Arghh, help??!

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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Dear All,
We have a situation. We live in, for ease, in house number 4. We have 2 dogs. 1 springer spaniel, is nearly 5 years old, and apart from some dietary requirements to stop her tummy going into overdrive (that's another story!) she is a good citizen. And then we have 1 whippet x who will be about 2 in september, a little rescue because she had a broken leg and no -one wanted her, we saw, we became friends (she would be friends with anyone it turns out) and came home to us January 2019, roughly 4 months old. Her leg will always rival something of a maccano set on an xray. She is over sweet, has no spacial awareness, probably hasn't got a fully functioning brain cell and would give a cheeta a run for money - she is very fast. She is also a hater of cats. And here is the problem.
House number 2 owns 2 cats. Allan and Lola (we think, it could be Luna), Allan is a girl btw and wears a bell on her collar. But, house number 2 has kids who are allergic to cats. They didn't think this through. So the cats are not allowed into their house, and have some sort of tree house/cat house at the bottom of their postage stamp size garden.
House number 3 feels sorry for these cats. They keep their windows open, and they allow Allan and Lola into their house. They feed them. They also have a dog, a slightly overweight, pretty lazy beagle. I know this because it can't be bothered to chase the cats or eat the cat food... and that is a new kind of lazy for a beagle.
Allan and Lola use the dividing garden fence as a runway, and our shed roof as a look out post. They just look and laugh to be honest. (and who blames them!) They amble past our patio windows all through the night - we know this too, the dog speaks volumes.
Whippety thing, is going bonkers, she has quite the voice. She will head butt the fence, (remember the going too fast thing?) try to climb the tree - to get to the shed roof, and has no fear of using the trampoline to get that little bit extra 'up' feeling. If anything resembles that bloody jingly bell we have a performance. If anything remotely moves in the garden, off it goes into a frenzy. (she now has a new trick - jumping at the window if indoors).
I'm not a cat lover. But I don't want anything to get hurt. I don't want dim-dog to break anything, bones, fence, shed, trampoline, or worse the windows. Lola came through the back door yesterday evening (wrong house!) She left quickly too. What if whippety thing gets cat in my property? I don't want a vet bill, or be branded a 'mother of a murderer!'
I don't think anything realistically can be done, but after a night with broken sleep (like having a new born) I just had to write down my troubles.
 
Can you do something about the shed roof to stop it being so comfortable to cats? Also put something on the fence (friend has a few cats and was talking about putting guttering on the top so that the top of the fence is rounded). I have a JRT who is just as bad and neighbour had 7 cats! We did have a couple of incidents. One was on the path outside when their cat was in a bush next to the path. I happily paid for a vet check as the owner is a friend and the cat was technically on her property. The second incident was her young cat who came into the garden and couldn’t get back over the fence quick enough. Thankfully I was in so was able to rescue the cat, leaving it with a nasty wound, which was mild compared to what it would have been if I hadn’t been there. On that occasion I also paid the vets bill, but only because it’s a friend who I know doesn’t have a lot of money. I didn’t feel obligated, because the cat was trespassing and owner accepted it as a loan (although unlikely to ever pay it back).
I think you have to try and stop the cats coming in, then you can’t be seen as negligent.
 
Would pigeon spike type things round the shed and along the fence work?
And I think you are going to haver to try some specific training/calimng/resticting stuff with whippety thing as well. Good luck with that! For your own sanity could she be crated overnight? And leave the radio on so she can't hear the bell?
 
It's not your problem if something happens in your garden, it's the cat owner's problem, they have the biggest duty of care here IMO.
However agree to protect your dogs' and your sanity, you could look into altering the shed or fence to make it less of an attraction.

I'd be strongly in favour of house cats only in built up areas, like a lot of people do in the USA, my dad built an enclosure for his cat and it works fine. I expect most won't agree but I think anyone sensible can stand back and objectively think about the ethics of a pet animal in an urban setting, allowed to go round pissing and shitting in other people's gardens, at risk of road accidents, dog attacks and then there's the threat to wildlife. Controversial I know, but it's certainly a talking point of a Sunday!!

Because I'm not a total monster and have some form of civic duty, while I resent it, I have to keep one of my dogs on a lead in his own garden because of the amount of cats locally using it as a thoroughfare. Also I'd hate for him to get into trouble or get a bad reputation because of someone else's actions.

However I let the other one out yesterday morning and thank goodness he's a bit dense and only has eyes for his Mummy, as there was a big longhaired tabby stretched out on the low garden wall sunning itself, he didn't even notice.
I had a small attack of the kittens ;)

What do you do while the dog is doing this? As in admonishment, distraction, etc? Have you any way of containing her/prevent her getting to the problem area in the interim?
 
I think that’s unfair on you and the dog, tho, CC. Bar the lunatic cat that was pushing on our locked and obsolete cat flap the other day, we never see cats in the garden. My two are very keen on chasing them and the increasing local population know to avoid our garden.

I echo making the shed uncomfortable but also try to train the dog to ignore incursions.
 
Fools Motto said:
Dear All,
We have a situation. We live in, for ease, in house number 4. We have 2 dogs. 1 springer spaniel, is nearly 5 years old, and apart from some dietary requirements to stop her tummy going into overdrive (that's another story!) she is a good citizen. And then we have 1 whippet x who will be about 2 in september, a little rescue because she had a broken leg and no -one wanted her, we saw, we became friends (she would be friends with anyone it turns out) and came home to us January 2019, roughly 4 months old. Her leg will always rival something of a maccano set on an xray. She is over sweet, has no spacial awareness, probably hasn't got a fully functioning brain cell and would give a cheeta a run for money - she is very fast. She is also a hater of cats. And here is the problem.
House number 2 owns 2 cats. Allan and Lola (we think, it could be Luna), Allan is a girl btw and wears a bell on her collar. But, house number 2 has kids who are allergic to cats. They didn't think this through. So the cats are not allowed into their house, and have some sort of tree house/cat house at the bottom of their postage stamp size garden.
House number 3 feels sorry for these cats. They keep their windows open, and they allow Allan and Lola into their house. They feed them. They also have a dog, a slightly overweight, pretty lazy beagle. I know this because it can't be bothered to chase the cats or eat the cat food... and that is a new kind of lazy for a beagle.
Allan and Lola use the dividing garden fence as a runway, and our shed roof as a look out post. They just look and laugh to be honest. (and who blames them!) They amble past our patio windows all through the night - we know this too, the dog speaks volumes.
Whippety thing, is going bonkers, she has quite the voice. She will head butt the fence, (remember the going too fast thing?) try to climb the tree - to get to the shed roof, and has no fear of using the trampoline to get that little bit extra 'up' feeling. If anything resembles that bloody jingly bell we have a performance. If anything remotely moves in the garden, off it goes into a frenzy. (she now has a new trick - jumping at the window if indoors).
I'm not a cat lover. But I don't want anything to get hurt. I don't want dim-dog to break anything, bones, fence, shed, trampoline, or worse the windows. Lola came through the back door yesterday evening (wrong house!) She left quickly too. What if whippety thing gets cat in my property? I don't want a vet bill, or be branded a 'mother of a murderer!'
I don't think anything realistically can be done, but after a night with broken sleep (like having a new born) I just had to write down my troubles.
Click to expand...


Rotating pipe along your fence? People use it to keep their cats in their garden, maybe you could use it to keep cats out.
 
You can buy plastic spiky stuff to put along the top of fences, harmless but uncomfortable. I would use that and some sort of overhang may be on the shed roof to stop cats getting up there.
Padding all round the fences for whippet to bounce off:p I feel sorry for the cats they need rehoming.
 
CorvusCorax said:
I'd be strongly in favour of house cats only in built up areas, like a lot of people do in the USA, my dad built an enclosure for his cat and it works fine. I expect most won't agree but I think anyone sensible can stand back and objectively think about the ethics of a pet animal in an urban setting, allowed to go round pissing and shitting in other people's gardens, at risk of road accidents, dog attacks and then there's the threat to wildlife. Controversial I know, but it's certainly a talking point of a Sunday!!
Click to expand...

I’ve said this on here before and been totally shot down in flames,.. sit’s and waits! Cats are a bloody nuisance.
No way would I be trying to keep my dogs from chasing them in the dogs garden, shift it and learn puss.
 
Cinnamontoast said:
I think that’s unfair on you and the dog, tho, CC. Bar the lunatic cat that was pushing on our locked and obsolete cat flap the other day, we never see cats in the garden. My two are very keen on chasing them and the increasing local population know to avoid our garden.

I echo making the shed uncomfortable but also try to train the dog to ignore incursions.
Click to expand...

Sorry to derail but just experienced yet another example...have just been out to do the hibiscrub shuffle with the less trustworthy dog (not on a line) and he was lying on the patio on his side while I did my thing and all of a sudden he rolled onto his belly and ears went up. What he couldn't see but I could, was yet another cat just coming sauntering around the side of my house. A different one to the one sunbathing out front yesterday, and different one again to the one that came around the back when I was having my brekkie in the garden on Friday morning.

So anyway, I chucked the spray bottle at it. The dog is so fast and hunt driven, he would be away over the front wall after it and that's not something I'm willing to risk.
 
Make shed roof less comfy for cats.
Start training whippet to have 100% recall- you may need either very tasty treat or very exciting toy eg rabbit fur with squeak- you need to first build up a real drive for the toy or treat without any cat distractions then next time cat is round once she really really loves the distraction reomve her from the cat situation and then play/train her, eventually you will become more attractive but you really need to find something she can have high drive for. Initially focus on removing her, then playing/distracting and build up until shes nearly ready to turn away as knows shes going to do something more exciting.
 
Crikey, no, I wouldn’t fancy that. I remember Bear pelting after a cat the first morning of my new job, from front through the neighbour’s garden to the back-in the direction of the main road.

Fortunately, our back garden is secure, we used 6 feet high chicken wire nailed to the conifers and blocked all gaps after several escapes. The neighbour behind has no barrier between garden and main road and live opposite the park we used to always go to. Given how loving and bonded to us they are, it amazed me that they would just go like that, I must be very naive!
 
I don’t own cats (they’d be very unwelcome on a grouse moor, despite the fact they’d be useful ratters but no matter ...) but I’m another who feels if you want to own a cat, have neighbours and live in an urban area then they should be house cats or contained somehow and not allowed to wander and become a nuisance or danger to others.
In the situation described, I’d try to make coming in your garden an unpleasant experience for the cats. Try spraying them with a hose or water pistol, block all and any potential entry gaps with prickly plants such as holly and fit wire 10-15cm above the top of fence to make it more difficult for the cats to balance on them.
Could you cover a crate at night for the whippet so she can’t get to the window.
I’d also have a word with the cat owners and surrogate owners to say you can’t be held responsible if the dogs catch, injure or kill the cats if they come into your garden. Of course nobody wants that to happen but it’s very unfair that you can’t enjoy your garden (or get a peaceful night’s sleep) because of someone else’s animals.
 
I do actually own a cat now, a feral that turned up on the farm a year ago. I trapped her and had her spayed and now we knock along OK, she is completely wild. Which suits me!
The dogs know not to chase her but if it is dark they have been known to put her up a tree, she is very with it and being feral does keep her wits about her.
 
I grew up in a house where if you found a cat in the garden, you rounded up some dogs and sent them out to see it off. I don't recall any getting eaten. The only cat killer we ever had was one of my grandparents labs, a massive, laid back chocolate lump, who was so docile that cats would walk up to him and he'd just casually pick them up and carry them, which did them no favours.

Cats are a bloody nuisance. TBH I still send the dogs after them and consequently they tend avoid my garden. I certainly wouldn't pay a vets bill for a cat that was in my garden.

I don't have much helpful to say that hasn't already been suggested but I'd avoid any physical defences which might prevent the cat escaping the garden should it find itself in it with the dog.
 
I've had a few cats that would sneak outside to hunt and explore. Mostly they stayed in the front yard/garden. My latest cat is indoor only. One of my cats was killed by one of my dogs and I finally had to rehome another dog that would escape from any crate, get out of the house and jump/climb the fence to go cat hunting. She did this when I wasn't home I felt I had no choice but to rehome her. She now lives with a retired couple in Connecticut who have no cats. I would be tempted to put chicken wire on top of the fence so that it would dump the cat into the other garden.
 
Mine would be in big trouble if they did that! They live with a cat which probably helps, but I know they don't think about other cats the same way they do about ours. We did have to do some work with the middle one when we got the chickens as he thought it was great fun when they flapped. He soon learnt not to bother them though, so you can train them to leave things alone. We used clicker training with him, but there's lots of methods and some good youtube videos where you can see people actually doing the training.
 
I’m lol quietly to myself about a sighthound having 100% recall from a cat..... certainly none of my ex racing greyhounds could ever be trusted! But I re-home them knowing they are not cat safe, other greyhounds are.

I don’t have a problem with cats in my garden, not really sure why ? I always look out and do a visual check before opening the door, especially after the 4 greyhounds/lurchers versus a fully grown buzzard incident ?, but I’m afraid if a cat were to be stupid enough to come in to the garden and for whatever reason I didn’t see it, it would be a tragic accident.
 
We have got plans in place to remove the shed and put a new one up in a different place, which in turn should eliminate the look out part. just waiting to get the materials in.
She does have good recall, if I can catch her before she finds second gear, but I don't think I'll be in with any chance of success if cat/rabbit/deer is involved.
I have no control of her voice during the night. They sleep downstairs in the kitchen with the patio door out to the garden.

Should I talk to the owners about my concerns should whippet thing actually hurt Allan or Lola? What if she hurts herself and that vets bill - where would that stand?!
 
Fools Motto said:
We have got plans in place to remove the shed and put a new one up in a different place, which in turn should eliminate the look out part. just waiting to get the materials in.
She does have good recall, if I can catch her before she finds second gear, but I don't think I'll be in with any chance of success if cat/rabbit/deer is involved.
I have no control of her voice during the night. They sleep downstairs in the kitchen with the patio door out to the garden.

Should I talk to the owners about my concerns should whippet thing actually hurt Allan or Lola? What if she hurts herself and that vets bill - where would that stand?!
Click to expand...

Yes I would speak to the owner and curtail her overnight.
 
Levrier said:
I’m lol quietly to myself about a sighthound having 100% recall from a cat..... certainly none of my ex racing greyhounds could ever be trusted! But I re-home them knowing they are not cat safe, other greyhounds are.

I don’t have a problem with cats in my garden, not really sure why ? I always look out and do a visual check before opening the door, especially after the 4 greyhounds/lurchers versus a fully grown buzzard incident ?, but I’m afraid if a cat were to be stupid enough to come in to the garden and for whatever reason I didn’t see it, it would be a tragic accident.
Click to expand...

I'm laughing too at that, my hearing lurcher can be stopped by voice but the deaf one thinks he's been put on earth to chase anything out of his garden and trying to get at cats / any furry or moving object is what he does. The hearing one lived with cats when he was a puppy which may be why he can be persuaded.

I check the garden in the summer before I turn them out - but that's for hedgehogs after some close calls and one unfortunate incident over the last 2 summers. Our neighbourhood cats don't come in our garden, although they're not averse to some fence teasing.
 
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