Keeping cats off your car...

[Gary_W]

Hi all,

With the exception of a shotgun (which is currently looking attractive ) is there an effective way of keeping next door's cat off my car?

My poor B6 Audi A4 has scratches on the wing where the thing skidded off it a few months ago and there are permanently footprints on it. If ever I catch it on there, I politely shoo it off but it just does not get the message.

Just got a brand new A4. Washed and buffed up at the weekend and sure enough the ****ing thing has been on the new one - a big trail of muddy pawprints. I don't mind the mud and wouldn't get in a huff about it but for the damage I know it caused on the old one - if I see visible scratches on this it isn't going to sit well with me.

No point of raising it with the neighbours as it'll only cause bad feelings (they're nice folks) and what are they going to do about it? Cats aren't exactly known for their listening skills.

Has anyone tried one of those ultrasonic fox scare type boxes? I was thinking of mounting one of these on the wall at bonnet height to try and get the message. Or is there anything else that you folks can think of (barring the tongue in cheek firearms suggestions).

Gary

[MalcQV]

Shoot the **** ing thing.

sorry

[kite]

Shotgun is a bit strong, try a water pistol

[alisonj]

We had a similar problem with the cats on my street - my husband bought a catapult and some cheap toffees after they put scratches on his CLK and Impreza, for some reason they never bothered with my A4 You've never seen a cat run so fast...

We did have some luck with the B&Q sonic type of repeller that has a PIR and makes a high pitched sound when the cat breaks the beam. Unfortunately, one of the older cats was hard of hearing and just ignored it - we also found that they learned where they could walk without setting off the beams.

We've since done very well with the sonic devices made by Gardman. You put them about 7ft up in the air and they blanket the area with noise all of the time (which humans can't hear but cats really dislike). We've got three of them set up just to make sure they don't sneak past.

I also had to use cat repellant pellets on the garden etc. so they'd use someone else's garden. All in all, you have to make it more attractive for them to go somewhere else.

I wouldn't say the problem has gone away but it's a lot better. My husband still prefers the catapult approach...

[RickT]

The best way is to get a water pistol, evertime you see it on there wet it, if you do it enough it will learn not to go on there.

That way the cat stays happy, keeps the neighbours happy and you too..

Or.... just go put loads of CATNIP on another neighbours to attract the cat their!!

Rick

[JSH]

Try some cat food with some chilli seeds hidden in the meat
Had trouble with a cat ****ing in our garden, it didnt know what hit it
did the trick though!

John

[kenney]

Get yourself an alsatian

[S3pallas]

have you tried kicking it or locking it in there wheelie bin lol... even better build a garage or even better still just go clim on next doors car and jumo on the bonnet and when they come out shout how the f**k do you like it that works ¬!!!

or bleech in a water pistol "joke" or is it lol .....am, not evil if thats what ya thinking just hate cats on cars

[Gary_W]

Many thanks for all the posts, folks. Many helpful and many entertaining and I need a bit of both

It's been on there again.... it seems that the boot of my A4 is part of it's regular walkway back to its house. I have no idea how it's feet get so muddy before it jumps on. Feel like shouting 'this is a brand new Audi, now wipe your ****ing feet!!!'.

I think I'll have to go the ultrasonic route as (barring hot summer days where it's sunbathing) I rarely see it there to squirt it with the water pistol... Unless I sit up all night watching for it then I'll not catch it. What I also noticed online were some PIR detector type things that you rig up to a hosepipe and they do actually squirt it with water to deter cats. Seems like a reasonable idea, but it might also catch pedestrians walking on the footpath at the bottom of the front garden so perhaps not practical.

If ultrasonic devices don't work, a bear trap on the boot seems like a good plan B.

Gary

[Gary_W]

Just ordered one of these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo2uBdFvPgQ

plus a couple of re-chargeable 9v batteries. I live in hope that it works. Shame to have to spend £25 (that's inc. the battery costs, I don't do throwaway batteries) to solve a problem that's not of my making but such is life. As I say, the neighbours are nice folks and I want to solve the issue without causing a fuss.

And, short of violence of the kind suggested in this thread, what could they do about it?

I live in hope it gets here for the weekend as my order of loads of car care stuff has just turned up and I need to get get busy with the polishy things. It's be nice if it didn't spoil all my work