Cats continue to be a nuisance

[steve]

Hi All

I have written about this before but it is now really getting on my nerves. I keep my Canaries and my Hospital cage under my Lapa which is a thatched structure, closed at the back but open at the front and sides. The cages are on tables and they are protected from rain and severe wind or cold, I actually cover them in the Winter when the temp drops below around 5 degrees.

The problem I have is Cats jumping on the tables and trying to get at the birds. Apart from the fact that the birds must be stressed out about this the Cats often spray the cages which is obviously a health risk and is extremely unpleasant. I recently got rid of 2 Cats that were terrorising my birds but now I have another one. This culprit is a big white male that is really a problem, it comes into my house and eats my Cat's food, it chases my Cat all over the place, mine is a spayed Female that I have had forever and spends the entire night around my birds.

Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning around my Canary cages where this Cat had sprayed, new nest boxes, on the tables, on a bag I store my nesting material and so on. I was so angry that I set my Cat trap up again near to where my birds are.

03h00 this morning all hell broke loose, my Daughter woke me up as the white Male was in her bedroom chasing my Cat as she sleeps inside the house, my Wife had forgotten a window open (our Cat wakes us up if she needs to go outside).When I got up the male ran and got out of the house. I went back to bed but was woken again at 04h00 as my Cat wanted to go out, I let her out and went back to sleep.

At 05h30 I got up and went to inspect the Cat trap, there sitting in the middle of the trap feeling very sorry for herself was my Cat, I had to laugh. My Cat is such a softy, she is afraid of birds, mice, fish and obviously other Cats. Her greatest achievements have been the odd Moth, a Spider, a Grasshopper and one or two small Lizards. So the saga continues.

Regards
Steve

[GlennO]

Ha ha, funny story there at the end. The rest of it though is rather unpleasant. I hope you catch him or otherwise resolve the problem. Cats are a continual nuisance for me. As a dog owner it's my responsibility to ensure that my dog doesn't annoy my neighbours or wander freely around the neighbourhood. I can't fathom why many of the cat owners around here don't seem to share the same sense of responsibility.

[MariusStegmann]

I hear that cat tastes just like rabbit. Haha, just joking. Cats are like the wind, very hard to keep in your own backyard.

[steve]

GlennO

My Cat was taught not to leave the garden from a Kitten, she does not know what the outside of our wall looks like.

Steve

[steve]

MariusStegmann, I hear that when skinned you can not tell the difference between the 2, don't know why you would skin a Cat though.

Steve

[GlennO]

There is a solution that some of the breeders here use and that is to run a length of solar powered electrical wire (electric cat/dog fence) around their aviaries. It does no physical harm to the cats but they very quickly learn to avoid the area. If you have a persistent problem it may be an option to do this around your cages, or indeed around your entire yard if you prefer. Check your local laws first though.

[CHIRP]

Steve, drop me a PM with your mail address and I will mail you directly, I can sort out that problem. What area do you stay in? Thanks.

Got it, will gooi a mail quick

[jebediah]

Have you tried a device called "scaat!"? It's a motion sensor trigger device that sprays a loud blast of air when activated. May help keep the kitties at bay without the use of electricity.

[Dutchlindsay]

There is a solution that some of the breeders here use and that is to run a length of solar powered electrical wire (electric cat/dog fence) around their aviaries. It does no physical harm to the cats but they very quickly learn to avoid the area. If you have a persistent problem it may be an option to do this around your cages, or indeed around your entire yard if you prefer. Check your local laws first though.

Hi mate, I am looking at putting electrical wire around my aviary to keep all nasties away. I got electricity in the yard. Would you know where to look for a system like that? Cheers

[debbie276]

Welcome to the forum Dutchlindsay
Not sure where your located but in the states electric fence can be found in feed and farm stores such as Tractor Supply. Now quite a few garden centers carry it for keeping vermin out of your vegetable gardens also.
A quick Internet search for "electrical fencing" should bring up many sources.
Good luck

[Dutchlindsay]

Thanks Debbie, I am in Brisbane Australia so Tractor Supply is not an option but Internet search for "electrical fencing" did indeed bring up some suggestions

[Dutchlindsay]

Thanks for the replys. If anyone in the south Queensland region has an address or company they can forward then please do. Cheers

[monotwine]

steve one of the best solutions for cats.... is a dog. One that sleeps outside, maybe in the lapa! What a delight that will be for the stray cats.
That or you will have to electrify some portion of your yard or cages to keep the cats at bay.

Unfortunately with the amount of cats kept in urban areas each time you catch one... another will fill the gap.
Additionally you do have some rights as a land owner. Either through municipality or SPCA. If you can track down the owner of the problem cat you need to let them know and then alternatively report them to municipality if they are not willing to be co-operative. But we all know most people don't care where there cats cause problems.

[slwatson]

steve

I hope you're able to solve the problem! We had an awesome rescue cat once named Casper who was neutered and stayed in our house at all times, but he passed away. I've never understood the purpose of owning a cat that was allowed to roam neighborhoods freely, especially in the city. I have friends who use cats to keep mice away, but they live in the country where there's not many neighbors. We've had similar problems with neighborhood cats in the city...they would use our flower bed as their own personal litter box, or chase and eat the squirrels and birds in our trees. Once our dog chased a cat up a tree, and the only way we could get it down was by calling the fire department. None of these cats were strays either...they were all owned by neighbors who allowed them to roam.

[Dave]

Electric fencing, or a dog. It will take several strands of wire, strung low; otherwise cats can slink through the wire (or, hop over). Make sure there is no place for a cat to jump over the wire--trees, tables, etc.

Cats can sometimes be repelled with red pepper. But, with an attraction like an aviary they would probably just go through the pepper and get to the birds.

I've never had good results using chemical deterrents, loud noises, lights or even angry shouts. There are more permanent solutions, probably not allowed in a city. I know that the cat is sort of a victim here, because its owner isn't being responsible.