I posted a message about "something" living in my garden, and having done a bit of research I would like to think it was a shrew.
The thing is, how will I know I have a shrew in the garden, because they are such secretive creatures? Do they leave droppings? Make certain noises? Leave other marks? And will they damage my plants?
Thanks!
Hi Plocket,
I've had one living in my garden for ages now and I don't see any signs of it having damaged my plants. :) The only way you know that you've got them is when you catch a glimpse of one late at night hurtling around the garden. I think mine is jet propelled it moves sooooo fast. They eat insects and grubs so as far as I'm concerned mine can stay!! Their droppind are similar to mouse droppings and really hard to spot, as for noises - I haven't heard any - so far.
Eileen.
They do sound cute, and better than those mole crickets mentioned on my earlier thread and the pests etc. board. Yuck! I hope it is a shrew because I want it to eat all the woodlice - don't like them at all. I haven't been out in the evening for a while now but will do now because I want to try and catch a glimpse of the wee beastie - fingers crossed it is a shrew!
Apparantly they make a high pitched cricket like noise .... ::)
Maybe thats helpfull.... ???
I'm not sure what type of noise the mole cricket makes though ;D
A high pitched shrew-like noise perhaps?
Thought we were going to stop talking about mole crickets???
I will stop, but what really amazes me is that your cat doesn't seem to be interested at all. The cats over here take an interest in anything they can smell, moves and get their paws on: be it ants, mice, birds, frogs... Or has your cat never shown any appetite for non-canned food?
My cat is quite old now but has never been a great one for catching wildlife.
She caught a pigeon once (a few years ago now) but didn't kill it properly so OH shot it (the pigeon!!!) with an air rifle then buried it in the garden. The next day we returned from a day out to find "another" pigeon on the floor, only this one was very dead and rather covered in soil. The cat looked pleased with herself though! She caught a rat too once, but it was already suffering from rigor mortis!!!
Her only kill this year (so far) has been a baby blackbird so I wasn't impressed. She does catch mice but doesn't kill them - she leaves them to run around the kitchen! And then when they hide she will watch the hiding place for hours, then go and have a sleep, only to return to her vigil after a good long break. Not much of a mouser then!!!
I'm starting to wonder whether she has lost her sense of smell because she doesn't know her food is served unless she sees it being put in the bowl!
Still it means I don't have to clear up after her. My previous cat would go for anything that moved - birds, mice, fish, frogs, squirrels, and chase dogs!!! And she had a very successful "catch" rate. She killed off all our next-door neighbours koi carp which cost my father a fortune to replace!
Enough of cats! I just hope my cat doesn't start getting interested in the hole, especially if it is a shrew. I have covered the hole with the rock again and will let sleeping shrews lie!