A VERY Annoying Problem - advice?

Okay,

I love cats to death. We should all know this by now.

But, what I DON'T love is a neighborhood cat coming up on my windowsill EVERY NIGHT at 3AM and TERRORIZING my cats. Every single night Zoe attacks the window and screams like a woman in distress.

This may sound funny - but at 3 am, it's anything but.

I was thinking of borrowing a humane trap from a local shelter and get the cat back to the shelter. But, what if it's someone's cat and they let it outside, I don't want to tear a cat away from its home.

So... how do I keep that cat off my porch (in a humane way)?

If I hear Zoe scream out like a woman who's just been purse snatched one more time, I am going to go crazy!

Any ideas on how to keep the stranger cat from coming up to my house?

 

you can always go check with your neighbors to see if this might be their cat and explain what is happening and the dangers for this cat to be out wandering around at night AND if they don't care and continue to let the cat outside - then trap it. Better in a shelter than torn to death by wildlife, hit by a car or poisoned by some cruel person.
I once told a neighbor he should keep his cat in at night...he laughed me off and continued to let Domino out - Domino is now history. So this bugger went to the shelter and got another cat and it stays out at night. Some people just don't get it...

 

Sounds like the kitties are doing cat things in the middle of the night while you are trying to sleep. I've heard cats yowl at night. Not a pretty sound.

Could you get some kind of shades or venetian blinds to put on the window so you could close them at night so the kitties won't look out?

Hopefully the outside kitty will get bored and not come around anymore an go on to other things. Just a thought.

Or maybe you could put some kind of cat deterrent spray around your porch to keep the kitty away? I don't know if that would work.

Would a cat be afraid of a dog statue? I wonder if that would work. I'm grabbing at straws here.

Hope you find a solution.

 

Funny you should bring this issue up. I've been having the same problem with Moe and the ugliest looking neighbourhood cat (seriously hideous - and I love cats!). Poor Artemis is getting the wits scared out of him when Moe goes crazy!

Nothing like cat screaming to get your heart pounding in the middle of the night!

 

How true. The first time it happened we thought one of them was dying. Now when we hear it we say, 'yup, the cat's out again'.

I saw lost cat flyers a couple weeks ago for a cat that looks like the one that keeps coming to the porch. It was in the post office. So, I am going to try and go there today and get the phone number. I'm going to call and ask them if they found their cat yet. If not, I'll tell them to expect a call at 3am and they will know where to find the cat.

I may go to the pet store later and buy some sort of spray.

I thought I read here once that vinegar works? Has anyone heard of this?

 

I dont know if this is of any help but it might be worth checking out, another poster needed to keep cats off her flowers.

http://www.auspet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10189

 

I get black bears outside my house at night...you wanna hear a noise try 2 siamese cats trying to scare a black bear off LOL

 

Skunks....my friend used to have skunks wandering into the back area behind their house....it was real obvious the next day if the dogs had scared them :shock:

 

cat deterent double sided tape

2 way tape works also. Generally cats do not like the feel of alien objects. Not to mention landing on something that they are not able to lift their feet off of. A few pieces here and there should do it.

 

Thanks for the ideas... I'll try them out.

Skunks and black bears... I guess I'm lucky! But still, Zoe acts like it's the end of the world.

 

I know how you feel. Our neighbors' cats will occassionally visit in the middle of the night. One is a moo cow cat who loves to bang loudly on our glass doors. It sounds like someone trying to break in. Milo and Pumpkin will be growling and hissing at the cat and one another. Thank goodness I haven't seen it in a couple of years. Another is a cute grey and white cat who loves eating out of Ginger's (RIP) food bowls. I haven't seen her lately after Ginger was gone. But boy did Pumpkin and Milo wake us up! Maybe you can collect some of your kitties' urine and mark some territory in your yard. :mrgreen: Do try the vinegar and or tape idea and let us know how it works out! Good luck!

 

I'm trying the vinegar myself to keep my neighbor's cats out of my flower beds. Either it's working or the cats are tired of being chased by weenie dogs at all hours of the night. I might try blocking off the window--inside--in your case. Even if the cat comes up, Moe won't be able to see it.