picture of the day

Keeping cats away

32 Comments

Plastic bottles of water are placed in an alley in Tokyo on Monday. Local residents say the practice keeps cats off streets as reflection from the bottled water annoys them.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

32 Comments
Login to comment

How ironic that cats hate them and yet they're called "pet" bottles.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Do they annoy cats?

I saw a cat in a small house alley wizzing near one, so if he/she was annoyed he/she did not seem to show it.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I always thought that it was to keep dogs of peeing around the house! How would those bottle annoy a cat from walking buy?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The way it works is, you find the neighbour's cat going to the toilet in your garden, you put the bottles up all round and hope your neighbour notices, realises whose cat is the problem and keeps the darn moggie indooors.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Isn't there some sort of chemical or sound device that does the same thing?

Alphaape:

My neighbor lady has an electrical device that makes an annoyingly quiet, yet high-pitched sound, when anything nears it. I've asked her about it, as it bothers my ears. She said it can only be heard by cats. I must be part feline... ; )

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hmm. See these every where. I am trying to start an awareness program in Fukui for adopting stray cats. Find homes etc. japan has zero government run animal shelters. They kill 100% of all strays within days of catching them. Then people go to the mall and buy a 100,000 to 300,000 yen cat or dog. Yeah those are right amount of zeros. Go to a pet store and see for yourself.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's an old wives tale. It doesn't work. I remember as a kid in the states, some of our neighbors would do this in order to keep the cats and dogs away and yet, I often caught them still peeing and defecating in the yard. Works as well as a Scarecrow for birds.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/lawn.asp

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Now, if it were bottles of tiger piss......

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Doesn't work.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

You don't see any cats in the picture, do you?

Lisa, I would like to buy your rock...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Lol for the longest time, I was stumped as to why Japanese people keep bottles of water outside their places. I even thought maybe it was like... weird earthquake emergency water? When I found out it was to keep cats away I laughed myself to tears. Cats wouldn't even be able to recognize the reflection as an image of a cat because of distortion, if they can see it at all in a clear bottle. And generally, only kittens are wary when they see their reflections in a mirror, adult cats usually won't recognize the image as a "real cat" unless it startles them suddenly. If this method ever "works" it is definitely pure coincidence.

PS - TRAP NEUTER RELEASE! :)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yep, A stupid idea gone crazy!

And they are eysores too!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This was on Japanese TV ages ago on a 'mythbusters' type show where they asked vets, scientists etc.

And no, they don't work.

The conclusion was, "Cats are not that stupid you know......"

I wonder if the cat is thinking, "Stupid humans...." as it agilely walks around or jumps over the bottles.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ive seen a cat spraying the bottle itself once which i thought was pretty funny.

pamelot, I also hear those annoying high pitched things as i walk past, my mrs cant hear them though.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Cyclemate, so you admit to abusing cats? You would think you would be too ashamed to boast about it!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I often wondered about why I saw the bottles around. Isn't there some sort of chemical or sound device that does the same thing?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

These bottles are all over the country, and not just in that "local" area. The boom has spread. Does it work? It need to know.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I always thought they were for back up water for the toilet when earthquakes cut off the water supply. Least that is what I was told. The arrangement of bottles in the above picture sure does not support that theory. I have heard the cat thing but never really believed it. Maybe it does work.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Cats are not scared of shiny things. How would they drink water otherwise? Other people have suggested that cats don't want to defecate near to fresh water, but this water bottle thing has been well and truly debunked.

Check the video for cats being pretty indifferent about water bottles, mirrors and CDs: http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/11/05/plastic-water-bottles-vs-cats/

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This does not work! There was a study done in Oz many years ago that proved beyond any doubt that is a complete and utter urban myth!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Followed the two links above, but snopes was about dogs and the japanprobe one was done under bright light.

My understanding was that they kept the cats away at night... picking up the moon's light, upright cat guardian ghosts?

We had a problem with feral cats which seems to have faded since I put some of these bottles around the house. (Now I love cats, but I don't want them leaving scratches and footprints on the car, tagging the walls and crapping by the front door...)

Anyway, if you have a problem with cats, you are willing to try anything.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If you have a problem with wild cats, you are willing to try anything short of violence, I should have said.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not only doesn't it work, but it's also a huge ugly eyesore to see these bottles on lawns and apartment complexes and homes. Some of the homes in my neighborhood have more than 30 bottles all over the lawn and fences.

Terrible!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Ild rather have outdoor cats than an unchecked rodent population. I cant see how a few bottles of water would deter an intelligent creature like a cat.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The water bottles are not actually to keep cats away, but to keep away elephants!

It really works!

I mean, when did you last see an elephant in a Japanese town?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There are cat repellant compounds they can buy in stores.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

get an ir sensor and a sprinkler, problem solved, nobody likes to get hosed down.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I always find a big, snarly dog good cat repellent, although the peeing competitions can get smelly.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have 2 cats... I have full pet bottles in my kitchen, entry way and other places. My cats like to like the bottles, when there is condensation on them. Doesnt keep them away from any spot I have them in. .... But then again my cats are strange... They like to take a bath in the tub. If they dont do that frequently enough... They play with the toilets bum wash spray - like a shower.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The idea is that the bottles catch sunlight. Scares the cats away. Like a cd for crows in the rice field.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I use pachinko balls to keep cats away. They really don't like those shiny round metal balls... ...I sort of sprinkle them about...with a wrist-rocket.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites