When the Cat's Away, The Rubbish Won't Smell Like Urine: Tips for Repelling Cats From Skips
If you have a lot of stray cats in your area and you hire a skip, the cats may approach your skip and urinate on it, especially if they are in heat. That can create an unpleasant odour. Luckily, there are ways to deter stray and feral cats away from your skip. Take a look at these ideas:
1. Place the skip directly on the ground.
Stray cats are always looking for places to seek shelter, and if you get a cheap bin hire, you need to make sure it doesn't become a makeshift shelter for them. To that end, make sure that it sits directly on the ground -- that way, they cannot climb under it.
If the skip is slightly elevated, block cats from walking under it with a few tarps. Roll them up, and then, place them around the perimetre of the skip, between the base of the skip and the ground.
2. Minise odours from food scraps.
If you are throwing old food into the bin, make sure you trap the odours. For example, if you have hired the bin so that you can clean out a foreclosed property that has lots of rotting food and rubbish in it, those odours may not be nice to you, but they can be a beacon for a hungry cat.
Use heavy duty rubbish bags and seal them tightly. Double bag these items as needed. If they have an especially pungent odour, consider masking it with other scraps.
3. Throw in some natural cat repellents.
Natural cat repellents accomplish two jobs at the same time. They help to mask odurs from food scraps, and they discourage cats from approaching the area. To make cat repellent, just grab some citrus fruit, peel it and throw the peels into your skip. Alternatively, use a few drops of essential oil such as lavender, peppermint or lemongrass.
4. Position the skip near motion-activated deterrents.
If you have motion-activated lights or sprinklers, ask the rubbish company to set the skip near these items. Then, if a cat approaches the skip, they will get hit by a blast of water or light, and as a result, they are likely to run away.
If you don't have any motion-activated lights or sprinklers, consider buying a light. Alternatively, save a bit of money and find or buy some old Halloween motion-activated decorations. When the cat approaches the skip, they will be greeted by a spooky light, a dancing skeleton or a howling ghost, all of which can help to frighten the cat.