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Since we rarely see racoon problems over here, I was just thinking that this whole neighborhood is just littered with cats. Do these cats pose a problem, maybe picking at the turtles or what not?

I say yes depending on the nature of the cat. We have a neighborhood cat that is very friendly and comes around the house a lot, but I'd never leave Koopa out alone with her because she's often seen hunting. I'd just not want to chance it.

I have several cats in my neighborhood as well. I have not seen them in the yard but it is their instinct to hunt. I have a motion sensor sprinkler that sprays when something moves near it. Sometimes the wind will set it off, moving the bushes, but the turts do not mind the shower. The cats, however, do! I had one in the front yard for quite a while to keep dogs and cats from using my yard as a litterbox - works great! Best way I have found to keep cats away without hurting them or the turtles.

mel236 wrote:...I have a motion sensor sprinkler that sprays when something moves near it. Sometimes the wind will set it off, moving the bushes, but the turts do not mind the shower. The cats, however, do! I had one in the front yard for quite a while to keep dogs and cats from using my yard as a litterbox - works great! Best way I have found to keep cats away without hurting them or the turtles.

I am definitely going to have to find one of those (or several). We have some very irresponsible dog owners in our neighborhood that either just let their dogs run loose to use the restroom in our yard or actually walk them down (we are the last house on the street) to our yard to use the restroom. It is so aggravating.

That is exactly what was happening in our yard! I had a dog for many years and never imagined allowing it to use someone's yard as her toilet -I guess there are irresponsible types in every group.
Now the dogs and cats in my neighborhood are wet if they come into the yard! I went around the neighborhood telling the neighbors that if their cats came home wet, it was due to the sprinkler. They all seemed fine with it. I probably have the only yard in the neighborhood with no yellow burn spots and no unwanted droppings.
The one I have is called the Scarecrow - it is a bit pricey, but well worth it when you consider using the granules or similar products can hurt the turtles.
and it gives the turtles a spritzer bath too!

That is something I worry about with my chihuahua. I keep an eye on her when she goes out to restroom. I wouldn't want other peoples animals using my yard as a restroom and I am not going to let my dogs do it in the neighbor's yard. Some people have no respect. Like the 4th is coming up and I ask a few neighbors how they felt about fire works because we are planing to setting off a few and they were all okay with it. Since we are the new people on the block I felt like I should ask.

Ahh man, you get to set off fireworks, they're banned in my county because they can cause brush fires. I'll have to settle with the city's display this year, which seems better than ever.

Here if you live in the city limits you are not allowed to set them off. But if you live in the county you can.