keeping the pests out: boundary protection idea

Just wanted to share something that seems to be working for me - I've created a new thread rather than adding to @Fat Controller's Fox thread because it was created to deal with a cat problem rather than foxes. (Actually I think it might well work for foxes, too, but I haven't had a problem with those since my old greyhound - predecessor to the one in my signature - chased one out of the garden, biting it on the bottom as it leapt the fence. I guess the word got round!)

Anyway - there is a corner behind the shed where my garden adjoins three others. The trellis runs out and although the fence is still six feet tall, it was a regular route in and down for neighbours' cats, especially with a compost dalek below. I really don't want Ken chasing those, so first I tried adding a bit of clematis netting to the top of the fence, so that it wobbled around a bit if touched. That did help but we still had some regulars coming in.

So I have now rigged up a plastic line across the space, and hung it with windspinners made out of old aluminium drinks cans. These move easily, rustle and tinkle gently and look quite pretty I think with all their different designs. At first they kept getting tangled up, so then I fixed the ringpulls on the line and that keeps them apart. So far it has been working - no more cats. Fingers crossed!



The windspinners were easy to make - you just need some aluminium drinks cans, a knife and a pair of scissors. Lots of instructions on the web, eg here:

With mine as I was fixing them to a line rather than a stick I just cut them into shape and then stabbed a hole through the centre with a bradawl.

 

Nifty idea @Clare G

Have all the cats stopped visiting now?

 

So far so good @"M" - mind you cats are canny beasts so it may just be that they are staying at home by the fire during this cold weather!

 

Hi,

With having Ken around does limit your options, but if he cold get used to one, then these devices do work, though it could also act as a play thing for him
Never had any signs of cats in my back garden since fitting one, and we have way too many around here !
Though the pir and water jet only covers a smallish area they thankfully seem to keep out of all the back garden.
About £20 on the usual sites.

Biggest problem with them, soggy bottoms when we forget its there !

 

That's useful to know - thank you @ricky101. A friend found an ultrasonic device that worked well, too - so long as she remembered to change the batteries before they ran out!

 

@Clare G What a good idea. I couldn't use it, as my own cat is quite timid and it would keep him out! Might pass the info to my neighbour, who is a bird watcher and doesn't much like my cat in his garden.

Nice to see you have Scotland's national drink on display - Buckfast Irn Bru!

 

No! You're meant to strap it to its back so you can *track* it

 

I must confess I've never tried it! The cans were all picked up in the park/ streets round here, in wombling style - and I couldn't resist the Irn Bru, it was such a nice bright orange. Maybe what I need next is this ... something I would be prepared to buy and drink myself!

Ken says: No more pesky cats!

 

Not very sure you'd want to. Filled with sugar and very sweet-tasting. I like the sugar free version, but very few people do. Now beer... bleurgh!

 

In the past I've had ultrasonic devices and they worked pretty well but replacing batteries was expensive. I've recently invested in a pair of solar powered ones and they are working very well and at around £20 for the pair I reckon they were worth it.
In one remote corner of our garden there's a wall where cats jump down from so whenever I trim our holly bushes I scatter some of the leaves there and it seems to work.

 

the best that saw advertised at a desprat time I fell for it was tiger poo and the advert said that one smell would keep cats away Ispred it a yard wide were the cats usualy came then watch as one cat after another walked across it without noticing it, it came to me then that for it to work I would have to gather all the cats up and take them to the zoo, as they did not what a tiger was.

 

nice one ' cats rule hear, and dogs are not safe, I like cats but it would it would be nice if we had some thing to put them in their place.