cats...

Now that they are both on the same page they look different. But that nervy owl is back! What happened to the cute little girl?

 

I agree with you, Sis, it's your sig cat on speed or something ... :eek:

Unfortunately jumping jj, garlic doesn't put Portuguese cats off one iota! :D

 

KG, that cute little girl is my great-grand-daughter,Robyn.
As nobody seems to like my jumping owl
I thought I would use her as my avatar
but the pic seems to be fat and squashed - perhaps I haven't got the size right. Any way, you must have
been quick to see her as it was only on for about 60 seconds! :rolleyes:

New avatar coming up when I find something suitable :D - like this?

[ 18. May 2007, 09:28 PM: Message edited by: jjordie ]

 

Ireally liked the jumping owl-cute

 

HI jj, g-g-daughter. Now that's impressive. But it ain't getting rid of the moggies

 

jjordie - I have just come back to this thread. Little Robyn was darling, perhaps you'll get the pic right and put it up again. The new cat avatar is dinky, but you always have had nice cat ones.

Sorry, I have no idea how to get rid of cats in the garden, I never try as they are all welcome here. It's just the ducks that I don't want, and they have been back this past week, agh!

 

hi
although i have 2 cats myself i live in a quiet grove with fields all around at the back of us the grove also houses another 8 cats to which i don't have a problem with but my cats do tend to kill birds and mice and even though i don't like it its built in the cat to hunt and they tend to not kill for food but kill through play i have tryed to stop it but have given up and put it down to nature i do feel for you as your not a cat owner and should'nt have to put up with the wildlife been killed in your garden but sadly it happens.

 

It's not just cats that will kill things in your garden - around this way magpies and buzzards account for quite a few small birds too. IT's not something I'd want a 2 year-old to see wither, Jjdecay, but maybe toddlers are more realistic than you'd think, and wouldn't react as badly as a teenager? What do you think?

 

Sparrowhawks are more likely to take small birds than Buzzards.We have seen Sparrowhawks fly over the 4ft fence in the front garden where we used to live,swoop down and take a sparrow that was feeding on seed that was scattered on our lawn.

We have also seen them,fly at speed across the road straight into a dense bush and snatch a small bird sitting quietly on a branch :eek:

Buzzards usually prefer road kills like small rabbits,and will sometimes eat worms and insects.

 

interesting about the garlic salt, as i've always found cats to adore garlic.
I would go with the water pistol idea - and also just think that it is nature - cats kill birds and mice - mice and birds kill worms and insects. tis life.
maybe learn to love the cats, they are one of the most beautiful creatures on the earth afterall and as for cat poo - have you ever seen how worms breed in it? Instant wormery!!

 

Sorry mgn its not nature cats are kept in an artificial environment they are (as far as I know)the only pet that is allowed to roam and cause its mischief,we used to have a time when dogs were just kicked out in a morning and allowed to roam in packs causing mess, accidents, worrying sheep etc now legislation is in force to ensure dogs are put on leads and do not foul everywhere or worry anything(and quite
rightly so)its called accountability. Perhaps cat owners need to look closley at the situation stop sticking their heads in the sand and saying its nature, I happen to know a cat person who has 2 cats a sand pit in her own garden which her cats use and the cats are supervised when they go in the garden, thats a step in the right direction

 

Lets not descend into the into haters v cat lovers debate/war/ fisty cuffs we had a while ago.
I fall between two stools on this one. I used to have a cat and am a sucker for anything with fur ot feathers according to my missus. I would not want a cat that stayed indoors. Our last cat, that we rehomed did what cats do - climbed trees, teased dogs, lay in the sun and was really affectionate, but he was a killer. He was following his natural instinct but after him I decided not to have another. Its not nature to have loads and loads of predators roaming a relatively small area, that is completely unnatural and some wildlife cannot cope. We used to have a thriving water vole community in our stream, not any more. My neighbour's cats left the bodies lying around.
So now I have a dog, cause I prevent that having an impact on the local wildlife. In fact she has a beneficial impact cause she keeps the cats away from the nest boxes and the baby blackbirds are safer when they have a German Shepherd as guard dog.

 

I agree with you, geoffhandley, we certainly don't want to go down the nasty road again.

I have a an area called the sand garden dotted with Jacaranda, Myrtus, shrub Bougainvillea, Viburnum, Birds of Paradise, Tecomaria, Brugmansia and Cestrus (the latter two in pots). It was designed because I have three cats ... they prefer to lie there in the shade and dash into the house to the litterbox when nature calls.

I also insist they are in at night ... so they get used to creature comforts such as beds.

Just a comment, I have never fed my cats on raw meat as I was told many, many years ago that this encouraged them to hunt.

 

Cats don't need encouraging. You either have a naturally good hunter or you don't. I don't agree with someone who wrote somewhere that in order to get rid of mice you should get a cat and not feed in properly, keeping it hungry.
That is plain cruel, when you get any animal you have a responsibility for its needs and the law has recently been changed to recognise that.
Cats hunt best when they are well fed and healthy. They follow their natural instincts and I suppose its their form of recreation.

 

I 've missed this thread up till now and going back to the first couple of posts I tend to think there is a strange attitude to animals.
I cant understand why Jjdecay should say that having a dog is impractical with a 2 yr old for starters, but also the connection between wild animals that hunt and kill to survive and cats that kill for fun.
In my book that makes cats very much like humans, god help them. :D