Looking for advice on cat replellant

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chaz_p77

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Hoping for some advice. A house in our neighbourhood got some kittens last summer. They showed an interest in our piggies when they were in their run outside so we upped our supervision and squirted the kittens with water if they came near.

Over the last month or so they’ve started showing a really unhealthy interest in our pigs. Our pigs are indoor over the winter and the cats have been sitting on the wall outside staring at them.

Yesterday my partner had the back door open for pretty much the first time this year. He popped into the room our piggies are in to discover the cat sitting IN the cage. Piggies are fine. Partner is mortified and obviously we’re putting the lid down from now on.

The cheeky pest had to walk through 3 rooms to get to the pigs.
Anyone got any tips on repelling cats?!
And clearly we’ve got to rethink our summer arrangement because we can’t have the pigs in an uncovered run at all anymore.
 

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Regardless of whether you've got cats in the neighbourhood, you need to ensure that the guinea pigs are safely secured at all times! This is indoors and outdoors. You can't blame the cats! I have a cat, who is actually really protective of the piggies, here at TEAS! I would never leave her with unsupervised access to them, but to be completely honest, she seems pretty oblivious of them, most of the time! The only time she shows an interest is when another cat comes into the garden and she chases them off, as they aren't allowed near her piggies! 🙂
 
I’ve never had a cat in my house ...... maybe it’s because I don’t leave downstairs doors and windows open fully ....even in Summer .

Why did you leave the cage lid up?
 
I may be a bit out of place and voicing the unpopular opinion here, but I have two cats in the household who are farm cats. I've got a heavy duty lid, there's little space for them to jump up by the cage, and I added netting around the cage to make sure they can't poke their paws through the grids. It's important to make sure that you're doing as much physical cat proofing as possible to begin with, especially now that you know they're brave enough to waltz into your home. For sure get lids for everything, and find a way to secure them down as well. Cats are crafty.

Due to similar concerns though, I've looked into cat repellants myself. There are sprays and tapes used for anti-scratching that you can put around entrances. If they're jumping over a fence or on top of something, tape can be especially useful. That's how we kept a particularly nasty stray out of our yard before, putting tape on top of the fence he used to jump up. That and shooing the aggressive thing with a broom. He attacked our old cat and hospitalized her. 😰

In the U.S., there are also sprays for warding off raccoons that can be used to repel cats as well. As far as I know they aren't harmful(just disgusting to cats and critters), but I'd be careful where you spray it and where you put your piggies if you use it outdoors.

That's about all the advice I've got though. I know cats, especially young and more wild ones, can be so persistent about hunting it can cause stress for all parties involved, piggies included. I hope you find a solution that works for you and your neighbour's kittens!
 
Mikknu, thank you for the tips - I’ll explore some of the options you recommend.

In response to the other posts, we keep the lid up out of habit - it makes it easy for us to get to the piggies and top up hay, food, pellets etc. Before now there’s never been a reason not to. We’re not going to from now on if we have the back door open.My partner just didn’t expect a cat who’s never been in our house before to come right into the house, through the kitchen, through the hallway, into the playroom and up and into the guinea pig cage!

I’m keen to explore cat repellants because I don’t want strange cats coming into my house, regardless whether they’re looking for the pigs or not!
 
chaz_p77 said:
Hoping for some advice. A house in our neighbourhood got some kittens last summer. They showed an interest in our piggies when they were in their run outside so we upped our supervision and squirted the kittens with water if they came near.

Over the last month or so they’ve started showing a really unhealthy interest in our pigs. Our pigs are indoor over the winter and the cats have been sitting on the wall outside staring at them.

Yesterday my partner had the back door open for pretty much the first time this year. He popped into the room our piggies are in to discover the cat sitting IN the cage. Piggies are fine. Partner is mortified and obviously we’re putting the lid down from now on.

The cheeky pest had to walk through 3 rooms to get to the pigs.
Anyone got any tips on repelling cats?!
And clearly we’ve got to rethink our summer arrangement because we can’t have the pigs in an uncovered run at all anymore.
Click to expand...
Sorry to all the cat owners here, but your pics make me feel sooo mad 😡 (at the annoying `thinks he can go anywhere cat`)
 
chaz_p77 said:
Mikknu, thank you for the tips - I’ll explore some of the options you recommend.

In response to the other posts, we keep the lid up out of habit - it makes it easy for us to get to the piggies and top up hay, food, pellets etc. Before now there’s never been a reason not to. We’re not going to from now on if we have the back door open.My partner just didn’t expect a cat who’s never been in our house before to come right into the house, through the kitchen, through the hallway, into the playroom and up and into the guinea pig cage!

I’m keen to explore cat repellants because I don’t want strange cats coming into my house, regardless whether they’re looking for the pigs or not!
Click to expand...
Cats can smell 'food' from a mile away, no matter what they have to do to get there!
 
I leave my guinea pigs’ hutch lid open during the day, gets them some light and they love to speak to everyone as they pass by
The hutch is indoors
 
There's quite a few almost feral cats that live around me. I feel sad for them; why have a cat and then make it live outside all year round?! I've phoned the RSPCA about a couple over the years. One or two try and come in the house too.
I've tried everything in the garden to try and keep them out and they just laugh at me! I've given up now as it wasn't worth the stress but I always make sure I shut the back door when I go outside. (My guinea pigs live in a C&C cage in the house).

One point I would make is that you shouldn't get those ultrasonic cat repellants as I read that guinea pigs can hear that noise too, and obviously as they're in their cage, they can't get away from it

Good luck!
 
In our last house, the neighbour's cat used to come in and go into attack stance at the piggies. I never had the back door open unguarded after that and was obsessive telling everyone to shut the doors promptly on coming in, to stop the cat sneaking in. I like them being easy to pat in the open top c and c, so I'd rather be vigilant about the doors.
 
Ultrasonic machine works. I have 2.

Battery operated. Facing away from pig shed. Pigs aren't bothered...I tested it.

Our garden was the local cat playground when we moved it....not anymore...it's a haven, get the odd one that tries to cross the path but I've put every deterrent in possible and the machine works every time.

Soon the birds will return and help spread seeds and pollen etc. for other wildlife to enjoy.
 
I found the plastic sticks which smell of citrus also work really well. That and a good water gun! I also put spikes on top of the fence but the cat next door took great delight is demonstrating how they did not bother her one iota!

My main issues have been outside with magpies in the summer who wanted to get right up close and personal to my piggies through wire sides of the run (lid is ALWAYS ON) cheeky monkeys were about to peck at them through the cage. Now they really are nasty.
 
We keep our back door closed in the summer as we had a neighbours cat who liked to come and visit, she was the best deterrant for the 20 plus cats that used to use our garden as a super highway and toilet before she adopted me. I also had 2 of the electronic devises, they didn't work on all cats but most didn't like them. I positioned them far enough away from the runs that they didn't bother the piggies, they were more for stopping the cats using my veg patch as a toilet than going near the piggies though. My out door runs are very sturdy and have heavy lids but I still don't have the piggies outside unless one of us is out there as well, I wouldn't risk it. Sadly my little visitor has moved so we will have to see what happens this summer, I could be adopting another little friend!
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Priya is guardian of the guinea pigs! She’s the best deterrent for other cats! They daren't go anywhere near the piggies, as Priya guards them!

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She's lovely towards guinea pigs, she looked at bernie and just walked off. She was just saying I need to see who this new pig is and then went on her way. Shame she's not the same with my arm 🤣

Debbie, I think Priya can see you love the Guinea pigs and knows she should aswell
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
She's lovely towards guinea pigs, she looked at bernie and just walked off. She was just saying I need to see who this new pig is and then went on her way. Shame she's not the same with my arm 🤣
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She's a little monkey towards humans! I think she worries that they have come to take her piggies away. I once had a guy come to collect his daughter's guinea pigs, who had been here for boarding. Priya eyed him very suspiciously, as she had never seen him before. I went to collect their carrier and he opened the run and reached in to pick up the first piggy. Priya pounced on his back, because she thought he was trying to take them!
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Debbie, I think Priya can see you love the Guinea pigs and knows she should aswell
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I agree with that @SkyPipDotBernie my own experience when I had cats made me believe this. Mine would guard the piggies, hamsters and garden birds which we fed. I would still never leave a cat alone with prey animals and was always careful to keep cages locked shut with extra catches. I had friends who had similar experiences with their cats as well.
 
When I am syringe feeding poorly piggies, she comes and cuddles up on my lap with them too! I'm glad she accepts them and clearly cares about them, as if she didn't, I wouldn't be running TEAS! I love the piggies dearly, but Priya is my very special girl and she's so good at sharing me with the piggies!
 
Our old springer spaniel used to let my old rats sit on his back and go for a ride, I was careful he didn't try and bite, but he clearly didn't care they were there. 🙂

I don't advise anyone does this, I was a little kid then
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
It was taken not long before he died. He never seemed to age! He was 10 1/2 when he died.
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He looked so fit and healthy! I had the same Rabbit years ago,( jake) he lived to about 7, but wasn't cared for brilliantly because of lack of knowledge. He did used to go out on the grass quite a bit, but lived alone and in a fairly small hutch

Do you remember the pet shop opposite the fish market? Right next to where subway is now ( sandwich shop)
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
He looked so fit and healthy! I had the same Rabbit years ago,( jake) he lived to about 7, but wasn't cared for brilliantly because of lack of knowledge. He did used to go out on the grass quite a bit, but lived alone and in a fairly small hutch

Do you remember the pet shop opposite the fish market? Right next to where subway is now ( sandwich shop)
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How long ago was that? I’ve only been in Northampton for 10 years. Mr T had a wife who looked just like him!
 
Mr T and his wife were so alike they looked like they were related! Mr T didn't ever seem to age but he had an amazing life so not surprising!
 
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