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The litter tray

Cats treating our back door as their toilet - desperate for advice please

12 replies

handbagsatdawn · 12/03/2013 13:23

About 5 years ago we got a female rescue cat who is now 10. She is as good as gold and uses the cat flap in the back door to come and go as she pleases. Last summer we started noticing piles of cat poo outside the back door, always in the same place. After watching our cat we decided it wasn't her as she always uses an area of gravel in the garden as her toilet, which is ideal as we can clean up after her.

The piles of cat poo continued, every single night, even if we cleared then up. We have ended up barricading the area where the poo appears - if we fail to do so for the night you can guarantee the poo will be there in the morning. Barricading this area is an utter pain as it means we have to remove all this before we can use our front gate, and I can no longer directly access my little greenhouse I have by the gate.

However, the problem has now got worse, and this other cat (or maybe cats) is consistently pissing everywhere around the back door and gate. DH jet washed it at the weekend to get rid of the smell, but I've just been out there and it reeks again. It smells like a urinal outside and it's driving me insane.

Please any suggestions? I can't barricade the area totally so this other cat can't access it as it means my cat won't be able to get through.

Is my female cat drawing this unwanted attention? She has been neutered, not sure if that makes a difference.

Any suggestions for anything I can put down to deter the peeing cat would be so gratefully received!

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handbagsatdawn · 14/03/2013 21:13

Bump

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cozietoesie · 14/03/2013 21:33

I'll be interested to see any responses because I found cat poo on the paved part of my front garden yesterday. And I have an easier task than you because my old boy is a housecat so I don't have to worry about him.

I'm not sure how you would discourage the other cat by smells or something without also making life anxious for your older girl. Do you think you could live with a tray for her to use inside if necessary?

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thecatneuterer · 14/03/2013 21:35

I'm quite stumped by this. But you can try this to discourage (I've no idea if it works): www.petsathome.com/shop/get-off-spray-500ml-by-vapet-34730?cm_re=barilliance--up sell--product details

and this to easily get rid of the smell (this definitely does work):www.petsathome.com/shop/simple-solutions-stain-+-odour-remover-patios-and-decking-4-litre-104117

I wouldn't have thought it was to do with your female cat as she's neutered, unless the neutering wasn't done properly and a bit of her ovary (I think) was accidentally left behind, in which case she will still come into season. But if that's the case you will have noticed odd behaviour from her.

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TheSilveryPussycat · 15/03/2013 10:24

For an indoor problem such as this, citrus peel works, so perhaps you could drench the outside area with orange juice for a few nights?

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Lampfamm · 15/03/2013 10:50

When I don't want my cats to go somewhere do something I try to engineer something to happen to them that they will hate when they do the thing I don't want them to do. i.e, jumping on the worktops. For this I put sticky paper (sticky side up) or sellotape down. A few times of sticking to it, panicking and running about with tape stuck to their belly is enough to stop them returning. My point is, a short, sharp shock is usually a good way to stop an animal repeating something. Especially if it happens just as they do the offending behaviour. If you have the time and patience, wait to see if you can catch the offending cat. As they are about to pee/poo either make the most unholy, loud, sudden and klaxon-like noise, or drop a bucket of water on them. Make sure they have no idea it is about to happen. It's horrible really. But no lasting damage.
If you can't wait for them then try making the area unpleasant. Try sellotape, a cat-shaped cut-out, a high-pitched whistling device (you can buy these in garden centres) or failing everything, just put down a litter tray!

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TheFuzz · 20/03/2013 15:34

Don't use bleach to clean as it contains amonia which encourages them. Citrus or citronella dribbled on a used tea bag.

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sashh · 21/03/2013 03:21

DH jet washed it at the weekend to get rid of the smell

The cat(s) can still smell it, you need to scrub with biological washing powder.

Could you put a surface down that cats' don't like? Not permanent because of your kitty but if you keep her inside at night put something out.

Gravel is OK, egg shells (told to put this under the blackbird nest by RSPB) builder's sand - the rough stuff.

Neither will hurt the cat, but it will be uncomfortable to walk on so should keep the cat away.

Another thing you could try is a washing up bowl full of water, again the cat won't like it.

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scratchandsniff · 21/03/2013 03:57

We have the same problem. Local tom cat sprays around our front door and mat, absolutely reeks. It's embarrassing to have a house that stinks of cats piss as you approach. I have to keep replacing door mat. We don't even own a bloody cat. DH is ready to shoot the bloody thing. Nothing seems to work.

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Alad · 21/03/2013 05:41

Curry powder

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sleeton · 21/03/2013 19:55

scratchandsniff as you don't own a cat, you therefore don't have to worry about deterring your own pet.
I would scrub the area with bio washing powder, then totally soak the whole area in lemon juice. The door, the doorstep, the mat, the approach to the doorstep. As strong as you like. Don't rinse it off, just leave it dry (bonus is it will all look/smell/be nice & clean).
Years ago, the cat I owned at the time was spraying at my lovely neighbour's house, so I went round, did this and it worked really well. I went back once a week for about 3 weeks, to 're-do' the lemon and that seemed to break the habit.

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foxache · 26/03/2013 12:59

Same problem here, I'd not heard of the bio washing powder and lemon juice idea before and am about to try them, thanks.

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tabbycat15 · 29/03/2013 14:30

The 'get of my garden' granules are good & smell citrusy.
Clean area as suggested with bio washing liquid. Sprinkle around granules.

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