of my garden! I am totally at my wits end!!!! I don't hate cats. I had some of my own during my 50+ years on this earth but I just don't get some people! My cats were indoor cats and they were spayed &/or neutered. They weren't left to roam the country side reeking havoc and making babies under people's houses! I have a small property but I'm very lucky to have wood-line on 3 sides of me and a nice area of wetlands. I have every woodland critter one could have visiting in my garden (except bunnies...I haven't seen a bunny in my yard for 16 years!. What's up with that?!?....oh wait...the cats!) I love my property & gardens. I love them, I adore them, I live for my gardens and springtime. It's not just the flowers and plants but the critters running about, the birds singing and nesting. The hummingbirds, chipmunks, deer oh my...it's paradise! But the neighbors cats...feral ones too. For the past 3 days I have found remains of a catbird, chipmunk & the head of a squirrel! I lost count of the dead critters since Spring has begun. I would never hurt or trap a cat but isn't there something that could be used to keep them away?. I'm tired of running after...yelling... waving a dish-toweled hand like a crazy woman!
My son has "offered" to mark our territory, as he sometimes does (without me knowing until after the fact) when we hear the coyotes and bobcat getting to close to the house. They usually stay away but I haven't a clue if my son has anything to do with that. I'm hoping...no, praying...that someone here will have an idea of what I can do. Please help. Any idea's that don't include me dressing in a tutu, arms held high with bells hung by ribbons (my son-in-laws idea) would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Holiday Weekend To All (and thank you for listening/reading my rantings. I hate finding squirrel heads! UGH!)
We've had several discussions here about how to discourage feral and domestic housecats. I can give you links, if that is the info you're looking for.
However, what I find interesting, as a lifelong cat lover and wildlife lover and long-time gardener, is the observation that your property is attractive to coyotes and bobcats, each of which is significantly larger and more prey-driven than felis domesticus. Isn't it just as likely, if not the most likely possibility, that the coyotes and bobcats are responsible for the sad remains you find?
A domestic cat is hard-put to bring down a squirrel. I've seen a few cats try to catch the squirrels that live in my redwood tree. Not even close, not by a long shot.
If the wildlife around your property also includes raccoons, then you can definitely kiss the birds and chipmunks good-bye as well. Raccoons were responsible for OPENING the double-locked hutch--sworn by a locksmith to be raccoon-proof--that my girlfriend's pet rabbit lived in. They opened the double locks and butchered the rabbit in a horrifying way, leaving the remains for my GF to find. Raccoons also were the killers of my husband's ex's duck, who was her gardening assistant. This duck was an ardent snail- and slug-hunter (both of these are incredible plant pests here in the S.F. Bay Area). Same story: one morning she came out to release the duck from its "safe" (again, verified by professionals) enclosure, but the raccoons had gotten there in the night.
Please note that the raccoons brought down animals significantly larger than the ones you've mentioned, but they're really not picky as to size of their prey.
With coyotes, bobcats, probably raccoons, and other known predators at large, why do you believe an animal smaller than any of these is responsible for what you continually find in your yard?
Evidence--photographic or personal observations--do you have evidence?
Please don't simply blame cats for the behavior of other animals.
Thank you.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
However, what I find interesting, as a lifelong cat lover and wildlife lover and long-time gardener, is the observation that your property is attractive to coyotes and bobcats, each of which is significantly larger and more prey-driven than felis domesticus. Isn't it just as likely, if not the most likely possibility, that the coyotes and bobcats are responsible for the sad remains you find?
A domestic cat is hard-put to bring down a squirrel. I've seen a few cats try to catch the squirrels that live in my redwood tree. Not even close, not by a long shot.
If the wildlife around your property also includes raccoons, then you can definitely kiss the birds and chipmunks good-bye as well. Raccoons were responsible for OPENING the double-locked hutch--sworn by a locksmith to be raccoon-proof--that my girlfriend's pet rabbit lived in. They opened the double locks and butchered the rabbit in a horrifying way, leaving the remains for my GF to find. Raccoons also were the killers of my husband's ex's duck, who was her gardening assistant. This duck was an ardent snail- and slug-hunter (both of these are incredible plant pests here in the S.F. Bay Area). Same story: one morning she came out to release the duck from its "safe" (again, verified by professionals) enclosure, but the raccoons had gotten there in the night.
Please note that the raccoons brought down animals significantly larger than the ones you've mentioned, but they're really not picky as to size of their prey.With coyotes, bobcats, probably raccoons, and other known predators at large, why do you believe an animal smaller than any of these is responsible for what you continually find in your yard?
Evidence--photographic or personal observations--do you have evidence?
Please don't simply blame cats for the behavior of other animals.
Thank you.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Yes, I would love the links. Any help would be great.
Yes you are right, we do have a few larger predators here but the coyotes and bobcat we occasionally hear are only around at night (in our area) and this happens during the day.
We know it's the cats, we've seen it happen, a lot. I have an old crab-apple tree that has a few robins nests (they always seem to nest in the worst spots!) and always filled with singing birds of all kinds. The cats get the nests every year. I have yet to see a nest of robins grow up & fly away. Last month I chased a cat out of the tree right after it knocked the nest out trying to get the parent bird, the babies couldn't be saved. Under the tree is a rock garden where I have a bird feeder (I stopped filling it) & the chipmunks have made a home among the rocks. The cats hide in the tree & hunt the birds & chippies. They're pretty good at it. About the squirrel head...that's my neighbors cat Midnight. He's a friendly lovable cat. He leaves heads at his house all the time. He carries them like a child does with a blankie. We love cats, I've had cats all my life. I wouldn't blame an animal if we didn't know for sure. These events are happening during the day, when I'm home (I'm always home). I watch my 2 year old granddaughter every day & during the warm months we are always in and out of the house and all over the yard. We have seen many cats with prey in mouth & it's very upsetting to my granddaughter. But, I have noticed a marked drop in feral cats here this year & last & I believe it's from the coyotes & bobcat since they started more new developing on the other side of the wood-lands. I believe it's pushing these larger predators closer to us because they are just being displaced. I haven't seen a raccoon here in a while but I'm sure there are some still around. But again they only come out at night. With me watering and tending to the garden, chasing a 2 year old everywhere and personally seeing what or who. I know most of the casualties are from the cats. An occasional dead animal is normal but this happens too often here. I just want to try to limit the damages if I can. I meant no disrespect to any cat lovers. I am one also.
Yes you are right, we do have a few larger predators here but the coyotes and bobcat we occasionally hear are only around at night (in our area) and this happens during the day.
We know it's the cats, we've seen it happen, a lot. I have an old crab-apple tree that has a few robins nests (they always seem to nest in the worst spots!) and always filled with singing birds of all kinds. The cats get the nests every year. I have yet to see a nest of robins grow up & fly away. Last month I chased a cat out of the tree right after it knocked the nest out trying to get the parent bird, the babies couldn't be saved. Under the tree is a rock garden where I have a bird feeder (I stopped filling it) & the chipmunks have made a home among the rocks. The cats hide in the tree & hunt the birds & chippies. They're pretty good at it. About the squirrel head...that's my neighbors cat Midnight. He's a friendly lovable cat. He leaves heads at his house all the time. He carries them like a child does with a blankie. We love cats, I've had cats all my life. I wouldn't blame an animal if we didn't know for sure. These events are happening during the day, when I'm home (I'm always home). I watch my 2 year old granddaughter every day & during the warm months we are always in and out of the house and all over the yard. We have seen many cats with prey in mouth & it's very upsetting to my granddaughter. But, I have noticed a marked drop in feral cats here this year & last & I believe it's from the coyotes & bobcat since they started more new developing on the other side of the wood-lands. I believe it's pushing these larger predators closer to us because they are just being displaced. I haven't seen a raccoon here in a while but I'm sure there are some still around. But again they only come out at night. With me watering and tending to the garden, chasing a 2 year old everywhere and personally seeing what or who. I know most of the casualties are from the cats. An occasional dead animal is normal but this happens too often here. I just want to try to limit the damages if I can. I meant no disrespect to any cat lovers. I am one also.
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