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In our backyard, we don't have to worry about it because our backyard is fenced, and the dogs keep a tight perimeter. However, out front I've recently been spooking cats hiding in the bushes beneath our bird feeders.

I hate putting my dog on a long lead(she gets tangled), but I'm thinking that putting her on a lead out front occasionally could help train the cats to avoid the area. Otherwise, I'm considering trapping them and dropping them off at animal control. Id rather not do this because our city's animal control is overwhelmed with stray cats and dogs, and I don't want to add to their workload.

So if anyone has an effective way they like to deter or harass cats and it's ethical, please let me know!

Thanks.

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[-] KTVX94@wirebase.org 36 points 1 year ago

When you think about it, bird feeders are also cat feeders.

[-] r00ty@kbin.life 22 points 1 year ago

Get back to shower thoughts!

[-] mirror_slap@lemmy.film 21 points 1 year ago

motion sensor sprinkler will do it

[-] key@lemmy.keychat.org 4 points 1 year ago

Won't those scare the birds too?

[-] DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone 3 points 1 year ago

Birds love playing in the water!

[-] Krazix@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

This is the best option. Especially if you set the motion sensor lower to the ground so that the birds at the feeder aren't triggering it, just the cats when they come up.

[-] NABDad@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

We had one to keep animals away from our goldfish pond. It worked really well. We also found out that the mailman cut through our side yard after dropping off our mail.

[-] Spacebar@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

This is the only thing that would work in my opinion.

[-] atlasraven31@lemm.ee 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

A metronome will spook cats. The Japanese use a piece of bamboo that fills with water and then whacks against another surface to scare deers.

https://youtu.be/gp3xvYT0sJk

[-] ChickenButt@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Neat. I like this idea.

[-] all-knight-party@fedia.io 14 points 1 year ago

In my experience, I don't believe you'll be able to "train" the cats that way. They'll be more cautious to keep an eye out for your dog, but if your dog is not around they're not gonna want to miss a hunting opportunity. I could be wrong, but that's the way my cats behave at home. Being trained not to do something is really just a "be more careful of when I should do this" to them

[-] Obi@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

There's no controlling cats. Which is why letting yours free roam is bad. For the environment, their safety, all around really.

[-] LongbottomLeaf@lemmy.nz 10 points 1 year ago

Perhaps try raising your feeders above their jump height? Although that may be a tall order.

[-] key@lemmy.keychat.org 9 points 1 year ago

Birds are messy eaters, they knock the seeds to the ground and half the time there's more eating off the ground as off the feeder.

[-] LongbottomLeaf@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 year ago

True. Natural selection it is, then. Bird side first, then cat side when the raptors show up.

[-] Thavron@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago
[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Didn't fall short, that's for sure

[-] ChickenButt@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I see what you did there. LoL.

The lowest feeder is about 6', and the highest is about 8'. I might be mistaken, but I don't see these overfed felines jumping that high. I'm pretty sure they're lazy hunters and wait for the birds to come down to their level.

[-] LongbottomLeaf@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 year ago

Hmm, yeah that's pretty high. I agree, hunted from the ground when they're after the scattered feed.

Others have suggested planting things cats don't like, and that may work. Now I'm wondering if one can plant enough catnip they would be too high to care, or perhaps just too high to hunt well. Dunno.

Either way this situation highlights an important ecological lesson: add food to a system and different niches will show up to consume it. That being said, cats are obviously a very human addition to ecosystems.

Tangential note: this reminds me of the Love, Death, Robots episode with the Scottish farmer and the rats in his barn. Was on Netflix last I saw it. 5/5, fun and quick.

PPS: When the protected birds show up to do the same as the cats, I'd advise you to leave them be. Taking one of those down is a felony, I believe.

[-] ChickenButt@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Definitely planning on adding some plants to the garden that might help us out here.

[-] EchoVerse@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I know that there are some plants and herbs cats don’t like. You could try placing some.

[-] Devi@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

The obvious answer is to move all the bird feeders to the back. If you're attracting them to an area with predators then you're better just not feeding them.

You can also use window feeders or similar to move the feeders up high, but I'd say the first option makes the most sense.

[-] FaceDeer@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Indeed. Birds are capable of flight [citation needed] so for them taking a trip to the back yard to visit the feeder is super easy, barely an inconvenience.

[-] fiat_lux@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Adorable edge case: Kiwi / Apterygiformes

[-] fiat_lux@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Additional to moving and/or securing the food source, there are a bunch of very pleasant odours cats hate that are harmless and plant-based. Lavender, citrus, mints, etc. Too strong for cat noses.

PDF warning but a decent guide to deterring cats originally made by Sacremento Feral Resources
https://www.cityofsacramento.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/General-Services/Animal-Care/Feral-Cat-Deterrents.pdf

[-] olorin99@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[-] ChickenButt@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I'm going to try this.

[-] june@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

There are odor repellents that can work in addition to making the environment around the feeders uncomfortable for the cats. If you can somehow make the ground sticky or wet it might be enough to keep the cats away without harming them.

[-] titan@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

We've taken to putting a basil plant anywhere we don't want the cat to go

[-] cccc@aussie.zone 4 points 1 year ago

You got a hose?

[-] Bishma@social.fossware.space 4 points 1 year ago

Add a hawk or eagle feeder into the mix, then let it run empty /s

[-] NABDad@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

COSTWAY Scarecrow Motion Activated Animal Repellent https://a.co/d/aM1eWYD

[-] LemmynySnicket@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

That would scare the birds more than the cats tho

[-] AmidFuror@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Which will also give the cats no reason to hang around! The perfect solution.

[-] ChickenButt@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I'm thinking about building something similar with one of my raspberry pis sitting around.

[-] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 1 points 1 year ago

Believe you can get high pitch things but that will probably irritate your dog. Could run out screaming at the cat and they will scarper, they then just collectively learn not to come by lol

[-] O4PetesSake@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago
[-] ChickenButt@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I read that article before asking, but often times those "10 best" articles are just generic suggestions without any real world efficacy.

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this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
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