Advice On Feral Cats And Grey Issue

[Guest Lmw626]

Hello Everyone.

 

I have an issue and have searched the internet high and low. I'm hoping someone here has some advice...

 

I have a neighbor two houses away that feeds feral cats. When I first moved in three years ago there were about 5-7 cats, now there are only 2 left. She did have them altered at one point so they are not multiplying. They roam the street and have ruined several sets of my patio cushions and doormats over the past three years. Apparently the previous owners of my house had the same issue with them. I have a very small urban backyard with a 6ft wooden privacy fence/gates, I have used wire fencing to close up gaps in the wood slats and under the gates.

 

I thought getting a 76lb. male dog would encourage these ferals to go elsewhere but it has had zero effect. The cats jump right up and over the 6ft fence and continue to use my yard as a litter box and regurgitate half-eaten mice and squirrels on my patio and in the garden. Recently they brought a road-kill squirrel (tire treads and all) up over the fence. I know it's the cats and not my dog because I always supervise Two Point from the porch or window while he's in the yard to make sure he doesn't go after and eat a squirrel and I let him in immediately. He is never out there for an extended period of time if I'm not there with him. The problem is that I don't realize the cats have done it again until I catch the dog trying to eat something out of the yard or patio. So far I've been able to stop him before he's able to fully eat it. It happened again today, a mouse body partially eaten on the patio, dog almost got it. I'm constantly nervous that one day I won't stop him in time and who knows what kind of illness will result.

 

I have tried filing a complaint with the city but they do not care about feral cats, there are too many to deal with. I filed a complaint that a household was exceeding the limit of animals but that also did nothing Half of the other homeowners and I have complained to the woman who feeds them but she doesn't care. I am hesitant to try trapping them myself and take them to the Humane Society or Animal Control. If she turns around and suddenly claims them as her pets, what kind of mess would I be in then... I don't know how effective pepper spray would be on the fencing that they climb over.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to stop them from entering my back yard? I know it sounds like wishful thinking but I'll take any advice you have....

[Guest ChasesMum]

There is a cat bylaw in our town that allows home owners to apply for a humane trap placed on their own property. pet cats, or feral cats, it doesnt matter if you don't want them there. Is there anything like that where you are?

[Guest Energy11]

You could request some humane traps from Animal Control, or buy some yourself, and set them up in the yard. Then, catch the cats and release them FAR AWAY from your home. Other than that, I'd say that is all you can do, unless AC will help you, and usually with Feral cats, they won't bother.

 

Good Luck! I'd be pretty upset too, BUT, two of my five would have eaten the cats by now :-( I really like cats, but I have two greys that hate them, so no cats for me. I am glad we don't have any ferals, or they'd be gone!

[Guest krystolla]

You might try cat fencing. Just reverse it so that it's keeping the cats out rather than in. Scarecrow sprinklers work really well too but you need to be sure to turn it off before your dog goes out.

 

Another option is to plant catnip outside your fence, in theory the cats will go there and get stoned instead of wandering around your yard.

 

Good luck. Chances are there will always be strays in the neighborhood -- I'm impressed that the numbers have gone down. Here the numbers have been going up consistently since the economy tanked.

[Guest IrskasMom]

I have a Neighbor ( nice ) but they have 3 Cats , a new Kitten and a feral Cat.My Morty goes in total Histeria on my Fence. All the Cats were using my Frontyard as their Litterbox. I went to Home-Depot ,bought a big Can of Critter Ridder and spreyed (Granules )on my Lawn. Since that they have not been over here. It supposed to last a Month. I will go and buy another Can very soon. It's the smell they don't like.

[TheFullHouse]

We used to have cats walk the top of the fence until one day I let the dogs out (not knowing the cat was there) and Arrow jumped up and almost got one sitting on top of our 6 ft. fence. The cats have never been back.

 

My only suggestion until you manage to chase the cats away is to muzzle your hound with a muzzle and stool guard to keep him from eating something that might do him harm.

[GeorgeofNE]

In my state, if a cat comes into your yard, you are well within your rights to trap it and take it to a shelter or wherever.

 

I wonder why they like your yard so much?

[kudzu]

Trap & send to shelter if you cannot find a cat rescue group to take them. I wouldn't hesitate, be it feral or stray.

 

I am not cold hearted or cruel. We have two indoor kitties & I am not necessarily against the trap, alter, release of ferals. However, most ferals live short, dangerous lives & die young of injury or disease. Any stray that wandered into our yard would likely die in my dogs' jaws if it didn't make it to the fence before my dogs. I certainly do not want to have that happen.

 

Would prefer to send a cat to a shelter where it would be either adopted out or given a quicker less miserable death than that of the average feral cat. Add in spreading fleas, diseases, & the declining songbird population with the toll cats can take on them and it just seems like the best thing all around.

[Guest SpicyMom]

Cat fencing really works. I use it to keep my cats in and other cats out. Do be aware though that if you have squirrels that come into your yard, they can still come in but can't necessarily get out.

[JohnF]

You can use cat fencing or you can use a decoy. Either a rather life-like owl that you can perch up somewhere visible or one of those metal cut-out cats with kids marble eyes that you can put in your borders (I have one of those and it has cut the cat nusiance by 3/4.) A neighbour bought some Lion Dung off the internet and I don't think it worked other than to cause amusement.

When I let my dog out I always make a noise so that any cat can scarper in time and I'll check round the back yard too before the dog does. I think humane trapping is quite reasonable, but their owners might not.

[Guest kydie]

feral cats are always an issue, and worry me, as they are nasty, and I worry if one gets one of my dogs what kind of mess I will have, I have used critter ridder, and traped them, which is what I like to do and take them to the humane society, a humane trap does not cost much, and can be used over and over, a whole lot cheaper than a vet visit if a cat and one of my dogs has a disagreement. In Pa, cats are considered a "wild" animal and can be traped, even if they "belong" to someone, it is the owners problem to regain it form the humane society if it is caught Good Luck

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Can you get them with the hose? I've done that successfully with a kitteh that liked to use my front porch as it's toilet! Never saw him again.

Edited July 18, 2010 by 4dogscrazy

[Guest MZH]

You could muzzle your dog so he doesn't get any vermin left there that you haven't removed yet. I really like the hosing them solution. Critter Ridder sounds good too but then ya gotta remember to keep apllying it, I guess.

 

A friend had 3 greyhounds and a backyard with feral cats coming and going. One got into a big fight with one of the ferals. She got so badly scratched up and so sick that it triggered near-fatal pancreatitis! Why cats would go into a yard with 3 unmuzzled greyhounds in it is beyond me. I think they eventually got a trap but I'm not sure how that played out.

[Guest Gert]

I am hesitant to try trapping them myself and take them to the Humane Society or Animal Control. If she turns around and suddenly claims them as her pets, what kind of mess would I be in then...

 

 

In my town the 'leash law' applies to cats, too (though there are lots of folks in my neighborhood who seem to be ignorant of the law ) . So, I think you'd be well within your rights to use a humane trap on your own property and take the cats to the HS or AC.

[Guest Lmw626]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. The cats are smart enough to leave their leftovers in the yard at night and they have been doing since before I got the dog in March. I have only caught one in the act of leaving a half eaten mouse on the patio once. I like the hose idea but they would be long gone by the time I got it untangled and turned on.

 

The ferals are not afraid of my dog and he's doesn't appear bothered by them. He was in a foster home with two cats and they all got along fine. Just last week while heading out for a walk, one of the ferals walked out from under a parked car and sat down in the middle of the sidewalk about 20 feet in front of us. I stopped short thinking the dog would want to lunge after the cat. The cat just sat there looking at the dog and the dog just stood there looking at the cat. We kept walking forward and I was hoping the cat would finally see a 76lb dog up close and figure out that it should find a new yard. But no, nothing happened. The pair of them just looked at each other until we were within three feet of the cat. Then Two Point just looked up straight ahead and calmly walked right around the cat and we kept going! I couldn't believe it! The cat didn't even move. Let us walk right past within 18 inches of him. Now if I had reached out to pet the cat with no dog around, it would have tried to take off my fingers. If the cat had been a squirrel or a very very small breed dog, Two Point would have dragged me down the sidewalk behind him in an attempt to have it for dinner. He seems to have no prey drive if the animal is over a certain size, whether it be a dog or cat.

 

I will have to look into the humane trap option. I know the city animal control says they will pick them up if they are trapped but will only do so with in seven days. I can't have a cat in a trap for seven days! Furthermore I think they just fix and release and since these cats are already fixed they will end up back out even faster. I will see if anyone else will take them. I will also give critter ridder a chance too.