WWYD Neighbors cat clawing our screen door?

[Tap]

There is a new cat in our neighborhood. I don't know where he belongs but he has made my back porch his home. DD11 is in love with him and since we don't allow pets, feels it is her lucky day as she gets to love on a cat...but not be the 'owner' per se. She has a bed set up inside a tent and checks on him constantly. I haven't really cared until today when I found him scratching my screen door. This will not do!

 

The reason we don't have pets is that we do not want the responsibility of pets. Even an outdoor cat requires care and I am not willing to pay for vets, foods, and general upkeep like flea treatments. While we aren't responsible for him, I am just stating that we are not willing to get another for her to love on instead.

 

The cat has county tags and 'pet recovery tags' so I am going to call tomorrow to make sure he is not lost. I doubt that he is. He is white, collared and not mangy. He will eat anything my dd offers him though and is at our house most of every day, so I could see it being possible. I expect to be told that he belongs to someone in my neighborhood.

 

If he does live in my neighborhood, and thus won't be going home, what can I do to keep him from scratching my screen door?

[Joanne]

Keep a spray bottle of water at the door and when you do "catch" him clawing, spray him.

[Amber in AUS]

I was going to say the same, water pistol, hose, water generally does the trick. You could also put pepper across the doorway. I have heard it will keep cats and dogs out of areas, we did it with our beagle with limited success years ago but it certainly didn't hurt her.

[Denisemomof4]

oh, you fed the cat. Did you also name it? ;) It's always going to come around now!

 

I've had one of my cats for years now. She showed up here and never left. She's an absolute DEAR and I ADORE her. Recently, though, she's trained us to let her out because she's clawing at the rug by my front door, one I *LOVE* and it wasn't cheap! Then she's trained us to let her back in by scratching the front door. In and out and in and out All Day Long, sometimes minutes apart. But I don't want my newly painted door scratched, and I don't want my rug clawed.

 

Then I got the squirter bottle out. Because I have nothing better to do with my time, I spent two days at the door. I'd crack the door and squirt her when she scratched the door, and after two days she stopped. :001_smile: I need to have that bottle ready for when she's clawing at the rug now. The stop scratching spray? Useless.

[OnTheBrink]

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some latex screening for the door. It's especially for pets, so when they claw it, it stretches and then goes back to it's original shape. I think that solution is probably the easiest and won't require you to be on the look out for when the cat comes so you can squirt it.

[Tap]

oh, you fed the cat. Did you also name it? ;) It's always going to come around now!

 

I've had one of my cats for years now. She showed up here and never left. She's an absolute DEAR and I ADORE her. Recently, though, she's trained us to let her out because she's clawing at the rug by my front door, one I *LOVE* and it wasn't cheap! Then she's trained us to let her back in by scratching the front door. In and out and in and out All Day Long, sometimes minutes apart. But I don't want my newly painted door scratched, and I don't want my rug clawed.

 

Then I got the squirter bottle out. Because I have nothing better to do with my time, I spent two days at the door. I'd crack the door and squirt her when she scratched the door, and after two days she stopped. :001_smile: I need to have that bottle ready for when she's clawing at the rug now. The stop scratching spray? Useless.

 

Yes, dd had been feeding it before I realized it. LOL I didn't figure it out until she was taking a biscuit out to it. She then proudly proclaimed how much the kitty LOOOVES my biscuits. The damage was already done by that point.

 

I guess I will have to try the squirt bottle. ugggh. Two days huh!? I hope that is all it takes.

[Tap]

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some latex screening for the door. It's especially for pets, so when they claw it, it stretches and then goes back to it's original shape. I think that solution is probably the easiest and won't require you to be on the look out for when the cat comes so you can squirt it.

 

Hmmm. I will have to check into that. I hate to rescreen a perfect door....but I expect it won't be perfect for long with him around.

[Tap]

Keep a spray bottle of water at the door and when you do "catch" him clawing, spray him.

 

I was going to say the same, water pistol, hose, water generally does the trick.

 

 

Then I got the squirter bottle out.

 

 

Okay, guess I will load a super soaker. :D

Edited June 7, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap

[Ellie]

Yup. That spray bottle will cure him right quick. You just have to be sure to have the sprayer set on a jet stream, KWIM?

[Tap]

Yup. That spray bottle will cure him right quick. You just have to be sure to have the sprayer set on a jet stream, KWIM?

 

Jet stream :lol: I am thinking I will grab the super soaker with the water filled back pack! I'm talking a gallon every 2-3 seconds LOLOLOLOL INsert evil laugh here.

[Debora R]

Cats don't like certain scents....bitter apple, and citrus, I think are a couple of them. So you could lightly wipe the screen with an essential oil, that might be a deterrent. You could also rig something to make a loud noise when the cat starts scratching at the screen. That should make an impression.

[Amber in AUS]

Hehehe, i was going to suggest super soaker, go for it :D

[Baseball mom]

Your dd won't find this amusing but my kiddos did.

 

When this cat decided our porch was it's new home. I tried to run it off with a spray bottle. Didn't work, he just came right back.

 

So dh being who he is went and got out a couple fire crackers. Calmly walked out the front door. The cat was contently sitting in dh's chair. Dh lit the fire cracker and tossed it.

 

BANG.

 

Cat took off like a rocket.

 

A little later cat was back. Dh did the same thing. Cat took off and hasn't been back.

 

Yes my kiddos and the neighbor thought this was :lol::lol::lol:

[Rosie_0801]

I was going to say the same, water pistol, hose, water generally does the trick. QUOTE]

 

 

Then I got the squirter bottle out. QUOTE]

 

 

Okay, guess I will load a super soaker. :D

 

 

(ETA Hmmm don't know why it formatted that way.)

 

I can answer that one :D To end a quote, you need "[/Q U O T E]" (without the spaces, of course) and the quotes in your post were missing the [/

 

As for the cat, how about a few potted plants by the back door? Apparently they don't like lavender, rue or pennyroyal.

 

:)

Rosie

Edited June 7, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[Tap]

I was going to say the same, water pistol, hose, water generally does the trick. QUOTE]

 

 

 

I can answer that one :D To end a quote, you need "[/Q U O T E]" (without the spaces, of course) and the quotes in your post were missing the [/

 

As for the cat, how about a few potted plants by the back door? Apparently they don't like lavender, rue or pennyroyal.

 

:)

Rosie

 

I went back and fixed it. Thanks. It was odd because I used the multi-quote. I haven't had to fix errors on built-in functions before. You were right, that was all it was. :D

[asta]

Cats come to where they are needed most (as they are certainly capable of meeting their own needs without people).

 

Sometimes it takes the people a while to figure out what that need is.

 

Good luck.

 

;)

 

 

a

[ereks mom]

Keep a spray bottle of water at the door and when you do "catch" him clawing, spray him.

 

:iagree:

[Giraffe]

I have a cat who is unfazed by spray bottles. Just glares at you and resumes whatever undesired activity he was up to. So we resorted to lemon juice, lemon peels, etc. Cats HATE citrus. Rub the screen with it, leave peels around the door, AND spray it with a water pistol/super soaker.

 

And look at a metal screen for your door.

 

Good luck!

[CalicoKat]

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some latex screening for the door. It's especially for pets, so when they claw it, it stretches and then goes back to it's original shape. I think that solution is probably the easiest and won't require you to be on the look out for when the cat comes so you can squirt it.

does this work for kids too? I have a huge hole in my screen from the kids. :rolleyes:

[unsinkable]

I'm in the water bottle camp

[Teachin'Mine]

Maybe if you find out who owns him your dd could go with you and talk with the cat's owners. They may be happy to give her permission to play with the cat on their property. Not so sure this would solve the screen problem at all, but it might make your dd happy. :)

 

Also, don't be surprised if dd thinks you're being positively cruel for squirting the cat. We've been using squirt bottles for two years and have yet to train two of our cats. The ones who are easily trained - aka smart - just need to see the bottle to stop what they're doing. One of them looks at us and waits - not just for us to squeeze the trigger - for the water to actually hit. He'll do the same thing two minutes later. :tongue_smilie: