In article , Klara
wrote:

In message , Stan The Man
writes
We were given one for our coral anniversary a couple of years ago, and
in our ignorance have been really successful with it - so far. But I
have just gone out to have a closer look, and most of the bark has been
stripped from it at a level that makes me suspect our cat! Any ideas how
I can bandage it to help it to heal and at the same time keep the cat
from further damaging it?

Rabbits love sweet young bark and have been the certain cause of young
saplings of mine being stripped back to bare wood from approx 18in high
down to ground level. A low coil of chicken wire should provide
protection.

It was at around 18 inches, so I discounted rabbits ... also, we have
lots of foxes and haven't seen rabbits in a long time. But there are
deer and badgers.... In any case, the chicken wire idea should work on
whatever it is - thanks!

Should I paint the trunk with something in the hope that it will protect
the tree from infection, given that quite a bit of bark is missing?

If the full circumference is stripped I fear you will lose the tree as
the sap won't be able to travel up to the leaves. In any event it is
likely that there will be no new growth above the stripped bark albeit
you may get some new growth at ground level. Cork trees seem to cope
well when their bark is stripped/harvested but they are an exception.