[Plot No 2]

Some Jeyes fluid along the fence panels. Cats don't like the strong smell.

[jack russell]

Hi all

i breed birds in an aviary in my back garden and have a cat of my own and water keeps him away from the aviary the other cats in the area don't come in the garden at all i think my cat deters them.

shooting is not the way forward if you do and you are caught you will face a spell in the clink

cheers

jr

[ziggywigs]

Having your own cats is a deterrent as they keep others from your plot.  

The water pistol idea works as long as they don't know where it's coming from otherwise they get wise and just vacate it when you or the item is around.

They have a strong sense of smell and i had probs on my gravel with my neighbours cats and i used diluted jeyes fluid to disinfect the gravel and this has kept them away since....even without continuing to use the jeyes fluid.

I'm not suggesting you pour Jeyes on the soil of course, but anything strong smelling will repel them, they don't like garlic for instance.  I've also noticed my two aren't particularly fond of cattle manure when i spread it!

[beansticks]

My reply,was tongue in cheek,unfortunately we have become the adopted carers for my daughters cat which she had from a rescue centre,i believe it is a ferral cat,it is nothing short of a savage.No one except my daughter will go near it,me included even though i feed the blooming thing several times a day.It goes without saying i would not shoot it.Last spring we had a Robins nest in the border hedge of the allotment,unfortunately the local cat ensured none of the ckicks became adults.Bring on the Rottweilers.

[Ann]

We have a cat of our own but when we moved here the house had been empty for a long time and the other cats had made it their patch.

Our cat is also a big softie and as long as they don't get too close to him or come into the house he just sits and watches them roaming around.

[John]

Unfortunately cats are pre-programmed hunters. Unless they were trained by their mum as a kitten, they're usually not very good it and a bell will reduce their effectiveness.
Sadly, they have a bad effect on the bird population BUT they do keep the rats and mice down.
I think you all know I'm a cat lover (slight understatement there) but can I say that if you get a kitten, get it spayed. Do the Tom before puberty and what he doesn't get he won't miss. If you do a tom after this he still goes off and fights, but he doesn't get his reward.
The myth that is is nice to let the queen have a litter of kittens first is just that - a myth.  
Kiittens are lovely, great fun but there are many many older cats looking for a home. Kittenhood is for just a few months.
Finally, feral wild cats can become very loving house cats but don't bank on it. They all have very individual personalities.

[Puff]

Just a note about Jeyes Fluid.  It is extremely toxic to cats, as are ALL pine based disinfectants, creosote and pretty much all petrochemical derived and related substances.  Please don't use these substances as a deterrent to cats.
Cats walking on a surface that has been (even lightly) coated with them, will get it on their paw's and lick it off afterwards, ingesting the substance.  These high phenolic content substances can also be absorbed through the cat's skin.  This can, and often does lead to a protracted and painful death for the cat as it succumbs.  Rage, chemical burning, convulsions, respiratory distress, vomiting, diarrhoea, coma are all symptoms of phenol poisoning.  Once ingested, there is no antidote.

Stick with the water pistols and the brambles - safer, more effective and humane!