I have a problem that I have not seen posted yet and need some help. I have an inground swimming pool with the new loop-lock cover. For you people who don't know what this is: it's a mesh winter cover for your swimming pool. It seems the neighbor cats use it for their litter box. What can I do or use to put around the perimeter to keep the cats off my cover? Please HELP.........
I love cats but they belong IN someone's home not around your pool. I live with a problem of neighborhood cats too, my neighbor who never takes care of hers...it is disgusting....but I digress...
I heard that moth crystals will keep them away...they do not like the smell. I would put around the perimeter casue I don't know if they would cause damage to your cover.....also if you can clean the cover off and spray it down w/ some Nature's Miracle...to get rid of the odor that will keep attracting the cats back....let the NM dry on it's own. put the crystals around the cover and put new crystals around as needed, I am not sure if the crystals are harmful to pets, but that is usually not an issue w/ cats, they do not tend to ingest anything except coolant which is fatal. other the that they don't usually eat what they shouldn't, unlike dogs.
If you have the money could try a sensor alarm, or motion sensor light might scare them away
Hi! I also HAD a problem w/the neigbors cat liking my front door that had a bit of a roof over hang so it was cooler than anything in their yard in the hot FL summers...I tried the moth flakes but I couldn't stand the odor that came off them as I was having to come and go out of this door- it worked for the cats but not me. So I tried just squirting cheap and I mean cheap hot sauce around the area that I wanted them out of. It also worked- when it washed off after a couple of months they came back so I reapplied it. They keep away till they moved about 8 months later. HTH Karen
PS it also seemed to keep other bugs at bay.
A few years ago, we had a cat that never went outside. But the neighbors' cats would come up to the front window where our cat would sit, and they would tear up the screening and urinate in the bushes under the windows. I got a spray can of stuff at Walmart--I think it was called Shoo. It kept the cats away, but it also smelled pretty bad whenever we would walk by that area. Since your pool cover is mesh, you won't want to put anything on it that would go into your pool water. But I would suggest using the Shoo or hot sauce or whatever around the perimeter of your pool and see what happens.
Janey
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I think whatever you use you HAVE to clean off the cover and get rid of the litterbox smell that is there or nothing will keep them from coming back....cayenne is cheap and you can mix it w/ dish soap, a little and spray it around...most cats hate the smell and taste...except my Earl who LOVES anything spicey.....the little bit of dish soap helps the pepper stick to where you are spraying it...much cheaper then hot sauce and ready made pepper sprays for gardening.
Ruth
You can try using a product from the hunting department at Wal-mart. It is called Fox Urine. It is a small 4oz. bottle. It works wonders at keeping cats away. Drip it around the perimeter of your yard. Wear rubber gloves and don't get any on yourself. You may have to replenish after a hard rain. This will keep skunks away as well.
Best of luck. I have had the same problem around my pool with birds. My neighbors thought I was nuts going outside all the time clapping my hands. I had to explain it was because of the birds. Now I use all the free promotional CD's you get in the mail. I string them around the yard. It keeps the birds away.
I believe that you can use something as simple as vinager...pour it around the pool area...and the nice thing is it is not that expensive...but clean the area that they are going in as they will keep coming back...but once cleaned and use of the vinager you should not have a problem.
It's my understanding that cats aren't suppose to like citrus scent. Whether this is all citrus or just some I do not know. I know my cats wait almost 10 whole minutes after I use the Lemon scented Clorox wipes to use their cat box(es), and two of my first cats wouldn't go near the furniture I use to dust w/Pledge way back when.
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Another option, even though I love cats I totally understand not wanting to have to deal with neighbor cats whose owners don't care enough about them to care for them.... capture them and turn them into your local animal control office. In most places it is illegal to let them run loose and when they are on your property they are your cats!
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