Cats on vehicles HELP ASAP

[moosmom]

Don't they have CAR WASHES where that idiot lives???? DUH!!

[lv4dogs]

Thanks a bunch for the ideas. Unfortunately most won't work for me.


Meko is getting out of all the screens EXCEPT the storm door. lol BUT maybe I can find similar screens that lizbud mentioned for my windows. I know I'll be looking for them thats for sure.

And yes the neighbor has always had the dog pen there, way before the new rules came into effect. Although the rules are not that new, they are years old.

I held a ruler up to her last night, with her standing fully errect 1.5' does not give her that much room at all, in fact I think she would even have to kind of have to have her head dunked. AND besides I am unable to bury any fencing either, no matter what the height. I would be afraid Meko would dig right out of the pen. And besides even if she still had a little pen wouldn't she continue to try to escape through the windows and dart out the door?

And YES, ALL of my cats are spayed &/or neutered, no worries there! They are all also UPT on ALL their vaccines and are tested yearly for FIV (they get the leuk vaccine).

moosmom: Yes they do have car washes and I have even offered to wash his truck & buy him car washes. He is not worrried about the dirt or paw prints, he is only worried about the scratches.

I have spoken to behaviorists and vets as well as the humane society & friends & family the last week. I have also done extensive research on this behavior on the net. Basically what I have found out is teaching her to stay off the vehicles is nearly impossible, that is without my neighbors help. In order to teach the cat to stay off you would need a scat mat or the like or watch her 24/7 AND hide and spray her with water. Pretty much she needs to think the car is punishing her and punishes her as SOON as she starts the act. This is a very hard behavior to re-direct.


BUT WHAT DO YOUS THINK OF THIS IDEA?
Soft paws? A friend mentioned it to me this monring and I think it is a great idea EXCEPT I am worried that she would have no protection. Now in the 2.5 years she has been an outside (and inside) cat she has never gotten into a fight and I have never even seen any wildlife (besides birds) nor have I seen any loose dogs or aggressive animals of any kind. But then again you never know.
Would it be worth a shot? Or no? (Even if I do try the soft paws I will continue to do my best to keep her indoors all the time).

[mruffruff]

I don't think the Soft Paws will appease your neighbor. He really just wants the cats off the truck --- period.

I think I'd have to replace my screens with hardware cloth and keep the cats inside. Hardware cloth is actually more like fine woven fencing and cats can't tear it.

Unfortunately this is one of the costs of renting.

Have you seen the KittyWalk Deck and Patio enclosures? They are 19" high by 24" wide and 6 feet long. They can be connected together to make them longer. They are item 9B10788 on the DrsFosterSmith.com wewbsite. You might want to look at them.

Good luck!

[lv4dogs]

Actually my neighbor did say he wouldn't miond them up there as long as they don't scratch his truck, he's said that a few times to me before.

Do you know if the air & breeze go through the hardware cloth just as easily as normal screens?

Thanks for the link, but at $80 a pop thats out of my price range. I just know that Meko would despise such a small enclosure. I'd be better off just keeping on detering her from the outside all together. I'm afraid that even with a little bit of outdoor activity it will just bring out her need to go outside even more.

[mruffruff]

Yes, the air flows through just as well as a regular screen. Ask for it at your local hardware store. They should know what you're looking for.

[lv4dogs]

Yes, the air flows through just as well as a regular screen. Ask for it at your local hardware store. They should know what you're looking for.

Thanks! I hope it's durable. I have tried that expensive screening that is supposed to be claw resisitant and totally pet proof, it didn't work for her.

[pnance]

Sounds like you neighbors a real pain.

MC destroys screens. He went through I think 3 screen doors when living with my mom and then when my brother took him destoyed another at his apartment, not to mention the window screens. Sure enough when I took him he went to work on mine. I didn't have the money to keep replacing screens and in my area outdoor cats are dead cats because of the coyotes. The screen doors (I have 2) I went and bought the metal pet barriers you can attach to screens, the window sills I put double sided tape on which he hates. I also put a scratching post near the back screen door (his favorite screen to destoy) so he could take out his frustration of not getting to the screens on that. In the end the post was shredded but my screens were fine. The metal screen protectors are still on but I no longer keep the double sided tape. A couple of times I've caught him stretching on the screen which I use a squirt bottle for, but for the most part he no longer just tears through them.

I wish I had some suggestions how to keep them away from the truck. I don't know how well they work but don't they have sprays that keep cats away. Maybe you could line your property line and his with that to discourage them from going that way?