A curse on cats

We keep our windows open at night for health reasons, and someone else’s cat has come in and scratched our $5000 lounge suite.

The council will come and remove dogs. The police will remove humans on our property. We can set bait and kill vermin. But cats? They are the great untouchable.

So, what can we do that won’t impinge on our lifestyle and won’t cost us a lot of money? Does anyone have any ideas? We have tried motion detectors. We have tried the oils, eucalyptus, lavender and citronella. None of it works. We would buy a motion-detecting water spray but they cost over $150 and, again, why should we pay for someone else’s cat?

Can someone help? Can someone suggest a legal and humane way of keeping, what is to us, vermin away?

I know I am putting myself out there for ridicule, as cat owners feel their pets are entitled to roam and do whatever they want.

Keith Moyes, Christchurch