grrrr - how can I keep the cats away from the nesting box??

Dizzie77

Mr & Mrs Blue Tit popped around to view the property this morning, and decided that they would like to move in.....
They've spent most of the morning and afternoon moving in and then......
I spy a cat.....

The cat lives in the jungle that is next doors' garden, although I don't know who it belongs to.

It was stalking right underneath the nesting box, and I don't want it there..>!!

Any decent ways of keeping cats out of the garden? I have a dog, so it can't be anything that would injure him...!!!

Farway

A perusal of this forum will show you that you can't keep cats out of gardens, wish it were not so as one poos on my grass

How high is the box? You can prevent cats climbing up to it but fledglings will be a quick snack I fear, that is if the squirels [sp?], jays etc do not get them first

Dizzie77

The box is about 8 foot up, in a big oak tree - they used it last year - without incident, but then in the summer a cat climbed on top of it and pulled it off the tree....!

Will just have to keep an eye on it and send the dog out on regular patrols...!!!

Thanks for your response tho.

MrsTinks

Could you get one that can be fixed to a metal pole? As a cat owner I know that there is no chance of us having any nesting boxes but I don't feel too guilty as for the last 4 years the little feathered terrorists have been pulling stuffing out of my loft to nest - they have got past bird proofing, expandafoam and several other attempts of keeping them out of my loft.
Maybe I should shut the cats up there for half an hour a day
Seriously though - try to catch the cat and put a collar on it with a note to owners - saying to contact you. When/if they do then tell them that it's attackign your fledglings etc and would they mind if you gave them a collar with a bell on for it to try and help protect the birds?