# Advice to stop intruders



## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

I tried posting this in cat chat hoping cat owners might have some cat friendly but effective advice, but it would seem they dont ...So I'll ask here just in case any bird owners have had similar problems with intruders...

My daughter has a back garden which can be accessed via the flat roofs of ajoining sheds and via the fence which joins her garden to her other neighbour.

She has an aviary, so far she has lost about 5 birds to cat attacks. 
They come via the flat roof or fence.. The fence is easy a bit of wire along the top and bingo that should deter most cats but the flat roof is another matter.

The aviary is well built but the cats either jump onto its roof and scare the birds or jump down into the garden and attack at the front. If they dont claw the birds they scare them into panic flight and a couple have flown straight up and suffered broken necks.

So how to deter strange cats from coming across the flat roof.???

Lion dung would simply get washed off in the first rainfall, so thats no good.. She cannot screw anything onto the roofing felt either.

Next week she and OH are off to London so any product thats sold in DIY or pet stores there she could pick up while shes there..

My daughter loves her birds but keep finding them dead is beginning to really get to her.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

A low power electric fence will keep them off without hurting them


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

hawksport said:


> A low power electric fence will keep them off without hurting them


Thanks, the only ones we've seen here are made for livestock????


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## Samy (Mar 14, 2012)

not sure how true this is, but one of my neighbours is trying it shortly:

empty green glass wine bottles filled with water put around garden or in flower pots; the colour and the water creates a shimmer that cats apparently dislike


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## mydog (Nov 16, 2011)

with cats you cant do a lot to stop them legally but apart from double wiring the aviary ,you should get a male cat of your own and the birds will get used to him and he will protect his patch ie your garden,i have infact done this a few years back but it did work....good luck tim


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## retepwaker (Dec 5, 2011)

there is only one sure way that is to have all the Avery doubled wired i made mine out of 3" by 2" the space between the wires 3" the mesh size the smallest you can by one quarter of a inch any thing bigger is no good that is for the inside wire and the outside as well


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## retepwaker (Dec 5, 2011)

P/S i agree with member mydog and hawksport


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions I will pass them on to her ..

She has 4 cats of her own 2 males but that doesnt seem to deter other cats!
Never heard the one about the glass bottles ..At least she would have fun getting to empty the bottles


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## retepwaker (Dec 5, 2011)

forgot to say its not only the cats that frighten the birds sparrow hawks magpies will also have a try at getting at your birds one thing that can help them when they get frighten is to have sum protection in the Avery so they will fly to that you don't say what type of birds but for small birds a well planted Avery is a good idea if you have a hard floor in the Avery plant into tubs


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