Problem with neighbors cats roaming (house, buy, living)

[Burning Madolf]

OP, had a bit of the same problem after I moved into a model home where 4 or 5 cats used to lounge by the pool (it was actually pretty funny).

They LOVED to crap in the deer grass. Made themselves a nice little seat in the center, and went to town. Bought some cheap red pepper powder and applied everywhere I found crap.

No more cat crap.

[Bird Street]

It has been my understanding that animals that wander into your yard become your property. You can trap them and take them to county animal control. They charge around $60. to take one, and you know what happens next. There are trap, neuter and release programs that you can hire....and hopefully the release is in your worst enemy's neighborhood.

The smell of feral cats. My house was a rental for a brief time. The renter's crazy brother visited once a week and brought his laundry here. I didn't realize that the brother was leaving doors wide open and feral cats were making them selves at home inside. They sprayed all over the house and the smell was so bad I had to rip out all the floor covering and drapes. It's bad enough to have kitty feces urine all over your yard and rose beds.

I have begged some of my neighbors to stop putting food out for feral cats to no avail. Years ago in this very neighborhood, my next-door neighbor went out on a winter morning and started up her new Plymouth Fury. She killed a kitty that had crawled up in the engine to stay warm and sleep. She had to get rid of the car it was so bad. Fur everywhere.

You can get traps at Harbor Freight 32 in. x 15 in. x 10 in. Medium Animal Trap. They used to loan traps out from Maricopa County rabies and animal control with a deposit. Cheap stinky sardines make fabulous bait.

Please folks, neuter your pets and keep them inside. You're making kitty's lives even more miserable feeding them and encouraging them to breed and reproduce.

[WilmaWildcat]

We have community cats, and I have experienced no rodents in our neighborhood; no voles or gophers digging up turf, no roof rats or squirrels. I last saw a field mouse maybe a decade ago. They are apparently doing their work at night, because they are not hanging out on porches or patios in the daytime.

Here's an article about NYC using cats:

Feral Cats Are Being Deployed in New York

...Volunteers with the NYC Feral Cat Initiative are working to repurpose some of the city’s population of as many as half-a-million stray cats as feline special forces in the war against the rats. The Associated Press reports that the group is working to trap wild cat colonies throughout New York, spay or neuter the animals, and when the cats can’t be adopted or returned to the place they were trapped, the group will try to relocate them to areas in need of rodent control...cont.

[stevek64]

OP, regardless if they are feral or not, this might be of interest to you/some contact info as a starting point.

Trap program targets feral cat problem in Phoenix area

And if they can't help you out directly, I would guess groups like this could point you in the right direction.

[LBTRS]

After my neighbor ignored my requests to keep his cat out of my yard, my $2500 smoker being ruined, my tool chest ruined, my patio furniture ruined, the wheels on my truck ruined, and all the cat crap in my yard...I contacted animal control, the hoa and the city. None of them were interested in dealing with a roaming cat so I took matters into my own hands.

I have not seen the cat in about a year, neither has my neighbor.

[wizdum]

You should share this info link with your neighbor on the dangers of letting their cats outside: https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-...-outdoor-cats/.

If your approach is one of caring about the health and safety of the cats and your neighbor's safety, they won't be so defensive and might listen.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by wizdum

You should share this info link with your neighbor on the dangers of letting their cats outside: https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-...-outdoor-cats/.

If your approach is one of caring about the health and safety of the cats and your neighbor's safety, they won't be so defensive and might listen.

Unfortunately while that's great in theory, I agree with a few of the others posting here in that more than a few people who let an animal roam free/don't care about other people's property/their right not to have an animal barking/running/defecating/etc on other people's private property and ruining their quality of life, they usually aren't the people open to such information as they clearly made their decision to the contrary. Actions speak louder than words. While we've been lucky out here/haven't had to deal with such nonsense/rude pet owners, my parents many years ago and many friends over the years have and pretty much 100% of the time, the temperament of the pets = the temperament of the pet owners and one gets jaded pretty quick in trying to coddle/make nice with irresponsible pet owners.

[cactusland]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

After my neighbor ignored my requests to keep his cat out of my yard, my $2500 smoker being ruined, my tool chest ruined, my patio furniture ruined, the wheels on my truck ruined, and all the cat crap in my yard...I contacted animal control, the hoa and the city. None of them were interested in dealing with a roaming cat so I took matters into my own hands.

I have not seen the cat in about a year, neither has my neighbor.

You understand completely.

[ElleTea]

Unfortunately, the cats likely consider your yard part of their territory, and cats are extremely territorial.

When I moved into my house, I noticed immediately there were a TON of cats all over the place, including my yard. I found out from a neighbor that another neighbor had about a dozen of them and after she passed away, the cats were just let free and they had been breeding and were being fed by another neighbor who meant well. This neighbor has been working with the humane society to do TNR and that has helped the population, but there are still a lot of cats. And it is true that animal control won't do anything about them. There are no leash laws and the only way a cat will end up in a shelter is if a citizen takes it there.

I love cats and have my own, and let my 2 out in my fenced yard. Right away I had issues with the other strays in my yard, and shortly after moving in one of my cats went missing after one of the strays chased him over my back fence likely because the strays saw him as an invader of their space. (I found my cat 18 days later) It didn't take long for my other cat to run off the strays and establish my yard as his "turf." Now I rarely see a stray cat anywhere near my house.

Maybe you need your own dominant cat?

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Maybe you need your own dominant cat?

Or far better yet, have more parents start bringing up their kids to think about others around them, that they aren't the center of the universe, and teach them to respect others rights so they don't grow up to be selfish/self centered/disrespectful adults to others.