Cat upseting my birds

[Kitty]

Hi everyone!

A neighbour's cat keeps harassing my aviary birds. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep cats away from an aviary or out of a garden all together?

The neighbours cat clings onto the front of the aviary like something off a Looney tunes cartoon! It really upsets the birds
I've tried cat deterrent pepper, sprays, planting lavender and have even purchased one of those alarms that produce a high pitched frequency that cats don't like but nothing seems to be working

 

[critterman]

Kitty so sorry that you and your birds have to go through this. I am sure it is frightening to them. Have you talked to the neighbor about it? Is the cat outside all the time? Not sure what you can do but if it was me I would maybe tell the neighbor to keep the cat inside and off your property or you will call animal control. I know you don't want to do this and it is normal behavior for a cat especially if it is a outdoors cat to stalk birds and other prey. But at the same time is must be scary for the birds. I would be worried it would get into the aviary. BTW your aviary and your gardens are beautiful. Keep us posted. Thanks and good luck.

 

[Kiwibird]

I would first speak to the neighbors. They may not even realize their cat is causing a problem for your birds and may be willing to work out some solution. If they aren't willing to do anything about it, then you could call animal control (as already mentioned) and complain. My friend had to do that once because the neighbor would turn her dogs loose in my friends yard to poop every day. She tried to be nice (the neighbor was rude), tried to use "deterrents" (they didn't work) so finally she got animal control involved and after having to pay a fine to have her dogs come get collected out of my friends yard, the dogs didn't show up there again.

 

[thekarens]

Do you have a dog? I have taught my dogs "get the kitty!" When I say that they race outside and chase the cat. It doesn't completely keep the neighbor's cat away from my feeders, but it comes by a lot less.

If you don't have a dog and the neighbors don't respond I'd go with contacting animal control. You shouldn't have to keep your neighbor's pet off your property.

And in case anyone thinks I'm a cat hater I have 2 cats of my own along with 4 dogs, 10 finches and 4 parrots.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Do you have motion detecting sprinklers? They come in all sorts of price ranges. Cats generally HATE getting wet, but getting wet very suddenly may scare the poop out of them. It's something like this: ScareCrow Sprinkler - Motion Activated / Motion Sensor Sprinkler Animal Deterrent | Do My Own Pest Control

 

[labell]

I don't hate cats but I don't particularly love them either however I do hate when people let their cats outside to kill or poop on others property.
I would at first be diplomatic and try talking to the neighbor. If it continued I would be either setting live traps or calling animal control. I love Wendy's idea about the sprinkler system but I would be upset to spend that kind of money to keep another person's animal and therefore their responsibilty off my property!
Your set up is absolutely gorgeous by the way, what a lovely oasis you have created!

 

[Kitty]

Thank you all for the replies

Unfortunately I don't know which neighbour the cat belongs to I'm surrounded by neighbours left right and centre so the cat could belong to anyone. I don't imagine the owners would do much about the situation anyway because their cat is just behaving naturally...I'm also not really sure how they'd control what their cat is doing unless they kept it indoors.

Yes, I do have a little dog and I've trained her to chase the cat away (don't worry, she's far too slow to ever catch anything! ha-ha) but she's only able to chase the cat away while I'm at home so I can let her outside.
I'm not worried about the cat actually hurting the birds because the aviary is very sturdy. (The aviary is fox proof and has been sunk 3ft into the ground and the bars are too small for any paw to fit through) I just don't like my feather babies being frightened when I'm not able to keep the cat away.

I've thought about using a sprinkler with a motion sensor but have been put off using one because I don't want my dog to get blasted every time she goes in the garden... but thinking about it, I'm sure there must be a way to turn the sprinkler off from the house... Has anyone ever used one?

I didn't know I could call animal control about something like this...If I can't think of a solution I might have to give it a try. Even thought the cat is becoming a real nuisance I'd feel guilty if it had to stay indoors all because I built an aviary in my garden.

 

[Kiwibird]

Thank you all for the replies

Unfortunately I don't know which neighbour the cat belongs to I'm surrounded by neighbours left right and centre so the cat could belong to anyone. I don't imagine the owners would do much about the situation anyway because their cat is just behaving naturally...I'm also not really sure how they'd control what their cat is doing unless they kept it indoors.

Yes, I do have a little dog and I've trained her to chase the cat away (don't worry, she's far too slow to ever catch anything! ha-ha) but she's only able to chase the cat away while I'm at home so I can let her outside.
I'm not worried about the cat actually hurting the birds because the aviary is very sturdy. (The aviary is fox proof and has been sunk 3ft into the ground and the bars are too small for any paw to fit through) I just don't like my feather babies being frightened when I'm not able to keep the cat away.

I've thought about using a sprinkler with a motion sensor but have been put off using one because of my dog... but thinking about it, I'm sure there must be a way to turn the sprinkler off from the house... Has anyone ever used one?

I didn't know I could call animal control about something like this. If I can't think of a solution I will give it a try.

Well, if you don't even know who's cat it is, I would just set out a live trap for it, take it down to a local no-kill shelter and explain you keep finding it in your yard but have no idea who it belongs to or if it's feral, and that it is causing a issue by disturbing your birds. Then let the owners come looking for it if they really care about it, or else it can go to a better home that does care for and watch it. And you can call animal control about it, that's part of their job. Just let them know a cat continues coming onto your property, disturbs your animals and no one seems to own it or take proper care to ensure it stays in it's own yard. They will come down and catch it for you, and if it's collared and shows who the owner is, they will have to pay a fine or surrender the animal to a shelter so a home who can care for/watch it can be found.

 

[Kitty]

Thanks jerseyWendy. I've just had a look at the scarecrow sprinkler. It would certainly keep the cat at bay! In fact, if I installed one I'd be sat next to the window all day waiting to see the cat's reaction.

The only problem with the sprinkler is it can't be turned off from the house. Every time I let my dog outside I'll have to run up the garden to switch it off which is a shame

 

[labell]

I would urge you not to feel guilty. I really don't think domestic cats have any business being outside, they really wreak havoc because they are not part of the natural wildlife. If a person wants their cat to get outdoors and play I believe they should invest in a completely enclosed run for them. I have seen these and they are impressive! The one I saw was attached to one of the doors of the person's house with a cat door installed, they had all sorts of walk ways and tunnels and sun basking spots giving their cats some freedom without letting them go on killing sprees of the surrounding wildlife. That imo is the act of a responsible pet owner.

 

[Terry57]

I don't know if this would work for you, but the neighbor's cats kept using my flower bed as a litter box, we we put pine cones all around it and some in it, and the cats stayed out as they hated the feel of the pine cones.
I am so sorry you are going through this

 

[Kitty]

I guess I only feel guilty because it's not really the cats fault, it's the owners.
Most people who have cats around here let them roam free and do whatever they like but it isn't safe and it isn't fair on other people...The cat in question has rummaged in every bin in the neighbourhood and it spreads trash in everyone's gardens. There are only so many times people will clean up after someone else's cat before it drives them mad. My immediate neighbours and myself have purchased metal bins and keep a brick on the lid to keep the cat out...It's really silly that everyone has had to spend time and money on someone else's pet

 

[critterman]

Just another thought on the cat problem. Have you actually talked to any of the neighbors to see if any of them know whose cat is might be? Or is it maybe just a homeless cat? Something else you might be able to do if you can get a good picture of the cat is to make up flyers asking if anyone knows whose cat it is and leave a number to contact you with info. If this fails then I would call animal control and see if they can trap it for you. They have traps and will do it for you for free. It might be better in the long run if it is homeless. It is better for the cat than to be a victim itself of some other prey on it or sickness and diseases that it is exposed to outside. Just a thought here.

 

[getwozzy]

Going off Terry's post about the pine cones- cracked filbert shells or other nut shells would also work...I've seen filbert shells used as pathways, but I'd imagine a cat wouldn't want to walk on all those pointy shells lol

 

[Jayyj]

In the UK attitudes to cats and how to keep them is somewhat different to other countries. The majority of cats kept as pets are allowed to come and go as they please, or are 'put out' by the owners when not at home. House cats are a lot more common now than they were twenty years ago, but there is still an attitude by many that cats were meant to roam and that keeping them as indoor pets is cruel.

Of course, cats are not indigenous to the UK and they have a significant impact on the indigenous population of songbirds and on other small predators that feed on similar prey, but to be honest the British attitude to native animals generally is a can of worms perhaps best left unopened.

Anyway, the point of which is it's unlikely animal control is going to be hugely concerned about this - but I think Jersey Wendy has the right idea. Presumably these scare crow sprinklers are connected to a water supply - so perhaps if you don't have a tap close to the house could you run it on a long hose going up to the back door with a valve in it? A high power water pistol might be a useful acquisition as well - never popular with the feline population.

If all else fails, just extent the aviary and put a couple of Eagle Owls in there - that'll sbe the last you see of the cats!

 

[jenphilly]

Wendy had same thought I did, motion activated water sprinklers. Another item you can buy, but may be harder to utilize considering the size is a scat mat, its a low voltage zap mat. Its typically for indoor use to keep cat off something. Never used one, but had looked into when my Emmie was a very annoying kitten.

All else fails, get a have a heart humane trap and take the cat into a local shelter as a stray. I do not believe in cats being allowed outside in residential areas, one thing if you were out in the country or had barn cats, but when the cat just needs to duck under a bush to come and harass the neighbors, whole another story.

And having horses, my last suggestion.... put a wire electric fence around the bottom perimeter of your yard and turn it on when you're not home (you don't want to zap your own dog by accident!!). The shock won't kiill a cat, trust me, been zapped enough times on a fence when I thought it was off.

I agree with you completely, its not the cats fault, its the neighbors. And may sound heartless, but the fear of your birds being so scared and injuring themselves in a state of fright is far more worrisome then a neighbor getting ticked off because they can't take proper care of their pets.

And yes we have cats too...

 

[Birdman666]

Here is one I found:

Cat Repellant Home Remedies

I Had one of those motion sensor sprinkler things around my pond to keep the racoons out of it. Being motion sensitive, it didn't necessarily target just the 'coons... And you'd probably need one on each side.

 

[Betrisher]

I like the motion sensor sprinkler idea best of all.

It's impossible to contain a cat unless you keep it caged 24/7 or make it an indoor cat, which many can't or won't do. If you start making too-difficult demands of your neighbours, friction could develop and you don't want that. If you complain to animal control, then you might suddenly have a complaint directed against yourself and your birds' noise level. All of the above are unpleasant outcomes, but I think no one would mind ***** getting wet whenever she goes a-hunting in your yard. It's not difficult to rig up a remote switch - you'd need to enquire of your local Radio Shack or geeky teenager, but it can be done. All you need is either a long wire connection in some conduit or, better yet, a wireless remote switch that would allow you to turn the device on and off from the house. My husband would rig it up in a flash for you, but sadly we can't afford the trip to the UK

Why don't you find a local supplier of the sensor-driven sprinkers and ask them about rigging up a remote switch for it? That would solve all your problems, I think. I'd be rigging it up around the top edge of the aviary so that it sprays outward and downward whenever ***** sets foot within, say six feet of the cage. She'd get her nice shower, nick off to lick herself dry and then think twice before coming to visit a second time. Also, I bet there's more than just the one Evil ***** who visits your cage in suburbia!

Just had an epiphany!!! You could rig up an ordinary sprinkler hose around the top edge of the cage as I said. Instead of having it set off electrically, you could connect it to your garden tap with a timer on it. Set the timer to go off for five-minute periods every twenty minutes or so and ***** will get the message just as well. You'd only need to do this for a short while as ***** will learn...

Anyway, tell us what you decide to do, won't you? It's a common problem and we all need to know what works and what doesn't.

PS. If you decide to use electric fencing, check with your local council about regulations. I know this sounds ridiculous, but in our council area, putting up an electric fence constitutes 'setting a man-trap' and attracts hefty fines and/or jail! I found out when some gormless idiot kept siphoning petrol out of our car. The third time the police came and I commented that I might just set up the electric fence (one of which I have, owing to horses). The copper nearly fell over and said 'Don't do that! The consequences aren't worth a few tanks of gas!' Geez! Apparently, you're only allowed to use electric fencing in non-residential areas and then, only for containing livestock. If it is OK to use one in your area, then an electric fence would be perfect: it's not all that visible, it's not all that painful (well, it is, but only for an instant) and it would teach Puss E more quickly than anything else, since she's never felt that before. (Notice how the forum edits out ***** as if it were a rude word? LOL!)

 

[JerseyWendy]

Trish, I'm literally @ all the ***** in your post. The dumb blonde that I am, I was wondering for the LONGEST time what cuss word you could have possibly been using, until I reached the end and saw "Puss E". BAHAHAHAHHAAH!!!!!!!!

 

[getwozzy]

Trish, I'm literally @ all the ***** in your post. The dumb blonde that I am, I was wondering for the LONGEST time what cuss word you could have possibly been using, until I reached the end and saw "Puss E". BAHAHAHAHHAAH!!!!!!!!

You're not the only blonde then!! LOL I actually counted how many asterisks to try and figure out what word it was and then I read the end and thought DUH!!!!! LOL