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How to Get Rid of Stray Cats
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Stray and feral cats have become a growing problem in recent years – now vastly outnumbering the domesticated cat population. Stray cats are cats that have become separated from their owners, and feral cats are cats that were born in the wild – and are often wary of humans.
1. What to do if You Encounter a Stray Cat
Do not approach it - though rare, stray and feral cats can spread diseases with a simple scratch. If you get bitten or scratched by a stray or feral cat, try to capture the feline and bring it to the doctor with you so it can be tested for rabies and you can be tested and immunized for other diseases.
If you’ve already made contact with the cat in question and it is friendly – you should take it to the vet to get it tested for disease, immunized, and spayed or neutered (if you plan on making it your own). I would also recommend you visit your local library and pick out a good book on domesticating strays.
2. Getting Rid of Stray Cats
Garden centers often carry products that claim to keep stray cats off of your property. Sprays, predator urine, ultrasonic devices… you can spend your money on these things and give them a try, but the vast majority of people who have used these things say that they do not work. Here is a list of some of the most commonly touted successful methods of ridding your property of stray cats.
- This probably goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Don’t feed them. Look around your neighborhood and make sure none of your neighbors are feeding them. Remove any obvious sources of food and secure all outside waste containers.
- Seal up any spaces that a feral cat may see as an attractive ‘nesting’ area. Some of their favorite places to make homes are underneath decks, sheds, foundations, and barns.
- Contact your local animal control center and have them catch and remove the feline from your property.
- Purchase a trap and capture the cat yourself. You can then drop it off at a shelter or release it far (at least 10 miles) away from your home. Be VERY careful when dealing with a trapped feral cat as they can be VERY nasty! Please also note that releasing the cat elsewhere will not solve the problem - only move it…
- Extract the oil of a few dozen of the hottest peppers you can find (or use pepper spray), and apply it liberally to the areas that the cats frequent the most. The idea is to let the cats come into contact with the spicy formula so when they go to groom themselves they will get a spicy surprise. After a few tastes they will begin to stay away – this may need to be repeated often before the results are lasting.
- Get a dog large enough to discourage any cats from venturing near your property. If you go this route, make sure you get the pooch immunized just in case he gets into a fight!
Know of another way to get rid of a stray cat? Use the form below and let the next person who surfs here in on your secret!
Get some vinegar (any kind), poor in a spray bottle or poor straight from the jug, around your house and area cats frequent, they hate it. This only lasts till it rains, obviously, but it’s a cheap way to keep them away and it really works.
You can poor in dumpster as well, to keep them out.
I have a male cat which lives my backyard. He lives outside during the day and comes back home to eat and sleep. I like my cat but he keeps bringing pregnat cats and his kids. How should I get rid of the other cats that he brings.
I live in a mobile home which is not skirted. There is a cat or cats that get underneath all the time. I am definately not a cat lover. Help!!!!!! Sometimes they are under there just crying. How do I get them to stay away.
I know it sounds cruel but we all do not have to like CATS, when the owners don’t take care of these pests we have to, it is our property and our children and elderly that we have to worry about with these filthy animals, The law should be applied to the owners and the nut jobs out there feeding these filthy animals , maybe they (owners and feeders) should be FINED heavily then they would stop feeding these
filthy animals , I’ ll bet a $500.00 fine would sure change these animals feeders , we know what you are . now we know the price of your love of animals.
I live in a neighborhood where cats {tame} seem to run rampid, with collars & bells. I feel it’s the owner’s responsibility to take care of them! I haven’t found any feasable way to keep them out of our yard and off our porch. I don’t care for them, don’t feed them, shoo them away when I see them,… but would never do anything to hurt them. It just upsets me because as a dog owner, I don’t allow my dogs to explore my neighbors yards and sit up on their porch and bark as these felines do when they sit on our porch and constantly meowwwwwww! And I can guarantee if my MinPin were to climb on a neighbor’s vehicle and scratch their hood…I’d be in court with a judgement to pay for it! It’s very irritating to say the least! These cats seem to have free reign to climb on our vehicles, scratch the surface, leave their fowl smelling urine wherever they choose…and I’ve grown so tired of it all! So please, if anyone knows of any homapathical {sure I didn’t spell that right} way to rid of cats on your property…I’m all ears!
chinese rest 4 mystery meat located in collegepark md
I have just recently moved into a house and have cats that come up into my yard from the greenbelt. ( a place with a huge pond and cover for them to stay hidden.) I need good ideas to get rid of them- humanley!!!!!!!!! i don’t like stray cats- have no pets of my own but a two year old cousin who goes out into the yard alot- but don’t want to kill them. we are going to start sealing things up and stuff like that- but the lady a couple of houses down has taken them in. we tried to get her to quit but she wont. she has 5 cats of her own. there are about 20 stray and feral cats in this greenbelt area. if you have any recommendations go to friends-forever13.web.com. go to contact us to leave a comment. thank you very much for your help. put “cat problem” as the subject as not to mix it up with anything else we get in our mail bag.
Trap stray/feral Cats with Live catch traps…(Raccoon size). Animal Control where I live will give the nasty vermin a lethal injection for no charge (system I use). You can also “do in” the trapped critter yourself by “other means”. Never release a stray cat on other’s property. I trapped over 35 cats last year…this year just 11. Stray cat problem solved! There are also many hunters who will welcome any stray cat you give them to train and excercise their bobcat or cougar chase and tracking dogs. That has caused a big drain on stray and feral cats here because so many are trapping the strays for that purpose. Any Trapped stray/ferals are in demand for dog training here and they do not last long.
my neighbors cats come up on our lawn to much. i like cats and belive they are good animals, but please keep them in your house. they have 5 cats that they feed but leave outside other than that. they have no coller, and when the animal control asks, they insist that they are strays that thry feed. these cats ften stroll up and down my street and take their “stops” on my mulch. i chase them off when ever possible, but i desire just to capture them. can i catch a cat and dump it of a good distince away, or am i better of trying with the animal control?
From what I see here with the site and with comments is no remedey for the problem. I wish I had one to offer, but this problem is evidently rampant in many places. I remember seeing a special program about house cats, that they are just like their “wild” cousins….predators and hunters. It is just their insticts. The main problem I have is the howling when they are mating at night. It’s the same problem with humans…noisy love makers around here. Oh well, suck it up and drive on.
I can’t believe how cruel some of you are out there. I have a cat problem and I live in the moutains. I agree the owners are the problem, however, the cats around my house are all wild (feral) and at some point in the past, someone dumped cats around my woods and now I have 9 of them around at any given time. I don’t feed them, they can be aggressive, they do, in fact, kill squirells and rabbits and commercial (expensive) reppellents don’t work. A sprinkler will deter them and I suspect the “red pepper” mixture that someone suggested would work, but, it would stain areas that you want to keep nice. I just keep sprinklers going in areas where they hang out and the water deters them. For God’s sake, don’t kill them. Trap them and turn them over to the local shelter or call animal control (which I don’t have in my Township), just don’t kill them.
Please someone out there help me with the stray cat litter. Its becoming a nuisance and it only litter at the front of my gate. Please please tell me how I can keep away the cats from their daily nuisance right in front of my house. Its stinky smell I have to wake up to every morning !!!
There are some good tips on getting rid of unwanted pets like animal control and not feeding them, but my god people have a heart. Antifreeze…if you give that to an animal I hope you take it yourself. Some of you guys are real jerks and deserve the same treatment you give these animals. it is the OWNERS responsibility to take care of their animals and not the cat/dog’s fault that their owners didn’t take care of them. I believe animals have feelings and can feel pain and love just like anyone else (still wondering if some of you people are sadists)and the way you treat an animal is a reflection on how you treat CHILDREN…any yes for all you people that are going to b**** about me comparing an animal to a child I am comparing an animals inability to speak to a babies…..Get a clue people..wake up and smell the coffee there are tons of humane ways to get rid of a cat or dog. I hold you people that do horrible things to animals right up there with child molesters and people who put their children in the closet….ALSO DEATH-TO-FERAL-CATS POSTER WHY DON’T YOU CONSIDER THE SAME THING TO THE HOMELESS PEOPLE…LETS JUST HUNT THEM DOWN, KILL THEM, AND THEN I DON’T KNOW PUT THEIR HEAD ON A MANTEL….DAMN YOUR AN IDIOT..YOU NEED TO WAKE UP NOT THE PET OWNERS..ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO CREATED THE FERAL CAT PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE BY NOT SPAYING/NEUTERING YOUR PETS.
THERE ARE OVER 11 CATS AND KITTENS AT 19TH STREET AND RACINE. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I COULD SPRAY TO GET RIDE OF THEM . THANK YOU.
MARY JO LOPEZ
Why shoot, poison, spay or neuter the animal? It’s the irresponsible owner
that should have these things done to them.
I have just moved into a new neighbourhood with my siamese cat. The house had been empty for months. I am kept AWAKE at night with the entire neighbourhood’s cats yowling all around my house. Its irritating as !@$% and freaks MY cat out! They are all over the garden and even get bold enough to sit on the window sills trying to get into the house at night. I want them gone, they all belong to other people, how do i keep them away - and getting a dog is not an option! ADVICE WELCOME…
“farmgirl”…how you keep your animals on your property is strictly your business…keep them in your house…a pen or whatever. However…what happens on my property is my business and any cat on my property will be dealt with accordingly. Actually…I would be the one calling the police on you if I chose to because cats running free in my area on other’s property is against the law (we have a strict leash law that includes cats). You noticed I said a lethal injection from “AC”…thats Animal Control “guys with a badge”. If you call the law in my neighborhood about your cats on other’s property (trapped or not) YOU would get the fat fine. Farmcats around these areas become a quick lunch for coyotes and roaming cougars…
Our animal control runs many more traps than I and constantly show me up with what they trap and eliminate. As for as additional “Help” needed (and thank you for your concern), My Local Animal Control as well as my traps are the only help I require and since that teamwork is very effective eliminating cats, I need no further help.
AK47 with a full round of ammo seems to do the trick quite nicely.
Texas west, you are one cruel person! It is people like you that end up killing a humane with no remorse, very sad! So please tell me how farmers, like myself should keep our cats all inside our house, please! All farms have at least 5 cats! Usually at least. And there farm cats so yeah they might roam around, but not harm anyone. If you were my neighbore and I knew you were doing that I would call the cops, PETA, and the local news. Your a very disturbing person and I ll leave you with some advice, GET HELP RIGHT AWAY!
Ok folks,
All animals like the taste of ethylene glycol, or ANTIFREEZE, and they WILL die from ingesting it, it’s a nasty death however…don’t do that!
Feral cats, or for that matter abandoned cats will kill EVERY other animal in thier area that they can overpower. Rabbits, squirrels, baby “anything’s” birds, etc…they kill just for the fun of it.
Coyote’s LOVE cat meat however.
I live on a farm and have cats dumped here all the time. We’ve taken in more than we would like, but there has to be a stopping point to the strays we take in…
I wouldn’t poison for a feral cat, but I would shoot a feral cat, .22 caliber is enough for the job, and be responsible about how you shoot one. Be humane, don’t torture them, just kill them. The animals that SHOULD be out there will appriciate it.