Hey Cat People! Need Advice.

daffy4u · 04-12-2009, 10:44 AM

How do I keep a cat from walking on my car?

Years ago, I lived in a place where neighborhood cats would walk all over my car. I tried many things to keep them off. From special "keep away" sprays from the pet store to placing plastic mats around my car placed downside up so the gripper spikes were facing up and uncomfortable to walk on (that worked the best and no they weren't sharp enough to draw blood just really uncomfortable to walk on).

Then I moved to my condo and had no problems for years until now. A wild cat or two has discovered my car again and I'm finding cat paw prints all over it again. I don't have the room to lay out the mats without impinging on my neighbors parking spaces. The spray never really worked and it stinks. I need another solution.

So how, can I keep the cat(s) off my car?

HarryT · 04-12-2009, 10:46 AM

Couldn't you put those same mats on your car - on the bonnet and the roof?

zelda_pinwheel · 04-12-2009, 10:47 AM

hm, tough question, cats are notorious for liking to go exactly where you don't want them to... i've heard about the rubber spiky mats and that they work well, and i think that is your best plan (to put something with a texture they don't like to walk on). since you don't have room around your car, can you put something on top of the car ? if not the spiky mats, i've heard that cats don't like to walk on aluminium foil, although i've not tried it. maybe you could get one of those space blankets made of shiny reflective stuff.

daffy4u · 04-12-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Couldn't you put those same mats on your car - on the bonnet and the roof?

They're plastic and tend to scratch the paint, so I don't want to do that. Although I guess I could put a towel between the mat and the hood (bonnet).

HarryT · 04-12-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

They're plastic and tend to scratch the paint, so I don't want to do that. Although I guess I could put a towel between the mat and the hood (bonnet).

Worth a go, perhaps?

daffy4u · 04-12-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Worth a go, perhaps?

Definitely. I'll have to make a trip to the store to buy new mats (the old ones are long gone).

HarryT · 04-12-2009, 10:55 AM

Cats can be a nuisance. I once had a problem where my satellite dish (which is attached to the chimney of my house) kept getting out of alignment, and I had to call out the engineer to get it put right. Complete mystery until one day I saw a cat from across the road jump onto my garden fence, from there onto my neighbour's conservatory roof, from there onto my house roof (it's a bungalow - a single storey house), and proceed to use the edge of my satellite dish as a "scratching post"!

daffy4u · 04-12-2009, 10:56 AM

How did you stop it? Mat spikes around the dish?

HarryT · 04-12-2009, 11:00 AM

Fortunately (for me) the neighbour moved away a few weeks later, so the problem went away.

Sparrow · 04-12-2009, 11:01 AM

What sort of mats are these?

The cats trooping through my garden go through a narrowish gap between a shed and a wall - maybe if I put some mats there they'll find a different route.

HarryT · 04-12-2009, 11:03 AM

Pet shops sell them. Mats whose upper side is covered in plastic "spikes" about 1cm long. Not sharp enough to do any damage, but (presumably) damned uncomfortable to walk on with "bare feet".

daffy4u · 04-12-2009, 11:08 AM

The mats I used were actually cheap plastic carpet runners. The spikes help it stay in place on the carpet. It was sold very inexpensively by the foot at a food superstore near me (Smart & Final). Very similar to this.

HarryT · 04-12-2009, 11:12 AM

Cunning! Certainly a lot cheaper than the ones sold in pet shops, I imagine

.

Sparrow · 04-12-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Pet shops sell them. Mats whose upper side is covered in plastic "spikes" about 1cm long. Not sharp enough to do any damage, but (presumably) damned uncomfortable to walk on with "bare feet".

Thanks Harry - found the cat scat mat but £17 seems a bit steep

- think I'll make my own from the local brambles.

vivaldirules · 04-12-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

How do I keep a cat from walking on my car?

Put a dog in it, silly duck!

04-12-2009, 10:44 AM	#1
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Hey Cat People! Need Advice. How do I keep a cat from walking on my car? Years ago, I lived in a place where neighborhood cats would walk all over my car. I tried many things to keep them off. From special "keep away" sprays from the pet store to placing plastic mats around my car placed downside up so the gripper spikes were facing up and uncomfortable to walk on (that worked the best and no they weren't sharp enough to draw blood just really uncomfortable to walk on). Then I moved to my condo and had no problems for years until now. A wild cat or two has discovered my car again and I'm finding cat paw prints all over it again. I don't have the room to lay out the mats without impinging on my neighbors parking spaces. The spray never really worked and it stinks. I need another solution. So how, can I keep the cat(s) off my car?

04-12-2009, 11:01 AM	#10
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	What sort of mats are these? The cats trooping through my garden go through a narrowish gap between a shed and a wall - maybe if I put some mats there they'll find a different route. Last edited by Sparrow; 04-12-2009 at 11:03 AM.

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04-12-2009, 10:46 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Couldn't you put those same mats on your car - on the bonnet and the roof?

04-12-2009, 10:47 AM	#3
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	hm, tough question, cats are notorious for liking to go exactly where you don't want them to... i've heard about the rubber spiky mats and that they work well, and i think that is your best plan (to put something with a texture they don't like to walk on). since you don't have room around your car, can you put something on top of the car ? if not the spiky mats, i've heard that cats don't like to walk on aluminium foil, although i've not tried it. maybe you could get one of those space blankets made of shiny reflective stuff.

04-12-2009, 10:55 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Cats can be a nuisance. I once had a problem where my satellite dish (which is attached to the chimney of my house) kept getting out of alignment, and I had to call out the engineer to get it put right. Complete mystery until one day I saw a cat from across the road jump onto my garden fence, from there onto my neighbour's conservatory roof, from there onto my house roof (it's a bungalow - a single storey house), and proceed to use the edge of my satellite dish as a "scratching post"!

04-12-2009, 10:56 AM	#8
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	How did you stop it? Mat spikes around the dish?

04-12-2009, 11:00 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Fortunately (for me) the neighbour moved away a few weeks later, so the problem went away.

04-12-2009, 11:03 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Pet shops sell them. Mats whose upper side is covered in plastic "spikes" about 1cm long. Not sharp enough to do any damage, but (presumably) damned uncomfortable to walk on with "bare feet".

04-12-2009, 11:08 AM	#12
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	The mats I used were actually cheap plastic carpet runners. The spikes help it stay in place on the carpet. It was sold very inexpensively by the foot at a food superstore near me (Smart & Final). Very similar to this.

04-12-2009, 11:12 AM	#13
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Cunning! Certainly a lot cheaper than the ones sold in pet shops, I imagine .

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