How can I stop my cat from pulling the kitchen bin over?

Question

Just recently our cat has taken to tipping over the kitchen bin for scraps when we are out or asleep.

We weigh it down from time to time so it doesn't tip but she still tears the plastic bags that overhang to pieces trying to tip the damn thing.

We never seem to catch her at it so I don't think she gets it when we shout at her hours later and its not like we dont feed her enough either.

Anyone know a good tip to make her not want to go near the bin?

UPDATE - OK we dont have a kitchen door and there is only one place for the bin, it cant be moved because the kitchen is very small and there's no where else for it to go.
Plus we feed the cat enough as it is and yes she has been wormed.

Answer 1

apparently it's found a treat in the bin and now wants to find more! Smart kitty, little brats they are!!

You can try to 'booby trap' the bin with something like tin cookie pans, maybe those disposable aluminum pie plates.... anything that will create a nice startling sound when it gets pulled over. Avoid things heavy enough to injure the cat (you don't need a vet bill!) If you can find a bin that has a top that may help also.
Or get some wide, double sided tape (or make your own double sided) to wrap around the top of the trash bin. Cats don't like to get their paws onto the sticky part of the tape!
There is a product you can spray on the bin or inside to make the cat avoid it. It comes under different names like "No" "Stay off" "Stay away",, etc. Any pet store will have it, even some of the discount stores with a pet section should have similar products.
If you do catch her even around or sniffing at the bin,, startle her off with a spritz of water or rattle a plastic grocery bag at her anytime she starts cruising around the bin.
My cat is horrendous at getting onto counters and while visiting my parents she learned to avoid countertops-- Mom chased her off the counters once w a noisy plastic WalMart bag. Each time she looked like she was going to go for the counter, Mom just rattled the bag where she was and the cat changed mind immediately.

Answer 2

Hi and hope I can help

Bins and cats don't mix very well and we've had quite a few problems over the years! In recent months we have found that the only sure-fire way is to empty the bin before we go out/go to sleep and then it remains undisturbed. Even if it's just left-over cat food in the bin that your cat can smell it'll still be irresistible to her despite the fact that she's had enough to eat. They are eternally greedy!

If you can afford, shop around for a heavy bin with an inner section - a bit hard to describe but we once had a cylindrical metal one which as well as being too heavy to tip over had a removable inner. When you put the bin liner in, you could tuck it right in to the outer part so hardly any of it showed.

If that's not an option what about tying it to something? That will at least keep it upright even if she does get at the liner.

Another thing that will help disinterest her in the bin is to make sure you reduce smells to a minimum by wrapping everything you put in it and by washing it inside and out on a regular basis. Cats have a far, far more acute sense of smell than we do!

Plus another thought - if you are out at work all day she may just be bored. If a companion cat is out of the question, try leaving her a few amusements around. Screwed up balls of waste paper cost nothing - can be a bit messy, tho, as they shred! Otherwise, little ping pong balls will keep them amused for hours. Just make sure you Blu-Tack your breakables down if she is inclined to get carried away with frisking around! And when you are at home you can help her work off excess energy by pulling a little piece of string for her to chase - just don't let her swallow it, obviously.

We have from time to time made "activity centres" for our cats from old cardboard boxes with holes cut in them. Hours of fun, if you fancy a go!

And finally, she's only doing what comes naturally so please don't shout at her - even a minute or two after a misdemeanour they don't make the connection, let alone hours later.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 3

Spray some of that pet repellant that is used on furniture to prevent your pets from sitting on the sofa. Mousetraps work well too. Any time I needed to keep a cat away from something I would set several mouse traps around it. Leaving the traps right side up only causes the cat to get hurt but if you turn them upside down around the bin that will scare the crap out of the cat and he will be afraid to come near it. I would set about 5 or 6 traps around the can so that way once the cat sets one off and runs away, and decides to come back later he will set off another one.

Answer 4

i would say squirt it with a water gun but that wont help if he does it when your not there. what i would suggest is getting one of those bins that you press your foot on the leaver and the lid swings up!!! the bin liner you can tuck into the inner part of the bin so cat cant get to it and the cat wont be able to get in the binn at all. it should be heavy enough that he cant tip it over either.

or padlock the bin shut and open it when you need it :-)

Answer 5

Quit putting scraps in the bin. Find a place outside to put them in like another small trash can but be sure that it's not temptation to strays and then gather them later with your other trash for the trash pick up. That way, if there is nothing in there tempting her she may leave it alone.

Answer 6

I had the same problem. I got one of those swinging covers for it, and that took care of the problem. The other solution is to get a product called "indoor no", which is a spray that emits a smell undetectable to humans, but which cats absolutely loathe and stay away from. Good luck.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

either get a heavy stainless steel bin or hide the bin in a kitchen cupboard

Answer 9

tie the bin bag up, then turn the bin upside down with the lid of. the cat will be baffled as to where its gone.

Answer 10

Hi this is smokey

the cat can smell all sorts of things in your bin like its old cat food maybe if u make sure that your cat is full after eating it might not go for your bin

for more info contact me at:

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