On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 11:39:07 -0000, "Chris Burns"
wrote:

p.s. I wouldn't actually hurt any animal but this cat thing is really
starting to get on my nerves (and up my nose, it really stinks). I can
understand that we (gardeners) often have to spend time and money
protecting our plants from natural pests etc but why should we have to
spend ANY time or money protecting ourselves from someone else's
'pet'?

Hi Tim

I'm sensing we've had a similar time of it lately :-)

It's funny (well it's not really) how people can be allowed to have
something, a 'pet', that can be allowed to just do what it likes,
where it likes and we (the innocent victims) have no comeback?

I've had a cat (well I assume so) crapping on my front lawn but have managed
to stop it by sloshing ordinary household vinegar around the 'target' area.

If it was the cat owners kid doing it you could get an ASBO slapped on
them!

Every few days seems to do the trick in my experience. Obviously don't
slosh it on the grass itself or it'll scorch it but if you put in on
surrounding paths, drain covers etc, it should work with any luck.

If it was on the hard standing I'd have a chance of seeing it and even
cleaning it up. In this longish winter grass it's nearly impossible to
deal with.

BTW I agree with the cat tax idea. a 2 litre container of vinegar every
month is not much, but it's more money (and effort spent) than I should have
to be using!!

Well exactly.

I know (and am friendly with) one of the cat owners and before I even
said anything he's given me permission to shew his cat off my
property. In the same way that the parents of some local kids gave me
permission to tell their kids off if they used my house as a football
goal. How about *they* educated their kids not to do so, ever?

I've ordered one of those auto sprinkler thingies (£18 delivered and
easy to install for me in this location etc) and I'll see how well it
works. If it doesn't work well enough I'll set it to squirt liquid
fertilizer (good for our grass g) and then the cat owner may decide
to keep their own 'pet' under control in future!

Stage 3 being a humane trap and a midnight drive to the country ..
weg

All the best ..

T i m