Deterring predators from outside housing

Mother Hubbard

Mother Hubbard

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So I've been playing a game of cat and mouse for the past 5 months, not in the real terms.:rant:

The local cats have been trespassing in the garden and using it as their public toilet as they have done for many years, so now I'm doing everything to deter the little furry critters from continuing their toileting practice. :ban:

My pigs are quite safe with everything in place but I've been trying very hard, so I gave those crystal things ago, they work for a few days then the cats start up again.
I've now moved to those sensor things, battery operated - put in the ground and a horrible noise plays out for as long as the sensor is activated. Humans can't hear it, well actually some kids can, and the way I have it traced on the garden doesn't impact the pigs (don't worry I've checked). But so far so good, it appears to be working.
I've moved the sensor too to keep up the onslaught of behaviour controlling them not to visit the garden and apart from the odd quick and scampering visit it's working.

Hoorah! :box::))

Just thought I'd share as long term when I have my outdoor piggy garden next year which will be a link from the shed to their own very secure grass time, I won't be having furry predators around whilst I'm inside the house.
 
I also found that the sensors were the only thing that really deterred the cats.
We have outdoor rabbits we needed to protect and the cats stalked them and also used my veg garden as a toilet :vom:

On open ground (like my veg garden) I found loosley laying the green garden mesh (the sort of things you grow sweet peas up) helped, and combined with the sensors we haven't had a problem in ages.
 
That is good to know. Next year I will be growing in my new veg patch which is a large raised bed area with sleepers so it is good to know that I can deter the cats with the netting too.
 
This is really useful
Mother Hubbard said:
So I've been playing a game of cat and mouse for the past 5 months, not in the real terms.:rant:

The local cats have been trespassing in the garden and using it as their public toilet as they have done for many years, so now I'm doing everything to deter the little furry critters from continuing their toileting practice. :ban:

My pigs are quite safe with everything in place but I've been trying very hard, so I gave those crystal things ago, they work for a few days then the cats start up again.
I've now moved to those sensor things, battery operated - put in the ground and a horrible noise plays out for as long as the sensor is activated. Humans can't hear it, well actually some kids can, and the way I have it traced on the garden doesn't impact the pigs (don't worry I've checked). But so far so good, it appears to be working.
I've moved the sensor too to keep up the onslaught of behaviour controlling them not to visit the garden and apart from the odd quick and scampering visit it's working.

Hoorah! :box::))

Just thought I'd share as long term when I have my outdoor piggy garden next year which will be a link from the shed to their own very secure grass time, I won't be having furry predators around whilst I'm inside the house.
Click to expand...
This is really useful, we have indoor piggies but I am paranoid about cats as I often have the back kitchen door open when I'm cooking and my old lady neighbour across the back has 4 rude stinky unspayed tom cats that sit on my garden wall and toilet in my flowerbed, and I worry a lot that one might sneak in the house one day! I will be buying some of these sensor things :) I have used chilli pepper on my garden wall before after a nasty tom cat dug up one of my deceased snail friends burial places but chilli washes away in the rain... thank you @Mother Hubbard I've been wondering all summer how to keep those pesky toms away!
 
Mother Hubbard said:
I've not had any luck with lemons to be honest. The sensors thingy is the only thing that has worked so far.
Click to expand...

Only thing that worked for my mum was the sonic sensor things. And she was constantly plagued by cats until she installed them. Afterwards she had a cat free garden.
 
Betsy said:
Good to know that the sensors don't interfere with sensitive piggy ears.
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You do have to position the sensors so that the piggies don't trigger them (or rabbits in my case).
And if they are not right next to the cages/runs I think it helps.
My rabbits definitely hear the sensors trigger, but I worked out where the cats were coming and going from (roughly) and put the sensors there.
I also asked my neighbours on one side if I could put one in their garden to help get the cats to reroute, while keeping the sensors as far away as possible from the rabbits, and they were quite happy as the cats were annoying them too.
 
I found the sensors worked for all but one cat and I don't mind her, she ignores the piggies when they are in the runs and as our garden is her territory she sees off any other visitors. I lay wire mesh or crossed canes over freshly dug bits of garden to stop any digging. The other thing that made a big difference was blocking the the gaps in the wrought iron side gate with wire mesh which I cable tied on, this blocked the cats through route and the point of them coming into the garden. We have very high hedges which they can't jump, all the gaps at the bottom of the hedges are blocked so now it's hard to get in the garden.
 
Ahh that is good to know. I have often looked at the sensors but thought they would distress the piggies wherever I pointed them.
 
We have a sensor which squirts a spray of water across the garden and makes a hiss noise too. Works day and night, very effective, it has caught both me and the OH out on several occasions 😆 when we have forgotten it’s been turned on! Doesn’t effect hedgehogs or piggies, they are probably at the right height, but really moves those kitties on!
 
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