"VX" wrote in message
s.com...
On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 23:24:03 +0000, Peter Stockdale wrote
(in message ):


No hedge of whatever species will ever be catproof.
You need your fence on your land, electrified if necessary to sort out the
pussy cats and additional barbed wire to deter humans.
You can then plant the wildlife friendly hedge on your side of it to attract
flutterbies, birds etc.
Pete

I've seen one strange thing recommended for deterring cats- I have no idea
how well it works, but it is dried "lion dung" or pellets treated with same.
Supposedly they smell a big cat and stay away!
VX (remove alcohol for email)

I have inside information that says its a con by the Zoo's to generate extra
cash flow !
Jenny

Just tell your neighbors that its okay for them to let their dogs shit and
**** all over your yard.

That will definitely keep the burglars and cats away!!!


"PhilBoy" wrote in message
ups.com...
The fence at the top of my back garden, owned by my neighbour, is
broken and falling down, basically it's a wreck. Cats get through and
attack the birds in my garden. It is also in my opinion a security
risk from burglars. My neighbour wont fix it

I would like to plant an extremely nasty, anti cat, and anti burglar,
hedge. I would like something that grows relatively quickly and that I
would be able to prune with powerful electric hedge trimmers. 5 ft.
tall would be my target height. I plan long-term to remove my
leylandii when the hedge is formed.

Any ideas? Pyracanthea, Rosa rugosa, or berberis. A bonus would be to
have butterflies and birds attracted to my hedge.
Phil of Whittlesey Peterborough England

Mike Lyle wrote in message
...
Peter Stockdale wrote:
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
No, a very thick section of cat proofing, a very thin section on
100%
successful cat proofing.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London


Yup - leccy fences are very thin !!

It's important when setting up an electric fence to remember where
it is if you believe in the gardener's privilege of nocturnal
watering the natural way.

Mike.


But then, you're not going to put an electric fence around the compost heap,
are you!! :~0

PhilBoy wrote in message
ups.com...
The fence at the top of my back garden, owned by my neighbour, is
broken and falling down, basically it's a wreck. Cats get through and
attack the birds in my garden. It is also in my opinion a security
risk from burglars. My neighbour wont fix it

I would like to plant an extremely nasty, anti cat, and anti burglar,
hedge. I would like something that grows relatively quickly and that I
would be able to prune with powerful electric hedge trimmers. 5 ft.
tall would be my target height. I plan long-term to remove my
leylandii when the hedge is formed.

Any ideas? Pyracanthea, Rosa rugosa, or berberis. A bonus would be to
have butterflies and birds attracted to my hedge.
Phil of Whittlesey Peterborough England


Hi Phil,

Judging by the number of times my cats come home with thorns in their sides,
it is apparent that they have absolutely no respect for thorns!

Plant an evergreen Berberis hedge (B. darwinii is good, and very available)
to ward off burglars and opportunist two-legged rats. Also enjoy the hedge
for what it is, not just as a utility screen.

Although I do love my cats, and admire many others, I really do understand
that some visiting cats can be a thorn in the side. I'm very lucky because
my cats see off the most offensive callers. There's not a lot you can do.
However, having owned cats for 25 years, I can assure you that most cats
cease active hunting as they mature ... like most opportunists, they're
basically lazy.

When frustration moves you to anger, don't throw stones .. throw water. It
works, and even the RSPCA approve it.

Best of luck,
Spider

Spider wrote:
[...]
When frustration moves you to anger, don't throw stones .. throw
water. It works, and even the RSPCA approve it.

Those of us with an ineradicable childish streak welcome the arrival
of those extraordinary new water "pistols". Garden centres should
stock Super Soakers. And a nurse friend reports that as students they
used to derive much innocent amusement from squirting passing
policemen with water-filled hypodermics from the windows of the
nurses' home.

Mike.

In article ,
"Mike Lyle" writes:
| Spider wrote:
| [...]
| When frustration moves you to anger, don't throw stones .. throw
| water. It works, and even the RSPCA approve it.
|
| Those of us with an ineradicable childish streak welcome the arrival
| of those extraordinary new water "pistols". Garden centres should
| stock Super Soakers. And a nurse friend reports that as students they
| used to derive much innocent amusement from squirting passing
| policemen with water-filled hypodermics from the windows of the
| nurses' home.

And, as I pointed out over a decade ago now, a bicycle pump with
the connector removed throws a goodly volume of water a long way.
I have only once caught a cat squarely with that, but its
expression conveyed its clear opinion of me, my personal habits,
ancestry and ultimate destination.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Spider wrote in message
...

PhilBoy wrote in message
ups.com...
The fence at the top of my back garden, owned by my neighbour, is
broken and falling down, basically it's a wreck. Cats get through and
attack the birds in my garden. It is also in my opinion a security
risk from burglars. My neighbour wont fix it

I would like to plant an extremely nasty, anti cat, and anti burglar,
hedge. I would like something that grows relatively quickly and that I
would be able to prune with powerful electric hedge trimmers. 5 ft.
tall would be my target height. I plan long-term to remove my
leylandii when the hedge is formed.

Any ideas? Pyracanthea, Rosa rugosa, or berberis. A bonus would be to
have butterflies and birds attracted to my hedge.
Phil of Whittlesey Peterborough England


Hi Phil,

Judging by the number of times my cats come home with thorns in their
sides,
it is apparent that they have absolutely no respect for thorns!

Plant an evergreen Berberis hedge (B. darwinii is good, and very
available)
to ward off burglars and opportunist two-legged rats. Also enjoy the
hedge
for what it is, not just as a utility screen.

Although I do love my cats, and admire many others, I really do understand
that some visiting cats can be a thorn in the side. I'm very lucky
because
my cats see off the most offensive callers. There's not a lot you can do.
However, having owned cats for 25 years, I can assure you that most cats
cease active hunting as they mature ... like most opportunists, they're
basically lazy.

When frustration moves you to anger, don't throw stones .. throw water.
It
works, and even the RSPCA approve it.

Best of luck,
Spider


P.S. ~
Having thought about it over night, there is one impassable place in my ga
rden where cats can't pass in or out .. and that's through a barrier of
chicken-wire behind a hedge (of Pyracantha). It was placed as temporary
security until the hedge filled out, but still serves a purpose keeping my
cats in and others out. You may like to try this, but make sure they can't
push underneath or past a joint with a neighbouring wall/fence, etc.
Remember, too, that cats can jump, so make your mesh barrier at least 4'
high - that's 1.20m in new 'money'.

Spider

In article ,
"Spider" writes:
|
| Having thought about it over night, there is one impassable place in my ga
| rden where cats can't pass in or out .. and that's through a barrier of
| chicken-wire behind a hedge (of Pyracantha). It was placed as temporary
| security until the hedge filled out, but still serves a purpose keeping my
| cats in and others out. You may like to try this, but make sure they can't
| push underneath or past a joint with a neighbouring wall/fence, etc.
| Remember, too, that cats can jump, so make your mesh barrier at least 4'
| high - that's 1.20m in new 'money'.

An athletic cat can clear jump about 4' but can jump and scramble
at least 6'. You also need something that they can't climb up
somewhere else and jump down or across onto.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

PhilBoy wrote:

The fence at the top of my back garden, owned by my neighbour, is
broken and falling down, basically it's a wreck. Cats get through and
attack the birds in my garden. It is also in my opinion a security
risk from burglars. My neighbour wont fix it

I would like to plant an extremely nasty, anti cat, and anti burglar,
hedge. I would like something that grows relatively quickly and that I
would be able to prune with powerful electric hedge trimmers. 5 ft.
tall would be my target height. I plan long-term to remove my
leylandii when the hedge is formed.

Any ideas? Pyracanthea, Rosa rugosa, or berberis. A bonus would be to
have butterflies and birds attracted to my hedge.
Phil of Whittlesey Peterborough England

Rambling Rector - there's a flush of white flowers in late spring which
are quite attractive. More importantly, it grows enthusiastically - in 3
years, two have covered 60 feet of our garden fence. And the thorns are
viciously curved - any attempt at pruning results in lots of blood.

A cat did try scrambling up it when I was close behind - lots of
screaming, from the cat!

It can look a bit tatty and seems susceptible to mildew but the thorns
are impressive. We planted it to deter anybody trying to get into the
garden over some flat garage roofs at the end - which it has done.
--
Larry Stoter

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 19:54:39 +0000, JennyC wrote
(in message ):

I've seen one strange thing recommended for deterring cats- I have no idea
how well it works, but it is dried "lion dung" or pellets treated with
same.
Supposedly they smell a big cat and stay away!
VX (remove alcohol for email)

I have inside information that says its a con by the Zoo's to generate extra
cash flow !
Jenny

Are you saying that this is a load of crap?

Er, let me rephrase that. Are you saying it doesn't really work? I have
already passed the lion dung idea on to others and I need to know if I'm
making a pointless suggestion!

--
VX (remove alcohol for email)

In article m,
VX wrote:

Are you saying that this is a load of crap?

Indeed. Like specially packaged farmyard manure - just a lot of
bullshit ....

Er, let me rephrase that. Are you saying it doesn't really work? I have
already passed the lion dung idea on to others and I need to know if I'm
making a pointless suggestion!

Apparently it does work, at least fairly often. But cats aren't as
stupid as Sun 'readers' and are capable of learning - so fairly soon
they realise that the horrible smell doesn't indicate a large cat
after all and may be ignored.

Keeping a lion might well have the desired effect, but recent nanny
legislation means that you can't just buy them in your local pet shop
and install them in your back garden. I can't think why not.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Better yet, put up a life sized poster of Janet Broccoli.

A poster of that wicked witch will scare away almost everything including
cats, children and munchkins ............but not flying monkeys!!!



"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message m
from VX contains these words:

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 19:54:39 +0000, JennyC wrote
(in message ):

I've seen one strange thing recommended for deterring cats- I have
no idea
how well it works, but it is dried "lion dung" or pellets treated with
same.
Supposedly they smell a big cat and stay away!
VX (remove alcohol for email)

I have inside information that says its a con by the Zoo's to
generate extra
cash flow !
Jenny

Are you saying that this is a load of crap?

Er, let me rephrase that. Are you saying it doesn't really work? I have
already passed the lion dung idea on to others and I need to know if I'm
making a pointless suggestion!

Of course it's crap. Otherwise, you too would have inherited a
subconscious ancestral terror of being hunted by the sabre-toothed tiger
. The mere sight of a nylon-tiger-fur cushion/blouse, (or a large tabby
cat), would impel you to hide the children up the nearest tree and
snatch a burning brand from the fake-log gas fire.

Janet.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article m,
VX wrote:
Er, let me rephrase that. Are you saying it doesn't really work? I have
already passed the lion dung idea on to others and I need to know if I'm
making a pointless suggestion!

Apparently it does work, at least fairly often. But cats aren't as
stupid as Sun 'readers' and are capable of learning - so fairly soon
they realise that the horrible smell doesn't indicate a large cat
after all and may be ignored.

Keeping a lion might well have the desired effect, but recent nanny
legislation means that you can't just buy them in your local pet shop
and install them in your back garden. I can't think why not.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

LOL thanks Nick for the first smile of the day :~))
Jenny

In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Apparently it does work, at least fairly often.

How do you know?

Well, I am trusting that at least some of the people who have claimed
that it did are telling the truth. Naive, I know, but ....

Keeping a lion might well have the desired effect, but recent nanny
legislation means that you can't just buy them in your local pet shop
and install them in your back garden. I can't think why not.

If it did work, one would expect that where the dumped panthers/
cougars have established themselves (Bodmin moor, parts of the
Highlands), it would be very hard to persuade a domestic pet cat to
leave the house, let alone crap in the garden.. AFAIK, this is not the
case.

Indeed, I believe that it is not the case that such animals have
established themselves anywhere in the UK.

Now, if you have definite evidence to the contrary ....


Regards,

Janet Baraclough wrote:
[...]
Of course it's crap. Otherwise, you too would have inherited a
subconscious ancestral terror of being hunted by the sabre-toothed
tiger . The mere sight of a nylon-tiger-fur cushion/blouse, (or a
large tabby cat), would impel you to hide the children up the
nearest tree and snatch a burning brand from the fake-log gas fire.

You should have seen me jump last time I saw a snake in the garden.
That was pure ancestral horror. And, come to think of it, I froze for
a moment the only time I saw a wild leopard.

Mike.