how to deter cats

Question
My neighbors cats (5) are using the dirt under my deck as a litter box, what can I do to deter them from that area? My dog keeps eating the poop and I am afraid he will get sick. Plus I can not stand the smell. Please help. Thanking  you in advance, Wanda

Answer
Hi Wanda.  I know this is a frustrating problem.  Is there any chance you could spread some coarse gravel over the dirt?  This will make it uncomfortable for the cats to dig in, and they'll be less likely to choose this area as a bathroom spot.  Or, maybe you could use some lattice to close off access to underneath the deck?  These measures would work better than other repellents.  You can try commercially available spray repellents, but they are generally ineffective.  Alternatively, you could try talking to your neighbor about keeping the cats indoors, where they belong, but some people are very hard-headed about this, especially when the poop isn't causing THEM any problems.  Some towns have public nuisance ordinances that would force the owners of the cats to take responsibility for this type of behavior, but I would recommend going this route only if all else fails.  Ultimately, it can make for a sour relationship with your neighbor, and sometimes, the owners of the cats would rather lose the cats than take care of them.

Best of luck!

Jessica