# Free roaming cats in my neighborhood

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-roaming-cats-in-my-neighborhood/298965>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 12, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-roaming-cats-in-my-neighborhood/298965 "2005-04-12T14:27:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-roaming-cats-in-my-neighborhood/298965/21 "2005-04-13T17:12:28Z")

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They sell this stuff that stinks to high heaven (I think it’s made with fox piss).  
The smell goes away after application (as far as human noses are concerned).

This keeps our neighbors (and our own) cats from going into our garden.

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**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-roaming-cats-in-my-neighborhood/298965/22 "2005-04-13T17:14:58Z")

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**BwanaBob** ,

Do you remember the name of the stuff or where you bought it from? That sounds like exactly what I am looking for.

How long does it last before you have to reapply it?

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-roaming-cats-in-my-neighborhood/298965/23 "2005-04-14T00:54:51Z")

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[Here’s a site](http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/keepingout.htm) with a bunch of information on repelling cats. I agree with them that cats don’t like citrus. Another thing my cats don’t like is those thick green plastic doormats - mine go out of their way not to walk on one. I personally would lean towards the motion-activated sprinklers - I would like to get some for our front yard to keep the neighbourhood kids off of it. Except they might enjoy it. Hmmm.

If you have a fence, it might discourage cats if you put a row of chicken wire on top of it that leans out at a 45° angle - cats tend to dislike jumping up on something overhanging them.

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**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-roaming-cats-in-my-neighborhood/298965/24 "2005-04-14T16:10:08Z")

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> [@RenMan](#):
>
> You didn’t mention caterwauling. A group of cats used to congregate in my old neighborhood and caterwaul on and on and on, sometimes on my front stoop.
> 
> Once or twice I opened the door and they would all stop and stare guiltily up at me, and then split. They’d always come back…

I think I’ve seen too many cartoons, because that sounds like it’d be a blast!

\*“SWEEEET ADELIIIIIIINE!”

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