Maybe if you carry a squirt gun and "shoot" them every time you come and go, they will not hang around your door.

If it's an option, how about spay/neuter and release? Control the population. If you're not feeding them, or leaving trash out they will be more likely to hang out at the places that do. At least they should be good pest control!

rexray, there is no need to be mean or abusive toward stray cats.

I am not a cat person even a little, but stray and homeless cats make me sad. I'm sorry to say I'd probably be one of the neighbors feeding them.

Yeah, my boss has this same problem and I suggested using a super soaker. It is really the only thing that will keep those poor kitties away :(

If you can't get rid of them, make sure you invest in some kitten mittens.

Really? Would you use a super soaker on a homeless person? No, I'm not equating people with animals. But that is simply mean and irresponsible.

You can't just wish them away or toss these cats off on your neighbors. That does nothing to resolve the problem. And it will come back to you sooner or later.

The only humane thing to do is to address the source of the problem: Feral animals breeding out of control.

I don't know what kind of resources are available in SA, but you need to find out.

You'd better be nice to those cats - Don't go shooting the cat w/ water, neutering them or otherwise making them unhappy...
...in fact, you'd be better off feeding them as if they were your own.

You live in a Muslim Country now: Mistreating a cat is regarded as a severe sin in Islam - The Muslim tradition is that their prophet Mohammed loved his cat - so therefore, Muslims love cats.

http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=3207

Being mean to a cat in Saudi Arabia is akin to touching/harassing a cow in India - It's just not done.

Yes, wholly what whiteforest said. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Please consider this compassionate, responsible route- to stand by and do nothing, or push them somewhere else, is shallow if not selfish, the higher road will better the future environment you live in.

/end rant, peace.

While I wouldn't use a super soaker, using a plain spray bottle is not cruel. The cat doesn't suffer any ill effects from it. Its a known harmless cat deterrent.

My Dad is in Ras Tanura (Saudi as well) and has a similar problem (but without your generosity towards cats.) I'm not sure what he's done about them, but I think your options are limited in Saudi.

The most effective & humane thing would probably be the fancy ultrasonic noise machines to keep cats away or plant "coleus canina" plant in your garden. But I know it's tricky to have things mailed there, and I don't know how the plant reacts to oppresive heat.

If you think the squirt gun is inhumane (which I personally don't, but...) your only chance I think is to trick out your yard like a crazy person with orange peels, fake snakes, and strings of CDs.

Feed the cats. They are God's creatures too. A mitzvah is a good thing. Put yourself in their place. God have us dominion over the animals. Any way you cut it, you have opposable thumbs, and they don't. Feed the cats. It will come back to you. Have faith. It's a good thing.

It's your choice to not feed them, but if you are really bothered by them I'd suggest (as did another reader) encouraging a trap-spay-release program. Letting homeless cats breed unrestrained is incredibly cruel, regardless of whether they're being fed by the neighbors, and if you aren't part of the solution, yes you ARE part of the problem.

Can you have a dog? We have one and there are no cats in our yard.

I'd recommend the sub-sonic noise emitters...they use that in Tokyo to keep unwanted strays (dogs, cats, and me) away.
You'd have to check if they're allowed though.
Other options include motion-sensor water sprinklers (expensive, but effective) or hormone/pheromone/something based powders you sprinkle around (cheaper, but effectiveness is variable).

I don't know how I feel about super soakers. Squirting your cat with a spray bottle to train it to stay off the counter is one thing, but shooting it with a strong water gun is completely another...unless you just give them a light sprinkle? not the kind that you tried to bruise your brother with when growing up. The feral cats' lives are hard as it is.

On the other hand, I don't know if there are 'trap and neuter' options available in SA.

Good God, everybody, a super soaker is not that crazy! It's just a water gun that actually works. And it doesn't hurt the cats.

I am a huge animal lover and have two precious kitties that live in my home, but I am also realistic. Geez!

Since many people I know use a squirt of water to discipline their own pet cats, I really don't understand why so many of the commenters have had such a severe reaction to the idea of using it for strays. It doesn't hurt the cat in any way.

I think that finding out about the cultural expectations is the most important thing to do. In the U.S., I would advocate catch and release programs mentioned above, but it sounds like that really isn't done there. Also, the feral cats may be needed for vermin control more than they would be in the U.S., like the pigs were needed in Cairo.

And it certainly won't "come back to you". That's hogwash.

Maybe it's just time for you to have some cats?

Listen to what bepsf said... in SA this in not a small matter. Ask a close friend/coworker who understands your situational newness for guidance...

It CAN come back on you in devoutly Muslim countries, where even neutering is usually forbidden.

http://www.messybeast.com/ethnic-cat.htm

@sturgeongeneral

This is more than a cat issue - it's a cultural issue.

If she were still in the US, I'd agree w/ you but she's not - She is a guest in a different country with very different cultural values.

If Colleen wants to get along peacefully with her new neighbors, she needs to learn about the culture and adapt to her surroundings.

Its a couple cats, not nuclear bombs being dropped in your yard. Time to grow up some. You can't play NIMBY in everyone else's country. Consider them your charge and feed them.

@bepsf, I'm sorry but I didn't realize that cats would be treated differently in Saudi Arabia.

@ quinnley - nice.

"Is your cat making TOO MUCH NOISE?.....You're so STUPID!"

ahhaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCaTpFwcC9o

Feeding stray or feral cats without taking the step to spay/neuter then is irresponsible. I have been volunteering with Best Friends Animal Society's feral spay/neuter programs for 7 years. If you simply feed them you are making them healthier to have larger and healthier litters, which will exasperate the problem. Please TNR (trap/neuter/return) them. This organization might be able to help you. Looks like they're in Saudi Arabia: http://openpaws.org/

DON'T use pepper oil. If the cats get it on their paws, they could easily rub it into their eyes when they wash themselves, and be in a lot of pain.

They'll just step around citrus peels; those won't work. Neither will citrus/spice garden powders; I've tried those to discourage my girlcat from digging in a planting strip inside my condo patio. Those work for a couple days, tops.

I think you can buy some motion-activated water sprays, but I'm not sure if they run on batteries or need an electrical outlet. (Garden supply catalogs typically carry these.)

mchin's idea about trap/neuter/return is the best idea so far, I think.

Other than that, if you aren't giving the cats food or water, they'll presumably give up on you eventually and frequent the neighbors instead, if they're putting out food and water for them.

Cat-proof fencing is really for pet owners who want to keep their cats in their own yard, but it also keeps strays out. If you google for cat proof fence, you'll find different options. It's basically an attachment that you put on the existing fencing.

A couple of things:
You live on a compound, so I'd ask a person (with some knowledge, who has been there for a while) about the cats' story. Never make assumptions - you never know what you'll find out. What is the attitude towards the cats there? Is there a consensus? How does everybody else look at the issue? It could be that everyone living in the compound regards the cats' presence as inevitable, and thus everyone tolerates them.
I don't know a lot about cats, but it's interesting that all but two of them bailed.
If you could turn your thinking cap on for a minute, think about it this way: those cats, and many more like them, were long before you were and will be there when your brief stay is up.
In what other ways are they a nuisance? You just have to dodge them?
I've heard they can't stand coffee grounds.

I would say, have some mercy and feed them.

Well I wouldn't use a water spray to discipline a cat anyway because you can't discipline a cat. Cats aren't dogs, people. They don't give a crap what you think of them. You punish a cat, that cat will intentionally aggravate you in response. Yeah, you can spray a cat to scare it off of a countertop, but when has it ever prevented them from jumping up again when you're not looking? Never.

Personally I wouldn't be bothered by a random cat on my lawn (unless it was spraying everything in sight), but if it were possible to do the catch-spay-release thing, that would definitely help the neighbourhood.

The only problem I can think of with the catch-spay-release is that even if you keep your cat indoors after the procedure, complications do happen. Things get infected. It would probably be more risky for a cat that's outdoors 24/7. But people still do it with positive results...

We had this problem. Someone caught them & had them fixed. So they are still around, but at least they aren't multiplying.

Also, we did buy some coyote urine, which we heard could help. We also put pepper all around the yard. I think they helped a little, but the coyote urine was very expensive.

My mom had the same problem!!! They knocked over planters, killed plants by laying on them, etc. She tried scarring them off, then went for special cat fencing, the whole she-bang. But they still found a way in & had multiple litters as well, all on her apartment porch area (they were not flea-free either)!

The only way she deterred them was to remove any scent of their markings. Which basically meant she scrubbed down outside with a water & bleach solution (any sanitizing agent will work). She would do this every 2-3 months and it did the job! Hope this helps!

I love how the irresponsibility of some becomes the moral obligation of others. Its too bad you are forced to become a cat lover. I hope you and/or husband are not allergic to cats. I guess you don't have the right to not want cats at your home.

++++++COVER YOUR YARD WITH RED PEPPER FLAKES++++++

I would say get them spayed/neutered, if it's an option at all. You mentioned your neighbors feed them, perhaps you can get a few people to help if there's a fee?

If those cats are used to the neighborhood and neighbors feed them, it'll be hard to keep them too far. But I would just make lots of sharp movements and look them in the eyes (cats LOVE people that don't pay attention to them because they're less threatening. Just ask my allergic friends...). They'll learn that you don't like them and that you won't be feeding them. Be patient, they'll move on and you won't have spent money on sprinklers and coyote urine (seriously?! I think I would prefer stray cats...). My neighbor feeds about 15 strays (It's intense around here) and she's working with the humane society to get them spayed/neutered/adopted, but they've stayed away from me for the most part.

Dodging the cats? Are they aggressive or trying to get into your home? If they're just lounging around the place, I would just treat them like natural outdoors critters and ignore them. You probably wouldn't be chasing off squirrels, right?

If they're aggressive or destructive, that's another matter. Right now they probably think your yard is their territory. It's probably where they feel safe from the other compound cats. What you need to do is change their mind. Best way to do that, as pointed out, is to get rid of all their scent markers. If you see them rubbing their chins against any surface, or peeing anywhere, scrub the heck out it with bleach.

There are products designed to get rid of cat urine but unfortunately I have no idea how available they are in your area. But bleach should do pretty well.

Water spray is a possible option, but definitely check with a friendly neighbor first to make sure you're not going to upset anyone.

The bleach cleaning at least has the benefit that people will just think you're being reaaally clean, not necessarily going after the cats.

1) Check out "openpaws.org" for help with TNR in Saudi.
I believe mchin recommended this above.

@bepsf -- once again, the smartest posts in the comments. Now it's not just on design, but cultural sensitivity. I'm just so happy you are here.

As a veteran expat, can I suggest that you seek out a webforum for other expats in Saudi where you can post and source answers to questions you have about life in a foreign country.
It's too easy to make a faux pas as an expat and we are generally already not well regarded by the locals whose countries we inhabit. So please consult with other expats who have been there longer than yourself to get the lay of the land before you do anything ...you will save your own personal reputation and that of your own fellow countrymen also residing over there (and you'll know how important this is the longer you are an expat).

On the cat situation, there will always be some batty Englishwoman in every country who runs a cat rescue & rehoming service, or organises feeding of cat colonies etc (we do love our cats!). Seek her out - she will help.

Just wanted to add that cats are usually the best animals you want to have around your home, they keep away snakes, mice and other uninvited guests. I would be worried to live in a house without cats. We had snakes around our house several times, so we always kept and fed cats. (Must admit, I'm also a cat person.)
If you get a pet cat of your own, he could get territorial and sway the other cats from his environment (maybe, doesn't always happen, better to get a dominant male and feed him well.)
Keep in mind that cats are territorial animals, you are the one invading their territory in their minds, there is no reason for them to leave their home
I'm not sure dogs are an option in Muslim countries, they usually don't raise them as pets but maybe just as guards, they're considered to be dirty animals. So you better find out the attitudes towards it before you do anything. Anyway, dogs are much more disruptive to the house and garden than cats, if that's what you're worried about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_animals

This is a case of where AT World has met real world. My husband has been working overseas , usually in the mid-east for years, and HongKonger has given you excellent advice. Saudi is a hard gig.

Colleen,

Your best bet is to borrow Casper - Tyson's dog, just have him in the garden on and off for a few days, should scare them off, having his smell around,

Stephanie

perhaps you have been adopted.

I also help with a cat rescue and want to address those that think neutering is cruel. Non-neutered cats spread many more diseases to each other. They are much much more likely to fight and seriously injure each other. The females spend their lives giving birth and trying to fend for their litters to the point that it literally wears them out after a few years. Not to mention that if you start with a fertile male and female they and their offspring can produce 11,000 cats in 5 years - I'm not exaggerating! Many of these not only die of disease and fighting but starve to death.

Neutering is the first step. You can also talk to your neighbors about setting up some "feral shelters" These can be old tubs or sturdy boxes with "doors" cut in them and something soft inside. This might encourage them to sleep there when you scare them away from your property. If they are truly feral they should be eventually scared off by all the increased activity in your house. It sounds like a few are no longer completely feral though. The fact that the previous owner was feeding them before they settled stubbornly in sounds like they are partially tame. Think of a house cat that may not like you but doesn't know why it's owner just up and left and why it's now supposed to leave. Talk to someone in the compound that feeds the cats about enticing these potentially semi-tamable cats over?

If not, I advocate a spray bottle over pepper flakes or sprays.

skylark254, no one thinks it cruel... only that in the country Colleen has chosen to reside in it is not a viable option.

Please... to those of you who are pushing the western view of dealing with feral cats (as 'vermin'), if Colleen were to take the 'advice' of most of you she would find herself with many more problems then those 2 strays will ever pose.

Find a loving home for them.

Asking for help, when you can't find the heart to help a fellow animal who can't fend for itself is the crappiest display of selfishness I've ever seen.

Don't feed the cats! I live in Israel, which also has a huge cat problem, but feeding the cats just exacerbates the problem by helping the population grow even more. See what kind of organizations work with street cats in your country and see what can be done about spaying/neutering. Then put up a good fence / get a dog. We had a huge cat problem in the stairwell of our building (a cat decided to poop right outside our door multiple times a day... yeah, help THAT) and we seem to have fixed it simply by putting mesh up around our entry area (which before was easy for cats to enter through.

I love cats and own three, all rescued from animal shelters or the street, but people who have never lived in countries with cat infestations have no right to say "feed them."

The cats are keeping RATS under control.

Please consider spaying and neuter these guys before trying to remove them from your area if you are financially able. If not, you may be able to reach out to groups that can lend you a trap and also help with paying for the surgeries. I must tell you, however, that feral cats are very loyal to their territory. They are very difficult to relocate. You may try to look into getting a device that emits a noise to deter the cats from your area.

Unfortunately, these cats have been abandoned by irresponsible people who have chosen not to fix them. Please have compassion for these cats - they did not choose to live this way.

Also, if you are willing to be their caretaker, you may reach out to local groups to see if they can help with providing food for these cats.

Check out this webpage (a group that I volunteer for) for some additional help in how to trap and deal with feral cats: http://indyferal.org/index.php?page=trapping

It includes a great video for how to trap.

Do not relocate unless you have a person that will care for them in a large kennel for at least 3 weeks until they claim the new space. Cats live in "family groups" as opposed to packs. They do not find a new family like a dog finds a new pack - they kill themselves trying to get home.

get a dog

'Sumhope'...that is the BEST advice ever!!!

With my cat, I've found she runs off when I spray her with canned air. It doesn't do anything to her but spray cold air in her face (or bum, or side, or wherever), and it sounds like a mother cat's territorial "TSSS!" Pretty effective.
I agree with bepsf about checking around to see what kinds of cultural morays you'd be crapping on by investing in a super-soaker full of witch hazel, and I disagree with all the "they're God's creatures, too!" people. There's a huge difference between a pet and a nuisance, and we have both in St. Paul.

Agreed with a previous poster - do you not see the irony in asking for someone to help you refuse help to the cats?

Better hope you don't get reincarnated as a cat. (yes I realize that is not the prevailing belief in Saudi Arabia, just a statement by me).

Anyway, yes - ask around or ask other expats about any cultural norms regarding cats. Maybe YOU might learn something.

Oh how inconvenient to your life.

What a shallow persn you are to ignore the suffering of these beautiful creatures.

You are really quite an unfortunate person.

You are destible beyond words.

Why not compromise? I grew up with a maverick pride of moggies so, although I don't have any myself now, I am very familiar with their 'ways', which can be either beguiling or damned irritating, depending on the circumstances at the time!

At the school where I work, we had a problem with the neighbourhood cats using the kids planters as latrines. I ordered a product called "Silent Roar" which consisted of harmless, biodegradable pellets impregnated with lion urine. The feedback from the caretaker was very encouraging (we filled some laundry tablet net bags with the pellets so that he could deposit them around the grounds after school and collect them up before the kids arrived). If you got something like this, you could deposit a little around the area that you wish to keep cat-free, while allowing them to roam beyond that point, stress-free. That they are still around to keep the rat population in check, you will be able to enter and leave your home without breaking your neck and you will be keeping the neighbours happy, feline and human.

I have to say though, I am disgusted and, frankly, embarrassed by a few of the comments made in response to your post, although not entirely surprised. You specifically requested suggestions for NON-HARMFUL solutions after all!! I wonder what their response would have been if you were concerned about a moving into a cockroach-infested building? How 'beautiful' would they find those critters? DUH!!!

In my Psyc class we were taught Classical Conditioning.. ..was given the example we could rub chilli on the edge of the kitchen table, to discourage pet cats from jumping onto dinning tables..

Besides super-soakers, I guess you could purchase the spiciest chillis ever (chilli padi) and rub them all over your pathway / balcony (whatever area they are impinging upon that rightfully belongs to you) and see if that discourages them. Of course try for a few days because one day might not be enough 'discouragement'. Use gloves of course, these strong chillis can even hurt YOUR skin. =)careful now.

..i usually dont banter, but I cant help it upon reading sumthings..

1) This space belongs to Colleen Q. OF COURSE we may not agree with her wanting to be flies free / cats free / noise pollution free etc (hell, we might not EVEN agree on the wallpaper she uses) BUT WE CANNOT FORGET. THIS IS HER SPACE. IF SHE WANTS TO LIVE WITHOUT CATS, the most fair/humane thing we can do is respect her. And since she posted to ask for suggestions/help/advice, jumping at this opportunity to attack her character / preference is very very way below the belt.

2) I understand this is cultural. Therefore we cannot resist the urge to tell her to adhere to Middle East ways. I repeat.. (but) this is her writing to ask for Cat-related suggestions. Stick with it. If not, we would have a lot of conversation-clutter, we wont want clutter of any sort, would we. *smile

3) Personally, i would flag anyone who suggests squirting the cats. Def inhumane. But considering how they are so much more closer-to-the-post, i find them easier to tolerate!

=)Good day, nice, kind, intelligent people

Julianne, given that you would recommend using chillies, and not just any old chillies, but ones powerful enough to inflame skin on contact, could you explain how this might be considered to be, as requested, a "non-harmful" solution?

@JulianneMay: Thank you for trying to give a nice balance to the conversation in a kindly worded way, but I must strongly disagree with your point 3.

I find it hard to believe you would burn a cat with chilies but you think it's inhumane enough to flag suggestions of getting a cat mildly wet. Cat rescues use a squirt bottle to discourage cats from slipping out of doors, developing a scratching habit, etc, and yet they would never "mace" a cat which is exactly what you are suggesting. The cats absorb things through their paws and will also ingest it trying to get it off. They may even get it in their eyes as the oils stay for a long while and cats groom their faces with their paws. Please please never do this to a cat - water makes them unhappy for about 3 second and dries, extremely hot chilies can be days of torture!

Oh dear, i think i must better my english before coming online and posting words.

ONE - classical conditioning in this case states we DISCOURAGE the cats from coming, just by deterring them with smells, stings, etc... There is NO physical contact (AT ALL) and I do not mean to "MACE" the cats like some say. As ive said, perhaps i need to better my english before i write, or perhaps others need to brush up THEIR english before such misunderstanding can be erradicated. Indeed, i do not mean to mace, as classial conditioning states it means providing an unpleasant 'discouragement' well enough and long enough for living things to recognize the irritation, WELL ENOUGH to be discouraged from nearing it. in this case, whatever the chilli 'emits' would discourage the cats.
i DONT MEAN - ONE: MACE the cats. or
TWO - RUB IT on the cats. Please. either my english is THAT BAD or i have been grossly misread. I would appreciate an apology.

TWO - i am truly trying my very best to be as 'on point' as possible everywhere i go, whatever i do. The poster asked for replies, based on her situation with the cats - I did JUST SO. ...I am no pedantic, or OCD.. but I dont like clutter. And i dont like people straying from things as that is how arguements usually (and often always) start - straying. Dont stray. Poster asked for

words on Cats, i replied with
words on cats.

I think anyone else who took this chance to wax-lyrical on another's character is
..to a lightest fault: out of point.
And to the most malicious fault: are just looking for an outlet to insult someone else.. just a space and a place to express pent up frustration, or to look for someone to bully. Of course, we are mature enough, we wont take our grouses to AT and mar up this place - right, mature people? *smile

AT cheers me up, blesses my day and makes my life better (even as it is just a site). I hope it stays this way, and malice do never enter this space.
Good day.

Well, I'm a Muslim but I have some scientific approach to things. Cats breed at an alarming pace and let me give you an example of the slowest breeder, elephant. An elephant matures at 30, lives for an average 90 years, and produces 6 odd elephants in it's entire life. At the end of the fifth century there would be alive fifteen million elephants, descended from the first pair assuming none of them died.
Having said that my point is we cannot let a pesky animal breed at will by feeding it. You've the problem of pigeons at all religious places and squares around the world: the reason people feed them.
God (Nature) is there to take care of everything and it is the human interference that has led to problems of swelling of certain species while others have become extinct. Did God wish they should be vanished from Earth, if so why did He create them in the first place. Holy Qur'an instructs: Maintain the weight, and don't create an imbalance.
A problem is a problem and has to have a solution. Pesky cats have to removed, they are carriers of innumerable diseases and in Saudi Arabia hundreds of them are crushed under wheels every day. Is that not cruel. A country which doesn't allow stray dogs to run on the streets, similar measures by the relevant department must be taken to control their numbers on the streets. I consider feeding birds and animals a sin.

I THINK YOU ALL CAN AGREE ON THIS
Many people believe mothballs work, however they are considered toxic and should NOT be used. Here's more information on this:

http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ope/enotes/showa…
MOTHBALLS are toxic to cats which contains the ingredient Naphthalene. Mothballs are approximately twice as toxic as paradichlorobenzene, and cats are especially sensitive to naphthalene. Signs of ingestion of naphthalene mothballs include emesis, weakness, lethargy, brown-colored mucous membranes and collapses. Paradichlorobenzene mothballs may cause GI upset, ataxia, disorientation, and depression. Elevations in liver serum biochemical values may occur within 72 hours of indigestion.

______________________________________…
Common odours that ARE EFFECTIVE DETERRENTS for cats are:

Citronella works best for cats as well as citrus scents such as orange or lemon (primarily towards cats), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil.

"Havahart's Cat Repellent" uses capsaicin pepper and oil of mustard as its active ingredients. It repels by both taste and odor, has a lemon scent.

Every animal responds differently to each of these. Some will not be phased by them and others will be quite revolting.

For training purposes they are applied on items that are to encourage avoidance behaviours and not for use with a squirt bottle as they could harm the eyes or respiratory system. Test each substance and observe to see which works as a deterrent so that accidental injestion does not occur as some could then be fatal.

COLEUS PLANTS can be effective, but every cat responds differently so it is uncertain without experimenting.