# Snake poo, is it true?



## Tigerlily (May 10, 2014)

I found an ad online selling a log of snake poo for $15. FIFTEEN DOLLARS, apparently people buy them to keep cats away from their properties. We are actually having issues with neighbours' cats coming into our yard (I'm on the verge of humanely capturing it and taking it to the council to be desexed, that's what the RSPCA and the council told me to do!) but I'd really rather not if possible, so it would be sooooo amazing if this works. I've found different testimonies online but can anyone on this site give me firsthand info on whether it worked for you or not?? 

We already bought a giant plastic snake from Bunnings and draped it across the main problem area, which worked for a few weeks until the cat smartened up and started sneaking in again. Maybe I should rub some poo on the plastic snake for that extra realistic touch? Any experiences?


----------



## montysrainbow (May 10, 2014)

Ive never heard of that! But may be some truth to it. I find dogs work better though.


----------



## butters (May 10, 2014)

No it doesn't.

As a kid at my parents I kept large Pythons and my mothers cat would sleep on top of the enclosures because it was nice and warm. If the smell worried them I didn't notice . It may make them cautious for a while but once they work out there is no snake or that there is no immediate threat they will come back. 

I use the trap and council method myself.


----------



## Jacknife (May 10, 2014)

butters said:


> No it doesn't.
> 
> As a kid at my parents I kept large Pythons and my mothers cat would sleep on top of the enclosures because it was nice and warm. If the smell worried them I didn't notice . It may make them cautious for a while but once they work out there is no snake or that there is no immediate threat they will come back.
> 
> I use the trap and council method myself.



My partners cats do the same, they love the warm spot on top the heat lamps create.

I was giving one of my old bosses snake poop as he'd use it under his farmhouse to keep rats and mice away. Old farmers trick apparently though I don't know if it works...


----------



## stimigex (May 10, 2014)

The whole snake crap as a deterrent is nothing but a badly perpetrated urban myth.


----------



## ThePup (May 11, 2014)

Tigerlily said:


> (I'm on the verge of humanely capturing it and taking it to the council to be desexed, that's what the RSPCA and the council told me to do!)



That's because they're not allowed to tell you to humanely capture it and use it as rose fertiliser... (Humanely of course... Happy to do away with strays, but there's no need for suffering...)


----------



## Viking_Python (May 11, 2014)

All of my pythons go out on the grass for a bit of exercise every few days. Around five days after they have had a feed they usually poo on the front and rear lawns. I leave it there and have had constant problems with neighbourhood cats in my yard. 
The problem of the neighbours cats crapping on my lawn and in my garden slowed down a lot when I asked my neighbours if they were going to let their cats roam around all night. Because if they were then I could not bother with a rat order for my snakes for a while.


----------



## Baldy (May 11, 2014)

Got to Agree with Butters on this one. My cat has no issues with sitting or lying on enclosures. however, I live on a rural property so after cleaning my Vivs out, routinely throw snake poo around the house area gardens, consequently havent seen any wild snakes for over 2 years. venemous or non.


----------



## Tigerlily (May 11, 2014)

montysrainbow said:


> Ive never heard of that! But may be some truth to it. I find dogs work better though.



The real irony is that we have a whippet of all dogs but she is absolutely useless as she spends her days lazing around inside, or trying to eat ants. Not the brightest...
[MENTION=35593]Viking_Python[/MENTION] not to get off track but I could really use some advice; were you already on speaking terms with your neighbours when you said this? We don't know each other and I'd feel so awkward ringing their doorbell and asking them to keep their cat inside or else I'm going to catnap it and have it desexed. But I don't know what else to do if this snake poo thing doesn't work.


----------



## montysrainbow (May 11, 2014)

Get a trap from your council and let them deal with it. That's what I would do Or try spraying some tee tree oil around the place I've heard that cats don't like it.


----------



## Snowman (May 11, 2014)

Really it's the shed skins.. And only if you sell them for $10 per 10cm.

- - - Updated - - -

Really it's the shed skins.. And only if you sell them for $10 per 10cm.


----------



## Viking_Python (May 11, 2014)

My Neighbours have a sense of humour and know im joking, they also know I have a large python that can take a cat. Let them fill in the blanks. 



Tigerlily said:


> The real irony is that we have a whippet of all dogs but she is absolutely useless as she spends her days lazing around inside, or trying to eat ants. Not the brightest...
> @Viking_Python not to get off track but I could really use some advice; were you already on speaking terms with your neighbours when you said this? We don't know each other and I'd feel so awkward ringing their doorbell and asking them to keep their cat inside or else I'm going to catnap it and have it desexed. But I don't know what else to do if this snake poo thing doesn't work.


----------



## Whiskers (May 11, 2014)

Not wanting to start a war of cat and dog owners as I own two dogs and a cat myself but keep my cat in a cattery and dogs are never out without a leash. But if my dogs roamed as free as some of the cats in my area do I would be fined by council in a heartbeat. I understand cats roam but be a responsible owner and good neighbour is my view and bring it in and or lock it up. I wont even start on the wildlife issue and cats. Just introduce yourself to your neighbour and say you know it's hard but could they try at least? Unless you ask you never know. One of my neighbours was fine and apologised the other two not so much, so I return their cats presents in my yard over the fence, one got the message the other probably cant see it among his collection of 'stuff,' he's a cronic hoarder. Some things work for a while vix on rocks I have in my garden, they don't like the smell, citronella, or trap from the council. Not sure about trap and de sex though, they still roam the area de sexed or not I find. But good luck it's not easy cats are cunning and very smart.


----------



## Trimeresurus (May 11, 2014)

If I started selling it at that price I'd be rich.


----------



## dragonlover1 (May 11, 2014)

I found putting mothballs in jars (with holes in the lid to keep them waterproof and safe from other critters) solved my problem with cats rutting under my house,apparently they can't handle the smell


----------



## Bluetongue1 (May 11, 2014)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news *Tigerlily*, but it is as people are telling you. The purported effects of a lump of snake poo are exactly that... a load of excrement and nothing more. I wonder if it should be called "bs" or "ss"? Cats hunt and kill snakes and are very adept at it. They will often have crack at something bigger than them, relying on their very swift refexes. And should they make the rare mistake of "biting off more than they can chew can chew", that is exactly what can happen to them. But while size might put them off, the scent most certainly doesn't. 

Cats don/t like certain strong odours, such citronella (mentioned), ammonia etc. But even a dousing with a super soaker water gun of a concentrated solution of one of these will not keep them away for too long. Having the owner have to pay to get it out of the pound can help. If you do not wish to front an owner in person, you could just leave a polite type-written note from an anonymous neighbour, pointing out the problem and stating that if the cat turns up in your yard after a week from now you will have no choice but to organise its removal to the local pound. 

An aquaintence who bred birds for many, many years, told me the only thing he found permanently effective, short of using them for cray bait, was the use of an electric fence around the perimeter of the roof of his avaires. And he tried every trick in the book prior to that without any lasting success. However, once "bitten" by the electric fence he said any cat would give that area a wide berth ever thereafter. Such fences can be a bit pricy to buy but can also be hired. 

Blue


----------



## Ramy (May 11, 2014)

Tigerlily said:


> Were you already on speaking terms with your neighbours when you said this? We don't know each other and I'd feel so awkward ringing their doorbell and asking them to keep their cat inside or else I'm going to catnap it and have it desexed. But I don't know what else to do if this snake poo thing doesn't work.



You either need to talk to them, leave a note in their mailbox, or just give the cat to council. Deterring the cat from wandering in your yard won't change the fact that the cat is wandering. People shouldn't be allowed to keep cats if they can't keep them responsibily, and most cat owners that let their cats wander don't realise how irresponsible they're being and need someone to tell them.


----------



## africancichlidau (May 11, 2014)

Tigerlily said:


> Maybe I should rub some poo on the plastic snake for that extra realistic touch? Any experiences?



It doesn't work but, if you rub some poo on the cat at least it will give you some satisfaction


----------



## butters (May 12, 2014)

As a kid blue I kept a lot of birds and the electric fence was the exact method I used. Nothing else worked long term.


----------



## Tigerlily (May 17, 2014)

Well that's a bummer (bad pun unintended). 
[MENTION=40225]Whiskers[/MENTION] I'm on the same page as you re outdoor cats. My cat is only allowed in the yard when I'm outside with him. It's not so much the neighbour's cat destroying my yard so much as it sneaks in and terrorizes my cat and it's so sneaky it always does it when I don't have the hose close by!

Sadly I live in an area where even DOGS are allowed to roam the streets unattended - sometimes no collars or ID, nothing. And when I take the time to hang on to them and return them to the owner when I find them, they look at me like I'm some crazy person for being overly concerned. If we lived in the country I would kind of understand, but we don't, we live right next to a major highway, which really ****** me off.
[MENTION=2185]Ramy[/MENTION] I think you're right - I'm not a confrontational person so it bums me out but I think I'll leave a polite letter in their letterbox to let them know. I just hate the idea of catching the cat and impounding it because what if they don't want to pay the fee and decide to leave him there!? That thought horrifies me  

Anyway thanks everyone for debunking the myth, it was worth a shot!


----------



## pythonmum (Jun 19, 2014)

Cats are too smart, but snake poo and sheds are somewhat effective for possums. I supply several friends with the litter from my cages as garden mulch and shed skins to put in roof space and tie around plants to deter possums. It works if they are fairly wild. If very used to people and suburban, they are not deterred.

I hope you get your cat problem sorted. I hate it when people let their animals roam! It is not safe for the animals and an irritation for everyone else.


----------



## andynic07 (Jun 20, 2014)

pythonmum said:


> Cats are too smart, but snake poo and sheds are somewhat effective for possums. I supply several friends with the litter from my cages as garden mulch and shed skins to put in roof space and tie around plants to deter possums. It works if they are fairly wild. If very used to people and suburban, they are not deterred.
> 
> I hope you get your cat problem sorted. I hate it when people let their animals roam! It is not safe for the animals and an irritation for everyone else.



I find snake poo and snake skins to be very effective. I hang the snake skins around my front door and smear the poo on my door and I have had no door knocking sales people in a long time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## wilburs1 (Jun 20, 2014)

I was under the impression that cats don't like snakes but there's a few snakes that like cats ie for dinner. Might be an option to have a big snake give it a feed then that cat would be the poop. By the way your not sposed to do this either but some put pictures of snakes mainly pythons eating someone's cat on the internet even dogs sometimes if small get eaten.


----------



## Jeannine (Jun 20, 2014)

ammonia will attract cats not deter them because it smells like their urine


----------



## Jeremyw (Jun 20, 2014)

Snake poo works as a deterant for Possums and rodents but it must be fresh. Once it is a couple of weeks old they come back


----------



## pinefamily (Jun 20, 2014)

A dog is one of the oldest, and most effective ways to keep cats away. At our previous home, a cat used to often come into our front yard, so I would simply open the side gate and let the dog out. Only needed to do this very occasionally, because cats seem to have good memories.


----------



## BrownHash (Jun 20, 2014)

You could always give this a go.

[video=youtube;uIbkLjjlMV8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIbkLjjlMV8&amp;feature=kp[/video]


----------



## Snapped (Jun 21, 2014)

Pretty sure it would be illegal to catch someone's cat and have it desexed....not that desexing would stop a cat from roaming, only the owners can do that.

Go and talk to your neighbour, tell them you have snail bait and rat poison (and a big rat trap) in your yard, so you don't want the cat getting poisoned or caught....yes, tell a white lie, but this way you come across concerned for the cat and the good guy by warning them.

You can get motion activated sprinklers, which is handy, no cat wants to cop a face full of cold water. A definite plus when you have more than one neighbours cat roaming.

If all that fails, get a cat trap, trap the cat and take it to the pound as a stray, every single time. The owners will get sick of paying for the release of their cat and might do the right thing and keep it indoors or set up an enclosure.

I have 3 cats, none of mine roam, they have a room and an outdoor enclosure. All safe n sound, and so is the wildlife and neighbours gardens.


----------



## Tigerlily (Jun 22, 2014)

pinefamily said:


> A dog is one of the oldest, and most effective ways to keep cats away. At our previous home, a cat used to often come into our front yard, so I would simply open the side gate and let the dog out. Only needed to do this very occasionally, because cats seem to have good memories.



Lol we do have a dog... a WHIPPET... but she's lacking some brain cells and is utterly useless when it comes to protecting our home against feline intruders 

- - - Updated - - -



Snapped said:


> Pretty sure it would be illegal to catch someone's cat and have it desexed....not that desexing would stop a cat from roaming, only the owners can do that.
> 
> Go and talk to your neighbour, tell them you have snail bait and rat poison (and a big rat trap) in your yard, so you don't want the cat getting poisoned or caught....yes, tell a white lie, but this way you come across concerned for the cat and the good guy by warning them.
> 
> ...




Actually it's not illegal at all... I was advised both by the RSPCA and the council that this is what they recommend. You're right the desexing might not stop the roaming (though it can drastically reduce it) but it would help with all the **** spraying it's doing in my house! The cat trap idea is good but if you take it to the pound, they do automatically desex the cat and if the neighbours don't claim it within a certain time period it's taken to the Animal Welfare League and rehomed... that's why I'm really hesitant to take this course of action; what if the neighbours don't show up to claim it?!

Your idea about the white lie I think is great. I was going to tell them we have a nasty german shepherd (don't get me wrong, I love those dogs but I know a lot of people are scared of them) and maybe mention there's a huge carpet python living in our yard, but the snail and rat poison lie is a great idea too. It was harder before because we weren't sure which house it was coming from but now we've confirmed it so I think that's what I'll do. I'm just not a confrontational person so I might have to wuss out and leave them a note in their mailbox 

Thanks for all the great ideas guys


----------



## BrownHash (Jun 22, 2014)

Tigerlily said:


> ...that's why I'm really hesitant to take this course of action; what if the neighbours don't show up to claim it?!



Then the cat gets re-homed to a better place. Its a win win situation.


----------

