Scaring cats off our property

iguana

We're moving into a new house.

The previous tennants actively fed and encouraged a pack of feral cats to come around.

Our problem is we have two dogs one is really not cat friendly, agressively anti cat to be honest.

These cats are young not that bright, and with poor survival instincts.

We don't move in for a week, and are trying to find a humane way to drive the cats off before the dogs arrive.

thoughts? Anything welcome.

(Please keep in mind things like water sprays etc arent that effective we're incredibly busy trying to do up the house so it's fit for human habitation (last tenants left the place in a state)

SillyMangoX

Where abouts are you located? There could be local tnr groups or rescues that may be able to help you

iguana

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Where abouts are you located? There could be local tnr groups or rescues that may be able to help you

In Limerick. Tnr won't really help as they'd return the cats. The only thing I can think of is to let the blind, 3-legged dog out first and hope his presence scares them off. There are a good few really young kittens though, so I'm not sure how effective that would be.

At the moment our toddler is playing outside a lot and they shoot off as soon as he looks at them. But they keep coming back. I think the people who used to live here actually had them in sleeping in the house and the poor cats are very confused.

muddypaws

Weird question I know, but do you know anyone that works at Dublin zoo? Apparently, and it may well be an urban myth, lion dung will scare cats away. I think you can actually buy it on the internet now.

Shenshen

It may or may not work, but my own cats get terrified by the sound of tinfoil.
Anytime I need to wrap something up in the kitchen they literally run for the hills (well, the upstairs guest bedroom, to hide under the bed).

So maybe hanging a good few strips of tinfoil up around the garden in places where the wind can catch it and make noise might do the trick?

Shenshen

iguana wrote: »

In Limerick. Tnr won't really help as they'd return the cats. The only thing I can think of is to let the blind, 3-legged dog out first and hope his presence scares them off. There are a good few really young kittens though, so I'm not sure how effective that would be.

At the moment our toddler is playing outside a lot and they shoot off as soon as he looks at them. But they keep coming back. I think the people who used to live here actually had them in sleeping in the house and the poor cats are very confused.

That sounds more like domesticated cats that were abandonned, to be honest.

Maybe contact the local animal shelter to see if there's a chance of re-homing them?

gctest50

iguana wrote: »

..........................
These cats are young not that bright, and with poor survival instincts.

We don't move in for a week, and are trying to find a humane way to drive the cats off before the dogs arrive......................

if they are not that bright with poor survival instincts they will have a terrible time if you just drive them off and leave them fend for themselves

iguana

Shenshen wrote: »

That sounds more like domesticated cats that were abandonned, to be honest.

Maybe contact the local animal shelter to see if there's a chance of re-homing them?

The more I think about it, the more I suspect this. When we went to viewing of the house before we bought it, there were cats in the house and thinking back I'm sure I recognise some of the cats in the garden as the cats that were in the house. The previous occupants left cat litter, a litter tray and pet food bowls behind, so it's possible that these cats were more pets than strays that they fed.

We'll definitely be contacting animal welfare and looking into getting them into a shelter. If they are abandoned pets they'll have a very hard time come winter.

kylith

iguana wrote: »

The more I think about it, the more I suspect this. When we went to viewing of the house before we bought it, there were cats in the house and thinking back I'm sure I recognise some of the cats in the garden as the cats that were in the house. The previous occupants left cat litter, a litter tray and pet food bowls behind, so it's possible that these cats were more pets than strays that they fed.

We'll definitely be contacting animal welfare and looking into getting them into a shelter. If they are abandoned pets they'll have a very hard time come winter.

Hopefully that'll be the case and they can be rehomed.

gctest50 wrote: »

if they are not that bright with poor survival instincts they will have a terrible time if you just drive them off and leave them fend for themselves

They'll have an even worse time if Iguana's dogs get ahold of them and kill them.

Pumpkinseeds

I hope they can be rehomed. Domestic cats haven't much hope of surviving when they're abandoned. We have 4, only 1 was feral, 2 arrived half starved and matted. Last year we found a little female, who had obviously been and indoor apartment cat, dumped in the apartment complex. She has medical problems and had no way of surviving on her own.

People have this misguided notion that a cat can be left behind and they'll fend for themselves. Mostly they don't. Mostly they slowly starve to death and have prolonged painful deaths.

VandC

if someone has dumped their pet shame on them. this carry on makes me so angry and sad. there is a huge responsibility when you take on a pet, they are not for discarding when you are done. pet owners who cannot look after their pet any more for whatever reason they should at least do the right thing and attempt to rehome. I applaud you for reaching out looking for advice and being a decent human being.

RosieJoe

How anti cat is your dog? I had 3 dogs, all of which chased and barked at cats like their lives depended on it. I would never have thought it possible but we now have a pet cat which the dogs pay no heed to. If she comes into the garden the dogs won't bat an eyelid but any other cat comes along the still get treated like their mortal enemy.

Any chance of you adopting them, or as a true Cat lover will say let them adopt you?

Dubl07

I've brought a pup into a situation where three local cats have viewed the garden as theirs. The cats can climb wooden trellis to get away from the dog - the trellis is spaced from the wall on 1" batons. Also, if I see a cat in the garden, I try to bring the dog out on a lead and reward her for ignoring the cat.

What breed is your anti-cat dog? Is there a possibility of fencing off a corner of the garden where the cats tend to be until they tolerate each other or would he jump/tunnel into it?

juneg

OMG that is so cruel of the previous tenants, the poor confused cats. If you go to maxi zoo today next to harvey normans the ladies from Limerick feral cat society are there on saturdays. They may be able to relocate the cats to a farm once trapped and neutered. you will find their contact details on facebook. They will surely help these poor cats.

I feed a group of neutered ferals and they really rely on their humans

https://www.facebook.com/LimerickFeralCats?fref=ts