How to keep cats off tractor!!

RedDog · Dec 27, 2003

My pole barn is "almost" done, but I still do not have the doors up. The cats, (don't know if they are mine or the neighbors) have been getting on the tractor and it is irking me off!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I know they do not like citrus smells, but I don't really want a bunch of oranges on the tractor, although they would match the color. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

The tractor is positioned so the sun is not on it. I thought maybe with the sun coming in and "heating" up panels, that was why the cats liked it.

Does anybody have a good idea, short of using a shotgun? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I'm sure others have had problems with them getting on their vehicles. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Thanks and Happy New Year,,,, RedDog Kioti DK65

Junkman · Dec 27, 2003

You can always set mouse traps on the top surfaces. Wrap the bail wire with cloth and tape so it won't hurt them if they get their paws or tail where it shouldn't be. I have used this successfully in the past.

JDgreen227 · Dec 27, 2003

This may sound inane but it worked for me. I had a problem with stray cats getting on our car hood inside the barn so I took one of my big Craftsman shop vacs and put it near the vehicle and plugged it in. The vac used a pull switch to turn it on and I ran a length of mason's cord from the switch and tied the free end to a corner of a heavy wool blanket. Placed a new clean tarp on the hood and then put the blanket atop the tarp and moved the vac so any movement of the blanket sliding off the hood would start the shop vac. After the vac started up two or three times the cats never got near the car again. And the tarp prevented any paint scratches from the felines making a hasty exit.

DKinWA · Dec 27, 2003

I just loosely throw a tarp over mine. They'll still jump up on it, but they'll give up after awhile. Especially after they miss something solid a few times and figure the fall isn't worth it. No guarantees with your cats, but it's an easy thing to try. Good luck.

ScottAR · Dec 27, 2003

Go to the party favor store and buy a rubber snake. Put it on the seat, hood, someplace...

My cat would rather sleep on the lawn mower, less climbing... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

txdon · Dec 28, 2003

Double sided tape in strategic areas also works.
TXDon

RedDog · Dec 28, 2003

JDgreen227,

Your reply does not sound insane. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It reminds me of when I was younger, my Dad or Grandpa telling me about hooking up a Model T coil to their vehicles to keep dogs from urinating on the wheels. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I'm going to ask my Dad more about this, as I do not remember much about it.

RedDog Kioti DK65

TonyC · Dec 28, 2003

Being an animal lover I wouldn't recommend anything hurtful. No offense but some of the suggestions offered have been a little cruel. The double sided tape can work. The most effective thing I've used is empty soft drink cans. Put just a few pennies or small nuts, bolts etc. in each one. PLace several of them on the horizontal surfaces. When a cat jumps up and runs into those cans and they go flying it will scare the heck out of them. They won't be back. I've never had any issues with the cans scratching anything either. The way they're made all rounded off they shouldn't hurt anything.

Good luck!

Old_Hickory · Dec 28, 2003

I am an animal lover too,none of the things that have been mentioned would be cruel,the elecrtic coil would be an attention getter at the most. If my dog or cat gets on my vehicles or jumps on someone,they better not be in a position where I can get a hold of them,I will knock them into January of 2005.
Just my 2 cents.

JDgreen227 · Dec 28, 2003

I went back and read my idea....it said INANE not insane....as we have pet cats ourselves I would not suggest something that would injure another person's kitty.

TonyC · Dec 28, 2003

( I went back and read my idea....it said INANE not insane )
Hehe...I see that. Anyway, I don't have a problem with your shop vac idea at all. Anything that scares them off without injuring them works for me. I just started reading about mouse traps and electrical methods and it just made me a little nervous. I didn't mean to upset or offend anyone. My wife and I are volunteers at the local shelter several times a week and I guess I just see too much suffering. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Junkman · Dec 28, 2003

Before I retired, we used to sell modified mouse traps in the pet shop and people loved the way that they worked. My dog loved them also..... he never found one that he didn't want to eat. He would just set them off and then lie down with it in his mouth and chew it apart. I loved him, so that was ok.... besides, he never got on the hood of the car, but he did take a chunk out of the dash once when someone tried to get into the car while he was in it. The police caught the guy running away from the car and when they stopped him and brought him back to the car and had seen the vent window pried open, they realized what happened. The dog was asleep on the floor and the thief wanted the radar detector. When he pried open the window the dog didn't do anything. When he reached in, the dog leaped to his feet and tried to bit him. He missed and got the dash board vinyl covering. Blue was sly like that. He would wait till the prey came to him rather than him going to it....... that is except for the porquipine... but that is another day's story...

RobertN · Dec 29, 2003

An old family friend had a pickup with custom paint and rims, but no garage to park it in. His biggest problem was cats urinating on his custom rims. So, he put a ground rod next to where he parked his truck. When he parked, he hooked an electric fence box up to his bumper. He had a few instances when he heard a yeowl, but the cats learnt quickly.

This might not work though when they jump up on something; they would have to have a path to ground...

I have, myself, been jolted by and electric fence. It aint hurt me yet; just got my attention, albeit rather quickly /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Wannafish · Dec 29, 2003

When I was young and working on the neighbors farm I saw one of the new (green) farmhands urinate on a "hot" electric fence...darn that was funny ! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

boustany · Dec 29, 2003

Funny
Two of my cats (siamese) found a rubber snake and played with it for hours. I'd never seen a cat play with something like that before. The other cat was terrified of it!

RobertN · Dec 29, 2003

My Grandpa lived on some acreage directly across from a high school(he was there years before the school), the same high school I went to.

For PE, sometimes we ran a route called the "P-run". We ran the local rural streets. They way we went up and around the block, the route looked like a capital "P".

Well, if you wanted to, you could cheat and cut across a few fields to shorten the run. My Grandpa said every once in a while, he'd chuckle when he heard someone scream. Seems a sweaty high school kid would cross his fence, touching the top barb wire while stepping into the irrigated damp grass of the field /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif There was also a hot wire right there /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

RedDog · Dec 29, 2003

( I am an animal lover too,none of the things that have been mentioned would be cruel,the elecrtic coil would be an attention getter at the most. If my dog or cat gets on my vehicles or jumps on someone,they better not be in a position where I can get a hold of them,I will knock them into January of 2005.
Just my 2 cents. )

You have the same attitude that I have!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RedDog

Jethro · Dec 29, 2003

Some distant uncle of mine used to hook a model t coil to his truck and set a metal wash tub filled with water in the bed. He would have a silver dollar in the bottom and tell people that they could have it if they could get it out. He never lost his dollar.

jackd · Dec 29, 2003

I can't compete with some of these stories, but I DID buy some stuff at PetSmart that's kept the barn cats off my tractor. At first, I sprayed it on twice a week, then once, now once a month...no more cats!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

JackD