runners, placed with the spike side up and lightly covered with soil will also help deter cats.  These can be found at an office supply or hardware store.  Another option is to place chicken wire firmly into the soil.  Be sure to carefully roll the sharp edges under.

• Plant rue, an herb that repels cats.  You can also sprinkle dried rue throughout the garden.

• Use Cat Scat™, which is a cat and wildlife repellent system consisting of plastic mats cut into smaller pieces which are pressed into the soil.  These mats have plastic spikes which do not harm the animals, but which discourage digging.  They are available at www.gardeners.com.

• Incorporate branches, wood or plastic lattice fencing into the soil.  These may be disguised by planting flowers or bushes into the openings.  You may also embed pinecones, wood chopsticks, or sticks with dull points deep into the soil with the tops exposed.  Place these about eight inches apart.

• Use river rocks to cover any exposed soil in flower beds.  This helps discourage cats from digging and also helps deter weeds.

• Create an outside litter box by tilling soil or building a sandbox in an out-of-the-way spot in the yard. Be sure to keep it clean and free of any deposits.

 Cats are Lounging in my Yard or on my Porch

Cats stay close to their food source and in their territory.  Neutering and spaying feral cats will help reduce their tendency to roam.

Solutions:

Use at repellent fragrances.  Spray or apply these liberally around the tops of fences, around the edges of the yard, and on any area or plant where the cats dig.

 Sleeping Under my Porch on in my Shed

• Cats are looking for warm, dry shelter away from the weather.
• Solutions:

Provide shelter such as a small doghouse.  Or, if the cats are part of a colony, as the colony manager to provide shelter for the cats.  Shelters should be hidden to help ensure the cats’ safety.  The shelters should also be placed to help guide the cats away from unwanted areas.
Seal or physically block the location so the cats cannot enter.  Use lattice or chicken wire to seal entry points.  Ensure there are no cats inside before sealing the location.  Check closely for kittens, since mother cats will hide the kittens when foraging for food.  This is especially important during spring and summer which is prime kitten season.

• Here are a couple of ideas for easy shelters and feeding stations: