cat scarers

[paulz]

We've had a bird box up in our garden for the last four years. The blue t*ts checked it out last year but din't use it. This year they nested in it and raised a family. A neighbours kitten did a bit of acrobatics yesterday, hung onto the box, clawed the lid off and made off with the baby birds. I'll obviously re hang it somewhere safer, and secure the lid [It was recommended to be a loose fit drop in - with a block underneath the lid to locate it]. I love cats [though we haven't got one] and yet I could've happily slaughtered it! Anyone any experience of those electronic devices - I think they're ultrasound - that shoo them away. Are they worth buying? I thought if you had a dog then it's scent was enough to keep the neighbouring cats out?

[woofgang]

we have one of the cat specific electronic jobbies. It works very well except we did have an ongoing problem with one white cat because he was deaf !

[sddsddean]

Also they eat batteries! Ours only last about a week before you have to change the battery.

[xyzzy@bok]

cats eat batteries? We go a plywood cutout of a big cat in the garden; doesn't need batteries; also you can, nowadays, buy lion poop.. efficient i'm told. :-)

[Cetti]

That's true about the batteries, which is the reason why we went for one with the low mains voltage - high and low settings. Apparently it sounds like a very loud, rapid machine gun fire to cats and foxes, but is inaudible to birds and humans.

[paulz]

Not sure about the cat image, wouldn't that scare the birds away? Cetti thanks for that, do you leave it on the whole time? or does it work on a PIR/motion detector? I suppose it'd scare hedgehogs away too?

[Cetti]

Yes paul, it is on permanently - it's not a moveable beam, but one that protects an area of 3,000 square feet in an oval pattern of about 50 feet across by 80 feet deep, depending where you site the device. If you decide to buy one, even though they say that they're waterproof, it might be an idea just to put something over the top ( we've put half a plastic plant pot!) for a bit more protection.

Don't worry about hedgehogs - they're very happy, as it doesn't affect them. ;-)