The law is a throwback to farming. However, I think it's nice that cats get to roam. It's just a shame they are so destructive. The trick with the turds is filling as much bed as possible. Compacted areas don't seem to be attractive. It's mulching areas I have a problem with. And the spray, which can be a nuisance. Probably discussed to death on here, but a neighbour suggested to me they prefer not using their own gardens. I wonder if that's actually true, and it is a territorial thing. My sister tried to build a play area for the kids, only to find every single cat in the neighbourhood thought it a great place to stop off - evidently bark chips are no good! I've probably suggested it before as I am a broken record, but I just wish owners would build areas into their own garden for that very purpose. A covered sand pit would do the trick probably. Perhaps with a pretend lure like a Geranium in a pot close by next to a trowel.
The law is a throwback to farming. However, I think it's nice that cats get to roam.
I think most non cat owning garden users might disagree. I fail to see why the onus is on folk to keep other people's animals FROM their land rather than animal owners to keep their animals ON their own.
Given space I think I'd build high wire fenced off areas, and cover with ivy, as a bird sanctuary. Or perhaps a glade with something like a bamboo perimeter.
In reading reviews, always remember that the reviews say as much about the reviewer as the thing they are reviewing.
So true.
I am awaiting the replies about hogs, we have some visit.
@madpenguin We use a cheap plastic crate turned upside down, with a compact disk sized hole cut in it. The hedgehog can get in but cats (so far here) can't get in to steal the food. Think there is something somewhere on a hedge hog thread about these.
Yes, Cats are very destructive when let out and roam. I had to clear many bird remains killed and left by cats under the trees and plants in my garden.
And cats droppings are very harmful to humans and plants, if they ever come to be contaminated by it by chance or whatever way due to various virus in them.
If I had a cat, I wouldn't let it out the house, because I know what it will do to other people's gardens and other wild life. It is not fair to other people and for their sufferings, because my cat has to roam outside my house, I would feel. But I will never have cats, because we are just not into pets of any kind.
In countries like Japan and Korea, where most people are living in high rise apartments, lots of people keep cats as pet, but they don't let them out. They just keep in their own house all the time. It doesn't do any bad to the cats. They just get used to living in the house.
When out there roaming, cats will contact rats and mice and kill and eat other wild lives, and they might be carrying deadly viruses, which will then be infecting the owner and the family members especially the kids, I read somewhere. A bit scary scenario.
In countries like Japan and Korea, where most people are living in high rise apartments, lots of people keep cats as pet, but they don't let them out. They just keep in their own house all the time. It doesn't do any bad to the cats. They just get used to living in the house.
When out there roaming, cats will contact rats and mice and kill and eat other wild lives, and they might be carrying deadly viruses, which will then be infecting the owner and the family members especially the kids, I read somewhere. A bit scary scenario.
Oh tosh, it's horrible to keep cats inside. All animals should get to sniff the air. Even human ones. And Koreans eat them don't they? The grimmest thing I've ever seen is a cat being cooked alive. Disgusting. I like animals, including cats, but sadly on balance prefer garden nature without them. Cats are in part the lazy pet owners choice.
It's absolutely untrue to say that compacted areas aren't attractive to cats as a location for leaving their 'messages'. I removed our front lawn because it was always full of cat ***, and that's not pleasant when a rotary mower hits it!
Different cultures have differing attitudes to eating animal life. Whilst there is no justification for cooking animals alive, many Hindus would be appalled that we kill and eat cattle. If a country is overrun by any type of animal is it worse to kill and throw on a tip, or to kill to feed the population?
It's fascinating how any mention of cats and people's gardens gets some folks so agitated. I'd worry more about all the "gifts" foxes tend to leave in the garden, their diet and overall health is much worse than the average domestic mog.
Live and let live, we have a couple of cats that visit and they behave very well 99% of the time. I rather like having their company whilst pottering about in my garden. Bird droppings can be equally awful...thankfully none of you would like them also eliminated.
@Fire and @Rubytoo , l went back and found the various articles l looked at, and copied them below. As you can see, there seems to be no agreement as to whether hedgehogs can even hear it, let alone be affected by it. I will do a bit more searching to see if l can find anything more, and l will speak to my local rescue lady the next time l see her
A question from the Daily Telegraph, albeit 10 years ago
Would an ultrasonic cat scarer affect tortoises and hedgehogs? I am a keen gardener and wish to deter the cats that dig up my flower beds, without putting off other garden-friendly animals.EB, Essex
Adult humans can only hear high-pitched noises up to around 20,000 Hz, whereas dogs, cats and other mammals can detect sounds of 40,000 Hz or more. Ultrasonic scarers produce a squeal that is above the human range, but within the animal range, in the hope of deterring unwanted animals from entering an area.
Hedgehogs will definitely hear the high-pitched noise, but tortoises and other reptiles have an upper hearing range that is much lower than humans, so they will be unaffected. There is another problem with this type of cat deterrent: many people feel it just doesn't work effectively.
The answer to the same question on a Hedgehog forum in 2013 -
As to sonic repellents I cannot say but I suspect they would have to be terribly sophisticated to cover the aural range of whatever it is they are trying to deter. I have no idea what signals these "sonic repellents" send out for whatever they are trying to deter but here, give or take a few hz to kHz are the sonic ranges of the creatures involved.
Hedgehogs, well equipped for any rustling in the undergrowth, are roughly 25-45.
Cats 48-85
Dogs 40-60
Guinea pigs 54-50
Bats (depending on the species) 20-120
Young humans with perfect hearing: 64-23 and it goes downhill from young.
Advert from a bird food supplier (l have no connection to this company) -
CATWatch is a cat deterrent that really works.
Prevent cats from spoiling your wild birds feeding habits, or just stop cats doing what cats do naturally - but not in your garden. CATWatch is an ultra sonic device that is endorsed, tested and approved by the RSPB, tried and tested by hundreds of bird watchers and found to be 100% effective. Working on a specific frequency that only cats can hear, allows CATWatch to deter only cats, so your Hedgehogs, dogs and other garden visitors are not affected and can go about their daily duties in peace. CATWatch has a range of 60 feet (18m) to repel cats and it has a movement detection range of 40 feet (12m). So any cats within that range will simply hear an uncomfortable noise and move away, leaving your garden birds to enjoy the treats intended for them to eat in safety and leaves your garden in the clean state you left it in.
In countries like Japan and Korea, where most people are living in high rise apartments, lots of people keep cats as pet, but they don't let them out. They just keep in their own house all the time. It doesn't do any bad to the cats. They just get used to living in the house.
When out there roaming, cats will contact rats and mice and kill and eat other wild lives, and they might be carrying deadly viruses, which will then be infecting the owner and the family members especially the kids, I read somewhere. A bit scary scenario.
Oh tosh, it's horrible to keep cats inside. All animals should get to sniff the air. Even human ones. And Koreans eat them don't they? The grimmest thing I've ever seen is a cat being cooked alive. Disgusting. I like animals, including cats, but sadly on balance prefer garden nature without them. Cats are in part the lazy pet owners choice.
No, they don't eat cats. How could anyone eat cats? There are lots of fabricated hoax to shock and upset people, and it must be one of that.
If you feel that gardens need animals, and your cats need sniff of air, that's fine, as long as they roam within your own garden.
Posts
I fail to see why the onus is on folk to keep other people's animals FROM their land rather than animal owners to keep their animals ON their own.
Sorry you got flagged...It wasn't me
These might be a good buy for us against our neighbours Cooking Fat.
We have a corner plot odd shaped gardens front and back.
@Fire
So true.
I am awaiting the replies about hogs, we have some visit.
@madpenguin We use a cheap plastic crate turned upside down, with a compact disk sized hole cut in it. The hedgehog can get in but cats (so far here) can't get in to steal the food. Think there is something somewhere on a hedge hog thread about these.
Sorry off topic GraemeC.
And cats droppings are very harmful to humans and plants, if they ever come to be contaminated by it by chance or whatever way due to various virus in them.
If I had a cat, I wouldn't let it out the house, because I know what it will do to other people's gardens and other wild life. It is not fair to other people and for their sufferings, because my cat has to roam outside my house, I would feel. But I will never have cats, because we are just not into pets of any kind.
In countries like Japan and Korea, where most people are living in high rise apartments, lots of people keep cats as pet, but they don't let them out. They just keep in their own house all the time. It doesn't do any bad to the cats. They just get used to living in the house.
When out there roaming, cats will contact rats and mice and kill and eat other wild lives, and they might be carrying deadly viruses, which will then be infecting the owner and the family members especially the kids, I read somewhere. A bit scary scenario.
Live and let live, we have a couple of cats that visit and they behave very well 99% of the time. I rather like having their company whilst pottering about in my garden. Bird droppings can be equally awful...thankfully none of you would like them also eliminated.
@Fire and @Rubytoo , l went back and found the various articles l looked at, and copied them below. As you can see, there seems to be no agreement as to whether hedgehogs can even hear it, let alone be affected by it. I will do a bit more searching to see if l can find anything more, and l will speak to my local rescue lady the next time l see her
A question from the Daily Telegraph, albeit 10 years ago
Would an ultrasonic cat scarer affect tortoises and hedgehogs? I am a keen gardener and wish to deter the cats that dig up my flower beds, without putting off other garden-friendly animals. EB, Essex
Adult humans can only hear high-pitched noises up to around 20,000 Hz, whereas dogs, cats and other mammals can detect sounds of 40,000 Hz or more. Ultrasonic scarers produce a squeal that is above the human range, but within the animal range, in the hope of deterring unwanted animals from entering an area.
Hedgehogs will definitely hear the high-pitched noise, but tortoises and other reptiles have an upper hearing range that is much lower than humans, so they will be unaffected. There is another problem with this type of cat deterrent: many people feel it just doesn't work effectively.
The answer to the same question on a Hedgehog forum in 2013 -
As to sonic repellents I cannot say but I suspect they would have to be terribly sophisticated to cover the aural range of whatever it is they are trying to deter.
I have no idea what signals these "sonic repellents" send out for whatever they are trying to deter but here, give or take a few hz to kHz are the sonic ranges of the creatures involved.
Hedgehogs, well equipped for any rustling in the undergrowth, are roughly 25-45.
Cats 48-85
Dogs 40-60
Guinea pigs 54-50
Bats (depending on the species) 20-120
Young humans with perfect hearing: 64-23 and it goes downhill from young.
Advert from a bird food supplier (l have no connection to this company) -
CATWatch is a cat deterrent that really works.
Prevent cats from spoiling your wild birds feeding habits, or just stop cats doing what cats do naturally - but not in your garden. CATWatch is an ultra sonic device that is endorsed, tested and approved by the RSPB, tried and tested by hundreds of bird watchers and found to be 100% effective. Working on a specific frequency that only cats can hear, allows CATWatch to deter only cats, so your Hedgehogs, dogs and other garden visitors are not affected and can go about their daily duties in peace. CATWatch has a range of 60 feet (18m) to repel cats and it has a movement detection range of 40 feet (12m). So any cats within that range will simply hear an uncomfortable noise and move away, leaving your garden birds to enjoy the treats intended for them to eat in safety and leaves your garden in the clean state you left it in.
No, they don't eat cats. How could anyone eat cats?
There are lots of fabricated hoax to shock and upset people, and it must be one of that.
If you feel that gardens need animals, and your cats need sniff of air, that's fine, as long as they roam within your own garden.