I have a declawed cat and most of the time she is wonderful. But she does love to get in the garage and climb all over my car leaving her prints everywhere. So I can understand why your neighbor is upset. Keep your cat inside - if its crying disturbs you, get ear plugs. It’s not a child, it’s a pet for heavens sakes.
Declawing the cat will not satisfy your neighbor and will really hurt an adult cat. It’s like cutting off a human’s fingertips.
A declawed cat will still jump on your neighbor’s car and will leave footprints all over it. Scratches, or not, the footprints will make him nuts.
I lost a cat that way because a neighbor’s boat did not fit all the way inside his garage, and my cat liked to go over there and walk all over the boat. He captured the cat and took her far away. The cat came back, and he captured her again. This time the cat did not come back.
As a multiple cat owner and cat lover, I think you’re just going to have to keep the cat inside- or face the conquences. I’ts that simple.
Sorry.
when I was in college, a friend’s neighbor complained to him about his cat being on the car. My friend said,”I’ll tell her to stay off” LOL!
The pads of cats feet are like fine grit sandpaper. They will wreak havoc on the paint, especially if they slide down the slippey surface. While i sympathize with your situation, the cat is causing damage just by walking across the surface of the paint. I lost a good indoor/outdoor cat to the road. Wish i had kept him in the house and purchased an enclosure instead. Plus it ticked the neighbors off and in hindsight i was wrong to let him roam.
There are products available for the garden that are motion triggered and either make scary noises (like a halloween spook who cackles and shakes) or spray a stream of water. Perhaps your neighbor would consider covering his car with a light plastic tarp (so as not to scratch it, and protect it from getting wet) and you could purchase one of those devices to hang in the carport. Several soakings from the mister will deter kitty from returning. Or getting frightened will do the same thing... however you need to make sure when you scare her she doesn’t use her claws to launch off the car.
Having cats and cars, they CAN and DO scratch the paint. My advice is to be a good neighbor and control your cat. When you take on a pet as a member of your family, you have all the responsibilities - how would you feel if the neighbor's kid kept coming over and leaning his bike against your car, or causing other minor damage?
Outside enclosures such as others have posted are the only way to safely guard your cats when outside on their own. The idea of declawing a cat in hopes it will have trouble outside or to simply keep a cat from scratching the car is heinous and evil (and won’t solve anything anyway since your neighbor will certainly have a fit if the cat is anywhere ON the car at all), so I won’t even “go there”, but if you want to keep them inside, then build them something by the window, high places, etc... where they can go to look out. There are so many dangers for animals that are allowed to run free: anti-freeeze, cruelty of humans, other animals, etc... Keeping them safe has to be a priority and the outside enclosure would be your best bet it seems to me. Best wishes on this and please do follow up on it because they depend on you for protection.
If the cat is tagged, this proposal is criminal.
Wonder if an electric fencer would do the job. We had a puppy once - came as a stray - who went after the clothes on the clothes line. I rigged up one of the lines with insulators and connected the fencer. I never saw anything more than the dog kind of sniffing at the wet sheet, but she never bothered the clothes line again. It may not work unless the cat sniffs the car before he jumps up.
Large cat run, outside, on your property, with plants and toys and ropes and things to amuse a cat. Make sure part of it is sheltered from the prevailing winds and weather, and don’t keep your cats in there forever.
Of course it will be an “expense” but you agreed to expenses when you got the cats. Put them all in there, not just the one who has staked out his/her territory on the neighbor’s ungaraged car. (Silly man...he doesn’t know how to care for a “rare” car...)
I’m sure a lumber yard (Home Depot or such) can help you find the right materials and give you tips on construction.
Put in some cat trees and platforms. You can always build it vertical at a later date.
You might research “cat runs,” or even “dog runs”
How about a window seat for the cat? You could build one. I understand it’s heartbreaking to hear your cat cry because it wants out but think of it this way; you wouldn’t let your kid stick a fork in an electrical outlet, no matter how much he cried! Best of luck with your kitty :)
You have probably already figured out what to do, since you have gotten a lot of responses.
So I just thought that I would add that although it takes time for an outdoor cat to adjust to being inside only, they do adjust. I have three totally inside cats - and they would love to be able to go outside but with their long Persian fur, I won’t let them. Plus, an indoor cats lifespan is much longer. I had a somewhat feral cat that I transitioned to be in an inside cat, and he was just fine with never going outside again.
You just need to be patient and ignore the meows.
Don’t hate me, but maybe a shock collar would work. You’ll need to take a day or two to observe your cat. The second it hops up on the car, ZAP!
If your neighbor is amenable to placing an electronic fence around his property or driveway, that may work also.
SO YOU LITTLE KITTY KAT can be outside - get as large of a wire cage as you can find. Cut off the bottom of the cage, smoothing any rough edges. Place cage on the grass under a shade tree with plenty of water for him to drink and a small bowl of food. When he’s in that spot a while, move the cage to another location along with the kitty and his water (also in shade). - He will get to be outside; it’s not ideal, but better than being stuck inside all the time. He may fuss a little, but will adjust. Bring him inside at night. - (Cage can be secured with brads hammered into the ground to hold the cage down to keep any doggies or other cats from turning it over.)
Your cat will get used to staying indoors.....it takes time though....
Good fences make good neighbors.
I can’t blame the neighbor for his position, but it is odd that he turned down the tarp, yet leaves his favorite car out in the sun and weather?