my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.



Strap some lengths of carpet gripper up the tree, points up. 4 or 5
lengths about 3 ft high should do the trick.

BTW, they don't come over my gate since I put a few lenghts along the rail
and put nails along the top sticking up a couple of inches.

Mike

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.



Strap some lengths of carpet gripper up the tree, points up. 4 or 5
lengths about 3 ft high should do the trick.

BTW, they don't come over my gate since I put a few lenghts along the rail
and put nails along the top sticking up a couple of inches.

Re the gate. you may find yourself with a public liability issue and
personal injury matter if someone hurts themselves coming to your house.
In fact I am not sure its legal to do what you say you have done.

"mich" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.



Strap some lengths of carpet gripper up the tree, points up. 4 or 5
lengths about 3 ft high should do the trick.

BTW, they don't come over my gate since I put a few lenghts along the
rail
and put nails along the top sticking up a couple of inches.

Re the gate. you may find yourself with a public liability issue and
personal injury matter if someone hurts themselves coming to your house.
In fact I am not sure its legal to do what you say you have done.



Sorry, must explain. This is the back gate, some 5ft high and people
shouldn't be climbing over it. They should come round to the front door.
(The back of our garden goes through to the road running behind us)

Mike

--
Royal Naval Reunion Sandown I.of Wight (Inc Ferry Fare) 30th Jan - 1st Feb
H.M.S.Andromeda Association Reunion Coventry Feb 27th - 29th
Federation of Naval Associations Reunion Hayling Island March 5th - 8th.
H.M.S.Loch Fada Association Reunion Scarborough April 2nd - 5th

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.

Shoot them. Dead cats don't scratch

- Arthur

"Arthur" wrote in message
...
"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.

Shoot them. Dead cats don't scratch

- Arthur


yes but I would get done for that & have lots of aggressive ladies coming
after me!

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.

Maim the cats surreptitiously by whatever means you can.
Catapults are illegal but very effective.
A bicycle pump filled with water makes a reasonably accurate long-range
water cannon.
Persuade your hunt club to go for cats instead of foxes.
Lobby your MP to ask for the keeping of cats as pets to be made illegal.

Franz Heymann

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.


I am told that cats wont go near citrus peel so instead of binning the
orange and lemon peel pile it wherever the pesky moggies appear

"bnd777" wrote in message
...

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.


I am told that cats wont go near citrus peel so instead of binning the
orange and lemon peel pile it wherever the pesky moggies appear

Well they don't like it, but that's not the same thing as not going near it.
For this to be effective you would have to carpet the entire garden with
fresh peel and renew it at least twice daily. Otherwise they just go a
couple of feet away. The same applies to bottles full of water(for scary
reflections), plants they're supposed to be afraid of etc.

Death and taxes are inevitable for everybody. For gardeners these are
followed by catcrap, weeds, and slugs/snails.

Resign yourself. Even if you did shoot the cat there will be plenty more
waiting to take its place.

On a practical note, can you sheath the trunk of the affected tree in
something like old carpet or rope to make a cat scratching post they won't
kill?

Steve

"bnd777" wrote in message
...

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.


I am told that cats wont go near citrus peel so instead of binning the
orange and lemon peel pile it wherever the pesky moggies appear

Well they don't like it, but that's not the same thing as not going near it.
For this to be effective you would have to carpet the entire garden with
fresh peel and renew it at least twice daily. Otherwise they just go a
couple of feet away. The same applies to bottles full of water(for scary
reflections), plants they're supposed to be afraid of etc.

Death and taxes are inevitable for everybody. For gardeners these are
followed by catcrap, weeds, and slugs/snails.

Resign yourself. Even if you did shoot the cat there will be plenty more
waiting to take its place.

On a practical note, can you sheath the trunk of the affected tree in
something like old carpet or rope to make a cat scratching post they won't
kill?

Steve

"bnd777" wrote in message
...

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.


I am told that cats wont go near citrus peel so instead of binning the
orange and lemon peel pile it wherever the pesky moggies appear

Well they don't like it, but that's not the same thing as not going near it.
For this to be effective you would have to carpet the entire garden with
fresh peel and renew it at least twice daily. Otherwise they just go a
couple of feet away. The same applies to bottles full of water(for scary
reflections), plants they're supposed to be afraid of etc.

Death and taxes are inevitable for everybody. For gardeners these are
followed by catcrap, weeds, and slugs/snails.

Resign yourself. Even if you did shoot the cat there will be plenty more
waiting to take its place.

On a practical note, can you sheath the trunk of the affected tree in
something like old carpet or rope to make a cat scratching post they won't
kill?

Steve

Mike declared:

"mich" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12
feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to
stop
them damaging it?
thanks.



Strap some lengths of carpet gripper up the tree, points up. 4 or 5
lengths about 3 ft high should do the trick.

BTW, they don't come over my gate since I put a few lenghts along the
rail
and put nails along the top sticking up a couple of inches.

Re the gate. you may find yourself with a public liability issue and
personal injury matter if someone hurts themselves coming to your house.
In fact I am not sure its legal to do what you say you have done.



Sorry, must explain. This is the back gate, some 5ft high and people
shouldn't be climbing over it. They should come round to the front door.
(The back of our garden goes through to the road running behind us)

Mike

It is not legal in the UK to use anything on a property boundary line to a
public highway or right of way that could injure a person - regardless of
any motivation for crossing it. Local bye-laws may also prohibit the use of
deterents on party boundaries as well...

......"if the wall/fence borders the public highway, then the local
authority has powers to protect the public by having the deterrent removed
if it thinks it could cause a danger to highway users. If the deterrents
causes a nuisance or by your negligence injures a passer by, then they may
be able to sue you."......
http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/walls.html

A neighbour of ours placed hundreds of 2inch long panel pins in a line
about half an inch apart along his back fence to deter the local natives
from using his garden as a short cut, when one tried to get over one night
and ripped his hands to shreds we all applauded, but his parents called the
police and after months of legalese and wrangling, the fence owner was
succesfully sued - the injured 'intruder' was awarded substantial
compensation, as well as being able to taunt our neighbour about the
victory....

Jon
--
Never argue with an idiot.....
They drag you down to their level, then beat
you with experience

"aj" wrote in message
...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.



I had the same problem. Just plant something uncomfortable around the base.
It doesn't take much to persuade them to find another tree elsewhere. Also,
the damage probably looks worse than it is. The scratches by their nature
tend to be vertical which doesn't do as much damage as a horizontal ones
would.

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

Martin Sykes30/12/03 9:37
om
snip
I had the same problem. Just plant something uncomfortable around the base.
It doesn't take much to persuade them to find another tree elsewhere. Also,
the damage probably looks worse than it is. The scratches by their nature
tend to be vertical which doesn't do as much damage as a horizontal ones
would.

Why not use rabbit guards, I wonder? Those plastic pipe thingies that sort
of snap around the trunk?
--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

Hello aj,
Cats dislike Rue (Ruta graveolens), and Coleus canina which is now sold as a
deterrent against cats and rabbits. The latter is not hardy, but may be
replaced by cuttings. Thompson & Morgan sell young plants in cells: 6 for
£7.99; 12 for £12.99; 24 for 17.99.
Prickly plants would also be a deterrent.
I happen to have a loveable rogue of a cat called Cougar, so do not go along
with the shooting/maiming lobby. However, a cat-friendly diversion may
help; for example an aesthetically pleasing (to humans!) post, sprayed or
underplanted with catnip would relieve pressure on your tree. (It would
also help to wash down the trunk of the tree so that it's odour was more
neutral to your visitors).
The siting of this post is crucial. Cats use prominent structures, like
your tree, as landmarks. They are signed (tiddled on) by cats and read by
them almost like we use calling cards and newspapers. Therefore, you will
need to use a little cat psychology when surveying the site for this
instalment.
Although cats do have some unpleasant habits, they do deter mice, squirrels
and birds from stealing our bulbs, tree fruits, etc.
Regards,
Spider

aj wrote in message ...
my neighbour has 7 cats (seven) & my birch tree which stands about 12 feet
tall is scarred from top to bottom with them using it as a scratching
post,will this cause permanent damage & is there anything i can do to stop
them damaging it?
thanks.