Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

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jan1957
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Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

As many of you may remember our garden is like Colditz and is cat-proofed....or so we thought.

Last year (May 2013) Georgie had a nervous episode where he sprayed In the house and was a wreck for a long time. We never did find out what happened and that started his over grooming, which only recently started to get better.

A few weeks ago a little cat appeared on my neighbour's extension, I thought it was very cute, and thought no more of it.

Two hours ago, Georgie shot upstairs ...... And a little kittie (neither Eric nor George) tried to come on through our cat flap. Seeing me in the kitchen it ran back into the garden. OH and I went outside and the little cat shot up through the trellis and through the teensiest gap in the netting. So OH has spent the past two hours with wire trying to fix any gaps. Not easy in the dark.....me holding the torch...OH getting pricked by the Rose bushes.

Job done, Eric & George ventured back into the garden and OH said he'd get more netting on his day off on Thursday and work to repair the cat proofing. As he went inside, E&G arched their backs and lo and behold TWO LITTLE TORTOISE-SHELL FURRIES swished their tails on the shed. They both tried to get back into the garden but as I went nearer to them one hissed and pawed at the netting.

E&G have never left our garden, nor had any interaction with other cats. The two strangers are either new to the area, or newish kittens but no collars were seen.

I'm inclined to lock my boys in til Thursday but OH says it's not fair to punish our two who are scratching at the locked cat flap to get out.

As I'm typing this BOTH little furries have just come into the garden.....our two were inside.

OH went back outside and they scrambled up the fence through an invisible-to-the-human eye hole.

What do I do??? E&G will hate being shut in but I'm at work tomorrow and worried E&G will have a fight with the newbies or chase them away but manage to get through the gaps as well although they have never ever tried before.

Any suggestions gratefully received. Many thanks
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by HRHFluffy »

Oh Jan. That's such a shame. Just as Georgie is improving too.

I would feel just as panicky and anxious as you do right now.

You have to think which is the better of the two scenarios for tomorrow. You have to go to work so therefore would you feel better knowing that Eric and George had access to the garden while you are out along with all the things that could potentially happen. Or would you feel more at ease knowing that they are safely indoors although they may be a bit frustrated that they can't go out. If E&G have never left your garden then in my opinion you just can't risk them getting out. On top of that you have the problem of these new cats on the block and the possible fighting that may go on.

Is there no chance of either you or OH nipping home at some point tomorrow to let E&G out under supervision while you are there?

I really feel for you and I just wish I was more experienced so I could offer more suggestions xxx
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jan1957
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

Thanks Carol, I've decided to keep them in tonight ..... and will pop home at lunchtime tomorrow. Wish I was more experienced too, as E&G are our first furbabies and this is a first for us with interlopers.

Eric says "Fwuffy, I is vewwy bwave and if you woz here I would pwotect you from stwange furries. Georgie is fwightened and sniffing at da cat fwap. Fluffy, you is gawgess and I wuv your cwoss esspwessions. Furry nose wubs xxx"
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

Hi Jan

I agree with Carol, a few days of frustration for the boys is better than the alternative scenarios. Cheeky little kittens! Xx
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by HRHFluffy »

Your Eric has just made me laugh again :D

The little lady in question would answer but she is snoring (don't tell Eric) in one of her many beds. I can confidently say on her behalf that she would be verrrrry impressed with Eric's bravery. Harvey used to protect her when she was in the garden and now she only has me to follow her around and supervise her.

I am same as you experience wise. Harvey and Fluffy are my first furbabies too. Except when I was a child but having a cat back then seemed a lot less stressful than it is now!!

I think you've made the right decision. If they are kept in then you know they are safe. If they are outside you know they aren't. Well done for coming home at lunch too. They'll be so glad to see you. I remember how they loved it so much when you were off work for all those months.

The problem will soon get sorted. Just hang on in there for now. Maybe give both E&G some rescue remedy tonight and tomorrow morning. With a little extra for poor Georgie xxx
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

Rescue remedy has been administered......more for me than E&G.

Thanks for your support Carol and Sarah......I know I'm probably too over protective but I'm definitely too old to change my ways now.

Luv to your adorable HRH (Eric is totally not-bovvered by tonight's goings-on) and he is pawing the iPad saying nightie night, but Georgie is nervously scratching at the patio door.

Sarah, big WUV to P, LL & EDG
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by HRHFluffy »

You're not over protective at all Jan. I would be exactly the same. I'm glad that Eric is laid back about it all. If only Georgie would learn from him. Maybe he will one day. That's it, dose yourself up too with the RR. The night time one is particularly useful at bedtime. I always use it. Hope you get some sleep tonight. Let us know how things go. Thinking of you xx
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

E&G slept with me all night oddly NOT scratching at locked cat flap to go out.
Will pop home at 1pm today for supervised half hour playtime outside.
OH's mate not able to come til Saturday week to replace cat netting with newer safer version so we're going to make temporary repairs tmrw.
I know it's natural for cats to explore and I feel mean at shoo-ing the little strangers away but E&G 's safety is paramount to me and OH.
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

E&G have to be your priority, Jan, and it's up to the babies' slaves to look after them and meet their needs.

I am feeling very nervous about our netting going up! Just hope we don't get complaints from the neighbours who have already kept quiet about our brand new, taller fences, but may not be so thrilled about the netting. Edgar is mad keen to get out in the garden but I keep justifying the wait with a phrase I read in My Cat magazine at the vet ' 'You can never keep a cat inside for too long, but you can let them out too soon.'
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by meriad »

Jan it is a worry and one that I have as well and I'm really not sure just how much more I can do to stop it. The only thing I can think of is redoing the entire cat proofing but using much longer brackets. At the moment they're not very long because I didn't want it to look too much like a prison; but with this length, the two weak points I have (ie two sheds) are easily jumped up on from outside.

What netting are you going to be using, when you say you're going to use a new and safer version? I've currently used fruit cage netting
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by Hazel »

Do you think they are two little feral kittens wanting to make friends? If they have owners I wouldn't feel bad about shoo-ing them on their way.

We have loads of cats coming into our garden and I feel mean shoo-ing them but it's not fair on my two when they are stuck in their cage and all the other cats are playing in their garden!
I'm wanting to catch the possible ferals and TNR them so I'm trying not to scare them off until I can see if they are ferals. Two have collars so they are just newbies to the area.

Max used to get very upset at intruders and yowl and yowl at them. He was allowed out into the garden but couldn't jump onto the fence to chase them away so he used to get very distressed. I used to go out and chase them then tell him what a clever brave boy he was for seeing them off ;-)
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

Hi Sarah Meriad and Hazel
The weirdest thing is that E&G have not tried to get out at all. Eric usually pads on The patio door because he hates going through the cat flap when we're home but all evening he's slept on his chair and seems content. Georgie has been fine too.....normally he spends time playing innie outie In the garden but not tonight.
The gardener came round this evening and put green wire clips around the cat netting where there were gaps...however, he said our current netting which is plastic and over 7 years old, has stretched and broken in some places. Next week he's going to replace all the netting with green wire netting with bigger holes on higher, slanting posts, and is going to cover the sloping shed roof with netting. He thinks our current netting is easy for the new furries-in-the-hood to walk on....cats are meant to hate walking on cat netting but these newbies didn't get that email!!! I'll post photos when the new cat netting is up.
I've been scouring the garden all evening but the kittens have not been back.
I love your comments Sarah from the Cat mag....such a true statement and made me feel much better.
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

The newbies were quiet for a few days but what I've just seen has astounded me.
The tortoiseshell with white bib (very pretty) actually put his/her foot on the cat netting and climbed up and was about to jump into the garden.....but as I opened the patio door he/she went back down and sat on our neighbour's fence. E&G sat watching this. Georgie's fur on end. Then the brother/sister of first kittie joined in the fun and both sat teasing E&G swishing their tails "we can come I to your garden if we want to!"
Georgie is now licking his fur madly again and has taken off the fur on his back legs. I've been administering rescue remedy.
I've been shoo-ing the others away when I see them.
OH will only let E&G into the garden when we're home and we feel like we've made them prisoners in their own home.
Cat netting with 'a bounce' and at an angle is meant to have been a deterrent and has been for 7 years. At a loss as to what to do now. Gardener due next Saturday to replace existing net with something stronger.
The newbies don't seem at all menacing but E&G have never interacted with other furries. My fear is that once in the garden, newbies won't be able to get out.....will there be a fight? Do these kitties have homes....are they chipped?
My main concern is my two boys. How do I keep them safe if the cat netting is failing?
Anyone have any ideas please?
With thanks from neurotic and over protective mum of E&G
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

Hopefully the new stronger netting will be the answer, Jan. It makes sense that the old netting has relaxed over 7 years and become less effective. Poor little Georgie. Lou Lou send a special headbutt to him if he can cope with a beautiful little girl being so intimate! Our netting will be primarily to prevent Edgar and Lou going walkabout and foxes are my concern with us as it's a heavy fox population. I'm thinking about what the reaction would be to stranger cats. Pepsi would try to see them off I'm sure but as she's old I wouldn't want her taking on some young bruiser who can move faster than her. Lou Lou would hope it was a new friend. Edgar is mega friendly but this hasn't been tested within his own territory yet, only with him coming into the girls' territory and being suitably submissive on arrival!

Give your lovely boys a big snuggle from their Aunty Sarah and hugs to you! Hope today is stress free.
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

Thanks Sarah
I think I'm actually just slightly more relaxed than Malc.
your gorgeous babies would probably be accepting as they've had interaction with other furries; Eric and Georgie haven't. Our fault really but we were always scared of the busy roads here and we also have foxes....there is a small pathway running along the back of all our gardens and you can hear them approaching in the distance then go past our garden.
Pepsi is definitely the matriarch and no one would dare to enter her domain! Little Lou Lou.....awwwww she would be accepting and as for handsome Edgar ... I think he'd probably sniff and stare.
I sometimes think I should just see what happens, I should face the fear. You never know I could end up with two newbies as well. Think Malc would strongly disagree.
I'm now needing to Hoover but Georgie is petrified of that too! I'm such a nuisance!
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by Lyn from Australia »

Hi Jan, I was very seriously reading the thread from the top, then got to your post with "da cat fwap" and completely lost it!! Oh dear ..... :lol: :roll: :lol: :roll: :lol: Hope Eric and George are doing OK.
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Re: Furry intruders in our cat proofed garden. PLEASE HELP!

Post by jan1957 »

Auntie Lyn
I am afwaid that my bwuvver Georgie is weally scarredy of da intwooders but mummy an me fink dey is vewwy iccle and cuties. One jumped into da gardin on sundidays and sniffed at Georgie an Georgie den did wan up da stairries. No bodies could finded him, he was hidin UNDER his beddies! Like an iccle teeny kitten. Dat was vewwy clevva but mummy had wet face n daddy's face was pinkies. Den mummy had to gently pickie up da intwooders an he did scwatch n hissy at mummy but den he did a big jumpy on da fence n wan and hopp'did away. I yike dat furry cos he is bwave yike me. Mummy n Georgie is nervous wecks n dwinkin dat stinky wescue wemedies.
Wot do u fink of dat auntie Lyn?
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