Need Suggestions to Deter Stray Cat

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

We live on 1/2 acre, so not a huge lot. Have always had feral cats that pass through the back, which is fine, they just keep going and avoid human contact. But there is a new guy who seems not so scared of people, and has become ever more bold. i've caught him several times sitting behind our main pen peeking through the tarps. He seems to travel over the front fence then through to the back yard and visa versa. i yell at him when i see him and me scampers off. This morning he was right outside our patio, in between two pens. He's never been that close before. He can't get into the pens, but having silkies, they can get startled and fly and hit their heads, which would probably kill them.

So i need suggestions. i don't want to kill him. i am reserving trapping him and taking him to Animal Control as a last resort (which would be a death sentence). i can't use those motion-activated water sprayers in the back, as we have some Nigerian Dwarf goats who would end up getting soaked. Can't use electric fencing for the same reason.

Since he travels the fence, i'm wondering if there is something that can be tacked to the fence that would prevent him from sitting on it or walking on it - something other than shards of glass. i'm trying to be humane, as i love cats (i have my own who live safely inside my house).

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[PitterPaws]

We once had Raccoons in our attic so we had to get animal control out to trap them. Well a Cat got trapped in the trap instead so when he came back to release the Cat he shook the cage violently, I was shocked and he said that way the cat will never come back. And it worked! I never saw that cat again.

 

[Dar]

A BIG dog?..lol (sorry)

I have used moth balls with success
In canada we have this product called Cridder ridder I dont know if you can get it in the states but its basically REALLY strong black pepper
there is also a spray that we got for the bedroom door frames that you spray it on and they dont like the smell and wont go near it.. (bought it but have not sprayed it yet I'll keep you posted)

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i was going to mention that i'm not emotionally prepared to add a dog to our menagerie.

i know that would be a great deterrent. None of the cats that pass through are afraid of our goats.

i've used a product called "Shake Away" before, which is predator urine, like coyote, cougar, etc. It really stinks and it never worked in the past.

PitterPaws, that sounds like an option if i go the route of trapping. i did have another cat that was creeping into our space last year. He came within inches of killing some showgirls i had free-ranging right in front of me. i got my hose and sprayed him. . . followed him and kept spraying, and even sprayed him once he cleared the fence. He hasn't been back. i have hesitated doing that to this cat, since the weather had been so cold, and i didn't want to kill him. But it's warming up a bit, so might be an option, if i can be fast enough.

 

[SteveH]

While I don"t understand why the Nigerian goats should not learn to respect the fence and not be reaching over it , I also see no mention of the type of fencing around your perimeter so don't know if a hotwire would be effective anyway . You can run a wire around the top with short sections of PVC pipe over it ; say 1/2 inch diameter over the wire and short sections of 1 inch over that . It makes an unstable surface that rolls when critters attempt to walk or stand on it . Cutting the outer pipe into fairly short , 1 to 2 foot lengths will increase the instability as a surface that can be walked on .

 

[SurprisingWoman]

Chickens do not get the heat from the capzasin from peppers but mammals do.

!. Use a haveahart (?) and take them to the shelter.

2. Use cayanne and red pepper like a big "dog" to let them know they are not welcome.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:
We don't have an electric fence at the moment, i was just imaging my poor little goats getting shocked by it. Plus, the way i have my pens configured, it wouldn't really work.

We have our pens right up against the back of our house, off our patio. The area between the pens and the back of the yard has fencing (to keep the goats off the spa on our patio). This cat travels the fence along the side then jumps down into this area. The fence is a good neighbor fence.

i LOVE your idea! i can see where the cat couldn't get a foothold with spinning pvc pipes. i don't want to hurt the guy, i just need him to stay in the back of the yard.