Gifts from a neighborhood cat

[Lenny]

The last 2 mornings I found a little package on the top step of my IG pool.

Looks about "cat size". I'm concerned that I this is some territorial thing and that I can look forward to many repeat performances.

Anyone experience something like this? If it continues, I'm wondering if there's anything I can do like put up an infrared sensor light to scare it away??

[CarlD]

Try a big dog! Was it IN the water? If so, you need to shock the pool to clear it out.

The smell of chloramines should put the kitty off too. A dilute bleach solution all around the area he left his "present" may put him off too.

Boy, are cats pains in the neck! I oughta know--we have two--had 3 but the old guy passed at 21 a couple of months ago. We've lost a couple over the years, but always seem to have at least two in the house... On the good side, they are always adoptees who need homes.

[Wayne LaBanca]

We used to sprinkle ammonia around the garbage to keep cats and racoons out. That may do the trick.

[NWMNMom]

My guess is maybe not even a cat but a racoon. Cats tend not to do their business in water, but like to bury it - racoons on the other hand will often stop by waters edge to wash a food item or their front paws, and will leave a calling card right there where they washed up! Their droppings look just like cat droppings. We have Koi ponds and when our dog was ill and layed up, the racoons moved in, tried to help themselves and left calling cards right there at the edge of the ponds.

[sevver]

Nothing that a high powered rifle and a little patience won't take care of.

Kidding though, we have adopted a female cat, and whenever it is not pregnant, our yard is festooned with male cats spraying and menacing the cat, and also fighting with one another. Cats, are without a doubt a severe pain in the butt. I have a slingshot, and superballs for ammo, but I have yet to hit one, I am a terrible aim. Not that I would want to hurt it, they haven't been around lately, I think they are scared away. But I also would guess that it is not a cat doing the duty like that, they bury there doodoo. Mine does it in the mulch, and on occasion in the grass, although not much lately, because whenever I see it, it gets a cup of water thrown on it, so the mulch is fine with me, just not the grass.

[Lenny]

Well, now it's 3 days in a row. Yeah, it's in the water but in a spot where an animal could make it happen without getting wet.

I was thinking this was happening at night but apparently not. I left the house at 9am this morning and there was nothing. I came back a couple of hours later and....

I have an indoor cat and I see cats outside all the time trying to torment him so I was thinking it's another cat. No way to tell, though, unless I can witness the act.

Yikes. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

[sailork]

I've had several "cat sized" droppings left around my pool. Luckily they've never been IN the pool. I was convinced the nieghbors little dog was getting in through a hole in the fence (that I could never find.) But then one night I saw a cat sized possum running along the top rail of my fence. Now I see him virtually every night I swim after dark. He hisses at me when I throw empty bleach bottles at him.

As I was writing this it occured to me that it may very well be a cat. You can buy a kit that will train a cat to use a toilet;

http://www.citikitty.com/

Heck, the cats in the pictures would have no trouble making a little deposit in the pool.