Need to stop my cat climbing a tree

[annavc]

This may seem like an odd question but I need ideas on how to deter my cat from wanting to climb a tree in my garden. Let me explain! The tree is at the back of the garden, the trunk inside the fence, the branches stick over the top of the fence. Behind my garden is a railway line - it's raised up on a high embankment behind a high verticle steel wall. Between my fence and the wall is about 6 metres or so of undergrowth which my cat is keen to explore. The fence is a sturdy, 8ft high wire fence (put there by the railways) and, this is the problem, topped with 4 layers of barbed wire. Until last weekend my cat had shown no interest whatsoever in climbing the tree. Now he seems keen to do so but I'm obviously scared that if he tries to work his way through the branches he'll get entangled in the barb wire and hurt himself.

I can't do anything to the fence - firstly I rent my house and secondly the fence was put there by the railways and goes along the back of long row of house. So I need to stop the cat from the climbing the tree! I don't want to stop him from going in the garden and inevitably his favourite place to sit is under this tree!

He's tried it twice now and each time he has been loudly shouted at and immediately brought down and in to the house.

I guess what I'm looking for are any ideas of how I can make the tree uninviting to him!

Thank you.

[Kleiber]

What about rigging up some sort of barrier around the tree trunk, to stop puss climbing it? I don't know what, but maybe some chicken wire made into a sort of platform, sticking out about a foot, so's he can't get over it. I've had a similar problem with my two young cats legging it up a particular tree in my garden, trying to catch birds on the feeder, so if anyone comes up with any good ideas, I'd appreciate them, too. (at least with mine, it's not potentially fatal)

[iheartruby]

hi, this might sounds silly but cats don't like walking on tin foil - buy a big roll and try wrapping it around the trunk about 6 ft or so - enough to deter the cat from trying to climb it. it may need regular replacement with it being fragile.
however, even if you do get something to work - what's to stop puss climbing a neighbours tree?

[smudge]

I don't think there's much you can do to deter a cat from climbing trees & as iheartyruby says, your cat could always find another tree to climb.

We have a few trees in our back & front garden, but our old cat Smudge managed to climb a neighbour's tree & it took a couple of hours to coax her down again, but with very great difficulty!

Good luck.

[neilybod]

Wrap the trunk with polythene - the kind that garden fertiliser and compost comes in. You'd need to do it high enough that the cat can't take a jump over it. It's like the foil idea, but is based on the idea that he couldn't grip the thick polythene (keep his claws clipped short).

[annavc]

Thanks everyone. Climbing trees in other people's gardens is not actually a problem as the garden is well fenced and he can't get to anyone else's garden. He used to be an indoor cat but over the last 18 months has gradually built up his confidence and now loves being in the garden - this is the first time he has shown any inclination to venture further though and this particular tree is the only way he could get out. I wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for the barbed wire and the danger he gouges his stomach or something.

I will try to develop some kind of barrier. At the moment I'm hoping if he gets severely shouted at each time he tries he'll get the message! At the moment he is no longer allowed in the garden unsupervised!

[Robinia]

Do you know anyone who can cut you a barrier from a sheet of aluminium
like this?

It's actually a squirrel barrier.....website

I know some one who could make one (but I'm in Derby) & I'm considering something to stop a visiting cat climbing my tree.

[Robinia]

apologies btw anna if you're quite capable of cutting aluminium yourself! It's just that my tool kit consists of an old bread knife, a nail file & several screwdrivers that I've used to stir paint :o)

[heathfield]

Using a water pistol is rather a good way of training cats not to do something they shouldn't.

[frankiecat]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals-and-Nat ure/Question290634.html

You are just embarrassed that Sam has an Anorak Hobby.

Frankie

http://www.taywolf.co.uk/cat_blog.htm

[annavc]

Thanks everyone - I sat him down and had a chat to him last night - I'm sure he was listening!

frankiecat - you've caught me - I am just embarrassed by him. maybe you can talk to him and explain that trainspotting is not a cool thing for young hip cats to engage in!