Pests? Can I classify my neighbours CAT as one?

You wouldn't believe how much cats are discussed, liked and loathed on Gardeners Corner!!
I've got 2 cats who can't get out because I've extended the height and design of my fences, which also means cats can't get in, but that's only a bonus as I did it to prevent my cats from coming to harm and also causing a nuisance.

Neighbours cats are without doubt a pain to people and once they establish a loo in your garden, like Arnie, they'll be back.

Search for the Cat threads in the forum and you'll see what I mean.

I'm lucky, my cats know better to dig or do damage in the garden [they know there's only 9 lives - if they're lucky] but I couldn't guarantee that with a neighbours cat who operate under different rules than home cats.

 

Cats again!

This subject is brought up every month. You could use the search facility on here to see what has been said in the past Julie

 

Wow!!!! ziggy, did cats do all that digging in your garden?

 

Hi Smoo, my garden fence modifications only came about when I acquired a young ex-farm kitten/cat called Jenny some years ago. My other cat, Sally, isn't a wanderer after a bad experience she had and stays in the garden and house. Jenny on the other hand was everywhere she could get. I'd come home to find a neighbour handing her back to me, or going to rescue her from a neighbour's garden, or having to climb onto my garage roof which she'd somehow climbed onto but, of course, couldn't get down from:D

So, firstly, I changed from Laplarch fencing to a more solid fence of rough cut 2"x 4" timber cut into 6' lengths. That was then dropped, horizontally, between the concrete fence posts to a height of 7'. Originally I thought that was that - but no Jenny climbed it with great joy and contempt, so I was back to rescuing her from other gardens and the garage roof again:gaagh:

I then started to extend the height of the fences with 2" x 2" posts attached to the timber fences and stapled 3' high chicken wire to them. Because of work commitments and the length of the fences I only did a section which I thought Jenny was using. Wrong
I'd put a section up, she'd use another part of the fence..

This went on for weeks/months, me putting a section up, Jenny using another section. This got to the stage when I thought I done it, but I noticed Jenny was pacing up and down the fence eyeing it up - and she found a gap and was through:gaagh: So I put another section up, and as I was just finishing it off and congratulating myself, Jenny walked past me on the fence on the other side of the chicken wire section :gaagh: I won't tell you my thoughts!! I finally completed all the fences with the chicken wire extension and Jenny hasn't escaped since. By the way, the chicken wire seems to merge with the background because of it's thinness, so it doesn't stand out.

The really important thing I discovered with the chicken wire is not to tighten it between the posts but to have it a little slack. The reason for that is when a cat attempts to climb it the weight of the cat pulls the chicken wire towards the cat, which finds itself leaning back while trying to climb - and they do not like that:yess: That, and the fact that the cat is leaning back while clinging to thin wire unnerves it badly.

Like I said it took weeks/months of frustration to get it right, but Jenny can't get out and other cats don't get in.:yess::happydance:

 

You could be sectioned under the Mental Health Act for being "barking mad", Xoot, along with me and a few others I won't mention on this Forum!
I'm sure my cats understand every word and gesture I say and make. then show me their bum as they walk away chortling to themselves.
Keeping cats out, or in, of the garden is a difficult one because a: the cat is an intelligent persistent animal and can climb with great agility, b: it will depend on the characteristics of the garden, it's entrances and exits, and it's boundaries, and c: also on the resources, determination of the gardener.
I'm probably as stubborn as the cats and wouldn't give up on the problem. My garden and boundaries lends itself to the changing and raising of the fences. In all there was some several hundred feet to change and if you think it needs 21 x 6' lengths of 2"x 4" timber to make a 7' high section you need a lot of timber. I bought it all from the local timber yard and had to cut it into 6' lengths myself and then weather treat it before installing it. My entrances and exits to the garden have 8' smooth wooden "doors" which cats, including mine, have tried but failed to scale:yess:
I'm lucky, and I know it, in having the resources and having the mindset not to let the problem beat me. It took a lot of effort, I admit. but there was no other answer to stopping Jenny from getting into trouble, injured or killed, and being a nuisance to my neighbours, and the fact that she hasn't escaped, or that other cats have got in, is proof that it was worth it and that it has worked:yess: