Pet Lovers

[Wricardos]

My neighbors cats are spraying my boxwoods and ruining them. What can I do to stop this.?  They have five cats doing this.

thanks for your suggestions.

[Carmie]

If the cats belong to your neighbor, they should neuter them. 

 They could be " accidentally" captured and  neutered and then released by organizations who help keep the kitties from reproducing and spraying.  Check around and see if you have any such program in your area.

In the meantime, use a citrus spray and spread lemon or orange  peels around.  White vinegar and water sprayed around the plants helps.

Plastic forks placed in the ground with the tines up will keep animals from walking in the area. I use this method for groundhogs and rabbits.

You can also use a motion detector that will spray water on them if they get close.

If you have a plastic runner for carpet with those small spikes on the bottom to hold them in place, turn it upsidedown and place close to the plants.

Get a big dog who hates cats.  Good luck.  Don't you just love neighbors who don't take proper care of their pets?

[D Kay]

Check out Amazon. That have a few different types of cat repellents.

[Kachina624]

It depends on what the regulation are in your municipality in regard to the ownership of pets and leash laws.  It is possible to trap the cats and then deliver them to animal control as "strays".  If your neighbors are exceeding the number of pets they're allowed to own, You can report them.

In my town dogs and cats are covered by the same leash laws.  Neither is allow to roam freely.

[Trailrun23]

They have five cats they leave outside? Anyone who would do that would not bother neutering them, either. You can try any of the ideas suggested, but your neighbor is totally irresponsible. Nothing good ever happens to a cat that is left outside. I would try and work with the neighbor rather than take them to  Animal Control. which is a death sentence. If there is a spay and neuter clinic nearby you might mention it to your neighbor. Some places will do it at minimal cost, especially if there are several. Are you sure these cats are not feral and your neighbor just feeds them?

[walkingal]

@Wricardos   That is irritating.  Tell her to keep her cats indoors!

[We rescue cats]

This makes me so angry, the poor cats end up being chased, sprayed with a hose or worse all because the human won't spay or neuter them. There are probably low cost clinics but your neighbor should take them....unless you are able to do so. To break the habit of the location I would use PetSafe SSSCAT  If you go to Amazon and copy PetSafe SSSCAT Spray Deterrent : PetSafe - Amazon.com into the search it should come right up for you. Chewy also sells it. It's a harmless air sprayer that startles and scares the cat. I use it in our house on my plant shelves. . . it works.

[spumoni99]

Neutered males still spray unfortunately.  I have two neutered males that occasionally spray because we have a stray male coming around, its a territorial thing.  We had the stray TNR'd.  Maybe a motion sensor sprinkler would help?

[Wricardos]

The five cats are from different homes. The worse cat is a spayed female. She thinks she has a new home here. We ignore her as much as possible.

I'll look into making a vinegar spray around.  Thanks!

[On It]

I had a Lemon Pepper spice we did not like. A cat was sitting under our bedroom window and meowing every night. We sprinkled the Lemon Pepper over that flower bed. No more cat.