Frequenter commentator Jana got it just about right following my last post about that damned neighborhood cat we’ve been trying to keep out of our Tiki bar beach:
That cat will most likely show up in rain gear…a yellow slicker, rain hat and boots and continue to utilize the mega litter box.
Well, the cat didn’t show up in any rain slicker, but what it did do was figure out that by scooting behind the Tiki bar it could spend as much time doing its business as it liked, then hop up onto one of the chairs, then onto the Tiki bar itself before launching itself onto our Margaritaville “Boat Drinks” table on the patio before the Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler could spray his flea-bitten varmint coat.
How do I know that? Well, judging from the track of paw prints and a little going away present he/she left on the Tiki bar that’s the best I could deduce from all the evidence. Leaving me no other choice but to admit temporary defeat and cover the sand area with tarp to let that cat know that the restroom is closed for repair. The only thing missing (something I’d love to find) is the restroom repair sign – in English and Spanish – just in case the cat is a smarty-cat.
Not only is the battle lost, but the truth is I have been soundly beaten, beaten by a hundred million years of evolution. But that doesn’t mean the war is lost – not by any means.
So what’s next? Well, it’s obvious that, as much as I love the beach sand, at least while the cat is alive and on the loose, beach sand is O-U-T out. So what’s next is finding a ground cover that the cat will find objectionable when it comes to its normal bathroom practices. I looked all over the internet for a faux natural-looking beach covering tarp I could lay on top of the sand, but not only would that look unnatural, you’d have to be concerned about the material when it rained. No, what I need is some kind of covering that’s not just comfortable under foot, but natural and attractive as well.
Enter rubber bark mulch manufacturers who provide ground covering material for playgrounds and folks that don’t want to deal with traditional bark mulch offerings. It’s offered in a variety of colors, and I’m told the unrough surface tells cats to stay away. The only question is what does it cost, how much will I need, and will cats dig down into it to find the sand and send me back to square one?
Stay tuned…
Wouldn’t a second Acme 2000 Varmint Control Sprinkler in the latest direction be a simpler solution?
Comment by Dave Richard — April 23, 2014 @ 2:53 am
fill it with shells…still very beachy and I think the cat would find the shells unappealing.
As much as I am reluctant to say this,,,I told ya so.
Comment by jana — April 23, 2014 @ 6:56 am
Thanks Dave and Jana for your comments.
To Dave: yes, I could add a second ConTech CRO101Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler to me system, but at some point you have to be able to walk outside without having to be spayed, as do the birds who like to frequent our backyard. If not two, why not four, or even sixteen?
To Jana: A great idea, but my area is 9′ 5″ X 11′, and that’s a helluva lot of seashells. And, you ought to be able to walk comfortably in the sandbox, one of the reasons it was created. I have an affinity for sandboxes – remember, Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks wrote “Heroes And Villains”, “Surf’s Up”, “Cabinessence”, and “Wonderful”, amongst other SMiLE-era songs in his living-room sandbox.
Come to think of it, Brian had to get rid of the sandbox because his dogs Banana and Louie started using for the same reason the cat is using mine.
I like the shells idea, but it would take an incredible amount of shells to cover a 9’5″ X 11′ area. I think it’s pretty cost-prohibitive.
I’m also thinking of spray painting the cloth material I use to protect my bushes during freeze warnings and lay it on top of the sand. But I don’t know how the material would respond to paint.
I’m open to ideas…
Comment by The Great White Shank — April 23, 2014 @ 9:15 pm
Another idea came to mind while sitting on the patio having a let-night nitecap. I’m thinking of laying down wire screen mesh under a light coating of sand. The cat won’t be able to dig, and I won’t have to worry about rain-soaked cloth. What do y’all think?
Comment by The Great White Shank — April 23, 2014 @ 10:15 pm
…and actually I think I’ve got it – chicken wire! You can lay it on the sand, cover it with a light coating of sand not to be too visible to the eye, and the cat won’t be able to scratch at it. I think this is THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION.
…uh, what do you think?
Comment by The Great White Shank — April 23, 2014 @ 10:29 pm
Ok…this is something you need to know that has been a closely guarded secret…Cats have stealth technology and are difficult to outwit.
The chicken wire may prove to be effective…will await the outcome of “outwitting felines equipped with stealth technology.”
Comment by jana — April 24, 2014 @ 5:52 am
As far as cats go, I’m fine with anything up to and including a bazooka.
Comment by Dave Richard — April 24, 2014 @ 6:00 am
Kitties and bazookas???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Comment by jana — April 25, 2014 @ 6:14 am