# Cats scared of a water bottle **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898 "2001-10-17T02:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bertieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@bertieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bertieman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/1 "2001-10-17T02:56:03Z")
I have seen people placing 2lt coca cola bottles, half filled with water in their gardens. This is supposed to stop cats sh\*ting in their gardens. Does this really work? Why does it work? I have been told that the reflections in the water scare the cats? Before l put coke bottles in my garden like a sucker does it work! ---
**Author:** ![Falchoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@Falchoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchoon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/2 "2001-10-17T03:29:20Z")
I think it is just an old wives tail or urban myth though I would be happy for someone to prove me wrong because I’ve got a mangy cat scaring all the birds away and sh\*tting in my garden. One theory I heard (sorry, no hard evidence to back this up) is that animals wont defecate or urinate near drinking water, hence the bottles of water. ---
**Author:** ![Falchoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@Falchoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchoon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/3 "2001-10-17T03:38:33Z")
There is a plant that you put in your garden that is supposed to keep away cats. The name of it escapes me at the moment, I have it written down at home, I’ll dig it out (the name not the plant;)) and post it here tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/4 "2001-10-17T03:43:21Z")
It was originally tried for dogs, [although according to Cecil it doesn’t work.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_070.html) I can’t imagine it works for any better for cats since I’ve seen feral cats habitually defecate in the sand along creeks within metres of the water. I wouldn’t buy the reflection idea either. All the cats I know either ignore their own reflection or are afscinated by it. ---
**Author:** ![bertieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@bertieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bertieman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/5 "2001-10-17T03:52:24Z")
He knows everything. Did a search using cats but missed that. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/6 "2001-10-17T04:06:07Z")
Cecil [does say](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mwaterbags.html) that containers of water will keep flies way, and I’ve never known cats to be much smarter than flies. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/7 "2001-10-17T04:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by micco \* > \*\*Cecil [does say](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mwaterbags.html) that containers of water will keep flies way, and I’ve never known cats to be much smarter than flies. \*\* That’s actually a Staff Report, not one of Cecil’s columns. ---
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/8 "2001-10-17T05:08:56Z")
I think you have to routinely punish the cat by spraying it with water. Once it makes the connection that the water comes from the bottle, the bottle might keep it away. This is just a WAG, though, based on several water bottle punishment anecdotes that were posted on the boards here. Search for them, they might prove useful. ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/9 "2001-10-17T15:18:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > \*\*That’s actually a Staff Report, not one of Cecil’s columns. \*\* D’oh! That’s what I get for trying to be funny. And now I’m pointless and OT. So goes my karma. ---
**Author:** ![scampering\_gremlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@scampering\_gremlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scampering_gremlin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/10 "2001-10-17T15:34:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Falchoon \* > **There is a plant that you put in your garden that is supposed to keep away cats. The name of it escapes me at the moment** Marigolds? They’re planted to deflect a wide variety of animals. ---
**Author:** ![Falchoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@Falchoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchoon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/11 "2001-10-17T21:36:41Z")
The plant is Solenostemon canis. ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/12 "2001-10-18T15:16:28Z")
I’ve heard that a more effective method is to sprinkle ground hot pepper around the region, as the kitties don’t like it. I know that my cat would be intrigued by a bottle filled with water rather than repelled—he’s always tipping over my glasses of water as he seems to like watching the water slosh around when he bats at the glass. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/13 "2001-10-18T15:37:32Z")
Ha! A cat? Scared of a what?.. Water bottle?! What a pussy. \ ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-scared-of-a-water-bottle/87898/14 "2001-10-18T19:48:39Z")
I can’t believe that any self-respecting cat would be scared of a water bottle. One of our cats is actually attracted to water bottles. We have four cats, so we thought it would be a good idea to get a couple of those pet water dispensers, so they could always have fresh water. But our tabby thinks they’re toys, and insists on trying to knock the inverted water bottle over. He usually succeeds.