Things have improved over the last several weeks, so we still have the cats. We finally got the them neutered/spayed, which I've been planning to do all along. When we got them they gave us some certificates that covered most of the cost. I was going to get it done sooner, but the only place that the certificates are honored is very busy and they were booked solid. Now that that's done, I'm hoping the cats will be less "independent" and less likely to "mark their territory". They've been doing good for a long time anyway now that their house and food is at the edge of the woods. They probably didn't like having to walk across the snow all winter. Now that the weather has been nice for a couple weeks, they've been coming up to the house when the kids are outside, but I haven't found any poop around the house in a long time. Only time will tell if this keeps up.
Thanks for the moral support! The true test is coming in a couple weeks. Last fall we had trouble with them pooping in a flower bed right under the family room window, which is a problem because it stunk in the house if we had that window open. I put moth balls in there and covered the whole area with 1/2" mesh deer netting, which looks terrible and the moth balls also smell bad. Pretty soon all that stuff is coming out and I'm planning to plant some "cat deterrent plants", which from research will include: geraniums, petunias, marigolds, and possibly fuschias, citronella, and rue if I can find them. I don't know yet what those last 3 are, but the first 3 are flowers.