How do you make a fence cat-proof?
Cindy

With great difficulty. G 8 feet tall, dense foliage on it to
make it difficulty to climb, areas without foliage either have
electric fence wires on it or overhanging, inward facing netting at
top, trees near fence have a ring of flashing around the trunk to
prevent climbing.
Many of our ideas came from scaling down big cat enclosures at
zoos. Of course it took some trial and error at first but I
haven't had an escape in... well, why jinx myself? G

Mike Harris
Austin, TX

Well, I was wanting to keep them OUT, but my dogs do a pretty good job.

People who dump kittens or cats are going to hot hells. What sort of
disgusting person does something like this?

I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

My cat days are over. I've had them all my life. This cat in the
yard is not feral. Feral cats do not purr when you go near them, and
they certainly don't let you pet them.

This is probably the cat of some dimwit who moved in, immediately let
the cat out, and said cat got lost. My yard is perfect as it's a
wildlife habitat with brush piles and other animals like rats, snakes
and birds.

I will try to trap it in a have a heart trap and have him neutered,
then find him a home through pet adoption. This poor little kitty is
so sad to look at, even though he is very healthy. If someone dumped
him here, those people will be open to the wrath of their own
misdeeds.


On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:11:01 GMT, "Mike Harris"
wrote:

Jangchub,

Cats are territorial animals and as such don't get "lost" or "stray" as in
the manner of a dog. Most likely what you are seeing is a "feral" cat, a
domestic animal born wild - it's never had a "home" or an "owner" but is the
offspring of an abandoned housepet however many generations removed.

People should not dump unwanted cats or kittens, but once a feral population
is established the idea of anyone "allowing" them to roam is absurd. One
might just as well rail that 'possums or grackles not be "allowed to roam" -
there's laws against that, doggone it!!!! G

The animals you see in the "lost cat" posters haven't strayed from their
home territory - some fate has befallen them. Hit by a car, eaten by
predators, etc. In rare cases the animal has been taken in by someone or
brought to a shelter.

Because of their territorial nature you may not be successful in removing
your feral cat. The best way to control a feral population, say the
experts, is to capture, spay/neuter, notch an ear to indicate that
sterilization has been performed, and release the animal back to where it
was captured. Simply removing the cat will create a territorial "vacuum"
that will be filled by another feral cat.

If you really want to rid your yard of feral cats, get a cat of your own.
It will establish a territory around your house and keep ferals away. Of
course there will still be cat poop in your flower beds, but you can take
some consolation in the fact that at least it's *your* cat that's doing it!

For the record, I allow my cats outside but have a backyard that's fenced
"cat-proof" which they can't leave.

Mike Harris
Austin, TX

In article ,
Jangchub wrote:

People who dump kittens or cats are going to hot hells. What sort of
disgusting person does something like this?

I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

My cat days are over. I've had them all my life. This cat in the
yard is not feral. Feral cats do not purr when you go near them, and
they certainly don't let you pet them.

This is probably the cat of some dimwit who moved in, immediately let
the cat out, and said cat got lost. My yard is perfect as it's a
wildlife habitat with brush piles and other animals like rats, snakes
and birds.

I will try to trap it in a have a heart trap and have him neutered,
then find him a home through pet adoption. This poor little kitty is
so sad to look at, even though he is very healthy. If someone dumped
him here, those people will be open to the wrath of their own
misdeeds.


On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:11:01 GMT, "Mike Harris"
wrote:

Jangchub,

Cats are territorial animals and as such don't get "lost" or "stray" as in
the manner of a dog. Most likely what you are seeing is a "feral" cat, a
domestic animal born wild - it's never had a "home" or an "owner" but is the
offspring of an abandoned housepet however many generations removed.

People should not dump unwanted cats or kittens, but once a feral population
is established the idea of anyone "allowing" them to roam is absurd. One
might just as well rail that 'possums or grackles not be "allowed to roam" -
there's laws against that, doggone it!!!! G

The animals you see in the "lost cat" posters haven't strayed from their
home territory - some fate has befallen them. Hit by a car, eaten by
predators, etc. In rare cases the animal has been taken in by someone or
brought to a shelter.

Because of their territorial nature you may not be successful in removing
your feral cat. The best way to control a feral population, say the
experts, is to capture, spay/neuter, notch an ear to indicate that
sterilization has been performed, and release the animal back to where it
was captured. Simply removing the cat will create a territorial "vacuum"
that will be filled by another feral cat.

If you really want to rid your yard of feral cats, get a cat of your own.
It will establish a territory around your house and keep ferals away. Of
course there will still be cat poop in your flower beds, but you can take
some consolation in the fact that at least it's *your* cat that's doing it!

For the record, I allow my cats outside but have a backyard that's fenced
"cat-proof" which they can't leave.

Mike Harris
Austin, TX


--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article ,
Jangchub wrote:


I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

I beg to differ...

I had a Nanday Conure for 19 1/2 years that ran loose on the sun porch
with the cats. She ate with them and slept with them.
I have 35mm photos but I don't have one scanned, or do I? Hmmmmmm..

quick file search

Ah! Good! :-)
Here are 4 pics of her and only one is blurred:

http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0oll.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0px3.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0pyu.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0q46.jpg

The cats loved to be groomed by her and she usually slept snuggled into
Regis's fur. I don't have a photo of that unfortunately. It was so cute
the way the bird would be snuggled into his chest with a paw draped over
her.

She ate cat food along with her regular diet of seed, nuts, fresh fruits
and greens and would bathe in the cats water, but I'd change it after
she did of course. G

Like I said, 19 1/2 years this bird buddied up with the cats and
preferred cats to humans, but tolerated being petted and would hand
feed. She eventually developed cataracts about 1 year or so before she
passed so I had to cage her for her own safety...
Blind birds need regulated space. Food, water and treats have to be
located in the same spot.

I now have a Goffin's cockatoo that sort of got along with the cats. If
they pestered her, she'd chase and attack them. The cats respected her.
I finally had to build her a large aviary space on the sun porch, but
not because of the cats. It's because she got to be too destructive.
When she started on the vinyl siding, enough was enough. I had to
re-finance my morgage for that siding and repair work! Her aviary is
4.5' x 8.5' x 6 ft. tall with a walk in door so I can sit with her for
play time. She is very loving and the huge aviary space allows for a
good variety of toys.

http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0taq.jpg

The concept that cats and parrots don't mix is just nonsense......

I briefly had a mitered conure that also got along with the cats, it was
a stray. Hated humans but loved the cats. He ate an epiphyllum one day
and died. :-( I now keep all houseplants out in the greenhouse.

Cheers!
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
People who dump kittens or cats are going to hot hells. What sort of
disgusting person does something like this?

Ignorant and cruel, natch.

I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

Yes and no - although I've heard stories of the animals living in harmony,
the hunting instinct is "hard wired" in cats. Unless the bird is large and
powerful enough to be a match for the cat, the truce will be uneasy at best.

My cat days are over. I've had them all my life. This cat in the
yard is not feral. Feral cats do not purr when you go near them, and
they certainly don't let you pet them.

You may want to ask around among your neighbors to see whether he belongs to
them. Again, cats don't get "lost" in the conventional sense. Either your
yard includes his territitory (which for an unaltered male can be as large
as several acres if food is scarce), or he prefers your territory to that of
his ostensible owner.
--
Mike Harris
Austin, TX

Great photos, thanks!

Cindy

In article ,
"Cindy" wrote:

Great photos, thanks!

Cindy



Cheers! :-)

JJ was quite a bird.....
Noisy, but sweet and entertaining.

We miss her.
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Jangchub wrote:
I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

When I was young we had 3 pets: a dog, a cat, and a parrot. The parrot
was boss, the cat was 2nd in command and the dog was their b*tch.
How much a boss was he? Well, my mom would put out bones for the dog.
The cat would see that and come chase the dog away to lick the bones.
The parrot would see that and climb down from his cage and chase the cat
away to peck at the bones.
Crazy bird.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
Here are 4 pics of her and only one is blurred:

That does it! I'm sending these to my SO... I want a parrot!!!

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

In article ,
Victor Martinez wrote:

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
Here are 4 pics of her and only one is blurred:

That does it! I'm sending these to my SO... I want a parrot!!!

:-)

What kind?
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Just curious, wasn't that a short life for the bird? Or did you get it as
an adult?
I was under the impression that parrots lived to be 50+ years old.
LOVE the pictures!!
With hope and heart,
Kathleen
--
Great minds discuss ideas
Average minds discuss events
Small minds discuss people
~ Eleanor Roosevelt



I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

I beg to differ...

I had a Nanday Conure for 19 1/2 years that ran loose on the sun porch
with the cats. She ate with them and slept with them.
I have 35mm photos but I don't have one scanned, or do I? Hmmmmmm..

quick file search

Ah! Good! :-)
Here are 4 pics of her and only one is blurred:

http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0oll.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0px3.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0pyu.jpg
http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0q46.jpg

The cats loved to be groomed by her and she usually slept snuggled into
Regis's fur. I don't have a photo of that unfortunately. It was so cute
the way the bird would be snuggled into his chest with a paw draped over
her.

She ate cat food along with her regular diet of seed, nuts, fresh fruits
and greens and would bathe in the cats water, but I'd change it after
she did of course. G

Like I said, 19 1/2 years this bird buddied up with the cats and
preferred cats to humans, but tolerated being petted and would hand
feed. She eventually developed cataracts about 1 year or so before she
passed so I had to cage her for her own safety...
Blind birds need regulated space. Food, water and treats have to be
located in the same spot.

I now have a Goffin's cockatoo that sort of got along with the cats. If
they pestered her, she'd chase and attack them. The cats respected her.
I finally had to build her a large aviary space on the sun porch, but
not because of the cats. It's because she got to be too destructive.
When she started on the vinyl siding, enough was enough. I had to
re-finance my morgage for that siding and repair work! Her aviary is
4.5' x 8.5' x 6 ft. tall with a walk in door so I can sit with her for
play time. She is very loving and the huge aviary space allows for a
good variety of toys.

http://i2.tinypic.com/ot0taq.jpg

The concept that cats and parrots don't mix is just nonsense......

I briefly had a mitered conure that also got along with the cats, it was
a stray. Hated humans but loved the cats. He ate an epiphyllum one day
and died. :-( I now keep all houseplants out in the greenhouse.

Cheers!
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack
Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
What kind?

I would love a grey parrot, actually. Raised in captivity, of course, I
would never buy a wild-captured bird. They had one (or two?) at Bark and
Purr a while back, it was close to 1k, if I remember correctly.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

In article ,
"Kathleen" wrote:

Just curious, wasn't that a short life for the bird? Or did you get it as
an adult?
I was under the impression that parrots lived to be 50+ years old.
LOVE the pictures!!
With hope and heart,
Kathleen

Conures do not live as long as parrots... Projected lifespan for
Nanday's in a perfect world is 25 years. :-)

JJ was an adult when we purchased her from Wal-mart (who have now quit
carrying live birds thank the gods!) so we have no idea how old she was
when we got her. I understand she was wild caught, not domestic bred.

Close to 20 years was not too bad I think.
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article ,
Victor Martinez wrote:

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
What kind?

I would love a grey parrot, actually. Raised in captivity, of course, I
would never buy a wild-captured bird. They had one (or two?) at Bark and
Purr a while back, it was close to 1k, if I remember correctly.

JJ was supposedly wild caught, but we purchased her with the
understanding that the pet manager would stop carrying live birds. This
bird was stuffed into a little bitty 12" x 12" x 12" cage at the store.
:-( We bought her out of pity, and they did indeed stop carrying live
birds after that......

African or Timny grays are really cool birds!
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On Wed, 01 Mar 2006 16:57:52 GMT, "Mike Harris"
wrote:


I cannot have a cat in or outside because I have a parrot. Of course
there are always people who say a parrot can easily be fast friends
with a cat, that too is mythos and illogical.

Yes and no - although I've heard stories of the animals living in harmony,
the hunting instinct is "hard wired" in cats. Unless the bird is large and
powerful enough to be a match for the cat, the truce will be uneasy at best.

Well, there are people who do have cats and birds, but not this
person. A bird is a very special type of pet. They have many
requirements for their emotional health and physical safety. I would
never subject a parrot (far as I know a conure is a parrot) to the
potential of being eaten by a cat. And I adore cats.

You may want to ask around among your neighbors to see whether he belongs to
them. Again, cats don't get "lost" in the conventional sense. Either your
yard includes his territitory (which for an unaltered male can be as large
as several acres if food is scarce), or he prefers your territory to that of
his ostensible owner.

Every wild animal who sees our backyard immediately moves in! We have
a Great Horned Owl AND a Red Shouldered Hawk in another tree. There
are many broods of hummingbirds born here, a cuckoo who returns every
year and raises two broods, mockingbirds by the dozen, oppossum, fox
and her two pups, hundreds of geckgo's and anoles, and fence
lizards...now we also have a turtle and tons of toads. The only thing
wrong with this picture is the cat. I would never do anything to hurt
it. I'll see if my neighbors know anything.