Animal intruders in the garden

[Jongudmund]

I love all the threads of garden railways on here and am tempted to give it a go.

 

My back garden is very neglected. Most of the garden is not visible from the house and you know what they say, out of sight, out of mind. It has a bramble problem and some of my neighbour's shed roof blew off and landed in it and it needs a good sort and clear out. Not being an outdoors type, really, I don't like gardening. I think having a railway out there is the kind of thing that would make me go out and actually show some love to the garden.

 

But I have another problem. Living in a terrace that backs onto another terrace we are plagued by cats, many of whom use our back yard as a toilet. There is cat poo everywhere. (That's another reason not to go out into the back garden) I'm worried that if I sort out the garden and start working on a railway the neighbourhood fleabags will damage it on their nocturnal rambles looking for a place to take a dump.

 

So how do I solve the problem of cat-proofing my garden? 

 

Please don't suggest that I get my own cat, which seems to be the first suggestion that always gets made.

 

Thanks

 

Jon

Edited May 2, 2017 by Jongudmund

[PaulRhB]

Google 'cat deterrent plants' and there are several organic ideas depending on how they get into the garden. Making fences very thin at the top so they can't stand on them. Then there's plenty of electronic cat repellants too.

Just think yourself lucky, I visited a friend of a friend on Vancouver Island and he has moose, bears and raccoons to contend with on his 45mm garden line

Edited May 2, 2017 by PaulRhB

[Narrow Minded]

Like you Jon, I'm no gardener, and if it wasn't for the railway it would be a "wildlife haven" apart from a small patio area where I could enjoy a beverage in the summer months

 

The RSPB is just one of your friends as far as deterirng cats from the garden is concerned - https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/community-and-advice/garden-advice/unwantedvisitors/cats/catdeterrents.aspx and there are plenty more on the interweb

The first step though would be to reclaim ownership of the garden, the local cat population obviously think it's theirs at the moment and treat it as such. Get rid of all the "cover" they enjoy and it'll be instantly less appealing.

You'll never completely stop 'em (and there are other nuisances out there - get rid of the cats and Blackbirds become a menace, and don't get me started on Hedgehogs!!), but you can work around 'em

Edited May 2, 2017 by Narrow Minded

[Dava]

Please don't be horrid to cats, just create an environment they don't want to poo in!

 

There used to be an ad in 'Private Eye' for 'lion poo', they certainly don't like traces of bigger cats....

 

Tidying up to remove the brambly undergrowth will help, they like shelter.

 

Cat deterrents like fence wires & pepper sprays are ok but may not help that much.

 

Build that railway....

 

Dava

[Rivercider]

I would agree with Narrow Minded as a good start, the local cats use the garden because you do not.

Once you get out there and start using the garden, for whatever purpose, the cats will use it less, even a mowed lawn is less of a toilet than an unmowed one.

 

cheers

[Narrow Minded]

One thing that worth mentioning is "Olbas Oil". Apparently most cats detest the smell of it (and remember, their sense of smell is much more sensitive than ours), and if you save up your used tea bags and allow them to dry out, you can put several drops of Olbas Oil on them and place them strategically around the garden and its border.

 

I'm with Dava on this one as far as "not being horrid", being a 'cat person' myself (we have three).

[brianusa]

In such a situation as this, rent goats.  They take care of messy gardens in an environmental friendly manner and don't leave much behind.  There are several rentagoat companies here and presumably they have reached Wales also.  If you ever want a back yard railway, it looks like you'll have to do some gardening anyway which might make your neighbours happy in the bargain.

 

Brian

[TheSignalEngineer]

I would agree with Narrow Minded as a good start, the local cats use the garden because you do not.

Once you get out there and start using the garden, for whatever purpose, the cats will use it less, even a mowed lawn is less of a toilet than an unmowed one.

 

cheers

I don't agree there. The ones round me seem to delight in digging up and fouling my vegetable garden. 

[Narrow Minded]

 

"a mowed lawn is less of a toilet than an unmowed one."

Cat poo and a Flymo gives a whole new perspective on "The #### hitting the fan"!

 

I'm afraid the loosened soil of your veggie plot will attract 'em S.E.

Edited May 2, 2017 by Narrow Minded

[leopardml2341]

A good harmless deterrent, and fun to boot, is a 'supersoaker' water pistol - fired near, but not at them, they soon learn without being harmed.

 

I'm not a cat lover; and I would not harm any animal.

[LBRJ]

Most cats bury their scat

 

are you sure its not foxy style vermin you have issues with?

[Narrow Minded]

That's because they have an aversion to anagrams - the soft, newly turned soil of the vegetable patch is an ideal litter tray, and an unkempt lawn allows 'em to rake just enough grass to pass as a 'job done'

[Jongudmund]

Thanks guys.

 

I'm sure it's not foxes. Our back garden backs straight onto another garden and we are mid-terrace. We'd be talking rampaging foxes going through everyone's gardens.

 

The cats in my garden don't bury their poo because they choose to do their business on a concreted area and on the patio area. I've had several cat lovers insist it can't be cats because cats are "clean animals" but I think that's cat owner wishful thinking.

 

I need to get out there and clear the cover and sort out a decent fence. Thanks for the tip about thin fences. There is a wall along the bottom of the garden and this looks like a cat highway most days.

[Pannier Tank]

So how do I solve the problem of cat-proofing my garden? 

 

Get a dog !

Edited May 3, 2017 by Pannier Tank

[ColinK]

You can get soft plastic spikes that fasten to the top of a wall or fence that should stop animals walking along them. I got some from Screwfix last year and just glued them on to our walls to stop cats from attacking the birds nesting by our garage. Once the birds had fledged, I removed the spikes.

 

Good luck with your garden railway, its great fun sitting outside watching the trains go round. In my previous house I had LGB in the garden, while one of my friends has 00 but with no points.

 

I don't know what scale/gauge you are thinking of, but battery power avoids the need for electrics and track cleaning.

[vjoneslong]

I think everyone here has given sound advice. I would just reiterate that clearing the garden would help, and a raised line would avoid the problems of being c*aped on.

 

Interesting that they just go on the concrete. Normally cats bury their doings (or at least ours do), but I guess anything is possible. We have one is currently spraying everything inside the house, even SWMBO's leg when she was on the loo the other day! 

 

Good luck! Once you move out the garden you won't regret it (except when it rains).

[dhjgreen]

Like you Jon, I'm no gardener, and if it wasn't for the railway it would be a "wildlife haven" apart from a small patio area where I could enjoy a beverage in the summer months

 

The RSPB is just one of your friends as far as deterirng cats from the garden is concerned - https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/community-and-advice/garden-advice/unwantedvisitors/cats/catdeterrents.aspx and there are plenty more on the interweb

The first step though would be to reclaim ownership of the garden, the local cat population obviously think it's theirs at the moment and treat it as such. Get rid of all the "cover" they enjoy and it'll be instantly less appealing.

You'll never completely stop 'em (and there are other nuisances out there - get rid of the cats and Blackbirds become a menace, and don't get me started on Hedgehogs!!), but you can work around 'em

Buried quite deeply in the RSPB article is a recommendation of this deterrent

 

http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/catwatch-cat-deterrent.html

 

It mostly works for us (not on deaf cats)

[Jongudmund]

Again, thanks everyone. The reason they go on the concrete is because most of the garden is concrete / slabs.

 

This is my house on Google maps. You can see how it is surrounded by other gardens.

 

 

There is a step up of about 2 foot from the concrete patch that runs down the side of the house (also a favourite place for cats to go toilet) to the slabbed area at the back of the house. I was thinking of putting a spur down the concrete against my neighbours wall at thigh/waist height as a fiddle yard / staging area and then have the line run at nearer to ground level around the garden in a loop. That would entail one point where it connects to the loop.

 

I'm going to do a trackplan once I've done some measurements and then I will start a new thread and ask for expert feedback. 

[Owd Bob]

i have similar ongoing probs' with the cats doing it on any hard standings just like you have Jon', but why they do that i would'nt know? So my salvation has been our three dogs, although i keep my railway separate from the rest of the yard behind a fence and an always closed gate, our Dogs seeing or just smelling the cats gets them barking through the bars of the gate and the moggies soon scatter off!

The Blackbirds, Thrushes and Pigeons tend to normally dig up all the moss and scatter stuff around searching for nest building materials, Rats are a problem here as swmbo keeps Chickens close by, they tend to dig small holes all along the line side and Run around the raised line like some kind of 'Rat Grand National, knocking buildings and fences over on a daily basis.....but i'll soon have a new gun to sort them out though.  'cos the poison do's nowt 

[Southernman46]

Not a cat - but soooo funny .....................

[grandadbob]

To frighten off unwanted garden visitors (cats & gulls mainly) my dear old Dad used to keep a cocoa tin containing an old teaspoon by the kitchen door. On seeing the offending creatures he would rattle the tin violently uttering the immortal words "Bu##er off you horrible ba##ards".  If that didn't work he threw the tin at them!

Edited May 4, 2017 by grandadbob

[sb67]

I've got a similar problem with my neighbours cats, I've just finished clearing an unused jungle of Bramble and I'm planting stuff and want to use it as garden again. I've sprayed Jeyes fluid around the base of a planter as it was constantly being dug up and crapped in and since I did that it's been fine. I'm afraid you'll never keep them out though but as people have said once you used the garden again it might become a less popular place for them.

Good luck.

Steve.

[SGP]

 

 

Thanks for the tip about thin fences

You can buy loop top decorative wire on a roll to add to the top of the fence. It looks okay and cats can't walk on it or get through it. Just tuck the long ends into the top arris rail .... the looser and wobblier, the better. The wire won't go rusty as it is coated in green plastic.

 

[Jongudmund]

Yes I've seen that and am considering it.

[bbishop]

Jon,

 

Catapult.

 

Bill