@Fairygirl Perhaps a wall of Water Scarecrows would do the job ... he doesnāt like to get his hair wet š¦Ā
Ā Ā But maybe he would throw caution to the winds, strip off, and dance through them.... Sorry if I've now put that image into people's heads. I'll get me coatĀ
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
But...moving here would mean you were that much closer to TrumpĀ God help us all.
@Fairygirl is from Scotland and Trump already spends too much time there.
I found a bullfinch skull in the garden on the weekend. That's the third bullfinch killed in my garden that I know of which is an unusually high mortality rate if cats aren't involved. I've given up feeding the finches over the summer because of the risk to the young birds. I'll resume in the winter when there's less cover for cats to hide and they need more feeding to survive the cold.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
It's ok @wild edges, I think @HouseFinch knows I'm from Scotland. We [though not me persoanlly]Ā like to turn up at his golf courses holding Mexican flags. Subtle humour we have hereĀ How bl**dy infuriating about your bullfinches. I don;t get them in the garden but there plenty around the area. To be honest, I'd rather they stayed out there than come in my garden and be killed. I buried two blackbirds last yearĀ
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We did have a water thingy to scare the cats but as our neighbours have three cat they got nasty and pulled the one in the front garden out. We still have the one in the back but they seem to know where to go so the water won't reach them, we move it around but they are bl**dy savery cats.
Your right there Fairygirl, they wouldn't like it if their cats pooped in their garden but sadly they don't. Sorry it took so long to reply I'm doing battle with around 10 lb of tomatoes. Tomato Fairy was busy last night. lol
Our furry fellow only craps in our garden. For years I've troweled it up and tossed it into a raised narrow strip against the back wall which has Virginia Creeper and Bluebells in it. I'd initially dumped a lot of stones here when I moved in. The time came when I wanted the stones for a lawn sump. I thought I'd be bagging up years of cat crap to get to them, but all I found beneath the recent offerings was good friable soil. I have no idea of the nutrient content but the plants thrive. Cat Crap Compost! Who knew?
He doesn't bother birds. He knows he stands no chance. The pigeons are cocky enough to strut within a metre of him under the Hebe.
Damn fine mouser though. He eats them apart from the back legs and the tail which are left on the lawn for me to toss into that raised narrow strip at the back.....
About to wander outside so I shall have a root around & see whats happening. A friend has 5 dogs and I've often wondered if it could be used. I suggested trying the composting toilet technique, adding a sprinkle of sawdust to the turds layer by layer. In theory it should work. In practice, she pulled a "Yuk" face at me and continues to bin it. Such a waste.
I collect up old, rusty, stock fencing (not the dangerous barbed wire sort) when I am out and about in the country side. I use the rusty stuff as it is free (discarded when farmers put in new fences) the cats don't like the rusty texture, and you can't see it very well against the soil, so it doesn't look too bad.
Put it flatish, but not too flat on the patch you want want to protect, ideally two layers, in such a way that the top criss-crosses any gaps. It will be bumpy and crinkled, but that is better to baffle the cats.
It works very well if it's rusty and rough textured on cats paws, and doesn't harm them. You won't be able to lift the wire once plants grow through it, so you may want to remove it once they start growing, but it doesn't seem to harm the plants at all. The cats loose interest even if it isn't rusty over time, in favor of easier places. Try an outdoor litter tray too, with leaf litterĀ in it instead of cat litter, nice and soft on the paws - as big as possible, and somewhere quiet and sheltered.
I have 11 cats, but my raised veg. beds are fine if they are covered, and my cats love the outdoor litter tray.
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But maybe he would throw caution to the winds, strip off, and dance through them....
Sorry if I've now put that image into people's heads. I'll get me coatĀ
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
How bl**dy infuriating about your bullfinches. I don;t get them in the garden but there plenty around the area. To be honest, I'd rather they stayed out there than come in my garden and be killed. I buried two blackbirds last yearĀ
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...