The RSPCA has warned that feeding a cat which keeps using a garden as a toilet is likely to make the problem worse. The animal welfare charity says offering food to a visiting cat makes it more likely to come back.
In guidance for households trying to discourage neighbourhood cats, the RSPCA advises looking at the garden itself and removing anything that could encourage a return. Its advice on food is blunt: "Don't offer other cats food, as they're more likely to return".
Making flowerbeds less inviting
The charity says regularly feeding a cat that belongs to someone else can encourage it to visit more often and may interfere with its normal routine at home. That does not mean ignoring a cat that appears injured or unwell, it adds.
To make flowerbeds less attractive for digging, the RSPCA recommends closely planted shrubs, prickly plants and small pebbles or chippings. Keeping the ground damp may also help, as some cats do not like wet earth. Watering flowerbeds or using a motion-sensitive sprinkler can provide a non-harmful deterrent.
Boundary and neighbour steps
For cat poo specifically, the charity suggests stone chippings, pebbles, small rocks or netting to make the soil less suitable for digging. Around the garden boundary, it recommends high, close-boarded fences and repairing holes that could offer an easy route inside.
If a particular cat keeps returning, the RSPCA suggests speaking politely to its owner and asking whether the animal is neutered or has a suitable toilet area at home. It says cats can be shooed away by shouting or clapping, although it admits this may not always work.
Non-harmful deterrents only
Households should not use anything that could hurt the animal. Cats are protected by law, the RSPCA says, and deterrents should be non-harmful. Its separate guidance warns against homemade remedies because their potential toxic effects may be unknown.
Removing food and making digging more difficult could help make the space less attractive without causing distress, the charity concludes.
