Damned Cat!!

[julesapple]

'scuse language....

There was a huge commotion in Bok House Gardens, so we rushed out only to find the neighbour's cat terrorising the girls. Buffy had panicked and flown into the raised bed, where she was stuck in the bean netting. Took me ages to rescue her, but finally got her tucked under my arm with her little heart going fit to bust. The others had run into the house.

Whilst I'm rescuing Buffy, OH has turned hose onto jet, full blast, and is lambasting this bl**dy cat, who is still trying to get to the chooks despite being soaked to the skin. He ran past OH who administered a **** enema, and then me. I threw a clod of clay at him and he finally left.

I've put the girls to bed with a handful of mealworms. OH is down at the neighbours, where he will be (politely) giving them hell. Not that they will do anything to control their cats. We had problems with one of their tom cats spraying our house a few years back (it completely ruined a Berber carpet in our livingroom and we had to replace it) but the problems stopped when we took the damned thing and had it neutered in secret. I am prepared to do this again to this young one. So, sue me....!!

Our cats have all had a close look at the chooks, but realised that they were something to do with Mum, and they've left them in peace.

I am so cross! My poor girls....

Jules

[frias]

I see your problem but don't think there's anything your neighbour can do to control their cat. You can train a dog but a cat trains you!

[Two_Sheds]

You can keep a cat indoors

So it's cruel.
So is a cat torturing birds.

[Two_Sheds]

I used to have cats coming in the garden and worrying the guinea pigs. They get a rock up their backside if I catch them at it.

[Lemon]

Poor Jules and your gorgeous girls!! (Saw your pics the other day and think they are absolutely beautiful!)

We have had neighbourhood cats in for a nosey in our garden too. They used to poop in the beg beds before we built frames. They scare they heebeejeebees out of our girlees but have never seen them try to attack them. The girlees just start clukking loudly to get our attention.

One afternoon, I heard loud clukking and before I could get to the patio windows, I had a thud thud thud on the glass (beak hitting glass)! It was Bokky, out Light Sussex Cross banging the window to get our attention!

One night, a cat landed on their run roof (in Feb this year?) and woke Bokky up. Also my husband who flew out of bed and ran downstairs. He found poor Bokky at 3am wandering the patio in darkness clukking! We had become lax in shutting the run doors allowing the girls to free-range when they liked.

After that terrifying incident (I still get nightmares thinking a cat has got one of girls in its mouth), I bought a twin pack of water pistols from ToysRus. The pump action ones. If a cat has the mere audacity to wander in the garden - even if it is only the front garden, they get a squirting! A sportscap bottle is good for that trick too!


Can't believe you took neighbours cats for snipping in private!

[frias]

The neighbourhood cats have all been to have a look at our girls but think they thought they looked too big to tackle. Haven't seen one for ages. Foxes worry me more.

[Comfreyfan]

Don't get me started on the damned cats! All our neighbours have at least 2 cats each - when I had a dog I didn't let her nip next door and & **** in their beds and borders, when the children were small I didn't let them wander around on their lawns - why the heck should I put up with someone else's pets in my garden

My mum's neighbour has asked her not to leave her small kitchen recycling bin outside the back door with chicken bones in, because neighbour's cat may tip the bin over and choke on the bones - mum politely said she will leave her kitchen recycling bin wherever she wants!

[julesapple]

Well!

OH came back from along the road. He is not a happy bunny. Neighbours attitude was " Oh? Did he really? Bless 'im! What a little tinker he is!"

I know you can't stop cats from wandering into other people's gardens, but to not even be apologetic and to laud you cat's bad behaviour is a bit much. OH was not impressed when the neighbours asked for free eggs!! Broody cheek

OH tried diplomatic, and he tried outrightness but the neighbours don't seem to see the problem. Before he left, OH asked if they'd had their cats neutered. No, they said, we don't believe in interfering with nature. I don't see what we can do about this cat, but I will chuck rocks at the beggar.

I have 11 cats and love them dearly. I don't want to be cruel but this bl**dy cat will learn.

Just going out to check the girls again.

Jules

[SarzWix]

What if the cat had been a fox?! The best way to protect them is to make sure nothing can get in the run, and only have them out when you're there with them.

And I think it is very unwise, legally at the very least, to do anything like you said to someone else's cat, and then publish it on a public forum...

[Hilary B]

You can't blame a cat for being a cat. You CAN blame a human for not making any attempt to manage Felix properly.
That said, the best way of training a cat to keep away from your chooks is for YOU to administer assorted unpleasant experiences whenever it appears. The cat's human property can't teach it to stay out of your territory, because they aren't there. Make life hell every time it appears and it WILL get the message.
I get on well with friendly cats (although much more a dog person) but there ARE too many of them in a lot of places (then again, there are rather too many humans on the planet too).

[frias]

Before he left, OH asked if they'd had their cats neutered. No, they said, we don't believe in interfering with nature.

Jules

Bet their house smells nice!

[FionaH]

but the problems stopped when we took the damned thing and had it neutered in secret. I am prepared to do this again to this young one. So, sue me....!!


Jules

You neutered someone elses animal without their permission? As unpleasant as un-neutered toms can be I find it hard to accept your behaviour

[rana]

While cat owners bear no responsibility for their cats behaviour it is an offence for anyone to cause unneccessary distress to a domestic cat, whether it is in their garden or hassling their chickens. I'm afraid cats have free reign to do what they want with the protection of the law.

Dogs and dog owners are not afforded such protection.

[walldanzig]

You have my sympathies but if I was your neighbour and I found out you had neutered my cat I'm afraid I would call the police in. You just cannot do that to someone elses pet. I would keep very quiet about it.

[annacruachan]

Hilary is right. It is up to you to make trespassing on your property a nasty experience for that cat or any other. They do get the message very quickly. However, having another person's animal neutered is neither a legal nor an acceptable deterrent.