zeronyne Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Sorry for the long post: I recently moved into a new home. It's a huge place...only 4 years old. We could only afford it because it was going to an insanely low price due to a nasty, nasty divorce. Anyway, the previous owners had a cat, and since the wife took the cat, and she happens to live about 4 blocks away, the cat keeps coming back to our house. Let me just say here that I am not a cat-hater, and this cat is just about the sweetest thing imaginable. It would only want to come in when it was really cold or raining/snowing, and then we'd call the owner, who would come and get it. This happened about once every two weeks. My two year old daughter likes the cat, so this was a nice little diversion twice a month. Well, I think the owner went out of town or something, because the cat is now back every single night...at 3:00am. Again, since I am a night owl, this is no big deal, but it likes to meow really loudly when it first comes in. And if you've ever had a kid that doesn't sleep through the night, you understand the importance of a quiet evening. So here's the deal. I don't want the cat calling my place home for two reasons. 1) The noise and upkeep. Even though the cat only defecates and urinates outside, it still sheds like hell. 2) We live in a relatively wooded area, and I see white tailed deer on my patio every day at dusk. They carry the ticks that carry Lyme disease, so I don't want this cat in my house when it starts to get warm. Again, I really like this cat a lot, but I do not want ANY cat, or any pet, for that matter, at this time. The lady that owns him is a bit of a flake, and I have no confidence that she will keep the cat in. So what do I do? It's starting to tear the weather stripping from my front door. I tried to scare it away this morning, but it just rubbed its face on my leg. Do any of the repellents (chemical, audio, etc) actually work? Do I take the cat to the Humane Society? I don't want it Euthanised...I just want it to leave us alone, and I don't want to have to get a dog to do it. I'm going to talk to the owner this morning, but I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience that didn't involve BB Guns or poison. Thanks. "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salyphus Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Check this thread for some real-world advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave The Rave Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Hi 09, Hope the job situation is working itself out for you. We're all keeping our fingers crossed for ya. I wouldn't worry about not feeding this cat if I were you. Unless it's injured or has some kind of physical deformity, it's perfectly capable of catching/finding all the food it needs in the wild. It's only coming to see you every night because you feed it/give it attention (but of course, you know that already...). Cats are well known for having two or more "homes" - they are such sluts - they will have more than one family feed them if they can get away with it. Chances are that the owner is there still and feeding it, but they (the owner) are wondering why kitty doesn't eat so much as he/she used to..... If you can put up with it scratching and meaowing at your door for a few days while you steadfastly ignore it, then it will probably just stop coming around. However, if you want to get rid of it quick, you have to be nasty to it. Have a squeeze bottle, squirt gun or hosepipe at the ready - put some lemon juice in it if you can, they hate that apparently - and let the cat have it in the face when it comes round again. It will get the message very quickly indeed! If you really think the thing is wild, you might like to be a bit more humane. Grab it and take it to the vet for some jabs and neutering before letting it loose again. Just my 2c worth. FWIW, we have four cats, a mom and three of her grown up kittens. The mom cat just arrived at our house one day, we fed her, she came back (surprise!) and before long, she was "our cat". She was pregnant already, apparently. She had 5 kittens, all from different fathers (did I mention cats are sluts?!). One got hit by a car and another ate a poisoned rat or something. Anyway, the remaining four all now live outdoors and get fed on the kitchen doorstep. We got them vaccinated and neutered (blooming expensive!!) so there won't be any more surprises later. Cheers for now, :DTR Cambrian Guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Originally posted by zeronyne: I'm going to talk to the owner this morning, but I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience that didn't involve BB Guns or poison. Thanks.So I guess installing a trebuchet at your house and a big net at the owner's house is out of the question... Sorry - couldn't resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flemtone Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Eucalyptus oil. (Cryptic, eh?) Actually, eucalyptus oil is a natural olfactory cat repellant. It's natural, harmless, and doesn't smell funky, is safe around munchkins, but cats hate the smell. We use it around my house to keep our 7 (please kill me) cats away from a particular place if they start abusing their position (pulling big pieces of a rug apart for sh*ts and giggles, etc). Also, since it's an oil, it stays in place for quite a while in bad weather. Check your local health-food store or pet supply place. It should do the trick for ya, without having to 'punish' the cat for coming back to it's familiar surroundings. Good luck, Tim from Jersey Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duddits Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Water gun. Cats hate to be shot with water guns, and they remember it. Take it from one who knows.... Dooby Dooby Doo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offramp Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Thanks, Phil! That was funny as hell!! You're probably the only one here to use the word 'trebuchet'. Great (offramp, cat-lover since 1963) I've upped my standards; now, up yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Originally posted by offramp: Thanks, Phil! That was funny as hell!! You're probably the only one here to use the word 'trebuchet'. Great (offramp, cat-lover since 1963)Thanks! I was afraid no one would get it. For those who have no idea what a trebuchet is... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet/images/buildsslide07.jpeg (Yes, I remote linked, but I doubt PBS is going to get ticked and substitue a porn image. ) Think of a trebuchet as medievel artillery that uses gravity, lever arms and counterweights to toss things - usually rocks, but sometimes cattle, corpses of people who died of plague (early bio-warfare) and other assorted nasty things at - or over the walls of fortified emplacements - castle walls. And while I would never condone tossing a cat with one, some nutcase actually built one (it's become a fairly popular hobby to build them in the southern USA - especially Texas) and tossed HIMSELF into a river with it. But this is NOT recommended - someone in England was killed not too long ago trying to pull a stunt like this. Anyway, the reference was a joke. I in no way condone cruelity to animals. I think the eucalyptus oil or squirtgun options are your best solutions to the problem Zeronyne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted March 21, 2004 Author Share Posted March 21, 2004 OK, quick update. Called woman on Friday. Gave her $30.00 worth of cat food that I had bought and I asked her nicely to keep the cat in for just 4 days while we repair the weatherstripping on the door that the cat tore up, found some Eucalyptis oil and other solutions, and got a few nights of sleep. She apologized profusely, but there was something weird in her demeanor, like she was being put out by my request. I noticed, though that she didn't turn down the cat food. She grabs the cat and leaves. So that was Friday. I go the the pet store yesterday (Saturday)...they have no Eucalyptis oil, but they had some incredibly toxic spray that is supposed to keep ALL animals away. The warnings on this package are longer than the directions. Basically, it says to spray it all over the brick and cement in the area, and then go wash your clothes and skin. So I bought some as a backup. I intended to go to another store for eukalyptis oil the next day. This morning (3:00am), the cat is back. The woman kept the cat in for ONE night. I chase it away by just shooing it, and then I apply this spray all over the door and entryway it gives me a massive headache. 5:00am. It's back. This time, it meows so loud that my kid wakes up and starts crying. I completely lose it. I go into the garage and fill a bucket with water. I come around the outside of the house and douse the entire doorway...missing the cat by inches (which I'm actually thankful for...it's COLD today). It hasn't returned. But I've got my bucket. I can tell this is going to be a long siege. "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Olsson. Posted March 21, 2004 Share Posted March 21, 2004 For a very cool demonstration of a real trebuchet, click a link called "crazy farmers" in this thread! /Mats http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Knutson Posted March 21, 2004 Share Posted March 21, 2004 Y'know, 09, from the perspective of the cat, you're squatting in his house. https://bunny.bandcamp.com/ https://theystolemycrayon.bandcamp.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhcomp45aol.com Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 Throw it up in the air, if it comes back it loves you if not you're all set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted March 23, 2004 Author Share Posted March 23, 2004 OK, it hasn't come back. Maybe it's plotting something... "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Man...forget that toxic spray! You kids may end up touching/getting on their hands if they go in/out to play. Firstignore the cat...DO NOT feed it, pet it or let it inEVER AGAIN. And...if if it does show up at the door...instead of a bucket of water (you BRUTE!)... just get a squirt bottle of water...and give it a couple of shots right in it's face...it will leave. If/when it comes back...squirt it again. I'm sure after a few days of that...it will stop coming by as much...and eventually give up. Don't be cruel, now! It LOVES you...that's why it's coming back! miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boosh Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 http://www.akc.org/images/breeds/amstaff.jpg Fan, nu pissar jag taggtråd igen. Jag skulle inte satt på räpan. http://www.bushcollectors.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russrags Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 I shot your cat and I feel... real bad but he was pooping in my flower bed ... I shot him right in the head. Cats are nasty. To every cat owner that let's their cat run wild: They will not crap in your OWN yard ... they will prefer to crap in your neighbors yard. I like em, but can't stand them either. I've got the same problem ...but I REALLY like my neighbor. Russ http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-russragsdale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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