Is there a bonafide way to stop cats and foxes coming into my garden?

ed110220

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Plenty of domestic dogs cause problems: barking or whining, pooping in the street and parks, sheep worrying, killing fawns and other wildlife. Yet it remains socially acceptable to let them off the lead.

Plenty of children screech and run riot on public transport, in shops and eateries, trespass and cause damage. Yet it remains socially acceptable to eschew contraception.

Self centred and inconsiderate guardianship is not limited to pets.

Just because a certain number of people let their dogs and children run wild doesn't mean it's generally considered acceptable. It's not acceptable to let your dog attack farm animals, other dogs or people or to let it foul other people's or public property. It's not generally considered acceptable to leave a dog alone at home all day if that causes it to bark incessantly or to let it off its lead in public if it's not well trained enough to not cause damage or injury.

Fire_Fox

ed110220 wrote: »

I think it's very inconsiderate to keep an animal that causes problems for other people. Cat owners only really get away with it because it's always been done, but it wouldn't be tolerated with another, new type of pet. If I were to get a lesser Patagonian bandysnatch and it went !!!!ping all over the neighbours' gardens, killing birds etc I'm sure it would be looked at differently.

ed110220 wrote: »

Just because a certain number of people let their dogs and children run wild doesn't mean it's generally considered acceptable. It's not acceptable to let your dog attack farm animals, other dogs or people or to let it foul other people's or public property. It's not generally considered acceptable to leave a dog alone at home all day if that causes it to bark incessantly or to let it off its lead in public if it's not well trained enough to not cause damage or injury.

So you agree that children should be seen and not heard when in public? And you think all dogs should remain on a lead at all times in consideration of those who are are frightened of, allergic to or strongly dislike dogs?

Self centred and inconsiderate guardianship is subjective not objective.

andrewf75

ed110220 wrote: »

Cat owners only really get away with it because it's always been done, but it wouldn't be tolerated with another, new type of pet. If I were to get a lesser Patagonian bandysnatch and it went !!!!ping all over the neighbours' gardens, killing birds etc I'm sure it would be looked at differently. Wild animals are different as no one owns them.
.

This is so true. I like cats and while I don’t make a big deal of my neighbours cats pooing in my veg beds, it is wrong in principle that an animal can be kept as a pet but allowed to roam around.

System

Is it not the case that cats are technically "wild animals" in law, and therefore no-one (including their owners) can do a great deal about any annoyances they cause. There are laws regarding dogs wandering around with no owners but the same is not the case with cats (don't ask me why, but I bet someone on here will know).

This is also the reason why you don't have to report it if you run over and kill a cat, but can be fined if you run over and kill a dog (or a variety of other, mostly farm, animals). Of course, if you were a nice person you would of course try and find the owner and let them know, but from a legal point of view, it's not necessary.

Back to the original question, I am a big fan of super-soakers. Keeps the local felines wary. Just need a way to get rid of the 17+ magpies who congregate in the vicinity and have scared away (or killed) all the little garden birds over the years.

Rusty_Shackleton

Mrs_Arthur_Crown wrote: »

Back to the original question, I am a big fan of super-soakers.

Spraying cats with water is not an effective deterrent from them entering your garden, what you're teaching the cat is to avoid your garden when you're there.

Rather than try and soak the cat, find something (like others have suggested) that they don't like the smell of, or a gadget that will always respond to the cats presence, even if you're not there.

Rusty_Shackleton

andrewf75 wrote: »

it is wrong in principle that an animal can be kept as a pet but allowed to roam around.

Why is it? Like I've said above, if every cat owner ceased to have a pet cat (without just releasing them into the wild), there is still the matter of cats successfully living wild in the UK. What difference does it make whether some of them are peoples pets or not?

Arguably, all those pet cats mean less birds get hunted, since pet cats are fed and don't hunt nearly as much as those that need to in order to survive. Feral cats are competing with pet cats for territory, so pet cats are doing wild birds a favour at least. Similarly, all those neutered pet males aren't spraying all over your garden... would you prefer more feral males in your area?!

robatwork

Rotating poles on top of your fences?

https://www.catpolesystems.co.uk/

lessonlearned

Bottles of water placed at strategic points. Cat sees its reflection and thinks it's another cat and is scared off.

troffasky

Mrs_Arthur_Crown wrote: »

Just need a way to get rid of the 17+ magpies who congregate in the vicinity and have scared away (or killed) all the little garden birds over the years.

Once you've got rid of the magpies, what next? I don't think we should be "picking winners" when it comes to wild animals. Fans of caterpillars, flies and worms will be wanting rid of 'little garden birds' once you've had your way with magpies.

Robby1988

It’s not realistic to expect cats to be kept indoors, their natural instinct is to be outside roaming. We have a litter tray, the cat doesn’t always use it and I know full well it is pooping outside sometimes, but there is naff all I can do about it. It’s nature, just like the bird crap all over my car and the bloody dog next door that barks.

If cats were not kept as pets they would still be roaming about as stray wild animals like you see in many foreign countries, mating and breeding on a larger scale.

Like the story in the press recently about people fixing spikes to tree branches to stop birds pooing in their cars, it’s sad how anti-nature people are in pursuit of a pristine garden & car.