CATS: How do I get rid of them?

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by AfternoonLemon

My only concern would be attacks from cats on the ground, so my plan before this winter is to put down some fencing, maybe a foot high, 5cm apart. The idea isn't really to stop cats getting past it (in my experience, you can't practically stop cats going anywhere - if they're determined enough), but more about stopping an ambush. It would hopefully be enough to slow the cat down, as the birds will dart through the gaps an the cat will have to jump over. Do you think this sounds feasible? I'm not quite sure about the spacing though. I think 5cm would be ample for anything up to a blackbird, without slowing them down, but a pigeon or crow would be in trouble

Protecting ground feeding birds is a problematic, and a determined bird hunting cat is very difficult to deter. Your double row fencing sounds as though it might have some merit, although 5cm seems very narrow, certainly too narrow for blackbird. There's the question also about whether it would be safer for the birds to be able to fly out of the 'pen' - in which case it needs to be wing span wide (35cm for black bird) . A rectangle of canes variously spaced - 5 - 10cm apart might be a better option , allowing the birds all round visibility and a chance to fly out of the pen, while still providing some impedance to a cat attack.

CM

[bigdave60dog]

I did not want a cat as i prefer to have birds in my garden. However all of the neighbours cats used my garden as hunting ground, lavatory, boxing ring and monkey run.
I got my own cat. He was big and hard. He soon kept all other cats out of my garden. I only had one cat to contend with and he was good companion as well.
He upset my neighbours by beating their cats up, catching their pigeons etc. and crapping on their borders and veg patches. I had to rehome him before I got sued. That`s one idea if you can get away with it.
My wife has friend who has several cats. To prevent HER cats from from fouling HER garden she gets large, clear, plastic pop bottles, fills them three parts full with water, then puts them around the places where she don`t want her cats to go. (almost everywhere) . At first I laughed at the idea. I was made to look a fool when she was complaining that her neighbours had got together and asked her to take away the bottles as HER cats were crapping in THEIR gardens.
I am glad that she lives nowhere near me but it is the second time that I have heard of this method of repelling pests from a garden.
Does anyone else have experience of this?
Dave

[Lancashire Lad]

You could try sticking lots of the thin green plant support "pea sticks" into the ground in the aea where you propose feeding.

Cats would certainly be unable to pounce if there were enough of them.

Regards,
Mike.

[Madmills]

The pea stick idea is good and what i do here. It works well at keeping a cat/s away from specific areas, large or small. Also, holly leaves and rose stems will work too - you're not being unkind and cruel merely making them avoid the area.

As for the feeding stations being too open and exposed - don't place them out in the open, site them close to trees and shrubs - you must make sure there is always shelter very close-by, for them to dart into.
I have a feeding station in my back garden and it's 'branches' touch/go into the trees and bushes that are planted there.

[hare]

The pea stick idea is good and what i do here.

Same here, along with shouting and chasing them off, I've found that is about the only thing that works in my garden. I've tried just about everything else and none of them worked. There is a high cat population around here

[Paul mabbott]

Get a dog!
The problem then becomes, how do I control the dog?
Seriously, it depends very much on the size and nature of your garden. You can try to encourage one (big, energetic) cat to see all the rest off .... sometims works although they tend to get lazy with age. There's always the caterpault or air gun but then you have to sit out all night ....

[Jonquil_d]

I have tried (cat )pepper in the hedge bottom
pepper/paprika/curry powder on the bird food
waterpistol
bramble rose and holly in the hedge bottoms(draw the line at broken glass)
now have an electronic cat scarer.
Cat visits have reduced since it went out and they stay away from the area immediately in front of it : perhaps it lacks the power to reach the whole garden and I need to move it or add to it...oh and I intend to try the lemonade bottles when I have drunk the contents....