Absolutely sick of them! Even though my wire fox terrier does a good job of seeing them off there are still 2 who creep in when he's not looking and they are taking my birds. They've also made off with four of my new fish and quite a few of my frogs, even though there is a net over the pond. It's heartbreaking and as much as I love animals/wildlife/birds etc I am ready to get a gun and shoot the things. My son, who's a university student, also gets pretty wound up about it and he says "mum, you just know that when that cat goes back to its home the owner will be saying 'oh look at darling Tiddles, he's brought his mummy a little birdie', but we've seen the other side of that!" If anyone has any ideas other than a gun I would be grateful because hearing those birds screaming as they're caught is very upsetting for us all.
I too am sick and tired of cats stalking and killing birds in our garden. We have invested in 3 of the Catwatch deterrents which I like to think are helping. We live on a military base though so our neighbours are quite transient which means we constantly seem to have new cats living in the area which need "educating".
My latest idea has been to dot hanging baskets frames around the borders where the cats like to hide before they pounce. Putting the metal frame upside down makes an obstacle for the cat, it doesn't detract too much from your garden as you don't really notice the green frame but still allows you to spot the wretched things if they are lurking!
We also keep a plastic bottle half filled with water handy by the door to throw at any visitors - it won't hurt them if they are hit (I am a member of the RSPCA!) but certainly puts them off visiting again.
What is really making me cross though is a new neighbour who has put out loads of bird feeders and has a very predatory cat - it lies under the feeder just waiting for its next victim - some people are just so stupid and completely selfish!
I live in a bungalow in a row of three, which is situated at the end. in front of the bungalow is a communal area which we look after. There is a pyracanthea hedge which the black birds love to nest in. The next door neighbours have three cats. This week the cats have caught three blackbirds all babies. My husband has now fenced off the bottom of the hedge as the cats were crawling under the hedge to get to the birds. My husband spoke to the neighbour about her cats kiling the birds and her reply was that she did not like the cats bringing the birds into the house, but there was no offer of stopping them doing it or even helping towards the cost.
In our back garden which is fairly new I have planted bushes etc that will attract wildlife but there is no sign of any birds. I have a electronic cat scarer also. Is there anything else I can do to attract the birds in the back garden. The cats do not venture into the back garden.
As has previously been mentioned, the UK's estimated 7.2 million cats are known to take millions (up to 55 million!) of birds each year, but from a conservation viewpoint, we need to consider whether this is causing bird populations to decline. The domestic cat takes 15 times more birds than owls and sparrowhawks.
The most frequently caught birds, according to the Mammal Society, are (in order) house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings. Despite this, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide. This sounds surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation.
Unfortunately for the birds, domestic cats are protected by law and it is an offence to trap, injure or kill them. Cats, even if unwelcome in your garden, may be someone's much-loved pets. Some people have called for legislation to be introduced to curb the freedom with which cats are allowed to roam. While we understand this, we are not able to urge the government to introduce such legislation as we have no scientific proof of the impact of cat predation on bird populations that is strong enough to support such a call.
The Catwatch deterrent is the only device the RSPB has tested and recommends, and they have been shown to be effective in many cases but of course, not all - there are many similar devices available, and you are free to purchase from any source. Besides this device, the RSPB offers many other ideas to help that are either cheap, free or from other suppliers – please read my earlier post! It’s not easy, but with a little thought, and patience and a combination of ideas you can reduce the effect cats have on your local population.
Please try to remember that no deterrent can 100% guarantee protection from cats or other predators!
If you feel this strongly about cats I suggest you vent your frustrations by contacting your MP and asking him/her to raise the issue in Parliament, and encouraging your friends, family or any like-minded people to do the same – that is the only way to get laws changed in the UK.
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I wasn't going to get involved in this thread as they usually get so irate.I am not a cat lover but apart from turning the hose on them i wouldn't harm them.
Bells definitely don't work,cats are far too clever .Most people try everything that has been mentioned here time and time again before they get to their wits end and hence sometimes become irrational.
I personally have tried everything over the years and finally out of desperation bought an awful lot of prikka strips which ended up really expensive but it worked and i also added a couple of hundred feet of white plastic trellis to the top of our 6 ft fence which looked good and was not liked by the cats.I was unable to keep them out at our side or front garden but at least the feeding stations out back were safe and lots of cover and trees for them out front
Prior to doing the above I did witness many birds been taken as did my neighbours by several cats. Woodpigeons/C Doves/Starlings/ Chaffinches etc etc etc and it is upsetting more so, because they dont use them for food and worse again when you are told cats don't make a difference.
My son bought the house and we have now been in our bungalow for a couple of years.We rarely have a problem with them here thankgoodness so had this been my only experience i think my opinion would be very different.
An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .
I think that's part of the problem Sheena, they don't hunt to survive - they hunt for sport - a bit like some human "sports". You can see a sparrowhawk catch a bird and be upset, but you understand it is for survival of self and young. But when you see a cat taunt and kill a bird then walk away and leave it your upset turns to anger.
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Yes Judi,i know.I remember taking a pic of a beautiful young Chaff feeding from my birdtable.I had sat at the window waiting with my camera for ages and suddenly it was taken,gone without any warning.I am afraid i burst into tears and ran outside.My neighbour pointed to it lying dead in her garden, seconds later.One of many experiences i had and never ever got used too.I have also seen Sparrowhawks and closed my eyes but there is such a big difference.I watch the Hawk here and know it does what it has to do to survive,big difference.
this is a really good cat repellent....save your used teabags (a bit snookered if you're not a tea drinker lol)..and place a few drops of olibas oil on them...place around the garden ,especially where you know the cats frequent.....and watch the putty-tats squint and back off when they get too close....sounds simple, but it works and the cats live to see another day...and so do the birdies :)
Hi Charlie59,
Sounds simple and effective,Brilliant Idea!
I can completely empathise with you as we get cats stalking through our garden. We do find that having the feeders in the open has really helped and planting Shoo Cat (Scaredy cat) the plant has helped to keep them out - especially if you plant it in the areas they come in at.
However I have three cats myself (indoor cats) and while people do get angry at the cats it is worth remembering they are animals and do what comes naturally.
Really the issue is the owners. Sadly many owners have this image of cats being "independent" and they are just dumped outside at all times of the day. Many cats remain almost feral because they are not given much attention and care by their owners. This is where the image of haughty, anti-social cats comes from and yet they can be very loving animals.
BUT that does not mean they are not annoying when they kill animals and leave mess all over the garden. Because we have indoor cats it's even more infuriating when other peoples cats end up spraying and digging and leaving mess in our gardens!
Most cats wander further afield if they have not been spayed or neutered, many cats bring home birds and mice etc as a way of "giving to the family". It is said if you punish a cat for bringing in something dead it will assume you weren't happy with the gift and will get you something else.
If a cat brings home a live animal, it is likened to a mother cat catching a live animal so its young to train to hunt. The cat is effectively telling you, you need to teaching. Praising a cat is the worth thing to do, these people need to remove the animal/bird quickly and quietly and leave it at that.
Cats should really be kept indoors in the morning as this is the main time when small birds especially are out looking for food to replenish their low energy.
Cats should have bells on their collars - it may be worth trying to find out the owner and asking them to put a bell on their cat's collar due to the amount of damage they are doing to your wildlife.