Outdoor Environment
The area surrounding your home is naturally inviting to feral cats. Garbage bins filled with food scraps, dry covered porches, and warm crawl spaces are all very attractive as these cats hunt for food and shelter. If feral cats come across friendly children or domesticated animals during their hunt, they could lash out and transfer serious diseases to other pets.
A vital first step to protect your home is ensuring all entrances to porches and crawl spaces are sealed. If you have pet doors, use those with smart technology embedded in collars to ensure feral cats do not sneak in unseen.
The next step is only putting out your garbage bin on collection days, and keeping it in a garage or enclosed shelter at other times. By removing opportunities for food and shelter, you will attract fewer feral cats.
Local Humane Society
Many counties and cities have humane societies that provide no-cost spay and neuter services for feral cats. These organizations rely on volunteers to trap the cats, bring them to the shelter for the surgery, and then release them back into the wild. Feral female cats can have large litters and birth as many as 50 to 150 kittens in their lifetime. Feral male cats can be extremely hostile and territorial, causing issues with other feral cats or domesticated pets in the neighborhood.
If you are experiencing issues with large numbers of feral cats, taking them to a humane society for sterilization and release is a safe and humane way to naturally reduce the population of feral cats over time.
Should you bring in a cat that has already been spayed or neutered, it is possible that this animal may have been a domestic pet at some point in its life. Humane shelters are in the best position to advise if it is possible to rehome a cat, but in most cases, feral cats will be returned to their previous habitat.
Protective Barriers
There are a number of barriers that can be installed around your home to protect your family and pets from feral cats. Cats generally do not like to be wet, and a sprinkler system can help deter animals from entering your home at certain times of day. If your pets or children are playing outdoors, this could be a good time to run a sprinkler system or keep a garden hose handy.
However, you probably do not want to run water constantly. Making changes to your landscape can be another great natural deterrent for animals. Cover your flower bed with chicken wire before planting (your shrubs will naturally adapt!) or use pebbles and flat pavers in your landscaping. This eliminates soft dirt or mulch, which feral cats love to use as a toilet.
Another safe, humane, and effective option is to use animal repellent sprays. These smells replicate the scent of predators, but they must be reapplied frequently especially after rain or snow.
Similarly, predator simulation light systems can also mimic the presence of predators in your yard to help keep feral cats at bay. Nite Guard’s predator lights use solar-powered energy to display timed flashes of a light, which looks like the reflecting eyes of a predatory creature. Unlike water or sprays, this system can be implemented with little to no time or maintenance required after it is installed. To learn more about how Nite Guard helps humanely keep feral cats and other unwelcome animals away from your home, visit www.niteguard.com.
Consult the Experts
The team at Nite Guard has decades of experience keeping unwanted animals away from your home, garden, or farm. This system is proven against feral cats, and it also can deter other forms of wildlife predators or even human intruders. If you would like to consult their experts and purchase a home protection system that meets your needs, call 1-800-328-6647 or send us an email.