I'm a great pet lover but I sure get sick to death listening to the goodie goodie 2shoes about abuse of their animals. It appears to me that they are the ones abusing their critters by lack of control. I don't mind telling you this attitude of some people really brings out the "nasty" in me. We had two sister cats for 18 & 19 years, they were inside cats, clean & healthy. They died of old age! My neighbor collects strays, she's a young working mom with a couple of kids, plus umteen scroungy cats. Her house smells from the outside, can't imagine what the inside must be like, but I get a bit bent out of shape when I'm pulling weeds and end up with a nasty handful of cat crap! Have a cat trap, but now our animal control charges for pick up, next move will be something a bit more aggresive.Don't mean to pirate your thread Brenda, but sometimes people give that extra little push of aggrievation to set off explosive in me.
Well, that feels better, now hop over to the gallery & see the black hollyhock! Pat

Oh, I hear ya, Pat! And it's ok, because that's why I started this thread. Let 'er rip! :D

Just wanted to report, also, that Pookie seems to be doing MUCH better after having slept all day. I hope she continues to improve! She's still limping, but it doesn't seem as bad.

Brenda

They do have a cat fence you can install along yours at the top. I get some extra money I think I'm going to look at that. I did my time in the mtns taking care of the strays and finding homes. These aren't strays here in town, these are peoples cats.

Yeah, I'm tired of the cat fights. This one baby cat that's almost full grown now I guess I've adopted, but I don't want the others I've seen from time to time either. I agree. I get tired of being woke up in the night to cat screams and having vet bills too.

I know my 4 cats stay in my back yard, they're too afraid to go anywhere else. Anytime I go outside day or night they're out there either in the open or hiding behind a bush or on the patio. They don't like people, scared to death of machines ie: mowers, cars etc. My yard is their private little woods now.

Too bad Jackson, the big 110 pound lab, he lost weight, likes cats, he'd be my biggest deterent. In any case he has a fractured knee and not up to chasing cats.

Your pets are your babies, I'd be lying in wait with a bb gun:) Ok at least have the hose ready with the water nozzle on jet and a couple of times of that he ought to get the message. BTW the water scarecrow does really work too if you want to invest that money in it, just make sure you turn it off when you want to walk by, LOL* I tried it out first to keep my cats out of the mini garden. I nailed myself a couple of times....

Have the hose on and ready for action! next time Bully comes into your yard give him a good hard spray of water. A couple of times of this and the cat won't come back.

LOL Oh, I totally thought about getting one of those scarecrows, Leslie! But...I have SO many birds visiting my stream and pond (which is exactly where that stray comes in), I'd be afraid of scaring them off, too. And you can bet I'd end up spraying myself! LOL

With my air pistol, in the past, when the cat would be terrorizing Pookie, I'd have to fire far above the action, because I was afraid I'd hit my own kitty! Definitely not my goal. :D I also use it to scare off the neighborhood chickens, and keep them from scratching up my new plants. Otherwise, I let them drink from the pond, since no one else keeps water for them.

DH was able to feel Pookie's leg today, and it appears she has puncture wounds on her front, left "forearm", as if from teeth or claws. I really hope it doesn't get infected. *shudder* She never gets sick, so I'm also really hoping her immune system is strong enough to fight off any cooties. She's such a sweet cat! I hate seeing her so bummed out over that bleeping beast! :(

Brenda

Oops, I was posting at the same time, Westelle! Well, this bully is so skittish, I've only caught him already in my yard, never on his way in, i.e., I walk out the door, and there he is, or I hear the cat fight sounds from inside, and by the time I get out there, all I see is his hind end scrambling the heck outta Dodge. LOL

I saw him yesterday in the next-door neighbor's yard, when Mom and I were returning from plant shopping. He's not as big as I thought, and he didn't move very fast. Ok, yes, I started feeling sorry for him! Sheesh, I'm such a softie! I half-heartedly ran him off, but he was barely strolling. He doesn't look good.

I wish the owners (who have since MOVED!) would just pick him up and take him to the shelter! Some people really make me sick, how they treat their supposed pets. I guess I might eventually have to get a cat trap somewhere and take him in myself. Ugh!

On a GREAT note....Pookie was meowing at me ("Good morning, Ma!") when I got up today! And she went to the door (her old routine). :D I went out with her this morning and stood watch, but she seemed much less nervous. Maybe because the darkness makes her feel safe, I don't know. And she's not limping NEARLY as bad! Life is good!

Brenda

This may irritate some of you but I have no tolerance for other people's cats in my garden and I set out a HavaHeart live animal trap for the rascals when they become pests. I would prefer to trap the owners but it seems that is agin the law....

We like cats and have always kept a cat but they are kept indoors. To me it's fine if other people let their cats outside but they better stay where they belong.....in their own yard and not mine.

I never had a cat problem when we had a dog in the back yard. We no longer have a dog and our heavy vegetation and small animal life attracts cats. The cats kill lizards, frogs that have left our pond, birds etc.; poop in my sandy soil, and they like to spray our front screen door where our cat likes to sit.

I've tried squirting them with a hose, throwing objects at them, yelling at them and giving them the evil eye but all that has not worked and thus my final resort has been to trap them. I have trapped perhaps 6-8 cats over the last few years and have released them to our animal control people. None of my immediate neighbors keep cats and they know that I trap strays.

Doesn't irritate me, I'm glad you trap them and not shoot them or maim them. You have the right to your yard and the nature you have and try to encourage to come into it and want to enjoy. I get just as irritated at the strays who come into mine and fight my cats and the vet bills I'm always having to pay. My cats lived in the mtns too long and were always outdoor cats, I can't make them become indoor cats at this point now. Can't teach old cats or feral cats new tricks. They do stay in my backyard however because they are afraid of people and cars and I wish the neighbors cats would stay out of mine too.