Any suggestions for natural deterrents for feral cats. I have used things from the gardening store to no avail, i did a home made remedy of vinegar and water, and also used cayenne pepper. I have contacted a few agencies regarding TNR (trap, neuter, return) but they are overwhelmed in NYC. Thanks!
0 Answers
Jzmtazz wrote on :
Hi, I agree with grnwillow, not a lot you can do. Why do you want to stop the cat from coming on your property? If it were me, I would get a live trap and trap the animal myself, take it to a vet and have it spayed/neutered, get rabies shot and then take it back. However, if it is causing damage or being a nuisance, then that’s another story. Did the TNR group put you on a waiting list? I’m involved in our local TNR group and we’re always busy. Are you sure this is a feral cat and not just a pet that was abandoned? Usually ferals are in colonies, have you seen more than one? Let me know what you plan to do, I would love to hear back from you about the outcome.
Alexis Marnel wrote on :
The neighborhoodI live in NYC is washington heights and we have the largest colonly of feral cats in any neigborhood. There are many cats that come through-and they cause great damage to everything. I want the TNR but I see one cat who is pregnant and want to get her help first so the kittens don’t die.
I will ineed keep you posted.Thank you!
Eileen Davis wrote on :
I can only confirm what grnwillow and others have said. Living in DC, we have Metroferals, who go out at night, set up feeding stations, draw the kitties to these stations and gradually win them over so that they will come into their Haveaheart traps. You can actually do this yourself, get the process started while you’re waiting for a group to help you. Borrow a trap from the Humane Society, place something like tuna or fishy cat food like Fancy Feast in the trap, and next morning take your trapped kitty to a clinic to be spayed. You probably have a low-cost spay/neuter clinic near you run by the Humane Society, or call one of your groups and find one. You can replace the cats in your alley, and they will no longer reproduce and the colony will diminish. It’s only humane, however, to supply food and water for them during the process while you’re accomplishing this. I also suggest getting a small group of neighbors to work with you. It’s an interesting project, you learn a lot about your community, and these beautiful, funny animals, and you make friends (both human and feline)in the process.
Alexis Marnel wrote on :
Thank you!
melissa soucy wrote on :
Hello,
These sometimes worked for me. use moth bal crystals. oil ofpeperment, cloves or bay leaves. Yes you will have to keep replacing them but this may help until you can get someone to come take them. The stronger the sent the better. These have helped me with rodents and animals ariound my gardens. the stuff from the gardening store is there to make them money not to really work. You may even ask the people you contact if they have any ideas.
Hope this helps some.
good Luck,
melissa
Alexis Marnel wrote on :
thank you! Never heard of the moth ball crystal idea.
Cheryl Wait wrote on :
Hi,
I wish I had a better answer, but really most of the deterrents out there only last briefly and work…sort of or not at all. The TNR route is better, and I have some resources for you but you may have already tried them. I imagine in NYC it is a constant problem and they may take some time to get you the help you need.
http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=984
http://nycferalcat.org/
http://www.nycferaldata.org/
http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/
http://www.urbancatleague.org/Info.htm
http://feralfelineproject.org/Info/deterrents.html
If the cats are digging in the garden you can try the plastic carpet protectors over the soil, but it’s a pain sometimes to cut around plants. You put the plastic bottom side up so the little spikes are up. The cats don’t like to walk on them. CatScat is a product along those lines also. It is sold at Gardeners.com. The best way to stop them or slow them down is the TNR I’m afraid. Since marking territory is a very big deal to unfixed cats. I have some other resources if none of these work. Good luck.
Alexis Marnel wrote on :
thank you so much! I knew about alley cats.org but not the others. I don’t want to call animal control because they will put them to sleep. I did notice the natural remedies only worked for a two days. Thanks again!