How do I stop the cats from spraying?

[Tinkerfreak]

I have male cats spraying all around my house and this morning I went to take clothes out of the dryer and Pee-yeww!! They have sprayed right near my dryer vent and the smell is getting in my dryer. Any safe tricks to keeping them away? I would spray them back with a spray bottle if I could catch them but I need something that will keep them away. I do have a female cat inside but she is fixed. There is not a dryer sheet in the world that will cover that smell on our clothes so I need to do something.

[DizneyRox]

I've heard that black pepper is supposed to help keep them away. I've tried it, but it doesn't last as long as I'd like.

Pretty soon I'm going to try a paintball gun and see if that works. Reminds me of why I hate cats so much!

[ldn324]

I'm guessing that these are not your cats since you didn't mention if they are neutered? If they are feral, you might want to check into the "catch, neuter, release" program. Neutering is the #1 solution for spraying. Obviously, if they are neighbor's cats, they are irresponsible for letting the cats roam, espcially for not being neutered - but that's another story. If they are neighbor's cats, you can ask for information from your vet - handouts, brochures, etc. that explain the importance of neutering and discretely place them on your neighbor's porch...never know, it might help them wake up.

As far as removing the smell, the best thing I've come across is Nature's Miracle. You can get it in almost any pet store and it works wonders. If you can safely spray a bleach/water solution outside, that will also help get rid of the smell. I have four inside cats and, thanks to Nature's Miracle, you can't even tell we have cats.

I have heard that a good way to keep some wildlife away is to plant fragrant herbs - mint, lemongrass, etc. around the areas you want to keep safe. Keep in mind, this was recommended to me for deer and rabbits to keep them out of the garden, but may be worth a shot. Just be sure to not plant catnip!

Good luck!

[Tinkerfreak]

Thanks for the info. I think I will try the pepper. These are not my cats, they belong to my neighbors who just let them run wild. I am a cat lover and would never want to hurt them but I have to do something. If the smell was not coming in through the dryer vent and was just outside I could live with it.

[Magic Smiles]

There is a plant that you can buy to put in your garden that works well. My mother has used it with much success, but I can't remember the name right now.

[MNNHFLTX]

Take it from someone who knows, even if a male cat is neutered, that does not always stop the spraying. You're best bet is to find a product that eliminates the scent they keep coming back to. Some people have had success with Feliway and I've heard good things about Nature's Miracle too. Other than that, you could put some kind of vented barrier around the vent, like rabbit fencing. It might not keep them from spraying, but it would be far enough away that the smell probably wouldn't be able to get into your vent.

[Cinderelley]

About 5 years ago, we had the same problem with the neighbors cats. I went to either Home Depot or PetSmart and got these stakes that you drive into the ground. Inside of the stakes is something that creates an odor that keeps the cats away. If I think of the name of it, I'll post it, but it's been several years since I've had them.

[Tinkerfreak]

OK this is war! I went to grill some steaks last night and they has sprayed all over the side of the grill. DH trapped one last night (a have a heart trap not one that would hurt them) and he pounded on the side of the cage before letting it go hoping that it would be scared enough not to come back. My sister just told me that moth balls will keep them away also. At this point I am willing to try anything , a witch doctor, a voodo doll, anything.

[DizneyRox]

OK this is war! I went to grill some steaks last night and they has sprayed all over the side of the grill. DH trapped one last night (a have a heart trap not one that would hurt them) and he pounded on the side of the cage before letting it go hoping that it would be scared enough not to come back.

Oh, if you have a trap, you can trap them, then drive them a ways away and release. I think it's very inconsiderate for people to let that happen. I've found that cats don't really learn, I need to keep up with the pepper otherwise they just come back. I'll let you know how the paintgun works, I just found more droppings in my planting beds.

[Magic Smiles]

Oh, if you have a trap, you can trap them, then drive them a ways away and release.

That wouldn't be fair to the cats. After all it isn't the cats fault, it is the owners fault for letting them go free.

Checked on the internet for the name of the plant that repels cats. I thought it was some type of geranium. I couldn't find it, but I did find these suggestions:

Cats do not like the smell of citrus - scatter some orange and/or lemon peels around your garden (citronella and pine cones are also considered to be good cat repellants)
Cats apparently avoid geraniums, petunias, marigolds and fuchsias

[DizneyRox]

That wouldn't be fair to the cats. After all it isn't the cats fault, it is the owners fault for letting them go free.

It's better than my original thought to submerge that trap (once filled with a cat) in a barrel of water or some other water source deeper than the trap itself.

It's not unreasonable to think the owners let the cats go because they are sick of it spraying all over their house! So now it's become someone elses problem.

As an alternative, maybe trap the cat and bring it to a humane society (remove any tags first so it doesn't show back up at your neighbors house). Hopefully someone else will adopt it and maybe have it fixed.

[Tinkerfreak]

I will try the citrus suggestion. It is too cold here in Maine right now to plant anything and nothing is growing yet. DH is starting to think like DisneyRox and would love to just get rid of them all. He knows that he would have to deal with me though. I told him that we just need to get another dog. when we had our big 1201lb hound dogs we had absolutely no pest problems.

[ldn324]

Tinkerfreak - I wish you luck with this issue and hopefully your neighbors will get some common sense and either give the cats to a good home or have them become indoor cats.

I've sat back and read some of these comments ( I won't mention names) without saying anything (I'm not one to stir the pot), but as an animal lover, I just can't go without adding that any previous suggestions of harming the cats is totally cruel, uncalled for and makes me very angry . It's not the cat's fault - it's the irresponsible owners. Whether kidding or not, cruelty to animals is no laughing matter!!

Tinkerfreak is obviously an animal lover and was seeking good, serious and harmless advice. 99% of us responding, I think, tried to honestly help out. Thanks to you who suggested cruelty-free ways to help Tinkerfreak with this problem.

[Magic Smiles]

I've sat back and read some of these comments ( I won't mention names) without saying anything (I'm not one to stir the pot), but as an animal lover, I just can't go without adding that any previous suggestions of harming the cats is totally cruel, uncalled for and makes me very angry . It's not the cat's fault - it's the irresponsible owners. Whether kidding or not, cruelty to animals is no laughing matter!!

I totally agree. To some people their pets are their children. There is always some humane way of dealing with the problem. The cat doesn't know that they are doing anything wrong. It is their natural instinct.