Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Having a problem with a cat that keeps getting under my cover while parked under my shelter. Anyone have an idea of what I could use to keep it out. Thinking maybe moth balls but don’t know. Anyone else have this problem and have a salutation.

Get a dog

I can’t think of anything that wouldn’t lead to trouble. Things like rat poison and antifreeze. Animal live trap and a trip to the animal shelter?

Yeah, the moth ball idea might be good. I think I might try to put them in vented containers around the boat. I just wonder if you place them in the boat , the boat will have too much residual smell. Incredibly strong odor and vapor.

What type of cover do you have? How is it secured? Seems like the easiest solution would be securing your cover a bit more securely.

Cover being secure is not the problem. My cover snaps along the sides. Problem is the area around the Bimini poles and under the half front cage have small openings. That’s where it is getting in under the cover from. It’s juts got to go one way or the other. Not going to have it destroying my seats.

Mouse traps might scare the crap out of it. Put them where the cat enters.

Mouse traps might scare the crap out of it. Put them where the cat enters.

Gonefishing wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 05, 2018 3:56 pm

Cover being secure is not the problem. My cover snaps along the sides. Problem is the area around the Bimini poles and under the half front cage have small openings. That’s where it is getting in under the cover from. It’s juts got to go one way or the other. Not going to have it destroying my seats.

I'd start by trying one of the cat deterrant sprays and spray it all around every one of those openings.

Henpecked wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:40 pm

Mouse traps might scare the crap out of it. Put them where the cat enters.

Exactly, that will work and it will NEVER come back. I did this when an armadillo was trying to build a home under my front porch. Put it in his tunnel and he never returned after one night. Attache the traps to a string so if it gets its paw it can pull loose and run away.

Wow, the very same thing was happening to me!! I went out under boat carport, and all of a sudden a cat jumped out from under my cover, scared the shit out of me. Now, my cover snaps the same way yours does apparently, but where the bimini supports come through, there are draw strings and extra material (that I never used) that snug the area up. So from then on, that's all I did, and no more cats in there. If your top doesn't have that draw pouch area, you could probably wrap a small towel around the bimini support a few times to make it large enough to block access into the boat? something of that nature anyway. good luck.

That all sounds so simple and reasonable! I was going to recommend rattlesnakes...

BobG wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 06, 2018 7:53 am

That all sounds so simple and reasonable! I was going to recommend rattlesnakes...

or rattlesnakes.. that's why I said or something similar..LOL

Here is an easy one that worked for us. Before my first was born we had the nursery set up and my wife's damn cats would jump into the crib which obviously we didn't want. I figured getting rid of the cats would be the only way to be positive they wouldn't get in there but that idea was quickly shut down! Someone somewhere told us to put some aluminum foil in the crib and it would scare them when they jumped on it and they wouldn't come back and I'll be dammed it worked great I don't think either cat jumped on it more than once and never came back for a second try. I don't know if its the noise it makes when they walk/jump on it or if it just feels weird on their feet but it worked great.

So we are all in agreement. Spray tin foil with cat repellent and place a mousetrap on it with a rattlesnake coiled around it.