Cyprus Cat and Dog Life

devil · lecturer

We have a lively dog who just loves to play with cats, but the cats don't like him. We also have a neighbour who has 11 cats (unneutered!!!!) at the moment but it has been as high as 18. These are free to roam and use our garden as a public toilet, miaoul at all hours under our windows and drive our dog mad. It has become painful to even let our dog into our own garden because his only interests are a) to chase any cats that happen to be in the garden b) to seek out the tracks of where any cats have been c) to peer through the fence at the cats that are in our neighbour's garden, tail wagging furiously and d) to attempt to climb over the chain-link fence to enter our neighbour's garden (he has succeeded on a few occasions by hanging on with his claws and using the fence as a ladder).

We have dropped hints to our neighbours that their bloody cats are a damned nuisance, but these have fallen on deaf ears.

1. Does anyone know of any way, without harming the cats, of keeping them away from our garden, preferably to a distance of 10 m or so?

2. We pay £6/year dog licence. Why can't there be a similar cat licence?

brother · professor

In the u.k i had a similar problem and at many local stores you can purchase a substance you sprinkle around(heard there is spray alternatives also) and the cats do not go there.
Also we bought this metal plate shaped like a cats head which has two very bright marble eyes and you poke it into the ground and it scares other cats away.
The combination of the two means i have won my garden back and my kids can play without the fear of falling into or treading into cat shit.

And i will happily sign any petition that calls for cat owners to get a licence or risk losing their animal and fines as they can be a menace.

city · instructor

Hi devil,
even though I'm a cats lover Wink

..........
I know that there is a plant that you can have grow in your garden that keeps cats away. I just lost the name but I will check and get back to you...

miaouwwww....

cannedmoose · professor

city · instructor

Hi cannedmoose, what do you suggest then? I used to have a cat when living in CY and it was going round the fields all time. Untill someone put poison in the greens near the house. The poor thing nearly died. Lucky me and him that I heard him crying! So I took him to the vet and he was saved.

Ok, I see the differnce between domestic cats that belong to someone and the wild ones you mean, but still, I wouldnt know of any solution...

Actually the cypriots already do their part as they are driving over them wherever they spot one in the road.

Piratis · Moderator

In Cyprus cats are not just pets. In some areas of the US for example they have squirrels running around freely. In some other countries they have other animals in this way. In Cyprus cats fall in this category.

So you should consider those cats as part of the environment, like the birds are, and not as someones pets that run away from their owner. (most cats do not have owner and this is something normal for Cyprus)

Probably the cats of your neighbor are not his cats (in the way that usual pets are) , but semi-wild cats that he feeds with leftovers. So the only thing he can actually do is to stop feeding them so the cats will go somewhere else.

Piratis · Moderator

By the way, cats in Cyprus have a long history:

Oldest Known Pet Cat? 9,500-Year-Old Burial Found on Cyprus

michalis5354 · lecturer

davoice1 · new member

Devil

i have heard an old greek wives tale that putting orange peel in your flower beds (or where ever you dont want them to go) also works as a deterant due to cats not likeing the smell

at least it's a humane way of getting rid of unwanted visitors (if it works)

Idea

city · instructor

Hi devil,

I promised to get back to you on this. I forgot to check at the weekend, but now I found what I was looking for. In general you can keep cats away from various places inside by using vinegar or onions juice. For the outside, there is a herb called "Gartenraute" in German and "Ruta graveolens L." in biological terms. I have this info from an english book by Desmond Morris, its called "Catwatching" which has been published in Germany as well.

(http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0091812941/qid=1106591529/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-4839575-8216406)

Actually it says that you should use the oil made out of that plant , but the book also states that it keeps cats away when you have it growing around the area you wish to protect.

Well, I have never tried it, but maybe its a chance. Dont ask me, where to get this plant from though.....

Good luck,
city