Murdering feline

[shaneystar2]

We have new neighbours who have a cat .They've been there for about six months now and nearly every day I find a dead bird in the garden .I just heard an almighty squawk and there he is again with a bird in his jaws .
I've tried all sorts to deter this moggy .Mothballs,orange peel ,Get Off etc .I've even turned the hose on it ,but it has hide like an elephant .
The neighbours just shrug and say "well it has got a bell on it's collar ".Considering they have concreted over everything in sight I suspect the cat comes into my garden for it's R&R and a meal :)
I don't want to hurt it and I really don't want another dog at my time of life .I know they only do whats natural but if I
had a dog and let it rampage around killing everything in sight I would soon be run in .
Thing is, I used to love to feed and watch the birds but now I can't .
What else can I do ,apart from barbed wire and a control tower :0)
..and how can I broach the subject to my neighbours without causing ill feeling .

[bednobs]

oooh thats a tough one, i am in the same position as you, except the other way round. I love my cat, and can't bear birds. However, my neighbours really enjoy feeding the birds. We put a belled collar on our cat, but it didn't make much difference to be honest - the birds seem to be stupid and just jump into his mouth. My neighbours use a water pistol on our cats and it soon teaches them. My feeling is that although i can'tcontrol my cat, i am perfectly willing for other people to protect their gardens from him - he will soon learn and if he dosent, tough on him!

[Meg]

I love birds and not a great fan of cats, more a dog person. However my feeders do attract mice and the cats do help to control the vermin.

I've never seen a cat catch a bird but I have seen them catch mice (which I am not over pleased with) but the rodents cause me more problems than cats so I welcome them, to a certain extent.

[sara3]

realistically, you can't do anything. this is what cats do, and the owners can't do anything to stop it.

[tamborine]

If birds nest in easily accessible places, disturb their nests before they settle. The birds will soon nest in less accessible places and you will be spared from finding dead birds.

[ELVIS68]

Is there a Zoo near you?, ask them for some lion dung and spread some round your garden, the cat won`t go anywhere near if it thinks the big boys are about

[shaneystar2]

Hi folks and thanks for your comments.
Haha Elvis .. a twelve bore shotgun wouldn't deter this booger .I did try some of that lion stuff from the garden centre but it's as crafty as a cartload of monkeys. It just climbs onto the shed roof ,clambers along the ivy fence and sits on the composter waiting to pounce !

It has a face only a mother could love .
What I thought was a sweet little cat is an evil barsteward .It rampages throught the shubbery and breaks all the plants down, sprays over everything ,another dead blackie this morning and pots of geraniums tipped all over the place .I get this most mornings .

Anyway sara if that's what cats do ,how would you feel if it took carte blanche to wander into your kitchen and spray up your dishwasher ? And then be told "it doesn't do it in ours ".Yeah right .Next time I shall spray my foot somewhere ..Bah !
How would you like to have wring the necks of these birds to put them out of their misery after this cat has broken their wings and slashed at them and all they can do is limp round wild eyed with fright .And ..I get this on a regular basis .
How anyone can have an animal and chuck it out of a night to roam around is beyond me .But they are the first to crake when the poor things are run over .Oh my poor cat .Well ..tough ..Look after the bldy thing and take some responsibilty for it's welfare .
But never mind . Mr S. has said he will have a word .I am not to interfere because I tend to lose my rag :)
I miss old Shaney .Murdering Murgatroyd would only have about two and half lives left by now :)

.

[chazza]

Keep a hose in your back garden and spray it everytime you hear it coming. It may seem cruel but it won't do the cat any harm and will stop it coming back!