Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Our neighbor has this stupid cat that sits in front of my bedroom window and stalks Molly. I had to move Molly to a window the cat doesn't like as much because it's partially blocked. This means Moll doesn't get sunshine. But she also doesn't cower in her sleeping fleece.

I just now saved a squirrel, or my dad did. Poor squirrel slammed into my window and scurried up the screen making squealing noises. forking cat had him trapped. I couldn't walk all around the house, but luckily my dad was up and did.

Poor squirrel. He clung there shaking for an extra 5 minutes after the cat left. He has a broken tail and apparently my dad knows him well because he leaves water and food on the deck for all the squirrels and this one comes more than the others.

I forking hate that cat. I thought I was going to have to watch it kill a squirrel on my window.

I know it is just the cat being a cat, but I don't see why he has the right to terrorize small animals and my Molly just because there are no rules or laws for cats. If anybody has a dog off leash around here, even on their own property, they are fined $200+ by the community.

/rant

Sorry to hear about that lavawitch. Cats outside are one of my biggest pet peeves, but usually I only get really riled when I see the 'cat missing' posters because if you didn't let your forking cat out it wouldn't get lost / stolen / run over by a car. Though last summer I was really sad because we have lots of cardinals in our neighborhood and one of the neighborhood outdoor cats caught one of the Mrs Cardinals :(

Is there anyway you can put something on your window ledge (heck even a planter or something?) so the cat can't sit there? Then Molly could be looking at some flowers as well as enjoying the sunshine?

Kill it!

Well, little squirrel is ok at least; I think I was almost as scared for him as he was. I'm not sure why he was out there as our front yard is full of big trees and usually the squirrels stay there, but somehow the cat managed to corner him. It is actually pretty scary to watch them jumping from tree to tree--those guys think they can fly! They really know how to have fun. They throw nuts at each other too. We have a front yard full of crazy, rough housing daredevil squirrels. They all have injuries of some kind: broken tail, torn ears, bald patches, etc. The side/back yard is pretty bare and thats where the cat always hangs around. My dad said broken tail squirrel is friends with our macaw. He eats his nuts at the macaw's window and I guess they chitter back and forth. Our macaw has usually made friends with some squirrels where ever we have lived--its very cute! Molly is so self-centered that I don't think she has ever even noticed the squirrels. The macaw will yell for someone to come give the squirrels a nut if they hang around in begging pose long enough.

I've thought about how I can block the window, but it is only about 6" off the ground and there is no ledge. The cat sits on the grass about 2 feet away and stares or else paces back and forth in front (doesn't do that since I moved Moll). Maybe I can get a potted bush of some kind to put outside.

The cat is friendly and very pretty and I know it isn't his fault for being a cat doing cat things.

Or maybe a window box would be more vegan.

I'm too afraid of the cat lover posse!

Messers Angus & Bran would pony up and hunt ya asparagus down.

Tell them I have cat treats and mean no harm. (I'm all talk)

People use different herbs and spices to keep cats out of gardens. Maybe that would work?

Our neighbor has an outdoor cat who constantly comes into our backyard, kills mice, and then leaves them there. It's awful, and immediately what I think of when the discussion of outdoor cats comes up.

I'd be cool with cats killing things as long as they eat them. But no, they do it for sport only! Let's make a petition to give to these cats that shows them that we don't approve of their "sport". I know that both of my kitties have killed things for fun (they're indoor kitties), so this doesn't only apply to the outdoor ones!

Yeah, is there anything you could plant in pots and sit outside your window that would be non-harmful kitty repellant?

I feel your pain. Outdoor cats suck. I've only had one outdoor cat, my current kitty, and she was only outdoor for a couple of years. She got injured, which helped me realize that, while fun, being an outdoor cat wasn't the best for her. But when she was outdoors, she was mainly roaming the neighborhood looking for people to pet her. To my knowledge (as in, she never brought me anything), she never made a habit of murdering other animals. She is pretty small, and I think a bird could kick her butt. But she may have murdered a few critters in her time--another reason I'm glad she's inside now.

My roommate's cat, though, sucks. Outdoor cat, 20+lbs, obese and possibly diabetic, hateful, mean. He has almost killed a small dog, stalks my dog, swats at me if I walk by him, and murders animals all the time. Usually her murders birds or squirrels, but the most recent carnage was a baby bunny. I was so upset to find that on my kitchen floor one morning. He brought it in because he has his own cat door, which is also the reason my two animals have to be locked in my room all day long when I'm not there. (slightly veering off there, oops)

So I'm a little bitter towards murderous cats. Not only does the lifespan of an outdoor cat end up being pretty short, but I firmly believe that cats will cause mayhem and destruction if left to their own devices.

Sorry your birdie can't have his window due to a menacing cat.

Cats are usually not fond of lavender. (I say usually, because I did have one that would lie in my lavender patch.) Rosemary might work as well.
If there is a ledge, try lining it with pine cones or pointier rocks.

I'll see about planting something there so Moll can have her window back.

The problem with plants is that the window is nearly ground level outside, but is exact height for Moll's house inside, so anything tall would block her sun and view. Herbs would work though!

A curved mirror might work, make kitty think there's a bigger cat hanging about under the window.

Is it mean to spray a cat with a garden hose? Not pummeling the cat with high pressure or anything, just threatening to get him wet.

I would flick it in his direction if it wasn't going to frighten him into the road or off a high fence.

No, just back into his own yard when he is in ours stalking baby squirrels.

They have motion-detector sprinklers that work for cats if you think that's something that could work in your situation. They're around $50 on amazon. But I suppose that's difficult when you want to keep squirrlies around..

that's what happened with my family, too. we always had outdoor cats until one got injured and got in a couple fights. we also once had a cat show up on our doorstep that was declawed and of course she never went outside. now it's only supervised outdoor time.

Having outdoor kitties is so sad. A coworker of mine just woke up the other day to her cat dead on her front porch, attacked by some wild animal. Argh!

Another perspective on this: my mom LIKES this cat because we live on the edge of a wooded area and she says the cat is the reason we don't have mice in the house.

Having never owned cats, I had no idea there was such a strong case against outdoor cats. I have to admit, I'd be sad if the cats in our neighbourhood were all indoors, but they seem to be amicable with each other and we've never found dead things. Oh, and there are very few roads and a lot of deer so people are usually pretty safe drivers.

Sorry, I didn't mean to say "owned" cats. I meant, had them for companions. You know what I mean.