I am looking for a chemical that will poison a common housecat,
rendering it dead or (preferably) very ill.

The chemical must be easily available commercially (such as at a
over-the-counter pharmacy) and legal.  If it's something I have to
mix, the concoction cannot require any specialized knowledge of
chemistry.

It would certainly help if the chemical were non-toxic to humans, but
as there is little chance humans would imbibe it, this is not
mandatory.

In your answer, please do not simply recommend such products as
"Critter Ridder" and the like.  I am aware of them; the problem from
my end is that any food-type items (which such products resemble)
cannot be imported into my country of residence.

Also do not recommend any "cat traps," the kind that are used to catch
raccoons and such.  I am aware of them, also.  The problem is that
there's nothing like a "Pound" here; plus, we're talking about dozens
and dozens of cats.

An even better suggestion:  given that posioning cats is distasteful
to me (and might lead to a malodorous sequel), I would prefer to be
apprised of some sort of electronic sonar device or something that can
somehow send out a magical radio signal that will kept the furry
animals far away.  I think I once heard of something like this for
dogs; as this solution would be more humane, I would certainly prefer
it.

Note:  This is not happening in the U.S., and poisoning cats is not
illegal where I live.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 21 Feb 2005 20:25 PST

Would you consider a chemical repellent that will not harm the cats?

"Moles are not easy to get rid of and you may have to use more than
one of the following methods. Probably the most effective is to use a
chemical based on aluminium ammonium sulphate, available in garden
centres... The chemical will only deter moles and not kill them; it
can be used to drive away CATS."

http://www.soul-source.co.uk/forum/index.php?s=c5865a9c455c79246f05ece91aec649e&showtopic=5536

"Scoot 150gm (Reference #5010579002072)
Soluble powder to harmlessly discourage birds, cats and dogs from
damaging and fouling the garden. Contains Aluminium ammonium
sulphate."

http://www.paradisepark.co.uk/acatalog/Cats___Dogs.html

"Cat-a-Pult Animal Repellent

Description:  Ready-to-use powerful animal repellent  
Benefits:  Repels cats, dogs, birds, rabbits and other animals 
Can be used all around the garden 
Excellent value
 
Active ingredient:  Aluminium and ammonium sulphate"  
 
http://www.pbi.co.uk/products.php?pID=42

---

Clarification of Question by gnossie-ga on 21 Feb 2005 23:55 PST

Oh, I certainly would "consider a chemical repellent that would not
harm the cats," as killing them is not really my goal:  I just want
them to be far away from my lodgings at all times without my having to
do much.

But many of the products that people have mentioned here cannot
legally be brought into or mailed here, so they are unavailable to me.
 My problem would be quickly solved in the States, I admit.

But the chemical I seek must be able to be made from common household
items, such as are available to me.

I guess I should have added that this situation has arisen because my
neighbor keeps feeding them (they're strays, as nearly all cats in
this country are), so they have a reason to keep coming around,
despite my attempt to ward them off with a splash of cold water.

Unfortunately the mew, fight, mate, caterwaul, etc. all day and night.

The neighbor will not desist (maybe I should consider poisoning HIM),
and I can't get much sleep.  Hence all this has begun to affect my
performance and work, not to mention my overall quality of life.  The
problem's been going on for months.  Moving, also, in not an option.

As I said above, this is not just one or two cats we're talking about.

Anyhow, I am grateful for any suggestions.

---

Request for Question Clarification by redhoss-ga on 23 Feb 2005 16:37 PST

There is a very simple answer to your question. I will bet that
everyone that has posted a comment on this question knows the real
answer and has not given you your answer because they are afraid to
address a problem that is becoming a bigger problem every day. Cats
are not the real problem as we all know, but when you live where
neighbors breed feral cats it has to be addressed. The real solution
is to stop people from hoarding animals of any kind. Cats should be
spayed/neutered and kept either indoors or at least confined to the
caretaker's property. This is a very sensitive subject in the USA and
most communities have not yet responded. If you really want to know
how to protect your property from the invasion of feral cats in a very
cruel and inhumane way, let me know and I will tell you. I have a
neighbor that hoards cats and I feel your pain. I choose not to use
the best solution and have resorted to trapping and bow hunting. Think
this over and let me know if you want to know a very evil way to get
rid of your cats.

---

Clarification of Question by gnossie-ga on 24 Feb 2005 05:25 PST

In reponse to your "request for clarification," redhoss-ga:

Let's have it.

Somebody already wrote below that antifreeze will easily kill a cat; a
perfunctory search on Google will confirm this.  Therefore the
original question as such no longer needs a reply, I suppose. 
Antifreeze I can get, so that's all I needed to know.

The only thing that remains to be seen is if I'm actually willing to
kill a bunch of cats, some of whom may not be strays.  In addition to
the fact that the cats may get the last laugh by curling up in
inaccessible places to die and thereby stink up the air for months, I
would just rather not kill cats if it can be avoided.

Having said that, I should point out that nobody has really been able
to offer a humane method, such as I would prefer:

A couple of people have written with suggestions of prepared
chemicals:  Again, I cannot import them.

Some have suggested burying things in the yard or earth:  I have no
garden or yard.  I live, more or less, in the middle of a parking lot,
so the solution has to work on asphalt.

As for the Rottweiler:  I am not permitted to have a dog.

I am not looking for an "evil way" to get rid of the cats per se; it
just has to be effective.

So I guess let's hear your idea.

Easy to aquire and commonly used to get rid of cats is crush dried hot
peppers. Trying to remember exact name of it, but coming up "bubble
headed". My mother often used it in cooking "spicy" meals, and beside
using it to rid her garden of cats- it worked well to get us kids to
stop sucking out thumbs. Its sticky in nature and when the cats
attempt to clean their fur it irrates them, the smell is strong enough
that they are repelled after the first encounter.

Use any thorny plant clippings like rose or raspberry canes to
spread on the soil.


Plant some catnip or catmint in an out of the way area to keep cats
away from other garden spaces.


Make a tea from rue and spray the boundary. Cats hate rue. Try
planting rue here and there to repel them and to have some to make
your own sprays. Rue is a pretty perennial herb with blue, green
leaves and yellow flowers. It can cause contact dermatitis in some
people. Also try planting a thick groundcover like sedum acres, hardy
iceplant etc.


Place mouse traps with the trap side down on the soil. When they are
disturbed they will pop into the air and scare the intruder. The trap
is already sprung when it jumps so it won't hurt the cats.


Some folks have had success by sprinkling bloodmeal on the soil.

  
Spread pinecones around.


Sprinkle red pepper, cayenne pepper, or black pepper as a barrier
to deter cats, dogs, rabbits and squirrels. Also try spraying the
perimeter of the area with hot pepper spray. Must be repeated after a
rainfall.


Sink some plastic bottles into the soil, filled with water in
several places in the garden. Dogs and cats supposedly respect fresh
water resources and will use other places to do their business.


Use chicken wire or plastic mesh disguised under some mulch in
garden beds. Cats can't dig so they won't (hopefully) poop.

I once read that to keep a cat from scratching your furniture, to put
a small balloon on it - that when the balloon pops it scares the cat,
and they don't like to return to the area.  Maybe not practical for
your situation.  I hesitate to add that I have read that antifreeze
(the stuff you put in a car to keep it from overheating) is very
attractive (and fatal) to cats.

lrulrick-ga, I think you might mean "Cayenne pepper."

Gnossie,

Acquire a Rottweiler.

Phil

OMG THAT is what I was talking about. Somehow i could remember the
taste yet not the name. Old age setting in I guess! Anyways- it worked
wonders

Hi Laura,

I'm not sure if you were referring to Gnossie's Cayenne pepper, or to
my Rottweiler. If the later, does it taste something like chicken?

Phil

Phil... I was speaking f the pepper.  Thankfully your dog was never
amoung the things my mother made me eat. However given the usual
muscle I would imagine it being rather chewy.

http://www.safehomeproducts.com/SHP/ES/Homemade_Animal_Repellers.asp#Sell


please tell us about your experiences.  

I agree, poisoning or otherwise causing pain or torture of animals
because they are "inconvenient" is abhorrent.

where are you located (generally) in that you have no access to
spay/neuter/control programs?

poisoning cats is cruel and most likely illegal--I am sure there is
some sort of local animal welfare/pound that will humanely remove or
euthanize the stray or unwanted animals.....how would you feel if a
small child wandered into your garden and took a sip of that
antifreeze?  shame shame shame

Capsicum is the term usually(1) used with animal repellency in peppers. 
The term "Capsicum" is a genus name encompassing twenty species and
some 300 different varieties of plants.
Some species of pepper are extremely high in Capsicum. 
You could grow your own, mix it in blender with water and filter it or
grid up the dried peppers with a mortar and pestle.
If you get in your eyes, even as secondary contact you are going to regret it. 
It also irritates sensitive skin. 
Interestingly, Capsicum  pepper creams are also used for joint pain
and various other medical uses (check the active ingredients in your
local drug store "pain creams".
It is also used as a tear gas replacement (postal employee's spray dog
repellant is Capsicum.)
Capsicum  is commonly used in the commercial animal repellents.
Try the Google search for [Capsicum  repellent]  4,520 hits. 
Link: ://www.google.com/search?q=Capsicum+repellent
Search Google for [Capsicum genus] for more techical details. 

1. Note an alternate spelling, or form of the word.
 Capsicum Google hits 580,000
 Capsaicin Google hits 400,000
 You might want to search both words in your compound searches.

Thanks you, Floridays and you others, those were helpful responses. 
For the most part.

As for auntiegeek's request for more details, the situation is quite incredible.

You see, I live in the Middle East, in a country I will not specify,
but which has serious political/stability/economic problems.  It is a
strict Islamic state.

This means several things, as far as cats are concerned:

1)  There is no "local animal welfare/pound" as the outraged
makeitso-ga so blandly insists there must be.  The government would
simply never take care of something like that.

2)  Cats are protected in Islam:  not a lot of Americans know this. 
It all stretches back to Hadiths, the tales associated with the
Prophet Mohammed.  Mohammed evidently had an aversion to dogs, so
there are very, very few dogs around here.  Over a period of a couple
of years I've only seen one or two dogs.

No "Pound" is necessary for them: the Arabs will simply kill them if
they see them on the street:  throwing rocks at them, beating them
with irons, whatever.  Yup, it's fully legal to kill a dog, and nobody
will ever call you on it.  It doesn't happen very often, though, since
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DOGS TO BEGIN WITH!

Which brings us to cats.  The Prophet Mohammed was evidently partial
to cats, so it is frowned upon for a Muslim to bring harm to them or
even inconvenience them in any way.  Frowned upon, but not illegal. 
People can and do kill cats here with impunity.  Imported manual
laborers from certain impoverished nations have even been known to eat
them when they did not receive their wages.

What this boils down to is that the place I live (a walled compound,
very typical of where Westerners must live when out here) is crawling
with cats, and the management will simply do nothing about it. 
Literally.  Informally, we've estimated that there must be four cats
here for every human.

How did the cats get in the compound?  Westerners -- contractors,
consultants, whatever -- came and somehow acquired a housecat.  Then
the Westeners either died or left their cat to fend for itself because
it was too much trouble to bring home.  There are no facilities for
"spaying or neutering" one's pets around here.

So as a result, over the years, the cat population has gotten out of
control.  Nor is natural selection really allowed to take its course,
since there are a lot of well-meaning animal lovers who give them food
and water, without which they would obviously not survive, or at least
not in such prodigious numbers.

But the cats' existence is definitely a problem.  They're breeding
like mad, but what's most annoying is that they fight, and mew, and
howl all day and night.  It's very difficult to get to sleep.  As a
result, one arrives exhausted and ill-tempered for work which is
already stressful enough, believe me.

In all, this place provides far more weighty concerns -- both
nationally and personally -- than a bunch of caterwauling cats, but
that's certain a constant and significant annoyance.

And so my goal is not really so much to villanously murder all the
cats but just get them to go elsewhere somehow.  (shame on YOU,
makeitso-ga, for not having read the posts more carefully before
posting your righteous contribution to the discussion).  They are
reluctant to leave the compound since without is nothing but hostile
desert.  Inside, there is grass, water, food, no speeding cars, etc.

I am aware of chemicals that repel cats; many have posted links to
them.  Nothing that requires dirt, a garden, or a yard will help since
the cat-swamped area is mostly pavement.

But undoubtedly the main problem with these chemicals is that they
cannot be imported reliably into what is essentially a war zone.  I
have, nevertheless, managed to import, after many months and at great
personal expense, some of Havahart's "Critter Ridder," which, I
suppose, is just as good as any other.  But this is not a sustainable
solution.

Hence the original post:  it has to be a common chemical I can mix
myself, or some sort of "warding-off" electronic device for which I
would only have to supply batteries.

...which is why the capscium post was so useful.  This is a chemical I
could potentially mix myself.  I will see what I can do with it.

Are you able to spray the cats. "water pistol or something"

All these chemicals listed do the same thing.

A cat cleans itself with its tongue. You are trying to implant a
memory into the cats amygdala so that the cats brain makes it steer
well clear of your property.


Best thing to use, common houshold pepper and soap. mix the two and
any contact on a cat will be the last you see of it.

you can generaly sprinkle pepper around your property and any cat that
comes into contact will never come back. if a cat is persisitant a
squirt of soap preferably washing up liquid will do the trick