Comment on Comment for Roof cat by: Steve Homeowner
Thank you for your comments, and I am positively sure that these cats are poohing on the plastic sheets on the porch roof. I live in a urban area and there are no other animals around and I don't think any dog can climb up to my roof. How unusual is it for cats to use plastic sheets as their bath room? Any cat expert, please comment. Steve Homeowner
Nov 11, 2008 Rating
Neighbors Cats by: Jane
Hi, I agree with Barbara's response in that cats are pretty particular about their waste. Although domestic, they do have wild instincts. They bury their waste so predators won't pick up their scent. Cats do love to bask in the sun and a nice warm piece of plastic is an ideal setting for them and cats do NOT leave fecal matter where they sleep. I would guess the feces was left by a raccoon and/or an opossum. something I have witnessed.
You may also want to check out buying some Jumpos to train any animal (including cats) from getting on your roof/plastic. The website is listed below:
It is an effective trainer and will not hurt the animal.
I rescue cats and have multiple cats at any one time. Some are indoor and a few are outdoor. I keep a litter box outside and the cats use it because they can "bury" their waste. They get along fine with raccoons, skunks, and opossums as they are on the same playing field and do not see one another as a predator. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. An aggressive cat, raccoon, skunk, or opossum can injure one another. I have found that as long as I leave a couple bowls of dry cat food out, they all have a chance to eat and we don't have hungry animals looking (or fighting) for food (perhaps on your roof).
I hope some of this may help your problem. It would be nice to hear how you resolve it.
Good Luck!
Nov 11, 2008 Rating
Roof dweller cats by: Barbara
Hi, heard about your problem with the cats on the roof. In our area, we have squirrels and "roof rats" (rodents from nearby construction sites) that try to get in our attics, especially in Autumn. The rodents have actually gnawed access ways into my attic through the eaves on my house!! The cats usually hang around because there is prey up there or something to chase. I also have a tree that overhangs the house, & birds live in it. You can bet those cats are chasing something up there!
My neighbor's cats sometimes go up on the roof to get his attention that they want in by looking in the second floor windows. They will also "sun" up there, especially when they are watching for birds, etc.
As for the plastic covering, you may need to go to something else because there is nothing so attractive to a cat as a nice, unshredded piece of plastic. However, I find the "bathroom usage" very odd because cats are usually pretty fastidious. Are you sure the feces are from the cats?
Hope this helps you troubleshoot the problem. Good luck.
