Back in September I left a similar post but unlike you I ended up attracting the wrong crowd and it was closed by 'the knight of the wild empire' directing me to other threads without giving me the chance to reply. This is what I wrote then: My garden feel lifeless now. Do you know any law in the UK to keep HUNTER-CATS within their owner's property? Two cats, who reign over the neighbourhood, keep all animals at bay. They all used to come: squies, woodpeckers, magpies, blue and great tits, robins...and even with their babies during spring...they were my pets. The gardens are large between the two lanes of houses, but animals have gradually disappeared due to the presence of 2 cats who are unleashed throughout the whole day... and their owner seems to enjoy it, because there she leaves even a chair to help the cat jump into the tree, the hunting is a spectacle for all to see...and to hear! ah! Is it not commonsense that owners are allowed to do in their houses what they want AS LONG AS they, or their pets, DO NOT take away others' rights to enjoy wild life? I love cats and know other neighbours who keep theirs indoors. What if I brought a dog, or a fox and they ended up killing the 2cats? Are we being left to the law of the jungle? Sorry but I feel so upset by the whole situation...I even used to welcome the cat in my garden, while now I rush to scare them and keep them at bay not to witness the horrendous killing. But it seems I am the only one protesting by doing it. I understand they eat rats and mice but why their owners do not allow them out during the night?
Hope any of you have the answer, otherwise I will have to stop leaving food for the birds because now I end up feeling at the centre of the ambush….
What I’d like to say now is that my garden has improved a lot, simply by observing all cat’s tricks, tactics and whereabouts no water pistol nor chili, pepper, cayenne, skin orange was necessary - But with directed energy at the cats asking them to leave the Garden, persistence and consistence has paid off enormously, and now the cats go all around the fence but do not dare to reign in my garden as they used to and every time I see them in the garden I rush and open the door to surprise them and they leave, if they don’t I simply walk energetically, decisively calm and assertive towards them and I can tell you it has worked wonders…. Sadly as they move somewhere else I still hear the birds in trees trying to protect their nests. The program ‘the dog whisperer’ in freeview11/ sky3 with Cesar Millan gives great advice and sometimes cats are also in his series. A great answer I had from another site was this one below from a cat owner:
'Both our neighbours on each side have two each, we have four. This is a semi-rural part of Devon. There's quite a number of rats, large mice et.al, in the area. The cats frequently catch these and the occasional bird, field mice, moths, frogs.When we can, we go to great lengths to rescue these unfortunates (excluding rats!) if possible & when they are still alive. We use a large plastic sweet jar. First, rescue the victim, then cover the top with cardboard to prevent escape and free these creatures away from the house. We long ago stopped feeding birds. We advice anyone disapproving of our animals on their property to turn a hose or something similar on them. Or if they get too unwantedly friendly, slap the moggies fairly gently with a newspaper or throw a bucket of cold water over 'em. They won't come back after that - believe me!
There's no law against keeping cats which hunt. It's their nature and has been since their creation. The only law against domestic animals who kill or injure applies to dogs and a dog killing a cat is certainly unlawful. A previous neighbour's Alsatian killed one of ours and although the dog wasn't made subject of a destruction order (thankfully) it's owner was heavily fined. The best way to continue feeding birds is on the roof of your property because, contrary to popular belief, cats prefer ground level and or trees. A roof is only a rare inquisitive visit. Incidentally, we have had foxes and badgers in the garden and the cats show no fear. It is believed by the real country folk around here that foxes are scared of cats for fear of having the nose, their most valuable organ of survival, scratched. Not too sure if I believe it, but this is, after all, the depths of Devon and anything is possible around the moors. YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE THIS! Just as I was previewing this answer when I had to rescue one frog (Jar) and a wonderful young robin. Scruff held the cat who dropped the bird so I could fold it gently in my cupped hands. Put the robin on the car roof outside in the road and with 10 minutes he'd flow off. Really, it happened! HONEST!!! Source(s):Had cats around the house for the past 50 or so years.'
And as I was gonna write this last line a magpie dares into the garden to grab his monkey nuts….such a pleasure to see them coming and going without worrying about their safety. All the best
