I love animals but .......................

[StephenLee]

My neighbourhood is inundated with Cats. They all seem well fed, are friendly, some have collars so I assume that they are not feral. However they present a constant problem of digging up my newly dug vegetable beds and leaving a most unpleasant calling card. It is a nuisance and can not be good from a health point of view.

I have tried Cat Pepper dusted around, I have tried orange peel, I have tried curry powder, I have tried Lion poo and Tiger poo from the West Midlands Safari Park (Who are one of my business customers, I didn't hop out of my car with a bucket and spade, a warden collected it for me) but the little darlings are relentless.

I have two air rifles, a 0.22 and a 0.177, whilst I am reluctant to use the normal lead pellets in case I harm the critters, Is there the Air Rifle equivalent of rubber bullets used so effectively in crowd control? If so, where can I get them from ? I have tried carving wooden pellets, I have tried carving a rubber pellet from a pencil eraser, I have tried casting a plastic pellet from epoxy resin, all to no avail. I have even put up a notice saying "No Cats" but they ignore it.

Help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephen

[Triple_sod]

Get a dog?

I’d be careful with the air rifle though, I know your trying to be humane and that but imagine what it would sound like of someone reported you to the police. Could well lead to you getting a criminal conviction.

Not only that but people love their pets.....

There was a woman who lived on an estate near me and a rumour started that she was poisoning cats. She got her garden trashed and everything, they proper terrorized her.

[Brambles]

There are hundreds of ways of deterring Cats. I have always found making a cat's cradle(excuse the pun) of strong black sewing cotton over seed bed the best. They get really freaked out by it.

[diamond lil]

No airgun, no way. That's not good. Try a Fairy Liquid bottle full of very cold water, keep it in the fridge. Or try a catapult . Or the cats cradle thing, or net on raised beds. Or get your own cat and he will keep others out.

[bulldogeagle]

i have found throwing a well aimed clod of earth( no stones) works, or how about a water pistol??

[scoobie]

Water pistol, cats cradle, your own cat, any of those...just *not* anything even remotely like an airgun

[StephenLee]

I can not believe that I did not think of a water pistol - Dohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

My nephew has one of these super soaker things with a range of about 30 ft, I will borrow that. Also I will watch Enemy at the Gates on DVD for tips.

Thanks all.

Stephen

[itsybitsy]

Lemon Balm and Helichrysum Italicum. Both plants are a natural deterrant to cats - but they are perfectly safe for human/animal.

[Red Doe]

I'd go with the dog or another cat. I have a dog and cat and no strays come round here because of them. Mind you, the Collie is liable to only lick an intruder of any kind to death, but still, I think she's a great deterrent.

[Ogre]

My parents neighbour was an eccentric of the 'old school' totally wallace and grommet.
His garden was a delight. My father was around advising on something electrical when he showed off his cat deterrent. He had the whole garden edged with a hosepipe with holes punched in. Anytime a moggy was spotted, he'd throw a handle and the whole garden was innundated with a spray of cold water. After a while he just set it on random timer.