outdoor cats

Question
We live in the country and see many strays. Is there anyway to keep them off my hottub cover... we have one who has clawed a hole in our cover. We have scratching posts for this guy who hangs out, but he insists on climbing on the hot tub cover. Any advice?

Answer
Tammy,

Cats do not have any reasoning ability so they don't understand why they can climb on this thing and not that thing.

Here are some suggestions:

Put mouse traps UPSIDE DOWN under some taped newspaper (for the cat's safety). When they jump on the cover the mouse traps will go off and scare them.

Orange Peels: save citrus peels and put them on and around the hot tub Cats hate the scent of citrus. To make the peels go further, grind them in a blender to release the citrus oils and mix with water and sprinkle around the tub or put in small dishes on top of the cover.

Cut some chicken wire the size of your cover. Tape the ends so they are not sharp. Lay it on top of your plastic cover. Chicken wire is difficult to walk on and the cat will not like it.

I hope this helps.

Tabbi