I have a cat who protects his territory! Like most cats he will chase other cats out of his yard and this can lead to fights. I was looking for a safe way to break up cat-fights without getting hurt in the process when my mother told me of her "secret weapon".
She buys several of those big squirt guns and keeps one on the front porch and she will get ready to hit one or both of the cats with a long shot of water. In an emergency, this is much faster than turning on the hose and it's safer than getting bitten.
My mother originally bought the long range squirt gun to stop her cat from climbing over her fence. It only took two attempts at escape, and now her cat stays in the yard! Just be sure you let children know this is only an emergency tool and it's only used for the cat's safety. Never tease or be cruel to an animal!
Super Soakers can squirt up to 50 feet and they are a toy made for kids, so they should be safe, but you should still use care to not pump them up very much so they have less pressure; this will increase the safety factor. They cost around $10.
By Cyinda
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Awesome idea! Cat bites can lead to serious infections, and screaming at the cat in the middle of the night can make your neighbors cranky! Thanks for the post.
Water guns also come in handy for my mother .She has about 20 humming bird feeders and the neighbors cats tries to catch the little hummers and eat them.
This would be a great idea if you see a cat relieving itself in your flower or veggie garden too!
I love this! They don't know where the water is coming from, they don't hate you for it. I am thinking this would help with escape artist doggie that like to jump the fence!
Cats that are neutered fight less but still fight. I don't let my cats out. A word of caution about those water guns. Kids have drowned by taking them in swimming pools with the strap around their necks and the guns full of water.
I used a super soaker years ago when we were trying to feed a couple of feral kittens on our porch. They were just starving when they showed up, but were so wild we had to lave the food and come inside. They couldn't have been more than just weaned when they showed up. After finishing a large bowl of dry food, they came back every night. One of the little darlings went missing and we continued to feed the remaining one.
Then, a lazy opossum decided to butt in on the largess, and after two nights of her getting the kittens food I was lying in wait just inside the door with the super soaker. The second that opossum started eating I leaped outside like Rambo and started firing. The kitten, sitting at the other end of the porch waiting her turn was so stunned she just stood there with saucer eyes staring as the opossum turned tail and ran right into her, knocking her off the porch. We never saw the opossum again. Kitten stayed with us many more years.
Thats absolutely DISGUSTING! What is wrong with you??!! You put out food and expect hungry wildlife to not try and eat it, and then scare them to death because of it? You are NO hero! Helping one animal at the expense of another is beyond vile!! Honestly, educate yourself. All you have to do is put out enough for the Opossum too, and they WILL get along.
I always kept the garden hose with the squirt stream on for invasive cats who thought my house was theirs. My daycare sand boxes never got entered when they were met with a cold stream. I also found when cats tried to enter my house via my screens, that I kept a mixing bowl of water handy by the door, window, they got a bath tossed at them. Seems they only fear water, and water they got.
Locally, ordinances require cats to be leased as well as dogs because of owners not being responsible in keeping them indoors/home. People's gardens, sandboxes, garbage cans being invaded is a health issue, especially when it is not your family pet. Harder to catch the offensive critter than a dog, but when you can dissuade it with water, they do remember.
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