Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/nuisance cats

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 5/11/2008


Question
There are a couple of the neighbors cats who roam around the
neigborhood nightly.  During the course of their roaming,
they take the same path across my grass, onto the porch,
exit the other side of my driveway, always using the same
route.  I like to maintain a nice lawn, however they have
wore a distinctive path in my lawn.  I know this may sound
picky, but I would like to somehow safely deter them.  Thank
you.  Unfortunately, unlike dogs, cats are free to be unleashed.  Thank you

Answer
Robert,

Unfortunately the problem with cats is that they have no reasoning ability and cannot comprehend that this lawn is okay to walk on but that lawn isn't.

You have to water your lawn right? Why not put a sprinkler on low at night. or motion activated sprinklers that act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cats will learn to avoid the area.

Cat do NOT like the smell of citrus. Put some orange or lemon peels mixed with some water and put in the blender. Sprinkle that along the path the cats are using. Refresh peiodically. They should take another route.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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