How to Prevent Stray Cats from Climbing the RV Roofing
Stray cats climbing on top of the RV roofing present multiple issues to the owners. They litter the roof with food remnants and emit sounds deep in the night that could keep them awake. Cats also scratch the protective coating on the roof, which ultimately degrade its condition.
There are several steps that you can take to prevent stray cats from climbing on top of your roof.
1. Use Citrus
Cats do not like the smell of citrus. You can use air spray with lemon or citrus scent and spray the whole length of your RV roof to keep stray cats away. If you have lemons or oranges, you can place them on different areas of the roof to make it smell like citrus.
2. Motion-Activated Sprinkler
Install a motion sensor at the top of the RV roof or the sides where stray cats usually pass to climb on top. Connect the device to a sprinkler system that is attached to a hose. Once the motion sensor detects activity on the roof, it will set off the sprinkler system, and water would come out drizzling the cats. After a few times of getting sprinkled with water, cats will remember the experience and avoid going up on your RV roof.
3. Offer An Alternative Place
Another way of keeping stray cats away from your RV roof is by luring them into another place nearby. Look for an unused area near your RV that is suitable for luring the cats into. You can use catnips to lure stray cats into the area. Crush the leaves of the catnip to release the aroma that is irresistible to cats and put them on the designated place. The stray cats would hopefully stay there for good instead of lounging on your roof.
4. Cat-Repellents
Products advertised as cat-repellents are available. Some people attest to the effectiveness of these products in keeping cats away. These are generally sold in spray form, which make them convenient and easy to use. Just spray evenly on the surface of the roof and you have an anti-cat smell floating around your RV roof.
5. Habitat Modification
You might want to find out the reason why stray cats love hanging around your roof. Perhaps something could be found there that attracts them. One way of keeping cats and critters from your roof is through habitat modification. These unwanted visitors could be persuaded to stay elsewhere by introducing changes to the immediate environment such as not leaving food lying around, storing trash in closed containers and removing food and water sources near your RV.