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[Mbrown001]

Not sure hubby would stump up for that......he would rather have a gun 


Oh it is annoying though.

[bramble]

Sorry but I am very against the use of a power washer to scare off a cat. A garden hose yes but not a power washer. It could cause untold damage to the animal and is very cruel. The best way is still to move the feeders away from the shrubbery or not fill them at all.
Bramble

[Taz2]

Slight side track, yesterday our darling hen Virginia passed away.  We think that the heat might have something to do with it, she's already so badly missed.  Have arranged to take her to the vet for cremation, rather than burying her in the garden.  When we get the latter sorted out, all aches from various pets are going to go there, under a tree.

Sorry to hear about Virginia. It's always difficult when animals/birds pass away especially if it's not expected.

Taz x 

[Mbrown001]

It's on power spray not in full jet so it wont do it any harm. My garden is not big enough to move the feeders and I do enjoy my birds.
So its a power struggle between me and the cat.
Dont worry bramble I wouldn't ever hurt an animal. I just want to stop the great bird hunt in my garden.

[Taz2]

The "cat" had had a power washer turned on it twice today.
Yesterday I saw it take a gold finch and a sparrow.

I'm beginning to hate this ...cat....and it may well get more of the above. The power spray was on full throttle and I just caught it's tail....that's where I was aiming ....so hopefully it might just go away for a while.
Trouble is I'm not looking out all the time.
My bird feeders are empty....just loosing too many right now.

It sounds as if you may have to move the feeders or look closely at what cover the cat is hiding in?

Taz x

[CaroleM]

I have a suggestion. Go on the web and look for a plant commonly knocked as Scaredy Cat. You will need to get quite q number of the plant, it has a reputation of being an excellent cat remover. Apparently it has had "scent" that cats loath and they avoid it. One plant is no good, as my MIL, she could not work our why the cat kept on coming to visit, you will need a number of plants. Ask your local garden centre for advice or phone a grower and they will advise you. I cannot vouch for this personally but it might be an answer to your cat problem. Alternatively, try putting some sharp twigs around when shrubs. Nothing to harm the cat, but to dissuade it from using your garden as its personal sushi bar.

Hope this gives you some help. I have 4 cats and if someone deterred them using either of the above, I would be OK with it.

[Taz2]

Is that the one that smells of dog pee? My neighbour tried it - to deter mine I think  - but couldn't bear the smell. Another friend tried the curry plant but, again, it smelt terrible and then spread itself around the garden.

Taz x

[dahliagirl]

My next door neighbour was always putting bird food and stuff out for the birds, then you would see her 'flying' out into the garden to chase the sparrow hawk away 

We have a cat problem.  I don't put food out - just grow many trees and mature shrubs so that they can find their own food, and they are not all attracted to the same spot.  The black birds can root around the flower beds/vegetable plots (where they are little vandals  )  I am going to put in a small pond when I get the time.

With the cats, I used to put holly cuttings under the hedges, but, as my daughter pointed out, that inconveniences the hedgehogs.  When they are new, I shout, hiss, clap, run at them and they are very quickly trained to leg it the moment the key is turned in the door..........  Sometimes you get a stubborn one, then you need to be persistent and maybe use the supersoaker/hose if you get the chance.  I am not sure what they get up to when I am not there though.

We have an influx from nearby flats    For some reason, you get a nuisance one for 2 or 3 years, and then they disappear..........

This year we have a persistent one that has shinned up the tree to the nest box.  I am thinking of rubbing a pound of lard around the trunk - or will this just attract more cats?

[CLKD]

...... it may well attract rats 

Also cats may learn to jump above the level of the layer 

[CaroleM]

Personally I have no idea what Scaredy Cat smells like. It does have a reputation for getting rid of intruding cats. It may smell of dog wee. You can buy something like lion poo, all cleaned up, it might be worth trying. It looks as though your intruders are not being physically deterred, so something that cats don't like the smell of might be your next path. Combined smell and physical deterrents might be the way to go.

If you select your physical deterrent carefully, prickly but otherwise benign, hedgehogs should be OK. They are used to coming across all types of garden "litter" without coming to harm. I think holly would be better than roses, because the rose thorns can snap off and a hedgehog could get one stuck in a foot. We all know how painful that can be.

Whatever you do, make sure that you don't inadvertently do harm to this damned cat and the owner lands you with the vet bill.

I'd be very happy if badgers could legally be deterred. They will and do take chickens. Their sheer strength can overcome most deterrents. Now use an electric fence.

[dahliagirl]

Minsmere rspb reserve had a badger once  - they use electric fences too.

[CLKD]

Badgers are killers 

[CLKD]

The Jury is out about bovine TB and badgers.  Although they are currently being culled across Wales and parts of England due to 'them' believing that badgers transfer TB to cattle.   DEFRA do not perform post mortums on the carcasses so how they know that there is a connection ......... or indeed which areas of the UK are infected with TB.

Badgers have huge curled claws, like bears.  They will climb.  They will dig.  They eat frogs, worms, slugs, chickens, quails ....... they will bite/claw through netting which is why we put steel under and over our chicken run including the wooden hut. 

Cute and cuddle Nature is not !  A lot of the problem of course is that humans keep stock carolled or in cages, easy for predators to break in. 

[CaroleM]

Badgers KILL poultry. The worst animal scream I ever heard came from Clementine hen when the b....y badger got her on our front garden ramp. It wasn't dark, she was enjoying a rootle around the front garden playing with an empty snail shell. Stephen would not let me see her. A mature badger can and will dig into anywhere it senses prey. Our girls have always lived in strong wooden coops. Now they live in a breeze block and mortar converted potting shed. The final line of defence is an electric fence, we also have other means of protection installed, strengthened walk in fruit cage, solid extended run.

Badgers in the right setting are beautiful creatures. Sadly far too many are killed on our roads. Whether or not they infect cattle with Bovine TB or, even, the other way around I have no idea. Their young are very cute. It's illegal to even handle one, (which makes the fact that I scruffed the 1st one that attacked our girls highly illegal). It was a young one, but certainly it capable of taking a finger or two off.

Something about a fully grown Brock, (male badger), they are capable of killing a cat. That might sound far fetched, sadly its not.

[Taz2]

That's your answer Mrs Brown - install a badger!

A fairly recent study found that badgers and cats in an urban environment have a healthy respect for each other and no evidence of cat killing was observed although kittens and elderly cats, if the badger was particularly hungry, might not be safe. They are the hedgehogs only natural predator in this country.


Taz x