rps Loc: Muskoka Ontario Canada

How very American

Fayle Loc: Seward, Alaska and Rionegro, Colombia

A 12 gauge is fine in rural areas but the discharge of firearms is illegal in many places. That's why I recommend a pellet rifle. They aren't loud and they are not a "firearm" as the propellant is compressed air. Some models are powerful enough to dispatch the offending critters permanently.

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v4/n1/full/ncomms2380.html

http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&id=610:new-resear...

http://www.audubon.org/news/feral-cat-predation-birds-costs-billions-dollars-year

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I live in the country where a 12 gauge isn't a problem.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Directed to whom? Just curious.

oregon don

when I was in Montana and wanting to buy some shot gun shells the guy asked what what I was hunting, I told him rats he replied two legged or four.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Interesting question to post on a photography forum!

Anyway, just a thought... You might try putting some mothballs around the perimeter of your patio, to see if that keeps the offending cats away. Those have a pretty strong odor the cats might find offensive and it should overpower the other odors that are now attracting them. You have to break the cycle, now that they've "marked" the area they will keep coming back and using it.

If that works, I'd renew the mothballs as needed for a few days and work on eliminating the odors that the cats have left. One product that works well and is sold in the U.S. is "Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator". It definitely neutralizes the urine and feces, has a fairly strong scent of it's own that can be overpowering indoors, but shouldn't be outdoors and will dissipate in a few days. I don't know if this stuff is sold internationally... or there might be similar but different brand available to you.

Nelson.I Loc: Monument, Colorado, USA

Well, yeah. It should have gone into General Chit-Chat; however, I didn't say anything because the poor guy needs help getting more quality time for photography. :thumbup:

Hacksaw Loc: Pacific Northwest

I love cats; I have one myself. When I want to train a cat to not go somewhere, I put orange peels there and they avoid it like the plague; cats hate citrus.

I had a similar problem with a neighborhood cat coming around to spray my front door. Took care of it by sprinkling some cayenne pepper in a perimeter and they never came back.

Lady Red Loc: Puget Sound, WA

Get your trap, get a rag, spray it with catnip. Stand back, wait a couple of hours, cat caught. Recycle it.

Yes, this is cold, but I am totally fed up with city folks dropping their unwanted cats at my house. Totally fed up.

Good luck.

Also, sprinkle some dolmite lime on your yard. This will get rid of the smell.

PaulG Loc: Western Australia

To all Hogs/Hogettes who responded to this cat dilemma issue, thanks for your input and suggestions, it is greatly appreciated.

Some of these ideas certainly seem to have merit; particularly concerning scent deterrents (chilli, pepper, citrus etc..). The outdoor area, although a patio, is really like a room just outdoors though. It has limestone walls, slate-tile floors and substantial furniture that is not easy to cover, tilt on its side or move, it's like an entertainment area and we have invested a considerable sum of m oney making it this way - hence this being such a problem. There is nothing to attract these cats (food, water, refuse) other than the smell of their own evil deeds, and Noelene does clean it up as soon as it occurs (bless her).

I suspect these little bastards are going to other houses too but as the neighbours either side of us have dogs I figure we are in the direct "firing line!" Lights deter them only when I turn them on and the cats see me. These things seem to have a sixth sense and certainly have more than nine lives, I can't get anywhere near them.

I know where two of them come from but therein lies another dilemma. From experience I have found that the overwhelming majority of people deny that it is their animal causing a problem when confronted and they then tend to hold you responsible for every incident that might happen to their house, car, pet, kid.... plus the word soon gets around that you have an issue with cats, dogs, whatever. I have got up numerous times in the night with my camera in an attempt to catch them red-handed but so far without luck. At least If I had a photo the evidence would be there.

I blame the owners more than the animals as it is incredibly selfish and nearly everyone knows that cats roam at night and do this sort of thing. In the meantime I will gather their excrement and under the cover of dark stick it the owner of the perpetrator's letter box. At least that will give me some sort of perverse sense of satisfaction
:lol: :lol: I guess the problem with this though is that the home owner wont realise that this is payback and might, in all likelihood, ring the police :cry: I will try some of your suggestions and keep you posted :thumbup:

Barbara Jo

Put plenty of black pepper where they are spraying. It is not pee,, it is spray to mark their territory. The black pepper will bother them so they won't spray.

dragonswing Loc: Pa

Spraying the ammonia may just tell them that place is a litter box since it will smell like their urine. Vets always discourage people from using ammonia to clean up accidents.
Could you set up a trail camera in order to get evidence of which cat it is?
Could you set up a motion activated tool with a dog bark?

gusto7670 Loc: Tampa, FL

Try white vinegar with a little water in it. Spray it around the places that they damage or soil. It smells some, for a short time but may work. Good luck

Fkaufman3 Loc: Florida, LA ie lower Alabama

Shoot with paintball gun, or pellet gun, if that don't work 22 cal. Works well, then bury them great fertilizer.

country Loc: back woods

put mousetraps in chairs, that will keep them out of chairs... we had an inside cat that i could not keep off the pool table... mousetraps worked... when they jump up they can't see them, hitting them and making them go off, scaring the hell out of em... works on kitchen counters too... i can't stand to see a cat on the kitchen counters....