Talkback: Cats in the garden - Page 2 - Talkback

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07/10/2011 at 23:41

Getting a cat was the best thing i've done for my garden. Rats were becoming a regular sight and alot of my fruit was being pinched by the birds before i got one. All that's been sorted since having my cat, he's kept in at night and seems too slow to catch anything. A win win situation :)

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2011 at 08:06

We had a black untamed cat in our garden. It killed everything that moved, and deficated in the flower beds. That was until our 6 stone Germand Shepherd found it. Its not bothering anyone now.........

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2011 at 14:51

Answer - Get your own cat. Feed it well from cat food. Provide it with a clean litter tray and when it uses it clean it out. It will probably sleep all day in a safe comfy spot in your house or hidden away in your garden and if it is very warm it will be upside-down sunbathing or sleep under the ferns. Establish a routine so that it checks the perimeters of its own teritory after the birds have been feeding at dawn and keep it in at night when the little nocturnal animals are about. It requires discipline and effort and love. You will probably find it will prefer sitting on your knee watching East Enders or especially the action in Strictly to being out in the wild. It will learn to know what time you watch your favourite programmes and will recognise the signature tunes so you won't ever miss them. When I had to have my first 12 year old cat put to sleep I was without a cat for 2 years. I did not get any fruit from my 20 assorted fruit trees and the rest of the garden was under nets! I then got 2 kittens from the cats'home (brothers)and later they were joined by 2 strays (mother and daughter). The daughter is still living and does a good job of looking after me. She is now 16. And the garden flourishes, does not smell of cats, nor does the house. Other cats do not trouble me. My problem is that my cat will come back into the house to use the litter tray. I too have a pond with fish and have counted over 30 frogs enjoying the warm evenings. It is surrounded by a fruit cage and netted to keep the heron off! I don't have any trouble with slugs and snail in the viscinity.Good luck.

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2011 at 15:21

Since obtaining my cat from cats protection 3yrs ago, I have a good routine for its and other wildlife's safety. When I am out the cat is in. I have no catflap and the cat is kept in at night and not let out until daylight. It is litter trained,has a bell and other identity 'bling' to alert birds and other wildlife. The longsuffering frogs which live in our garden although we do not have a water feature are treated to a trip into my house by my cat who tenderly places them at my feet feeling very pleased with himself! However they never appear harmed and are carried back to a place of safety to make me jump when gardening another day!I am not troubled by other cats in our garden since having mine and I hope my cat does not trouble the neighbours as he uses his litter tray. Patience,love and training of the cats and their owners is the key to preserving our wildlife and a world for all!

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08/10/2011 at 17:36

mrs littlebush...dont quite understand what you have wrote......

Gardeners' World Web User

08/10/2011 at 17:49

We always keep our 5 cats in at night,and let them out when we get up at dawn. That not ony saves the wildife,but the cats themselves. Someone comes around here staeling al the cats they find!The cats themselves do not kill wildife,but they play with them and let them go! Especially the foxes!Although when one of our kittens were younger they twice kiled birds and brought them to me and dumped them at my feet. I told the kitten off,and since then they have not kied anything!!

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2011 at 09:06

Melonie and Caroline we are on the same wavelength. If one has a pet then it has to be looked after as a pet, loved and communicated with. You cannot boot it out when you are fed up with it and make it part-time wild-life and expect it not to kill. I see a fox walk up my street at night time. I see muddy fox paw prints climbing over my garden wall and when it snows fox paw prints are all over my garden. It is wild and one expects it to kill to survive. Don't blame everything on the poor cat. We should look after our pets properly. Keep them in at night and make sure you let them back in during the day when they have had enough of outside. The humans out there can be very cruel to animals. I too know that.

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2011 at 16:15

We used to let our two cats out years ago but only when we were in, one only went to the end of our drive and the other one came back in to use her own litter tray inside. The only wildlife they ever got were spiders and butterflies. I had to stop letting them out though as we have a neighbour whose cats seem to be out for what seems like 24/7 and there were a few fights. We only have one cat now but any future cats will be indoor cats only, if nothing else it's safer for them due to so many cat hating people out there!

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2011 at 17:42

Well on my allotment the various cats do an excellent job of killing rats and mice which are rampant, so they're more than welcome! I'd sooner someone did something about the two mange-ridden urban foxes that dig up everything and "you-know-what" everywhere - hey dog lovers, how about urban fox hunting!? Then there's the badgers which are even more destructive and have even more rights than visiting diplomats - but hey, they're cute ‘n’ cuddly and get featured on Spring/Autumn Watch so they're ok then aren't they (NOT).

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2011 at 18:32

Hi! It's me Ginger the amazing cat. I think your article is great. Yes cats can use computers, I thought everyone knew cats like to play with a mouse. I am a little jealous that you have had such a great success. I hope someday I will be famous by being a YouTube star. Keep Up the good work. Bye for now and have a good day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Ww57npjoc Maybe you can check out video, you never know what might happen if you subscribe, hint hint!

Gardeners' World Web User

09/10/2011 at 19:00

I didn't get any cats in the garden when I had a dog. I just shouted "Shona Pussy Cats" and she would be out that back door like lightening, and the cat was up and over the fence and gone, but she never caught a cat. The thing is, really it is just nature, I have a cat that comes into the garden and if I see him I just shoo him out and then he sits up on the shed roof looking miffed, then he just wonders off I continue gardening.

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2011 at 09:53

Thank you for all your comments, it's heartening to know that so many people keep their cats in at night. Happymarion - you never cease to amaze me Ginger - thank you for perking up my Monday morning Kate

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2011 at 10:01

My next door neighbours cat has now given up skulking in my garden , after it attacked my pond I now net it and spray water at it. The persecution is working thankfully. However I experienced a magpie attacking my blue tit box this spring not a cat.

Gardeners' World Web User

10/10/2011 at 16:15

wat sa load of wingers cats bury there u know wat did you ever hear of disinfectint just pour a small bit on your path and leave it for an hour and then hose it down while brushing it away they dont like this smell plus if you put milk plastic and clear water bottles in the garden full of water just spread them on the flower beds where you dont whant them to go to believe me the hate seing there owen reflection in the bottles plus im sure you know the dont like water

Gardeners' World Web User

11/10/2011 at 06:41

I'm glad I'm not the only one who suffers from these menacing moggies. I have put alpine stones right across my borders to stop them using it as a toilet, now they mess on the lawn. And I love seeing the birds and squirrels in my garden, I feel like I'm on guard duty every day, trying to protect the birds from the cats. I sit in my greenhouse, I can see them but they can't see me, so when I suddenly appear with a bucket of water, well, you should see them fly, it's great.

Gardeners' World Web User

11/10/2011 at 08:54

They built a bypass close to our house which ruined lots of farmland and habitat, The homeless rats and rabbits came into the garden and caused havoc with our chickens along with the ragwort seed which killed 3 hens! A badly treated stray we took in had 3 kittens and thay are now all spayed. They patrol my and the neighbours veg patch and this year we have had no rabbit damage and hopefully they will keep the rats away from the chickens this winter. Well worth the £500 vet bill for the spaying and ops to sort out mum cat.

Gardeners' World Web User

11/10/2011 at 10:16

Haven't cats just taken the place of natural predators? There are less birds of prey. Foxes are rife and there are quite a few mink type predators around. So do we have less predators now with cats or more?

Gardeners' World Web User

11/10/2011 at 17:52

Derryfield, spelling.

Gardeners' World Web User

11/10/2011 at 19:07

I don't want cats in my garden under any circumstances and I have tried everything to keep them out. When I had a dog she was trained to stay out of neighbours' gardens as they would have soon complained. However, it seems to be perfectly acceptable for their cats to use my garden as a toilet! The damage and destruction is really not fair and we are forever chasing them away from the bird table None of the cat deterents work, maybe I need another dog.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/10/2011 at 10:22

This is a story without an end, isn't it? I have just taken my furry friend for a blood test so I am feeling bad! Did you hear on the telly the other day of the danger caused to our 'cute and endangered species'(of little birds)by the feeders that humans put out for them? These are spreading disease easily amongst little birds because of the proximity by which the birds are feeding and have, in fact made some species extinct. This is due to the humans not being very particular about cleaning their bird feeders. Birds are territorial but feeders are like our supermarkets where we all pick up germs from each other along with our food! I find this worrying. Once more - don't be too angry with the cats - Humans are supposed to be 'intelligent'.

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