We have 3 cats at home. Two of them go outside and are adult, one of them is a kitten who stays inside.
Our adult cats are nice and they all know (even the kitten) that this is their garden and house. Our kitten doesn't want to go outside because she had a bit of a scary past being a wild cat so we're happy to keep her as an indoor cat if that's what she wants. They are all happy here.
Recently we went on holiday for 2 weeks down at Mollymook, Ulladulla. It was really fun, our garden "survived" from a bit of rain (It's now fully grown back recently) and ever since then the Neighbor's young cat, Tiger, seems to have thought that this is a good place to crash, sometimes daily, he must have been coming over while we were away.
Our adult cats are very nice and they usually sleep all day or laze around in the sun. Possibly the only thing they're wary of and are annoyed about is other cats entering our garden. Our two cats are really good guard cats and keep on growling at cats like Tiger and they stalk them until they get spooked and go away. If our cats don't see them, then the Noisy Miner birds chase the stray cats away, I really appreciate them when they do that because they don't harm our cats anymore.
The thing is, our garden is a perfect animal life home. Especially for birds, lizards, and cats.
Technically, I know he doesn't know this, but our backyard isn't the neighbor's cat's yard.
Since he is a kitten, he is not really that dominant. Instead, he's more curious and wants to be friends with our other cats when they're outside. Our cats get really annoyed at him for entering our backyard because he's a stranger to them and they don't want to be involved, as nice as Tiger is, he can get a bit obsessive. It was awful to see him yesterday when it was raining because he was drenched and he must've been staying outside all day because his people usually go out and leave him outside and they're gone basically all day so yesterday in the rain....he got soaked.
He looked really upset and me and mum felt bad for him so we let him explore around on our warm Varanda.
At night they seem to leave him out because many nights I hear another cat attacking him, and it's awful because in the commotion we hear loud banging and thumping on the fence. It usually happens late in the morning, sometimes (rarely) early evening. All this just started to happen in the holiday season, it's never happened before. It seems though that the people next door really love their cat Tiger very much, wich is a good thing, i'd just wish they'd be more responsible.
We personally don't know the family next door who own him ourselves, but we were wondering if there was any way to make him stop coming into our yard throughout the week?
I am worried about this because he is a kitten and he plays with lots of stuff and we also recently have had baby Magpies in a nest in the other neighbor's garden at the edge of the fence, and Tiger can climb trees. Our cat's can't, and they don't. He does appear more curious than interested, though.
Tiger accesses our backyard from our big Frangipanni tree we have at the side of the house. It's a shame because this is where the Tawny Frogmouths used to live and if we have them again one day it might be hard for them, to find somewhere safe to live in our backyard at night with a Neighbor's cat roaming around, attracting others.
I was planning to put an Owl nest box there, oh well. For now looks like I can't.
We always keep our cats indoors at night time and it's a much more safer and enjoyable thing to do for both of us.
Here is a photo of the Frangipani tree. We are going to get new fencing put in sometime soon because our current fencing is very low. Neighbors can unintentionally look into our garden and house and that's probably how Tiger gets into our yard because the fence is just the right size for him. Also, our fences are very old and need to be replaced. I also would not want to do anything that will hurt him. We're not going to put up fence spikes, that's out of the question.
I can't say what I'd like to say on this forum.
neither can I Night Parrot, I have done so too often. It's a shame though...
M-L
Hi h.cameron13. What would be your best guess about the nature of the postings of Night Parrot & Araminta in response to your posting about your cats & Tiger?
h.cameron13, this is a birding forum and not a cat one
However, I can tell you that cats don't like the smell of citrus, so if you have a lemon, orange or grapefruit tree in your garden, how about leaving cut up pieces or peel along the border of where this cat enters your property. It will probably act as an ideal deterrent.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
There is a scarecrow cat deterrent which I have used when water restrictions were not in force and it does work just don't forget about it being switched on as it works on humans too.
Here is a youtube video of it in action in an American garden. This article is from Australia and may also provide you with some advice. Good luck I have 3 cats on one side and 4 on the other and chasing them out has had no effect. The main problem they cause so far is crapping in any soil patch and teasing my dog - I have not seen any evidence of bird kills yet!
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
I don't know how you can bear it Alison. I'm afraid I haven't got the patience and understanding for a situation like that. In my mind its bad enough that people keep just one of those murdering animals, let alone multiple ones. There seems to me to be a common denial amongst cat owners (Oh no, my cat wouldn't do that) and a total disregard of nature and the environment around them. And how do they stand the stink of their effluent? And have they never heard of toxoplasmosis and what it can do to them (or their children)? I'll say no more in case I lapse into language inappropriate to this congenial forum.
I do own more than one cat and having your own tends to be a deterrent for others most of the time too
I'm not in any way delusional about what cats can do, however do what I can to ensure they don't do what I don't want them to. That means collars and bells, and curfews, and they're kept locked in from evening to the morning. They are not allowed out at night. The one time one of our cats (a fairly fat one that would have no hope in catching a bird or anything else) did stay out and made himself unseen, was the very night that a fox decided he had gotten all his Christmases at once, and tried to take off with our cat by the scruff of the neck. Think he found him far to heavy to shift. The cat got a scare (and some minor injuries) and now stays in at night quite willingly. The fox we know is still skulking around as we see evidence of it from time to time.
I should add I've had cats all of my life, grew up with them and our children have too. Never been a problem. But when I want to go out and take photos of birds on our property, I make sure the 'boys' are shut inside so I can do it in peace, without them hanging around my feet and following me everywhere.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
I do not bear it quietly Night Parrot - there is no doubt that the neighbours know my feelings - inappropriate language and all! My own German Shepherd Dog is an inside dog so I don't see why the cats cannot be kept inside! But, unfortunately, nothing makes a difference concerning these cats' containment. Last year, one disappeared for about 10 days (had been hit by a car and holed up somewhere) lost an eye, nearly died and cost them $?,000's in vet fees and yet is still allowed to roam, another was trapped as a feral, the fines paid and again is still uncontained
- if nothing else you would think they would care about their cats even if they don't care about other animals. While I would never own one, I don't hate cats but irresponsible owners of any animal make me very angry!
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Hi Cameron,
I don't really know how you can stop neighbouring cats coming in to your yard. I don't think it would be that easy though.
One thing you said caught my attention and I thought I'd just make some comments on it.
I think this is something to consider carefully, as a garden that has cats in it really is no longer a perfect animal life home for lizards and birds.
I can tell that you love your cats and want to look after them, as well as loving birds and other animals (or you wouldn't be on this site), but even good and "nice" cats are going to scare, injure or kill much of the lizard and bird life in your garden. It's not that they aren't nice, just that catching small things like birds and lizards is in their nature.
I'm not against cats, ad in fat have just adopted a kitten from the RSPCA myself, but in my mind the only way to keep the bird and animal life that I want in the garden is to keep the cat as an indoor pet. That might not be easy or fair for cats who are already used to being outside cats, but I don't think cats and wildlife are very compatible.
The statistics on feral cats are scary, with an estimate of something like 30 million feral cats in Australia that kill an estimated 70 milllion small native animals a day. While this is feral cats, I would think domestic cats left to roam freely would be similar, so anything I can do to reduce that is worth doing in my opinion. This could include not having a cat at all I guess, and I thought about that, but decided to have an indoor cat instead.
Just my thoughts anyway.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
I like cats, but not if they are eating our young birds. I had the problem, and solved it with a jet of water from the hose and also a small bucket of water kept handy. It stopped visiting.
Keefsmit
Well Keefsmit, it worked for the birds at your place, as you say, it stopped visiting. No doubt in my mind though, it will now be killing and be eating native wildlife somewhere else. Until we get a law that forces people to keep their cats inside, (cats are perfectly happy to spend all their lives inside the house), it will be the wildlife that pays for it.
M-L
Hello Araminta
We are quite responsible cat owners and we actually do love our cats very much.
We keep them inside every night and it's safer for us and for them, something i'd recommend everyone should do. It's great to know that your cats can be safe from the outside by being inside at night!!!!
I am going to try the first suggestion which was the Citrus plan.
By the way, I support this law too!
"Responsible" cat owners have their cats neutered and keep them inside or within very restricted boundaries 24 hours a day. Cat owners who fail to do this are not only irresponsible but thoughtless and uncaring about their neighbours, wildlife and the environment. Not to mention the serious danger to their own health, their children and visitors through the transmission of toxoplasmosis. Very easily transmitted by cats. Read all about it.
Out of all the animals we rescue with the exception of road trauma, most are the result of Toxoplasmosis, and once wildlife are noticeably affected, it is a one way trip. To prevent further spread, these animals are humanely euthanised, but of course this only ends the suffering they have already endured. Toxo is one of the most easily transmittable Zoonosis ( diseases which can be transmitted from animal to human), with psittacosis, being another. Avine psittacosis is transmitted by dust particles from bird faeces, and causes a pneumonia type illness, which can also be fatal to humans. A little off track, but worth mentioning.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
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Well said Ms Wombat. If only all cat owners were as considerate as you. Unfortunately the majority aren't. The zero? risk of toxoplasmosis doesn't apply. They let their cats roam the neighbourhood and murder (not hunt for prey) at will, crapping wherever they like including in the neighbourhood kindergarten sand-pit, making sure that as many children as possible contract their toxoplasmosis and live with it for the rest of their lives.
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Again, well said Ms Wombat. I'll retract "murder" and accept "kill for pleasure". But are you saying that the person whose property is being invaded (and health threatened) by cats has some responsibility to alleviate the problem? Surely not. Unlike you, most cat owners think just like this. Not their problem.
.
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You obviously don't see what I see.
Hi Ms Wombat. You argue persuasively & I like your approach to your neighbours & problems generally. Further, I agree with Night Parrot that it would be great if all cat owners were like you, keeping their cats inside or in cat runs.
However, my concern with cat runs is that there are folk out there who object to animals being caged (or runned) & they've been known to release such animals into the wild. E.g., a few years ago in the UK there were hundreds of caged non-native animals (I don't recall the species) which the Animal Liberation Movement, apparently with no understanding of ecology, released. While the risk of this sort of action is low, nevertheless I believe we've reached the stage in Australia, with its high rates of extinction & environmental destruction, where we can ill-afford to take this risk which, I would add, doesn't take into account the possibility of accidental releases.
Generally, I think there is a danger to our native animals from people who develop almost dependent relationships with pets without appreciating the ecological sensitivities of their pets' actual or petential impact on the environment. Sure, there are people who benefit socially & psychologically from having pets but I believe it's a question of values. Besides, I would venture to suggest that there are many people who also benefit from relating to our fast-disappearing natural environment with its range of unique birds & animals.
In relation to moving sand pits indoors, surely this is a sad reflection on the sanitised society in which we live. With calls for children to spend more time outside exercising in the fresh air it seems a shame that the tabbies of our nation should be driving them inside.
With all due respect, cat owners, your cats should be contained.
Those who are irresponsible - l wonder what sort of mental process goes on in your heads that makes you actually believe that you have the right to submit wildlife to a murderous introduced species.
It's almost like some seem to think that their cat os their alter ego - an extension of themselves! Sorry but I'm hoping that one day councils will automatically put down repeat offenders (caught more than once) interesting that vets automatically put down an introduced species tgat is found at large, yet some cat owners defy local bylaws & let their cat go where it wants !
Cats kill other creatures furing the daytime too....
Holy thread revival! Blackbird, not sure if you realised the last comment there was 7 years ago?!
Anyway, I'll join in. I like cats as well as birds, but prefer them to be indoor pets for obvious reasons - my garden is slowly becoming an attractive place for birds, and that means it has to be cat-free. Our aged cat has been an indoor cat by her preference for many years, as she got older and slower the dive-bombing of the noisy miners was just too much for her, so apart from a nocturnal ablution session, she was pretty much indoors and never showed any interest in hunting. She died 6 months ago, and having no cats at all means that the birds are now more frequent, active, and trusting, which I love. My wife and kids would far rather have another cat, and I'm coming under huge pressure from them. I'd be okay with it if we could make it 100% an indoor cat - but unfortunately our house is not suitable, we need to have doors open all summer for ventilation, so its not possible to keep cats indoors. So it is a firm no from me and much mutinious rumbling coming from the mob. An unfortunate state of affairs, but I just don't think birds and cats are compatible, and there is no danger of the world running out of cats.