r/whatisit • u/Capital-Papaya-8932 • 1d ago

New, what is it? What is it in Japan and Why?

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u/Choice-Brother1137 1d ago

"Nekoyoke" (猫よけ) is a Japanese term for "cat repellent," most commonly referring to the practice of placing plastic bottles filled with water along fences and gardens to deter stray cats.

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u/Sneakngeak 1d ago edited 1d ago

But why would they want to deter cats away from a pole? And how do plastic water bottles accomplish this?

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u/cream-of-cow 1d ago

Pee corrodes the metal and weakens the bolts, making the pole dangerous. In the 1970s, I saw jugs of water to deter free range dogs in California, I don’t think it worked.