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October 13th, 2010

I have four stray cats who sleep in the garage at night and lately I have noticed an odor coming from their "bedroom" that would simply take your breath away. Being OCD, I have hunted for the source of this odor for weeks. I have all but been down on my hands and knees, sniffing the floor for this horrific smell with no avail.

Finally, after hours of moving things around and cleaning non-stop all afternoon, my hero of a husband waltzes in and finds the cause of this putrid odor – the garage door. I have been jokingly threatening to get rid of my cats for weeks and it wasn't even the cats that were spraying! As one of my neighbors was walking by I explained to him what had happened and thinking it was stray cats that would smell my cats in the garage and spray the outside, he takes one whiff and says "that is fox pee!"

It turns out that fox urine is one potent pee and very difficult to get rid of. Imagine cat spray times 50! Yes, that bad! So after a little digging and cleaning, I learned that there is one way to get rid of foxes without killing or relocating them. It required a little help from my husband and alot of "water". I begged my husband to wait until after dark and to go around the house and, well, pee. When the foxes came by and smelled another males urine, they would get scared and run.

So, being the good sport he is, my husband urinated all around our house. This was a week or so ago and thankfully, there has not been one problem since. Of course, he will have to pee around the house a few more times to keep these sly foxes away, but I don't think he minds. In fact, I think it makes him feel like the king of his castle, literally!

Heather Green is a freelance writer, pet lover and the resident blogger for GoCollege.com, a free informational website offering tips and advice on online colleges.

September 28th, 2010

So what is a Feral Cat anyway? A Feral cat is either a pet cat that has been abandoned or run away… Or it’s the offspring of another feral cat. Either way, these felines live in the wild and are similar to pet cats. Some homeowners, have had troubles with feral cats. These cats can destroy property and they use gardens and landscaping as their litter box… YUCK! If your pet isn’t strictly an indoor cat, feral cats can spread disease and cause fights that can harm your pet.

Luckily Havahart can help, with a Feral Cat Trap including a shroud to keep the cat safe and calm during transport. Also try Critter Ridder to keep them away from your home, lawn and garden.

Another reaction to feral cats of equal importance is the desire to help these animals. They have a poor lot in life, especially in the winter and the Humane Society or a local vet can help with taking care of these creatures or at least controlling the population with an inexpensive spay/neuter program. Try using a bait like fish or catnip to trap these cats and bring them to the vet. (for more bait options visit our feral cat bait page)

Some people even open their homes to these animals to give them a second chance at happiness. We recommend only doing this under the supervision of the Humane Society so they can help the cat re-acclimate into a home situation and ensure your future pet is disease free and safe before you bring it home but in many cases, though there may be a few added challenges, these cats can become loving and caring pets who appreciate a warm bed and food in their tummies. For more information from the Humane Society about this program, visit their website: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/feral_cats/

Wether you want to keep these cats away from your home or bring them in to become a loving pet, Havahart can help with traps and repellents to take care of these animals humanely.

September 21st, 2010

We’ve weeded and hoed . . . we’ve trimmed and pruned . . . we’ve created yards and gardens that just ask you to sit a spell and take it all in. Of course, these havens are also quite attractive to wildlife! I've seen the damage these critters can do (last year they ate my vegetables before I could harvest them and chewed on my landscaping) but I worry more about the potential pests and diseases they can carry in – especially ticks and parasites.

The solution I found was a visit to the Havahart website. Their name says it all – every animal control product they offer is safe for humans and easy on animals. They stock reusable live animal traps for just about every shape and size of animal. Well, not every size because you probably don’t want to trap a deer! That’s why they also offer a wide range of animal repellants that stop the critters before they even think about entering your yard. I've been using Deer Off this year – all-natural sprays that work all over my yard. It works for up to 3 months unless there is substantial rain fall and now I'm reapplying it so the Deer stay away instead of foraging in my landscaping now that the leaves are starting to turn. The best thing about Deer Off is it keeps those darn squirrels away too so they won't dig in my yard or eat the produce from my veggie garden. I just planted my bulbs for the spring and sprayed deer off to keep critters away over the winter too.

So I'm enjoying all the work I did this year and as it gets a little cooler it is nice to sit outside in my garden… knowing that its protected with Havahart repellents makes it all the better.

Author Archive

How We (Humanely) Got Rid of Pesky Foxes

A Home Owner’s Guide to Feral Cats

Humane Animal Control Is Possible!

Author Archive

How We (Humanely) Got Rid of Pesky Foxes

A Home Owner’s Guide to Feral Cats

Humane Animal Control Is Possible!

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