How do I get a cat to leave us alone?

[jlt19]

2 weeks ago we were on a walk (me, DH, 5yo DD, 3yo DS and our great dane). One street over this cat kept walking right behind us. It was creepy. It actually really scared my 5 yo.  

Saturday night we were in the backyard (privacy fenced in) making smores and DS freaked when coming down the slide b/c the cat was at the bottom. We didn't notice b/c it was pretty dark. DH chased it under the fence, but it came back. Kids were terrified so we went in. It stayed by our back door for about an hour.

I logged onto the subdivision FB group and the last post from 2 weeks before had been about this cat. I added to her post that it wasn't safe b/c it's getting in people's fenced yards with dogs in them. (I didn't mention that my 130lb baby of a dog didn't even look twice at it). The OP said it was a family's cat 1 street over and very friendly and I could pet it. Great. I don't like cats and my DS is allergic. I don't want to pet it.

This morning, as soon as DH opened up the garage door, the cat came in.

I don't wish ill upon the thing, but I want it to stay away from my house. I have no clue how to do that. WHY DO PEOPLE JUST LET THEIR CATS ROAM ABOUT? It's so fucking rude.

[copperboom]

You can't make a cat do anything. They do whatever they want at all times. You're going to have to move.

[jlt19]

Oct 19, 2015 12:29:12 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

Congratulations, you have a cat. Take it to the vet, have them check to see if it's chipped, and if not, get it its shots and worming pills and bring the baby home.

NOPE

[knx9211]

Tell it you want it to come inside. You'll never see it again. Cats are dicks and will only do the opposite of what you want. I love my cat.

[jlt19]

Oct 19, 2015 12:32:52 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

And, it's a CAT. it's nothing to be terrified of. If this was a snarling pit bull I'd say well, be worried. But it's a CAT.

Yes, I realize that, but my 5 yo, not so much. She made us put a chair in front of the back door so it wouldn't get in. Clearly she doesn't think rationally just yet.

[cajunmom]

I get being annoyed, but TERRIFIED? Really?

[cajunmom]

Oct 19, 2015 12:35:30 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Oct 19, 2015 12:32:52 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

And, it's a CAT. it's nothing to be terrified of. If this was a snarling pit bull I'd say well, be worried. But it's a CAT.

Yes, I realize that, but my 5 yo, not so much. She made us put a chair in front of the back door so it wouldn't get in. Clearly she doesn't think rationally just yet.

Take this opportunity to explain it to her, then. Maybe instead of feeding into it and making her more scared. 

[atlas]

I don't believe there is anything you can do. Cats do what they want.

She just wants love

[textbookcase]

Dude. Cats are not scary. Unless they are rabid.

[demelza]

I'm dealing with a peeping tom cat neighbor cat. He is always staring up in my windows. He drives my dog nuts and cracks me right up. I'll be in my kitchen and I feel someone watching me and I look outside and see orange cat sitting there staring up at me. Cats are so weird. But harmless nonetheless!

[NothingWrongwithOhio]

Oct 19, 2015 12:29:12 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

Congratulations, you have a cat. Take it to the vet, have them check to see if it's chipped, and if not, get it its shots and worming pills and bring the baby home.

This would be me. H would be shaking his head muttering about how I'm turning into a crazy cat lady.

"H! Look! He followed me home! We HAVE to keep him! He'll FREEZE outside!"

[Deleted]

Jesus

[cajunmom]

Oct 19, 2015 12:40:22 GMT -5 @fucksticklegit said:

Jesus

Maybe he doesn't like cats, either.

[savan]

The answer to any question that starts with "How do I get a cat to.." is always: You don't. Cats don't give a damn what you want them to do.

Honestly, I'd use this as an opportunity to show your DD that there is nothing scary about a cat. If you act very casual and don't make a big deal about it she won't either. The cat will eventually go find someone else to bother.

[jlt19]

Oct 19, 2015 12:39:33 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Terrified? This is a cat, right? Not a mountain lion or tiger?

I don't believe I like your tone here, missy!

*I* am not terrified! It's my kids. I don't know where the fear has come from, but it's there nonetheless. I just want it gone so my kids will go back outside and play on the swingset! I couldn't convince them to go out yesterday and it made such a long day.

[pandorica]

I thought this would be about how to get a pet cat to stop meowing in your face. I would like to know the answer to that. We call one of our cats the meow terrorist.

Cats do what they want.

[zoomzoom]

Are there ordinances in your area that allow for cats to stray from their home? I don't think we're allowed to have outdoor cats in our neighborhood. Anyway, I doubt the cat is going away so perhaps you should consider teaching your kids about cats so they can get over their fear of what is essentially a pretty benign animal.

[1confused1]

I understand your kid's being scared, mine were afraid of a cat in our neighborhood, who, like your's, didn't know boundaries!

My neighbor ended up calling animal control because it was getting into garages, etc.

[anlo]

Oct 19, 2015 12:36:20 GMT -5 RexManningDay said:

Oct 19, 2015 12:33:27 GMT -5 copperboom said:

You can't make a cat do anything. They do whatever they want at all times. You're going to have to move.

My MIL is NOT a cat person, and we have two (maybe three now? sigh). Whenever she comes over and there's a cat near her, she goes - very seriously - "SCAT. SCAT." "... I thought you could tell a cat to scat and it would get down." 

Haha! I mean, you can pick him up and toss him a few feet away if you want, but other than that ... 

LOL. Scat.

[clseale]

Oct 19, 2015 12:39:04 GMT -5 demelza said:

I'm dealing with a peeping tom cat neighbor cat. He is always staring up in my windows. He drives my dog nuts and cracks me right up. I'll be in my kitchen and I feel someone watching me and I look outside and see orange cat sitting there staring up at me. Cats are so weird. But harmless nonetheless!

OMG, what is it with the orange cats?? Welcome to my world.

This would be considerably cuter if I wasn't allergic & he wasn't a total dick. LOL

[atlas]

Maybe you can get the cat to leave if you have large fish and shark balloons.

[papie]

Oct 19, 2015 12:35:30 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Oct 19, 2015 12:32:52 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

And, it's a CAT. it's nothing to be terrified of. If this was a snarling pit bull I'd say well, be worried. But it's a CAT.

Yes, I realize that, but my 5 yo, not so much. She made us put a chair in front of the back door so it wouldn't get in. Clearly she doesn't think rationally just yet.

Perhaps you could use this as an occasion to teach her about cats?

[copperboom]

Oct 19, 2015 12:36:20 GMT -5 RexManningDay said:

Oct 19, 2015 12:33:27 GMT -5 copperboom said:

You can't make a cat do anything. They do whatever they want at all times. You're going to have to move.

My MIL is NOT a cat person, and we have two (maybe three now? sigh). Whenever she comes over and there's a cat near her, she goes - very seriously - "SCAT. SCAT." "... I thought you could tell a cat to scat and it would get down." 

Haha! I mean, you can pick him up and toss him a few feet away if you want, but other than that ... 

There's nothing my cats love more than a person who hates them. They sense the disdain and think "I must shove my butt in this persons face IMMEDIATELY!"  

[cajunmom]

Oct 19, 2015 12:43:33 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Oct 19, 2015 12:39:33 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Terrified? This is a cat, right? Not a mountain lion or tiger?

I don't believe I like your tone here, missy!

*I* am not terrified! It's my kids. I don't know where the fear has come from, but it's there nonetheless. I just want it gone so my kids will go back outside and play on the swingset! I couldn't convince them to go out yesterday and it made such a long day.

Ok, so unless you are going to catch it and take it to a shelter or kill it you have pretty much one other option. Teach your kids that they don't need to be terrified of a cat. Show them videos, read kids books about cats. Really, do them a favor. You don't have to like cats, but they don't need to be scared of them, either. 

[jlt19]

Oct 19, 2015 12:45:50 GMT -5 atlas said:

Maybe you can get the cat to leave if you have large fish and shark balloons.

We found a winner!

[agnes]

Maybe show them some funny cat videos?

[anlo]

[junebugmom01]

I don't "go here "... But this post is hilarious, I can't leave it alone. It's a CAT. Sounds to me you have the problem with it and are blaming it on your kid. Was it giving you guys evil eyes,hissing & snarling while following you on your walk? What do you want people to do with cats that are inside/outside cats? Chain them outside? Hahaha, I just find this funny.. It's a cat. Lol.

[Deleted]

Oct 19, 2015 12:38:33 GMT -5 textbookcase said:

Dude. Cats are not scary. Unless they are rabid.

Tell that to my kid! She's terrified of her own cat. Then again, Flower is a major asshole. He just attacks her out of fucking nowhere.

See? Taking a picture of them playing, and bam. Asshole cat.

[cajunmom]