Cats on vehicles HELP ASAP

**lv4dogs** · 09-09-2005, 12:55 PM

I know that like every other post of mine is always asking for help. I'm sorry & do try to post more pics & happy posts but time is so limited. My life has been so very hectic. I thought it would calm down by now but it has only gotten worse. I promise as soon as things calm down I'll bombard you with pics & the such!

My Emergancy:
As you know I have 2 cats, Meko & Tiki. They are indoor/outdoor cats. They both like to lay on top of vehicles, Meko more so that Tiki. Even though I don't mind them on my cars I have always still tried to keep them off. I got them to be up there less but they still sometimes get up on vehicles.

My neighbor got a brand new truck and knows that my cats like to lay on vehicles sometimes. He warned me that if he ever catches a caat, doesn't matter what cat or whos cat, on his truck that he will kill it. And believe me he will.
Now I have NEVER seen my cats on anyone elses vehicle, don't ya know it just 2 nights I caught Meko on his truck.

Luckily he didn't see her up there & she left no scratches. And I didn't tell on her either.

So I have been trying to keep them inside. Hahhahaha. They have ripped 3 screens so far, 2 of them were that pet scratch/chew resistant screening.
The pet screen won't work & I can't afford to keep all my windows shut. Heck I can't even afford to replace all the screening on all my windows at this moment even if I found something that would work. The a/c costs too much to run in my whole house all the time & I need the fresh air to help with my allergies to the cats. I can't afford to pay for a new paint job on a truck either. And I certainly can't afford to loose one of my beloved kitties.

I offered to buy my neighbor a scat mat or 2 or the like to put on his truck but he says:
A. He does not want anything on his truck
&
B. He shouldn't have to, the cats are not his problem
So I offered to buy him one of those scat noise makers that is supposed to keep animals away, he doesn't want anything on his property, because of his reason B.

I am out of ideas. Does anyone have any suggestions at all?

**ramanth** · 09-09-2005, 01:03 PM

Get an air horn. When you see your cats on your car (or any vehicle), scare them with it.

Cats are creatures of habit. The car is warm and so they lay on it and they have not been deterred from such activity.

If you sound that air horn when they are on it, they'll associate that sound with the car.

Or you can get in the car and lay on that horn.

Or turn the hose on them.

Good luck.

**catmandu** · 09-09-2005, 01:12 PM

THAT,IS A SHAME,THAT YOU LIVE,NEXT,TO BE A MEAN SPIRITED OAF,WHOSE THINKS,THAT MANS CREATIONS,ARE MORE IMPORTANT,THAN GODS CREATURES.
AND I HAVE THE FEELING,THAT IF THIS BOOB TRIED,TO GRAB YOUR CAT,THE BOOB,WOULD GET PRETTY BADLY SCRATCHED UP.
I WILL TRY,THE AIRHORN,JUST IN CASE MR GOOFS BITE,IS WORSE,THAN HIS BARK,AS BUGSBUNNY SAID,WHAT A MARRROOOON!!!

**Sonia59** · 09-09-2005, 01:16 PM

Originally posted by ramanth
Get an air horn. When you see your cats on your car (or any vehicle), scare them with it.

I would think the same, but isn't there a risk that they try another car then?? (may be a stupid idea)

I have no other idea for you. OMG your neighbour is

unfortunately those kind of people exist everywhere in the world! They probably don't like human beings either!

**lv4dogs** · 09-09-2005, 01:20 PM

Although I don't mind cats on my vehicles I have always scared them off when I catch them on them.
Creatures of habit... 2 years of being scared off cars & she still gets on them???
Sometimes she knows she shouldn't be up there & jumps right down as soon as she notices that I notice her up there. Other times she looks at me like "who do you think you are trying to get me off of here".

Meko will lay on cold, wet cars, she doesn't care. I think she just likes to be up & off the ground. I have many other high places she can lay but she chooses the vehicles... well sometimes.

I'll try the air horn thing but I don't know if my neighbors would appreciate that. I willcertainly give it a try, for daytime use only though.

Turning on a hose, great... but what if it is when I catch her on someone elses car? I can't turn on a house (it won't reach anyways) on this guys truck. He'd kill me & her, unless I washed & dried it too. lol

Granted I have only caught her on his truck once & never anyone elses vehicle. I did have to coax her down nice & quietly so the evil neighbor wouldn't notice that she was up there. So if I do catch her on his truck how can I scare her off without the neighbor noticing that she is up there.

**lvpets2002** · 09-09-2005, 01:23 PM

Well if it was me I would turn your babies to be indoors only {as I do mine} however I know it is hard if your babies already know the outdoor world.. I am

on that mean old **%%!!?/ that lives next to you. By the way does he have pets at all or does he just hate cats??

**Logan** · 09-09-2005, 01:27 PM

Sounds like indoor only time to me, too. Sorry that I don't have a better suggestion.

My cats are outdoors, and Butter gets on our cars, and occasionally one neighbor's truck, but they like him, and the fact that he hunts in their yard (gets all the voles), so they have no problem. But, if I thought the threat was out there to "kill" one of mine, I wouldn't hesitate to make them miserable if it saved their life!

Logan

**LaRana** · 09-09-2005, 02:17 PM

Air horn might work, Indoors definitely would work, and I'd also put a surveillance camera on the neighbor's driveway where he parks the car and see what he does with your cat if he ever does "catch your cat" so you can have evidence to go to the police if he ever hurts your babies.

**lv4dogs** · 09-09-2005, 02:35 PM

Thanks guys. I don't have a problem with making my cats miserable & keeping them inside if it means saving their lives, but how can I? They rip through the screens, even screens that are made special to prevent pets from getting through them?
I can not afford much right now. I can't even afford to replace the ones they broke but I have to.

I can't keep the windows shut cause I'm allergic to the cats and my allergies are a lot better with the fresh air. I already have air filters & purifies, one in almost every room.

My neighbor has 2 beagles which he says are hunting dogs. In 2 years I've never seen them leave their little 6'x6' pen, not even to hunt.
They are outside 24/7. He says he brings them inside in carriers when it gets too cold out, I've never seen that either.

He did say numerous times that he likes my cats (before he got the truck) because my cats are always catching mice around our houses. In fact they caught one in his yard this morning.
I think they live in the straw bundles that he keeps & uses for his dog pen. And from his wood piles too.

**CalliesMom** · 09-09-2005, 03:38 PM

That has to be a very difficult situation. I'm not really sure what to suggest, but I hope you can work things out with your neighbor. He HAS NO RIGHT to harm an animal just because it goes on his car; if he does, I would definitely call the police and the Humane Society. Some people just make me so mad...it's a material possession.

**Logan** · 09-09-2005, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by CalliesMom
That has to be a very difficult situation. I'm not really sure what to suggest, but I hope you can work things out with your neighbor. He HAS NO RIGHT to harm an animal just because it goes on his car; if he does, I would definitely call the police and the Humane Society. Some people just make me so mad...it's a material possession.

I agree with you in principle, but most communities have leash laws that apply to cats as well as dogs. Thankfully, my neighbors don't get upset that my cats are outside at times. But others might, especially when they are using flowerbeds for litterboxes and vehicles for warm sleeping spots. It's a fact.

Just be careful, Robyn. Wish I had some better ideas for you. I am so grateful that Butter and Mimi spend most of their outside time in our driveway and yard. Even more than that is spent indoors.

Logan

Logan

**moosmom** · 09-09-2005, 06:30 PM

Oh those men and their toys!!!! You KNOW what they say about a man's BIG truck compensating for their otherwise small (and I do mean small) equipment.

Sounds to me like he hates cats. What a jerk!!!!

May a bazillion birds fly over his truck and let one lose all over is nice new truck and ruin the paint job.

**lv4dogs** · 06-05-2006, 02:21 PM

UPDATE:
I am brining this up again because you guessed it, Meko is at it again, this time Handsome is in on it too.

Between the suggestions yous have posted before and trying to keep her inside she has actually behaved for quite some time, months & months. Then a couple weeks ago she started it again & nothing is working.

Handsome can NOT be an inside only cat, he will pee & poop out of the box, scratches things up, is aggressive to the other animals, etc.. etc..

We are however trying to keep Meko in and are actually doing an ok job at it. She'e VERY good at darting out the door under your feet and there's always a lot of people & pets going in & out, yet we've managed to keep her in for 4-5 consecutive days so far. She is NOT happy. But of course as the weather gets nicer the windows will be more open again. Meko can get out of screens, even the pet-proof ones that I posted about priviously.

I have talked with my neighbor, asked him if I bought a scat mat if he would be willing to put it on his trucks hood. Of course he said no. He said it probably wouldn't work, or it would scratch his truck (I even offered to buy a nice fleece blanket or the like to put under it) and he also said it is not his responsibility to put the mat on his truck every time he parks it. Which I have to admit he is correct on the last one, it is not his responsibility.

Now granted I have not actually caught her up there but he says he has multiple times. I think she was getting up there at night or when I am at work. I can not afford a viceo camera to tape it when I am not there, heck I can not afford much of anything lately.

I am afraid this is my last warning from this guy so this is my last chance. Does anyone have any more/different advice?

If worse comes to worse and I can NOT keep her inside only would it be mean of me to find a home for her? (VERY LAST step of course, she's my heart cat, the cat who got me to like cats). But I honestly do not know what else to do.

**Kfamr** · 06-05-2006, 02:34 PM

Sue,
I know you said you can't afford much but is there anyway you can buy a small outdoor enclosure or make one yourself? With a kitty door leadin to the enclosure so they can go in/out as they please but still be safe??

**lv4dogs** · 06-05-2006, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by Kfamr

Sue,
I know you said you can't afford much but is there anyway you can buy a small outdoor enclosure or make one yourself? With a kitty door leadin to the enclosure so they can go in/out as they please but still be safe??

I am not allowed to up ANY type of fencing what so ever on my property. I own the trailer but rent the land.