Allotments 4 All
Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: RSJK on April 25, 2011, 20:44:43
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Last year because of a over population of cats in my area I had to but wire fencing and nets all around my flower boarders to keep the bloody things off my garden. Today I decided to take them away and dig my boarders ready for this years display , within half hour of being in the house I had three visits by the bloody things. I am sick to death of the things and feel that the law should be changed to make owners more responsible for their cats . Why should I have to have my garden used,as a cats toilet .
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Time to use the old size 10's RK. ;)
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Time to put the fencing back?
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Buy zoo poo,specifically lion poo, it is available online, is a great manure and the cats will not go near the ground as they can smell the lions
Noit kidding, look online,you don't need tons.
XX Jeannine
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Unfortunately it's difficult to be 'responsible' for a cat. When they're out, they are out. Agree about the Zoo poo, I have heard it works. Squirting with a water spray stops my cats too.
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Unfortunately it's difficult to be 'responsible' for a cat. When they're out, they are out. Agree about the Zoo poo, I have heard it works. Squirting with a water spray stops my cats too.
I shall no doubt have to duck back behind the parapet but why keep the bloody things then? A neighbour of mine at my old househad way too many and as a consequence we had their "output" everywhere. When I put up extra fencing to keep them out I was told I was being petty! I found a super soaker the best - heard mixed reviews on lion poo and other chemical deterrants were useless
Less of a problem where I am now as the gardens are bigger and there seem to be less of them about
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Two suggestions, one a bit naughty though;
1.
I get the wire coathangers from the dry cleaning, cut off the top bit, straighten it out and cut it into 3 bits. I then place these strategically between and in front of the new plants. they don't actually hurt the cats but stop them doing their business ie 'they don't like it up em Mr Mannering". REMEMBER TO WEAR GLOVES AT THE END OF THE SEASON AS YOU END UP SPIKING YOURSELF.
2.
Squirt them with parafin instead of water. They then have to clean themselves and obviously don't like the taste.
Just thought of option 3...super soaker----- parafin--- and a lighter :o
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Why would you want to cause any animal distress when it is totally uneccessary? Using paraffin is a dreadful thing to do. Water is sufficient.
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Anybody who suggests harming animals is in serious need of psychiatric help.
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So much sympathy for the cats and their owners.....says it all about the way our country is heading.. what about those of us who have to put up with the constant damage and destruction of our plants?... how would they feel if we came along and s**t all over their gardens?
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I can think of No reason whatsoever that anyone would consider putting parafin on any animal. None. The now soaked cat goes home, sits too close to the fire and ... surely no one could condone this..it is truly evil.
I am sorry to be so blunt but I would be much more scared having someone who would do this to an animal as a neighbour than all the cats in the world.
Truly sick suggestion I would hope that our readers have much more sense than the writer and would not consider this.
I would like to think this was supposed to be a joke.
XX Jeannine
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Get a pair of Spaniels, best cat detterent ever,
And 2 bonuses, the don't bury there poop, and it's a lot easier to pick up ;)
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Richard we have the problem with cats also >:( we squirt them with water, keeps em away for a few days at a time. After my daughter has been with her labrador he goes snooping about & barks at them we do not see them sometimes for about a week. ;D ;D ;D
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I suspect the key phrase in the original post is "flower boarders".
I'm not talking about spelling - I'm talking about the psychological difference between growing flowers and growing food.
I know it's going to be controversial but I very, very rarely encounter food-growers who don't have their feet firmly planted (ha!) on the ground - or even in it...
On the other hand I've encountered quite a few flower growers who are a few seeds short of a row - if you catch my drift.
Don't get me wrong - I've met lots of lovely people who are only interested in flowers - but there is a residual minority who are operating at a distance from real life where appearances aren't just deceptive, they become an end in themselves.
The link between cause and effect has had its edges rubbed off by being viewed through flower-tinted spectacles.
Of course most people grow a bit of both (including myself) and see both sides.
Just a thought.
Cheers.
PS. Fruit growers especially seem to be the nicest people you could ever meet...
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What a dispiriting start to the day reading the repulsive suggestions from some of you particularly twochoices - protect young plants with sticks and a bit of a netting and never use anything more than water as a deterrant.
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Sometimes when I read about acts of cruelty such as setting fire to animals I wonder where these people come from.It seems that they are amongst us
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Carrots in particular seem to be a problem I can guarantee that if I sow a row in the garden some cat will come and do in the middle of the row. I think they are attracted by the smell of the seeds. I put hawthorn twigs along the rows.
I throw windfall apples at the cats but I am a terrible shot and have not got anywhere near a cat yet. It is more the noise when the apples hit the fence. I have had more problems with cats dropping moles.
But on the lottie there are deer, squirrels, voles, mice, pigeons, rabbits ........ the cats pale into insignifcance.
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Some people are overlooking the best deterrent of all - get your own cat! Ours is great - chases away all the others & always pops next door for a poo. ;D
We use rose prunings in "no dig" areas - works fine.
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I have managed to soak a few cats as they attempt to make an escape over the fence (I have buckets of water at the ready, stationed at strategic points in the garden) and it's quite satisfying.
The paraffin thing was just a joke with a bit of venting - if we are talking stereotypes, you cat lovers don't even have a sense of humour about your pets.
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The neighbours on all three side of us have cats (we are on a corner so have neighbours at the end of the garden as well) and our garden is the scene of a vicious territory battle. I'm always squirting water to break up fights. We solved the poo problem by laying chicken wire just under the soil with the sharp bits pushed into the ground. The cats can't dig so they don't poo. They still spray on everything though can't do anything about that.
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So much sympathy for the cats and their owners.....says it all about the way our country is heading.. what about those of us who have to put up with the constant damage and destruction of our plants?... how would they feel if we came along and s**t all over their gardens?
Whilst I hate the cats digging up my plants while crapping in my garden I do appreciate that they are just doing what is normal for cats to behave. If we had to crap outside we wouldnt do it in our back gardens either.
A infra red sensor on the boarders would be good. One that triggered an audible noise like a lion roar to scare them off
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.The paraffin thing was just a joke with a bit of venting - if we are talking stereotypes, you cat lovers don't even have a sense of humour about your pets.
How odd that you think the paraffin remark funny :o
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I am sorry to be so blunt but I would be much more scared having someone who would do this to an animal as a neighbour than all the cats in the world.
Exactly my thoughts too Jeannine.
I think there is something deeply disturbing about people who are cruel to animals.
Now that I have four feral cats living on my plot I am having to protect crops with netting, something I might not have done before. The cats give me so much pleasure, the little extra work is well worth it.
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I am a dog owner and i would never allow my dog to wander into other peoples gardens and crap everywhere, chase and eat ground nesting birds and taunt their chickens , I think it is a mark of deep disrespect for cat owners to allow there non native predators to do the same to ther peoples gardens .
It is unacceptable to say that its just cat behaviour and shrug shoulders. This is a non native species causing havock to our coutryside and gardens and its irresponsible owners who are the source of the problem. If you have a pet be responsible for it otherwise you shouldnt have it.
and stop being so huffy about a joke.
they werent seriously suggesting anything,
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As a cat owner (of which I am not) how would you control where your cat goes?
I am on the fence with this one. Dont like cat pooh in my garden but wonder what can actually be done by owners. I sense an influx of answers coming though
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Every human/animal relationship is exploitative. We need to keep animals on farms, for food and to work for us. And even there they deserve respect. And there are a few other good reasons for keeping animals other than on farms, like guide dogs, or police dogs.
But I deeply disapprove of domestic animals, especially in towns and suburbs. They are kept purely for the entertainment of their owners, and I suggest that entertainment isn't a good enough reason to impose human constraints on a wild creature. Cruelty to animals isn't just crazy people putting cats in dustbins. It's silly sentimental people with dogs that they don't exercise, or cats that they don't care for, or birds in cages, or rabbits in hutches, or fish in tanks.
If you so admire wildlife, go out into the country with a camera or binoculars, and be soppy about the real thing.
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I have a cat - he is a rescue (I had him 3 years ago when he was eight) and have had to 'train' him to use the litter tray.
We live in a very rural area - but I know by experience that cats will poo in recently dug / weeded / sown soil, especially the neighbour's or the veg patch!
He now comes in from outside to use the tray, and not the garden / neighbours garden, and I don't mind having to deal with the litter mess - rather that than find his poo where I'm about to plant my pea seedlings !
Having said that - we do have neighbours cats to deal with, and I find throwing a bucket of water over them, chasing them is deterrent enough. We have enclosed our veg patch with waist high chicken wire fence (bluddy rabbits), but even this has been jumped over on occasion - in the flower beds I use gorse clippings to stop any unwanted cat / rabbit attention.
Alison
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Ahhhh - the annual cat poo debate - a little early this year but still as entertaining and diversive as it always is.
Just one point - I am a cat lover and have two cats - both rescue. We are luck to have some spare ground out the back where all the cats tend to go but i try to do this...
I have a little area at the back of the garden which i leave for the cats. Keep it freshly dug as much as I can - add sand or some compost from time to time and the cats tend to poo there.
I disagree with Melbourne - I am perfectly at liberty to keep a non wild animal in and around my home if I chose to do so responsibly - I dont do so for the pure entertainment although it is of course a factor. These are not wild animals - they are born and bred domestically and would die in the wild.
Also I am not sure what point Sunloving is trying to make with the whole non domestic thing. Most dogs are the producy of human selective breeding and as such are not "natively" from anywhere. Dogs also cause huge problems in the country side with sheep and chickens and other farmed animals. Mind you of course most farmed animals are not truly domestic anyway.
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The point is that responsible dog owners wouldnt let their dogs wreak havoc in the countryside, keep dogs on leads dont allow then to crap in other people gardens , most cat owners couldnt care less once the cat leaves their property.
Cats are the number one predator of several endnagered british species such as pipestrelle and whiskered bats, many ground nesting birds and are allowed by thier "owners " to do this behaviour.
Dogs are not and there is a great difference between the level of nusiance caused by each,in both cases the nusiance/ harm to wildlife being down to the irresponsibility of their owners.
x sunloving
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1. It was just a joke whether u find it funny or not
2. Dog owners let their dogs off their leads and they chase birds and kids on bikes, my 6 year old clings to me as we walk across the park, god forbid any dog that went for my child
3. Cats are a pain in the arse but they are not kids and owners can't stop them cacking
4. My kid has a fish in a bowl, when she comes back from her holiday I will have to tell her how cruel it is to keep fish, but I didn't realise they were so entertaining, well if off with a can of pop and a box of popcorn to watch them, bye for now.
:P :P :P
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I hate dogs.
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Ah sunloving I see you are just being one sided. Dog owners are responsible and cat owners are not. Of course that is complete and utter tripe.
How many humans are mauled/killed by cats, how much cat poo is left in gutters in streets, why is their no dangerous cat law, how many sheep and cows are injured by cats.
The real truth is that the animals are all innocent and that both dog and cat owners can be irresponsible. I completely take your point about birds being killed by cats.
I agree that there is a huge difference between the level of nuisance - dogs kill people and injure people and other animals - a far great "nuisance" im sure you will agree.
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Totally sympathise with the OP's problem. I also do not have cats but my garden is regularly visited by them, with my veg beds in particular being used as feline loos. I have ornamental borders as well but as these are permanently planted with shrubs and perennials, the cats don't seem to use them as much.
On the veg plot i have to routinely cover my beds to keep them off with mixed success. When the beds are fallow i use sheets or old compost bags to cover the soil bit keeping the cats off when things are planted or sown with a crop is a bit more tricky. Using fleece or enviromesh to cover seed beds or newly planted onion sets is effective and benefits the crop. I have to use netting with things like leeks and module raised garlic, not pretty and it can harm the crop physically but its better than being dug up or buried! I grow a lot of veg plants in modules and plant as semi mature plants, which the mere presence of should deter the kitties, but even that isn't totally fool proof and doesn't actually keep them off the bed, just make it more difficult to use.
Worst thing is i actually like (most) cats themselves (used to have one), just don't like what they do in the garden!
Also agree with the idea to get your own cat or better still a cat hating dog. I know one 'Westie' that cant stand them but then again even he cant keep them out of his owners garden completely. Theres even one cat that sits on the other side of the fence out if reach and teases him!
PS on the subject of nuisance visitors, anyone got any tips on how to deter seagulls? We are 8 -10 miles inland yet a load of them have taken up residence in our neighbourhood. Becoming right pests.
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Sunloving, what about the crap left by rats and foxes etc. How should we stop that? I'm sure there is more of that in our gardens than we realise.
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Of course the parafin comment was a joke, which some of you have highlighted. My serious contribution was the point about the wire coat hangars - harmless. But it generated debate, so here's another idea
Not wishing to take anything away from the cat loving community, how about the next time the neighbours cat leaves it's calling card, you scoop it up into a paper bag and return it to the cats owner by posting it through the letterbox. Maybe addresses 'Return to Sender' ;)
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OP question was about cats. Why are we talking about dogs? They don't even look the same - can't see how someone would mix them up.
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Scoop in a bag
Pop on next doors step
Set light
Ring the door bell
And hide
;D ;D ;D
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U R so sad. Knife crime and wars, and u r worried about cats, that have do a poo somewhere.
Get a life. It doesn't take too long to dig a hole and bury it, but dog poo is it OK. Leave the poor cats alone, or give them a toilet. If you are really upset by it get a water pistol is good. Cats are very clean and bury it, but don't like them shitting in childrens sand pits which they seem to love. If you sprayed my cats you would be 'dead meat'. I do agree that cats love soil that have been dug for planting seeds, but my cat and dog used to dig the seeds up and the dog that could pee for England could kill any plant in the garden that I had planted. Perhaps it is better to have dogs, cats, foxes etc in rural areas than in the surbaran gardens.
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I dont think there really is an answer to this problem..... Cats are cats and are gonna use everyones gardens as toilets whether we like it or not.
We just gotta try to deter them as much as poss ... in a kind way... and accept its just something we gardeners are gonna have to put up with.
I have a cat but she doesnt leave our garden and uses a litter tray. I have caught another cat using my garden and spray water to chase it away but realistically its always gonna be a problem. Life is too short to stress about a bit of cat poo.
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I've resisted joining this thread as I'm an animal lover but while I would never harm a cat it doesn't stop me thinking about it ;)
Seriously we have a large garden, 2 veg plots and 2 raised beds for veg and I'm sure the local moggies hold parties in them >:(
Sorry Borlotti but they don't always bury it I've got some dwarf irises which they seem to like to squat on,and the raised bed despite being netted now has random seedlings of carrots,radishes .salad leaves scattered about even though sown in rows.I'm not sure I fancy eating them now :o
We bought one of those electronic scarers which while the grandchildren could hear it did nothing to deter the mogs in fact they deposited right in front of the flippin' thing !
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I'm sorry but if you elect to have a pet - whatever it is - you are responsible for it and it's actions. You cannot abdicate responsibility on account of "its what they do". If it's acceptable for cats to kill birds "as it's nature" what's the difference if a cat is attacked and killed by a dog in someone else's garden? Surely that's "just nature" but I doubt the cat owner would see it that way.
There are health risks associated with cat crap, including a risk to unborn children, which raises it above simply being a nuisance or a "bit of cat poo".
We have finally woken up to the fact that it is no longer acceptable to allow dogs to foul wherever it suits and owners are encouraged to clean up afterwards - although sadly some still dont and others, after going to the trouble of picking it up then toss the bag away inconsiderately. Perhaps it's about time we got serious about cat crap
What makes it acceptable for your cat (or mine if I had one) to mess on other peoples property? If you are not prepared to take responsibility then dont own one!
I have to admit at a previous house I took to returning the offending items back to the originating site, not something i'm overly proud of but with a young child I didn't want her falling foul of it.
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There are lots of irresponsible pet owners but equally there are plenty of responsible ones. Maybe it's too easy to get an animal and prospective owners should be vetted a bit more closely and encouraged to take a course in animal care before getting a pet.
I like to think I'm a responsible pet owner anyway I've certainly had loads of pets - mainly dogs but also some cats - over the years. My dog gets walked every day and my pockets always have bags ready for poop. I groom, clean ears and eyes and brush teeth daily. She is vaccinated, wormed and given flea treatment. She is pretty well trained and does what she is told. It disgusts me when I see large piles of dog poo in the park or people walking huge, menacing animals where children play. I don't think that means we shouldn't have dogs but people should not be able to get them so easily. Like it says on the stickers "a dog is not just for Xmas".
My new little kitten (now 5 months) got much of her early training from her mum and uses a litter tray. She hasn't been out yet and I still haven't decided whether to let her out once she has been spayed. She knows her name and she understands "no"! I'd be happy if she could get out in the garden with me but I'd rather she didn't go too far afield.
My two girls are great company and I wouldn't be without them.
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I don't dislike cats but the problem is that there are just too many of them. And I find it disturbing that people talk about them with such love, as if they are human. You see people cuddling their pet and and the animal licks their face etc, the whole pet thing has gone too far. IMO it is like so much in society that should be dumped for our own benefit: pets, homeopathy, companion planting - they are all crap and we, homo sapiens (sic), should know better and dump it all.
< /rant>
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So you are saying pets are crap? Why - beacause people love them too much! What? With all the ills in the world its people who love animals too much that is the issue..
Maybe to you they are but not to me and thousands of other people, Cats have been domesticated for thousands of years - maybe not always as pets - so it is nothing new to this society.
Companion planting is also fine IMHO - a lot of plants emit chemicals that attract or repulce insects.
What we should do away with his people who can't use [sic] correctly - ;) ;)
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Ho yes, DenbyVisitor.... I love my cats and dog, and they very obviously love me back. They choose when they want to be petted which is every day, and it pleases me to do so. As for companion planting, I call it common sense, really.
Another thought. Have you never rubbed a dock leaf on a nettle sting? Far better than chemicals from a tube, I think.
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What we should do away with his (sic) people who can't use [sic] correctly - ;) ;)
Haha, quite right!
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Why on earth would you be disturbed because folks love their pets, it makes no logical sense. I also would disagree with you that owners think they are human.
Something doesn't have to be human to be loved by someone.
Animals are used as therapy in hospitals, nursing home, schools and homes. Abused children who trust no one can be reached by using the love of an animal. It is no different in a regular home.
Everyone in the world deserves to be loved and to show love, not everyone is fortunate enough to find that with a human partner. If a dog or cat or whatever fills that void that is a wonderful thing. Why be miserable and lonely if that can be changed with an animal around.
Personally I am disturbed by meeting someone who can truly say they feet pets should be dumped,I also feel very sad for that person,something has to be sadly missing in their life to be brought to such a decision.It must be pretty rough to be lacking so much that one comes to these views.
XX Jeannine
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What we should do away with his (sic) people who can't use [sic] correctly - ;) ;)
Haha, quite right!
d**n recursive pedantry| ;D
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It's when people anthropomorphise animals it all gets a bit weird. Nothing wrong with keeping pets, I grew up with pets in the family and loved having them, all I'm saying is if you have one take responsibility for it and what it does, that's all
As Alexander would say - Simples! ;)
And do animals "love" - is that not a human emotion along with hate, anger, etc. Interesting debate perhaps
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In my experience yes, animals show those emotions. Not sure about hate though, I'm not a hater, more a disliker, and that's probably so for animals.
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My next door neighbours have MANY cats! When I'd just moved in, whenever the sun came out it stank and I couldn't let my toddler dig or play because she always got covered in it. (It really was everywhere)
Now it's less of a problem, because I have collected a lot of old grills and racks from friends, skips, freecycle... stuff like old fridge shelves (grille type not glass) and cooker hob thingies and old barbecue racks. Plants can grow through them, and the cats don't tend to touch those areas, because they can't scratch.
That's my tip anyway. (I'm keeping out of the compassion v sense of humour thingy ;))
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There's actually a Facebook group on the subject, to my great amusement. Hat tip to a similar thread on The Rev Counter.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Should-Not-Be-Allowed-Outside/384096228912?sk=info
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There's actually a Facebook group on the subject, to my great amusement. Hat tip to a similar thread on The Rev Counter.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Should-Not-Be-Allowed-Outside/384096228912?sk=info
Yes it has a massive 36 likes and two posts this year - a very popular and influential group.
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We dont have the problem of poo-ing cats, we have the problem with two un-neutred Toms who are spraying all over our garden and coming into our house at night and when we are out (we have a catflap for our 3). Seems to be the season for scenting their territory and i am currently trying to find the owners to tell them to get them "done". House stinks, forever on my hands and knees with spray bleach but the smell is so strong you can still smell it. Little buggers!
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Tried to keep away from this thread but found I had to add my two pennies worth. As an owner of 6 cats....yes six cats (I can almost hear DenbyVisitor and Sun lover hyperventilating :), my cats are Indoor cats with a secure fenced in garden and cat run with house. They do not wander into neighbouring gardens and use dirt boxes to poo in which are in my home. Having the cats which are Ragolls and pretty large by cat standards seems to keep other cats out of my garden. They show no sign of being able to mouse or catch birds so are not an inpact on wildlife. My previous cat was an outdoor cat but still used a dirt box indoors. She was moved down in the street by a feral teenager doing 60 mph in a quite street with their radio so loud your windows rattled. I could quite easily say ' I hate all teenagers' but it wouldnt have even crossed my mind to do so.......mayby its because I love animals and wouldnt wish anything or anyone dead! I found most of my friends are animal lovers and nice reasonable people with responsible attitudes. They also tend to make better parents as they have had the practice of caring and nuturing something in their own childhoods (the family pet) and have learned all about having a caring and responsible attitude.
There are 'bad' animal owners who are selfish to the impact animals can have on others, just as there are 'bad' parents who take no responsibility what so ever for thier children and let them run wild. But in fairness it is each to there own. I wouldnt be without a cat as they are wonderful creatures but that is my opinion.
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Let me explain: they're CATS and if we ascribe human emotions to them, then maybe we would be better described as Homo delusionus rather than sapiens, hence use of the expression sic. As in "I kid you not".
But I like cats and could easily become a cat woman a la Joanna Lumley but I have chosen not to for the same reasons I don't do companion planting or watch Eastenders.
But I am not hyperventilating. Thank you for your concern.
:)
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I love cats, I have a very old lady Birman cat called Gracie. she is a house cat and she has a dirt box. which she uses, and I clean out every day. but that is not an option for most outdoor cats, to have a animal is a privlage .and I would not be without one. people cause far more trouble than any cat all the woe's of the world are caused by people, not animals. perhaps we could all learn a thing or two from animals.
Cat lover June.
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Just thought I would add a little to the conversation about cats and the cat poo problem. We have seemingly hundreds of cats around here and I noticed that after planting some catmint on the front garden the cats were far too stoned to even think of doing 'the biz' on any garden after they had dosed themselves up on the stuff.
I have planted at least a dozen catmint bushes including lemon scented and Six Hill's Giant this year and it is really easy to grow from seed. By the time they have drugged themselves up on it they just roll about in an amorous way and stagger off home looking happy. The glazed look is worth seeing and they really do bugger off elsewhere afterwards. The worst they can do is have a hippy cat love-in afterwards. Our cat bonks the dog but that's another story....
I own cats and do not advocate the use of any other forms of drugs, pyromania, attack dogs, sharp instruments, barbed wire (had a neighbour that laid it down to trap our cats - the RSPCA were most interested indeed) or anything else at all. 'Nuff said.
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;D
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;D ;D ;D
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so many cats, so few recipes
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LOL Bugloss!
I actively encourage cats to visit my allotment. One has found a new favourite spot on top of my loo, and I love watching them slinking around in the undergrowth. The catnip patch is coming along nicely!
Cannot understand how anyone can dislike cats, or want to cause them distress.
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;D
Being a vegetarian, I can't even eat the little dears.
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so lets get this straight to avoid having all the neighbourhoods cats from sh**ting in my garden I must
1... get a cat of my own which i do not want (hate the bloody things) and if having your own cats keeps others away from my garden how come i have so many come round.
2.. grow plants which I do not want to grow
or 3... wait up all bloody night to squirt them with a water pistol.
on tackling a neighbour on her cats visiting my garden i was told it was my fault for keeping my garden so nice....
bloody cheek
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Those who hate cats must have been a mouse in a previous life!!!
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Those who hate cats must have been a mouse in a previous life!!!
or a bird
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since I put the Beehives in the back garden we don't get any cats sh*tting in the garden anymore.
still can't understand folk excusing their beloved animals crapping in other folks gardens?
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Since this thread started we have had an article on our local paper showing municipal byelaws.
Quotes as follows re domestic pets.
Cats over 6 months old HAVE to be spayed or neutered..this might be one reason why we see so few roaming here.
Cats have to be undercontrol the same as dogs..we can be fined if a loose cat or dog causes any damage to a neighbour.
In order to encourage cat owners to abide by the law they also put the following in the paper.
Cats left out at night have little chance of surviving in the dark due to the high population of coyotes in our area and there are many cases of large hawks and Eagles grabbing cats duriing the day and the cougars will take a cat or dog in daylight hours.
It didn't mention if the bears attacked them but the cats are probably too fast for them.
I thought you might find this interesting.
XX Jeannine
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1... get a cat of my own which i do not want (hate the bloody things) and if having your own cats keeps others away from my garden how come i have so many come round.
2.. grow plants which I do not want to grow
or 3... wait up all bloody night to squirt them with a water pistol.
4. Start beekeeping
5. Keep eagles and hawks
6. Encourage local bears and coyotes to make a visit....
;D Time to start some new hobbies then...eh? ;D
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;D ;D ;D
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;D ;D ;D ;).
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I love this thread ;D ;D ;D
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the foxes on one of our allotment sites have eaten all the feral cats that used to live there ( after eating the rats and rabbits)
so, 7) get a pair of foxes
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Yep the cats get my garden plot and beds too but i'm collecting quite a stash of holly and rose prunings which does deter them somewhat. I must invest in a water pistol for a bit of fun. Might also fluster the pigeons as they quality control the greens... Until then i just open the door and 'cat swear' sssszzzz at them. They run. Mind you I haven't had trouble with moles so far this year. Perhaps the cold got them? ;) ;)
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I like cats, he looks much too comfortable to move. Nothing in that pot, but he will not be so popular if he sleeps on my tomato plants.
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I think dog poo all over the streets bothers me more, especially when trying to walk along with 2 children in tow.
Weird thing is I see little bags of dog poo around as well, if they can be bothered to bag it, why arnt they binning it?....sigh ???
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Found a dead bird on the back lawn this morning, a fledgling starling its head ripped off. At least the Kestrels kill for food not fun.
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The little git of a moggy dug up all my carrots in my back garden. >:(
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Lovely photo Borlotti!
Here are a couple of my little visitors..
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(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/thumb_11598_17_05_11_9_16_11.jpg)
Cat 3 Blackbird 0
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It may not have been a cat picman.We have seen crows swoop down and take young starlings
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Can you not get the trembler alarms over there, they sense a cat, let out a loud brief animal cry and shoot a jet spray of water in 4 direction for a few seconds The cats scarper very fast.I t doesn't take many times of being caught that they quit coming.
XX Jeannine
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Found a dead bird on the back lawn this morning, a fledgling starling its head ripped offCould be a fox that is to be blamed for that one..
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Magpies decapitate fledglings :(
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Other predators kill small birds but it is usually for food and there is only part of the victim left on the ground.
Cats seem to kill for pleasure - you will see a cat lying next to an injured bird enjoying the distress of its parents who can do nothing for it. Then the cat will lose interest when the prey finally dies.
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From a simple Google search:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.aspx
^^ RSBP estimate that cats kill 55 million birds every year in the UK. They say that this does not have any impact on the UKs total bird population because of the very high overall mortality rate of birds. But on certain species already on the decline, it doesn't help.
55 million is a lot of birds though as someone will no doubt point out, it is only one per head of the human population.
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I don't have a problem with "wild life" taking a meal, after all this is natures way , our allotment site is next to a nature reserve and we get the pleasure of seeing lots of creatures , I see the cat as just a bored killing machine.
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Someone in my town is killing Cats with antifreeze, The cats like the sweet taste and tell their friends.
over 20 cats have been killed. Apparantly the nesting birds have increased dramatically.
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Strangely enough,I dont have a problem with cats when Im up the "plot",I suppose thats because I have my dog with me ;D
Mind you,they probably have a field day when Im not there ;D
Not a very clver thing to do with the old antifreeze is it....whoever did it wants castrating.....same happened recently to somones dogs.Apparently they were causing a noise nuisance so some not so kind person decided to throw meat covered in antifreeze over the fence!
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Hi I have awful problems with local cats in my garden. I have had to take all my raised beds to my lotty which is only down the road as the cats kept using the beds as litter trays even when covered in fleece etc they just did their business on top of whatever cover I had used :'(
I even had a cat use a large black flower pot. It does drive me mad. i dont know why they dont come on the allotment site but Im sooooooooo glad they dont.
i used to love to have salads growing at my back door in the raised beds but it just isnt worth the risk of cats fowling everything. I really sympathise with anyone who has the same problem.
I dont even bother with flower beds anymore because of it. And every time I cut the grass within a couple of hours a cat has left a nasty deposit...sigh. There are a total of 9 cats in the 3 houses next to me & I dont have any pets so I guess they all use my garden as their toilet :(
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Someone in my town is killing Cats with antifreeze, The cats like the sweet taste and tell their friends.
over 20 cats have been killed. Apparantly the nesting birds have increased dramatically.
Seems like you think this is a good idea Ben! I hope for your sake you dont condone this cruel act. We all have animals/people that we dont agree with that do things that get our backs up. Heaven help it if the majority of the population took glee in wiping out the animals/people they didnt like/aprove of. Fortunately the majority are more tolerant.-)
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The person who is using antifreeze is disgusting, it would worry me further too, anyone who would bew capable of doing such a thing is a danger to folks generally. An aniaml who dies from antifreeze dies a horrible slow agonising death..the person who could do this is capable of anything given the right circumsatnces.. truly shocking. They should be locked up for a very long time.
I hear what some folks do to animals all the time in the name of protecting their property, hunting,sport shooting etc, it all comes from a sick mind Don't grt me wrong, I have no problem with hunting and fishiing for food, or scaring cats off your garden either if done in a humane way, sadly many other methods are used in the UK that are banned in may other places The anti freeze is just another example of how a sick mind works.
XX Jeannine.
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Someone in my town is killing Cats with antifreeze
Pure evil. When these sickos get caught they invariably get let off by the judge if they have kids. They should be banned for life from having responsibility for any sentient being.
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How very sad that people could do something so cruel.
Alison
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It may be accidental, for instance you often see cats drinking from bird baths and ponds, and you can imagine that someone puts antifreeze in their ornamental water feature over winter and cats drink from it and then acquire a taste.
It's odd that cat lovers deny the damage their pets do to gardens and wild birds then as soon as any harm comes to a cat, they automatically assume that some evil human has harmed their pet. Why is that? Just curious.
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Antifreeze is poison putting it in and body of water will kill anything that drinks it, birds, cats,squirerrels or children..this is not an accident .
I am a cat lover, I also believe your cat should be under control.
XX Jeannine
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Just trying to put things into perspective here. With any domestic cat, dog, rabbit etc its down to the resposibility of the owner. If your cat,dog,rabbit etc does damage to a neighbours garden its up to the owner to make ammends ie clear up the mess or replace plants etc. When I had my outdoor cat thats what I would do (most of the time she would use her dirt box inside anyway). I was not so lucky with the dog at the bottom of me (terrified cats, vets bill, broken oraments, ripped curtains, carpets and bedding having to be cleaned and a badly scratched windowsil) My indoor cats were in there own garden when the dog burst through the fence to get at them. The owners were typical low life that actually blamed us and threatened to put a hammer through husbands head! I dont blame the dog with owners like that the animal had no chance it had no training and was treated very badly by them. The fact they have children concerns me with their example what are the children going to be like later on.? All down to responsibility.
As for cats killing birds.........Yes its sad when any animal dies but its nature after all. Cats originated in Egypt and were reverred for keeping the grain stores rodent free. Dogs were used in hunting. I have a nature reserve just up the road from me. Plenty of birds there but according to the warden he has never seen a cat over there 'hunting' birds. I suspect 'Garfield' has had his whiskers and is curled up indoors on his favourite chair. ;) Still there are plenty of foxes over the reserve that feast on the birds. There are plenty of foxes in resedential arrears anyway. These foxes also dig up gardens, poo everywhere, urine scent everywhere, knaw fences, plastic pipes and steal things from gardens. They also kill pet rabbits, chickens, ducks, aviary birds and have been known to attack children and adults. Then of course their are the wild birds that sit on the overhead wires and constantly poo on your car,path,washing, and of course the wild rabbits that decimate your crops and flowers and of course the odd heron that flies over and makes off with one of your prize koi carp from your pond. All these creatures 'wild' but still as the laws of nature, hunt for food or fun, poop dig up and decimate crops in your gardens and allotmaments......oh I forgot mice.....but hold on a minute that much alingned creature the cat takes care of them doesnt he?!
But most right minded peole would never consider hurting an animal and long may this way of thinking continue for the hope of mankind.
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^^ QED :(
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Birds, Cats, Slugs ect. All there for a purpose to make growing a little more of a challenging to us I am sure. Most would say I am already challenged ;D
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well came home early from work this morning (Thursday work nights ) to find 2 of the pigging things shi**ing in my boarders so with about think I have worked it out to be about £300 worth of none stop begonias to go out in about 2 weeks time, it is going to be all out war to stop them from using my garden and I do not care what i have to do to stop them.
If you want cats keep them fenced in in your own property and if you are not prepared to do that then do not have them.
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Sad
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I bl**dy love CATS on my lottie.. ;D We feed wild birds on there too and all our neighbours cats are coming for a 'hunt' there. All feeders are well away from cats so no problems there..BUT..having cats laying around stops pigeons wondering around eating my brassicas.. ;D I don't net my plants anymore..other than peas.. ::)
Even my strawberries are left alone.. ;D Everybody elses plots are netted almost all over but mine.
Perrrfect.. ;)
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Hey guys, i dnt know if this has already been mentioned as i havent got time to reed the whole thread the mo. Ive got problems with my own cats messing on my garden (its a good job i love them!) would urine work as a deterrent like with foxes?? Im sure i could convince Gabriel to wee in a bucket a few times :)
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Hey guys, i dnt know if this has already been mentioned as i havent got time to reed the whole thread the mo. Ive got problems with my own cats messing on my garden (its a good job i love them!) would urine work as a deterrent like with foxes?? Im sure i could convince Gabriel to wee in a bucket a few times :)
Yes but then your cats would be messing on someone elses garden
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As G4T above, I've no time/great desire? to read all of this thread atm, but wanna ask OwerShirl, please, is there any discontent amongst the lotmenteers on Betty's site? I love that blog of the Allotment Cats and have given the link to others, BUT....where do they (the lotment cats)..errr......go? And is there a faction amongst the lotmenteers who find the cats a b.nuisance because of this? And what do the lotmenteers do to dissuade the cats from cra**ing there?
Me, what I do on my home plots, regularly visited by all the neighbouring cats... Well, I make the places I've sown seeds unattractive/inconvenient to them, isorl, mainly by sowing in lines/blocks and protecting them with 'structures' which get removed when the plants are growing and making height. The cats are free to scratch/crap on uncultivated parts. It's a laissez-faire arrangement which works for us all.
Happy me, happy cats = RESULT 8)
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As G4T above, I've no time/great desire? to read all of this thread atm, but wanna ask OwerShirl, please, is there any discontent amongst the lotmenteers on Betty's site? I love that blog of the Allotment Cats and have given the link to others, BUT....where do they (the lotment cats)..errr......go? And is there a faction amongst the lotmenteers who find the cats a b.nuisance because of this? And what do the lotmenteers do to dissuade the cats from cra**ing there?
Me, what I do on my home plots, regularly visited by all the neighbouring cats... Well, I make the places I've sown seeds unattractive/inconvenient to them, isorl, mainly by sowing in lines/blocks and protecting them with 'structures' which get removed when the plants are growing and making height. The cats are free to scratch/crap on uncultivated parts. It's a laissez-faire arrangement which works for us all.
Happy me, happy cats = RESULT 8)
So far only one person has complained that a cat has pooed on her plot. This plot is near the pavilion where Felix and Janet live. I told her that I would come and remove the poo if she told me where it was, but I haven't heard any more from her. I don't think Felix or Janet are still 'going' there because she would have told me. There is a garden area near the pavilion which they both use.
One person has complained that Felix dug his leeks up. He didn't see him do it but he is convinced it's him. This man is not happy unless he is moaning about something.
The other four cats live on my plot. I have an area towards the back which is a mess uncultivated and they tend to go there. I saw one of them do it on a neighbour's plot and I removed it. None of my neighbours have complained.
Like you, I protect newly-sown areas with sticks or netting till the plants are big enough to survive.
I haven't seen pigeons or rats or mice on my plot for months.
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^^ but you're on the site committee, right?
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^^ but you're on the site committee, right?
What on earth has that got to do with it.
Back to Lishka's question. I have had a small plot on Walsall Rd for about 9 months now and I have yet to see any discontent amongst the plotholders. As far as the cats are concerned Betty looks after all of them.I just do what I can to raise money to help finance any vet bills for Felix the tame cat.
On an allotment with 100 or so plotholders you are bound to get some that are not cat lovers. Some folks don't like dogs. I can assure you that if any plotholder has anything to say about anything then they do so.Our committee is very approachable. Betty is there every morning and we all know that she will be there if we want to go to her with any problems.
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^^ but you're on the site committee, right?
What on earth has that got to do with it.
Well, there have been a couple of posts on this forum that go like this: I crossed someone on the committee and now I'm facing eviction
I'm sure I can repost them if you want.
I am not saying that would happen here. But it is always a risk if you cross someone on the committee.
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Thanks Shirl and Betty (gotta modify cos I didn't realize that one of the answers was from you, B. Apols)
In my garden I've 3 visiting cats.....scale that up to a lottie of 100 or so sites, and you've got.....???!!! ::)
So I contend that, first, study the cats.....what do they like?...knowing cats, the answer is.....duh! the soft easy option ;D
And then put up a few barriers to that in your soft, easy, oh-so-enticing cultivated area.
It's been a solution that's worked for me, pretty well, but not exceptionally, for years.
So, no, I'm not "sick of bl**dy CATS"
Now squirrels..........
duh!
don't get me started! >:(
PS Janet has a Fan Club, btw. 8)
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Yes great to be on the committee,Betty and Shirl get rid of all the plothilders who moan about those lovely cats and deny it all.......oh the power LOL :o :o :o
Me I have never understood people who moan about a bit of poo on the plot when you think of everything else that does it on your space ..........this is the reality of growing your own.Perhaps if these things bother you so much you should pop down the supermarket and buy Pre washed packaged veg.
Up the cats ;D
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^^ ah, so you're saying you do get rid of anyone who dares to moan about cats pooing where they are trying to grow food for human consumption?
ROFL
Denial .... to some it's just a river in Africa.
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The point is loads of creatures do it all over the plot,mice rats etc that is the reality.
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Denbyvisitor, I take exception to your assumption that there is always a risk of eviction if you "cross" someone on a committee. I don't think so. I sit on several committees and have had many problems over the years with disgruntled folks, so have all committee members. Fair minded commitee members, and I might add the vast majority I have worked with are, don't hold grudges or use their committee priveleges to retaliate at people, the idea is ludicrous. The one or two "bent" committree members are not the rule they are defianately the exception so to suggest automatically that to approach one is risking eviction is insulting. There is not..always a risk as you claim. It is a rarity..a sad one but rare nevertheless. I am surprised to hear anyone suggest "it is always a risk" Most commitee members are hardworking honest folks doing a thankless task free to help others around them, despite the negative comments from the very few dissidents that won't do the job themselves.
XX Jeannine
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There are committees like that, but hopefully they're few and far between. Given the number of people who visit the site, we're bound to hear about cases, and I do know from experience how unpleasant it can get.
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^^ but you're on the site committee, right?
What on earth has that got to do with it.
Well, there have been a couple of posts on this forum that go like this: I crossed someone on the committee and now I'm facing eviction
I'm sure I can repost them if you want.
I am not saying that would happen here. But it is always a risk if you cross someone on the committee.
This could well have happened on other sites but I can assure you that I am not a dictator and despite what you think, there is absolutely no risk of it happening at Walsall Rd. You obviously have had bad experiences with committees but I don't think you should generalise about them.
Our committee is very 'open' with the minutes of every meeting displayed on the notice-board for anyone to read.
Running an allotment site can be quite difficult sometimes. I don't have any special training or qualifications but I have to deal with different types of problems almost every day. I have never evicted anyone, let alone a person who disagreed with me.
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Well, there have been a couple of posts on this forum that go like this: I crossed someone on the committee and now I'm facing eviction
I'm sure I can repost them if you want.
I am not saying that would happen here. But it is always a risk if you cross someone on the committee.
DV, that's exactly what you are saying and for goodness sake, it's hurtful and utterly groundless.
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Betty ,I think your plotholders are very lucky to have such a gracious lady as yourself on their committee. :)
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Hear Hear XX Jeannine
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I am sorry to offend but it is just not credible that seven feral cats that live on one plot don't crap on other plots or that if they do, the other plotholders are happy with it.
It is rather more likely that other plot holders have decided they have no alternative but to put up with it. And I can understand why when I see this denial and feigned offence when someone (me) says something you don't want to hear. What can they do when you are dismissive of their views?
You only have to look at this thread, even a cat owner doesn't want his own cats fouling his garden.
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Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray this cushy life to keep.
I pray for toys that look like mice,
And sofa cushions, soft and nice.
I pray for gourmet kitty snacks,
And someone nice to scratch my back,
For windowsills all warm and bright,
For shadows to explore at night.
I pray I'll always stay real cool
And keep the secret feline rule
To NEVER tell a human that
The world is really ruled by CATS!
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Cats are wonderful creatures - intelligent, beautiful and fun - and they are, when allowed, highly successful predators of vermin. Human cr**p is, I would have thought, much more threatening to the stability of world ecology. At least cats bury theirs.
And as to committee members ... as secretary of our allotments I get everyone's complaints. Some are just folk having a rant, but they all get dealt with in the same way : discussed in committee, a fair solution agreed and the complainant contacted to share the decision and see if they are happy with it. If not it is pursued further.
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I am sorry to offend but it is just not credible that seven feral cats that live on one plot don't crap on other plots or that if they do, the other plotholders are happy with it.
It is rather more likely that other plot holders have decided they have no alternative but to put up with it. And I can understand why when I see this denial and feigned offence when someone (me) says something you don't want to hear. What can they do when you are dismissive of their views?
You only have to look at this thread, even a cat owner doesn't want his own cats fouling his garden.
I think you are trying to wind me up.
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What can they do when you are dismissive of their views (Quote Denby Visitor) The views you refer to are your own.
The offence isn't feigned as far as I am concerned. I have taken it seriously. If you knew Betty personally then you would know that she is not someone who dismisses others views. She works tirelessly for the plotholders.
I find you very offensive
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This thread has drifted away from how to keep cats from messing on your plot into something even less pleasant so it's now locked.