Try giving the cat something high and defensible to lay on that is on the side of your house facing the neighbor’s house. Cats like cars because they are high, with no obstructions, easy to defend, and the metal is comfortable at night.
The solution seems straightforward: spray lemon juice all over the car.
Not to be rude, but....its your responsibilty to keep your cat off the neighbors car, not his. Communities have leash laws, and they apply apply to cats as well as dogs. Best advice, keep the animal inside (or get rid of him), and keep the peace with your neighbor.....red
Maybe a kitty kennel the bigger the better. Lots of large potted plants inside.
Invisible fence??
The only option I can think is to declaw the cat. They put the cat under and remove the claws entirely. But maybe then it’s no good to have a cat like that outside as it might get into a fight and couldn’t defend itself?
Probably that option is anaethemic to you anyway, since you are probably pretty angry at your neighbor for his threat that he would steal your cat.
I would imagine carrying the cat off would be illegal. I see his point, but I still think it would be illegal of him to steal your cat.
Anti-freeze or a .22... that was a joke. Lighten up. Talk to your neighbor and be honest if your feelings..
..he doesn’t sound like he cares that much about the car if he parks it outside uncovered....paint a big dog on the side of it!
Also I think if he wants a perfect car, he should keep it in a garage. Cats exist outside, unless they are banned by law or the condo association. And yes, they climb on things.
Cars are tools, not art. If he has art he wants to preserve, maybe he should pay the right cost for that preservation, rather than expect to steal neighbor cats as a cheap solution
Are you serious? Satire, right?
Keep your cat on your own property. You know that.
Invisible Fence:
http://www.invisiblefence.com/
Your kitten won’t think twice about running to your neighbor’s—especially since the collar will be too heavy...
We have cats who have never been outdoors, save trips to the vet as needed. They don't get fleas or worms and they love soaking up the sunshine on the window sill. They watch hummingbirds and we have no problem with them trying to get outside.
Tell your neighbor to do what normal folks do - buy a tarp in order to protect his car from wildlife and the elements. And that if your cat ever goes missing, he’s likely to see a lot more wildlife in the area, as you will fill the void of your missing cat by feeding pidgeons, squirrels and other critters which will miraculously find their way onto your property, and on a windy day, some of their food may find its way onto his car.
I doubt your going to have any success discouraging the cat from getting on the car. If the car is that special, I’m surprised it isn’t kept in a garage.
I think your only option is to keep kitties indoors from now on. I know that won’t make for a happy household. Ours go in & out at will, & winters (which are wet) are a real trial to all of us, as they are constantly asking for attention since they can’t entertain themselves outside. But lots of toys & games makes it easier - just like dealing with a bunch of little kids.
Cats don’t sharpen their claws on the smooth surface of a car, so if your neighbor’s car is getting scratches on it, this is not due to your cat. Frankly, I wonder why he doesn’t put this rare car in his garage, if he values it so damn much. Outside, much worse things can happen to it than tiny scratches or pawprints. Squirrels, possums, coons, wild rats, birds, and other animals that don’t have retractable claws are much more likely to cause damage to a car’s finish than a cat.
But he has now issued a specific and clear threat to the life of your cat. If someone threatened one of my animals that way, and the animal then went missing, the car would—oopsies!—suddenly end up with far worse damage than muddy pawprints. I have no wish to be unpleasant either, but a living creature is more important than pawprints.
With all that, the fact is that your kitty will live a lot longer if kept inside. No chance to pick up parasites, get into fights with other cats, get eaten by coyotes or dogs, get hit by cars, or get carried off by a vicious neighbor. I’ve learned my lesson on that score.
Cats do, indeed, despise the smell of citrus. I have used orange peels to keep cats out of the garden (where they liked to potty), but it only works so well, and only for so long.
Cats can indeed scratch up a car (as a youth, ours scratched up my dad’s station wagon). The biggest issue that you have is that you’ve got to control your animal, and you cannot do that while it roams freely. An electric collar may work on the cat, but I’m not certain of that, because I’ve only known them for dogs. In my area they run just over $100. The only safe bet that I know you have is to keep the cat indoors.
I think that you should be very, very, grateful to have such a compromising and congenial neighbor. Make sure that you thank him for being so polite and kind. Your cat, is, after all, infringing upon his property rights, and you are a new comer. It sounds like you’re trying to be responsible, and I’m sure that he appreciates that. But the truth is, that your safest bet is to keep the cat indoors, all the time.
If you have a fenced yard, put it out on a harness (not a collar) and a clothesline. I had a semi-feral cat that was not happy at first, but quickly came to appreciate the opportunity to go out on the line. Anchor the line in the middle of the yard, short enough so it can’t hang itself over any fences, and provide shade and some water if you are going to leave it out more than an hour or so at a time. Provide it something to hide in, as well.
No fence? Put it out only when you can supervise.
Otherwise, make it into a house cat. The cat will punish you, but it’s better than losing your kitty.
Buy your neighbors car for whatever price it takes for him to sell it, and give it to your cat.