To Jane Doh

How do you know the cats spaying in your garden are actually owned by anyone?

Cats who spay are normally ones that haven't been neutered.

As you say you live in "an agricultural area with lots of green open spaces" I my betting is that the cats coming into your garden are either semi feral or feral cats who live round the farming areas that you live in.

So these cats mainly eat by catching vermin, rabbits and birds in the fields around the farms. Even if they are semi feral not all their food will come out of a tin as the farm owners will allow them to live on their land to help keep the vermin population down (which is what a friend does who grows organic veg.. natures mouser)

So the cats stalking the birds in your bird bath and hanging off the wires of your sons outside bird cages may in fact just be doing what comes naturally to them, they are hunting for their dinner.

Welcome to the country!!

Their faces are a bit like this one:

LOL

Seriously, a bit of water isn't going to hurt them and they will learn to stay away.

Wrong person!

oh gawd! Sorry Jane!! My bad

*offers an internet hug to say sowwy*

It confused me for a moment because I didn't mention spaying and I don't have a son! No worries!

Errr..I am not some towney moved to the country for the ideal lifestyle..

Born and bred in the country..in the village I live in now..moved away for 10 years and brought my children back here to be raised....no welcome to it dont know any different!..I am a farmers daughter.

Was raised on a farm with the nearest neghbour about quarter of a mile away...so know what thats like.

I am in the main part of our village where houses are spaced by a driveway..5 cats in my next door neighbours house..all allowed out she is getting on..and yes I know them all..3 cats the other neighbour..one a house cat 2 out wandering..one cat nextdoor but one out whilst owners at work,another 5 cats next door but 2 and 3 the other way...and yes we are all freindly neighbours and I do know whose cats are in my garden..do I make a fuss to the neighbours..no because I deal with problem myself by drenching their cats..is it worth an atmosphere with neighbours..no..so I keep my mouth shut and put up with it..do I like it..no..not one bit especially as I am the only one with children and had a comments a couple of times when they were little and had a birthday party in the garden so more 7/8 year olds than normal..was very noisey for about 4 hours with children shrieking,screaming and laughing..I love that sound but one elderly neighbour with 5 cats didnt!!!! and told me so..4 lousey hours..thats all for a childs birthdya during the middle of the day..oh well...I still keep shut about her cats because I am polite and nice..like when its frosty and icy I go to the shoop for her so she doesnt slip,ask her if she wants anything from town when I go etc..I am not a bitch..

But I will continue to deter the darn things..not saying there arent feral cats that get round here..but recognise the majority from neighbours..

Have you tried the supersoaker idea? Might help keep them away (even the feral ones!) Or if the garden is big then an automatic water sprinker could do the trick. (especially by the birds)

We have more issues with teenagers than cats where I am. Would love to live where you are!

Tempting to suggest the super soaker on the teens badcat, sometimes it's all they understand

I wish all I had to worry about was the foxes pooping near the back door, its foxes doing the horrid poops in this garden, I've seen them and you can tell and that, they go up to the back door then they drop a load before they trot off, but as a bother its pretty far down the list of bothers.

If something is annoying, then it is annoying. It doesn't have to be top of your list.

Top of my list at the moment is being unable to walk more than a few steps without falling over, but cat poo in the front garden still annoys me.