keen to encourage wildlife...but how?

I think you should either make your garden cat friendly or wildlife friendly but not both cats are predators and will take a toll on wildlife.

 

The cats never used the garden at my old house and we didnt have a dog then. They mostly sit out the front or on my car grr lol

I dont really see a point in making my garden cat friendly, they're happy as they are. They get fed in the house and they have my sofas to sleep on. Birds and frogs etc are a little different

 

Very very tempted to agree, and would previously have done so 100%, only 75% these days. Cats do take birds to be sure, but there are ways to feed birds whilst making it very difficult for the cat to reach (unfortunately that usually means you will struggle to reach too).

I hang fat balls in winter and cake in summer from the branches of my oak and choose only those branches that could not support the weight of anything heavier than the ball plus birds. In winter they are still conspicuous but then everything is including predators.

Blackbirds are also a siren of danger-when they spot a threat-cat squirrel they will follow the predator from a safe distance calling out for all the world "danger danger", much to my cats dismay. It has been a very long time since she took a bird.

The most deadly of enemies is one we can do little about-magpies. They can plunder and strip a nest of all chicks in one visit, I don`t mind woodpigeons as they pretty much can see magpies off not just from their own nests but in protecting those they indirectly provide some deterrent from others.

 

We have a large conifer in one corner of the garden which is the home of wood pigeons,doves and lots of transient birds the area underneath is very dry and the birds use the area as a dust bath, I am surrounded with neighbours who have several cats the cats find it necessary to use the area as a toilet I decided to clear the area and place cobbles underneath the place was a grave yard lots feathers and bird bits obviously a hunting ground for the afore mentioned,the cobbles did the trick the cats no longer use the area as a toilet they use the borders instead. Just how many of you "cat lovers" out there take your resposibilities seriously do you just turn tiddles out on demand to let him/her wreak havoc elsewhere or are you a resposible owner who caters for there needs within your own domain.Please don't tell me you can do this or that to deter them I have a 6ft fence all round berberis and firethorn net over the fish pond and a good size 9 boot but they still troop in after dark its time some of you cat owners took off your blinkers and look after your pets properly.