ᐅ Cat droppings or wildlife scat? Warning: image of animal droppings!
Created on: 10 Jul 2018 13:03
A
andimann
Hello everyone,
(Hope I don’t get banned right away for posting a bunch of crap…)
Some animal is leaving a pile of droppings on our lawn almost every night, strangely always in almost the same spot (plus or minus 2 m (6.5 ft)). At first, I suspected the neighbor’s cat, but the pile seems too large for a cat, right? Also, don’t cats usually go into garden beds rather than right in the middle of the lawn?
Question: Can anyone tell me if this could still be cat droppings? If so, I guess a conversation with the neighbors is due.
I’m getting tired of cleaning it up every morning, and even more worried that my kids might step in it while playing or that my son might try to taste it. My nephew once caught worms that way, which was quite unpleasant. That really shouldn’t happen.
And if it’s something else: what could it be and, above all, how do I get rid of it?
Barbed wire, spring-loaded traps, anti-aircraft guns, nuclear bomb?
Best regards,
Andreas
(Hope I don’t get banned right away for posting a bunch of crap…)
Some animal is leaving a pile of droppings on our lawn almost every night, strangely always in almost the same spot (plus or minus 2 m (6.5 ft)). At first, I suspected the neighbor’s cat, but the pile seems too large for a cat, right? Also, don’t cats usually go into garden beds rather than right in the middle of the lawn?
Question: Can anyone tell me if this could still be cat droppings? If so, I guess a conversation with the neighbors is due.
I’m getting tired of cleaning it up every morning, and even more worried that my kids might step in it while playing or that my son might try to taste it. My nephew once caught worms that way, which was quite unpleasant. That really shouldn’t happen.
And if it’s something else: what could it be and, above all, how do I get rid of it?
Barbed wire, spring-loaded traps, anti-aircraft guns, nuclear bomb?
Best regards,
Andreas
kaho674 schrieb:
I am not aware that a cat owner must prevent their outdoor cat from entering other people’s properties. How would that even work?
!Hello kaho74
It’s like with everything that belongs to me: I am responsible for it.
Whether it’s a dog or a cat entering my garden—I don’t want that. If you can’t train your cat not to do that, that’s not my problem. Just don’t let your cat outside or fence your property so the cat can’t leave it.
It really isn’t a problem. Why do cat owners think differently?
Steven
Steven schrieb:
Hello kaho74
It’s the same with everything I own: I am responsible for it.
Whether a dog or a cat messes in my garden—I don’t want that. If you can’t train your cat not to do that, that’s not my problem. Just don’t let your cat outside or fence your property so the cat can’t leave.
It’s really not a problem. Why do cat owners think differently?
Steven I believe it’s more that people who don’t like cats tend to cling stubbornly to their rights and become very intolerant. Stubborn. Sometimes one half of their brain switches off—the reasonable, far-sighted half. The obstinate “I’m right” attitude takes over and dominates too much.
ypg schrieb:
I believe that people who don’t like cats tend to cling to their rights and become quite intolerant. Stubborn. One half of their brain seems to switch off—the reasonable side, the one with foresight. The obstinate “I am right” attitude takes too much control. Hello ypg
I like cats. And I like dogs.
I grew up with cats as natural regulators of the mouse population.
But back then, you would find where the cat had given birth to her kittens, and if no one wanted a kitten, it would be put down. There were also more natural habitats where lizards and birds could hide. In today’s environment, with the countless number of cats (and dogs) around, wild animals—from lizards and lapwings to young hares—have a hard time escaping the cat as a predator.
What I don’t understand is this: everyone agrees that a dog owner is responsible for their dog and should never allow it to hunt or roam freely.
Cat owners, however, apparently see it as their cat’s right to go outside daily to hunt.
A cat is an animal, just like a dog. Shouldn’t the same rights and responsibilities apply to everyone? Or do you, as a cat owner, see yourself as privileged, where a destructive impact on nature is acceptable for you but not for dog owners?
Steven
Hello,
That’s exactly the kind of discussion I wanted to avoid….
Of course, children have to get some scrapes playing outside; my daughter’s legs sometimes look like she’s been through the Amazon rainforest... Totally fine, and that’s how it should be! Scratched legs are the legs of happy children!
My kids are welcome to eat earthworms, they’re a great protein source. But they don’t like them, even though I’ve offered…
There really aren’t any poisonous plants in our garden right now; that would be pretty foolish with children that age in a newly designed garden. We do have a few plants with thorns, like sea buckthorn.
Serious health risks? Sure, unfortunately that’s true. Do the terms toxoplasmosis or dog tapeworm ring a bell? We’ve dealt with both in the family, partly because the risks weren’t taken seriously beforehand. That’s not something anyone wants to repeat.
You really have to accept wildlife, but even then, there are deterrent measures you can take if you want.
But now, everyone just calm down a bit, first catch the culprit with a photo, then you can calmly decide what to do next.
I haven’t installed a spring gun yet and would rather avoid that…
Maybe just leaving the outdoor lights on at night will be enough.
We’ll see…
Best regards,
Andreas
ypg schrieb:
If you let a child outside, whether in the garden or a public playground – you always have to expect that the child might get stung by something, find broken glass somewhere, or put a tempting object in their mouth. I bet there are far more “dangers” lurking in your garden than from that damn pile. For example, dangerous worms or poisonous plants. Thorns on branches... And if it’s wildlife, there’s nothing you can do anyway.
That’s exactly the kind of discussion I wanted to avoid….
Of course, children have to get some scrapes playing outside; my daughter’s legs sometimes look like she’s been through the Amazon rainforest... Totally fine, and that’s how it should be! Scratched legs are the legs of happy children!
My kids are welcome to eat earthworms, they’re a great protein source. But they don’t like them, even though I’ve offered…
There really aren’t any poisonous plants in our garden right now; that would be pretty foolish with children that age in a newly designed garden. We do have a few plants with thorns, like sea buckthorn.
Serious health risks? Sure, unfortunately that’s true. Do the terms toxoplasmosis or dog tapeworm ring a bell? We’ve dealt with both in the family, partly because the risks weren’t taken seriously beforehand. That’s not something anyone wants to repeat.
You really have to accept wildlife, but even then, there are deterrent measures you can take if you want.
But now, everyone just calm down a bit, first catch the culprit with a photo, then you can calmly decide what to do next.
I haven’t installed a spring gun yet and would rather avoid that…
Maybe just leaving the outdoor lights on at night will be enough.
We’ll see…
Best regards,
Andreas
So, let’s take it step by step.
First of all, I have three cats myself, have spent years training them with clicker training (so I know what you can teach a cat and what you can’t), and I’ve also conducted seminars on cat behavior in the past.
1. You cannot limit a cat’s roaming area. A "sit, stay here" command is very different from opening the door and seeing the cat run off. Even you don’t know what the best-trained cat in the world does when left unattended. The only way to train a fixed roaming radius for a cat is to put a camera and a shock collar on it, and give a correction every time it wanders too far.
The tricky thing about cats (unlike dogs) is that they associate behaviors with situations or people. When you are present, the cat will never jump on the table. When you’re not, it’s a completely different story. Cats are territorial both in terms of time and space.
2. I understand that this annoys you. It would annoy me, too. But unfortunately, defecating/marking in the garden is part of the species-specific behavior of cats. So, legally speaking, any court in Germany would likely just shrug and try to calm you down with a small consolation. That’s the legal situation.
3. Any good neighbor will try to find a solution with you. Unfortunately, free-roaming cats are not always easy to manage. You cannot simply demand a solution.
4. You should definitely avoid excessive scare tactics that border on animal abuse (throwing objects at the animal, electric shock systems, etc.). Courts strongly disapprove of this, and animal cruelty is punishable by heavy fines. Not to mention the huge stress this causes with your neighbor.
5. Saying "Then just keep the cat indoors" is as nonsensical as telling a beekeeper to keep their bees locked in the hive because their buzzing annoys you in the garden or you’re afraid the allergic child might get stung.
6. Fencing the garden so cats cannot get out... I think you wouldn’t like it either if your neighbor turned their property into Fort Knox. A cat-proof fence must be at least 2.50 meters (8 feet) high to be truly secure, plus it needs to meet some other criteria. It doesn’t look great, I can tell you that.
But before the complaints about cat ownership continue, first find out what or who is leaving the mess on your lawn. Then you can take it from there.
First of all, I have three cats myself, have spent years training them with clicker training (so I know what you can teach a cat and what you can’t), and I’ve also conducted seminars on cat behavior in the past.
1. You cannot limit a cat’s roaming area. A "sit, stay here" command is very different from opening the door and seeing the cat run off. Even you don’t know what the best-trained cat in the world does when left unattended. The only way to train a fixed roaming radius for a cat is to put a camera and a shock collar on it, and give a correction every time it wanders too far.
The tricky thing about cats (unlike dogs) is that they associate behaviors with situations or people. When you are present, the cat will never jump on the table. When you’re not, it’s a completely different story. Cats are territorial both in terms of time and space.
2. I understand that this annoys you. It would annoy me, too. But unfortunately, defecating/marking in the garden is part of the species-specific behavior of cats. So, legally speaking, any court in Germany would likely just shrug and try to calm you down with a small consolation. That’s the legal situation.
3. Any good neighbor will try to find a solution with you. Unfortunately, free-roaming cats are not always easy to manage. You cannot simply demand a solution.
4. You should definitely avoid excessive scare tactics that border on animal abuse (throwing objects at the animal, electric shock systems, etc.). Courts strongly disapprove of this, and animal cruelty is punishable by heavy fines. Not to mention the huge stress this causes with your neighbor.
5. Saying "Then just keep the cat indoors" is as nonsensical as telling a beekeeper to keep their bees locked in the hive because their buzzing annoys you in the garden or you’re afraid the allergic child might get stung.
6. Fencing the garden so cats cannot get out... I think you wouldn’t like it either if your neighbor turned their property into Fort Knox. A cat-proof fence must be at least 2.50 meters (8 feet) high to be truly secure, plus it needs to meet some other criteria. It doesn’t look great, I can tell you that.
But before the complaints about cat ownership continue, first find out what or who is leaving the mess on your lawn. Then you can take it from there.
Hello Andreas
Get yourself a trail camera, or try to borrow one. They aren’t very expensive and take decent pictures at night. I have two of these trail cameras in my garden in addition to my video surveillance system. Nearly two years ago in autumn, one of them recorded two people wearing balaclavas behind my patio at 3:30 a.m. My video system "missed" that.
Steven
Get yourself a trail camera, or try to borrow one. They aren’t very expensive and take decent pictures at night. I have two of these trail cameras in my garden in addition to my video surveillance system. Nearly two years ago in autumn, one of them recorded two people wearing balaclavas behind my patio at 3:30 a.m. My video system "missed" that.
Steven
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