Cats terrorise my fish!

[Scooby Don't]

I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond i
the garden - home to 3 goldfish.

The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called
guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond an
install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attache
meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.

It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and
of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. Th
remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he ha
claw marks all over him.

How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along al
walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have an
other ideas.

Thank
-
Scooby Don'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

[Rich]

Moth Balls, One of these water throwing herrings.
A fake barking dog. Or a pellet gun.




"Scooby Don't" > wrote in message
s.com...
> I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond in
> the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
>
> The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
> guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
> install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attached
> meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
>
> It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and 2
> of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. The
> remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
> claw marks all over him.
>
> How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
> walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
> other ideas.
>
> Thanks
> --
> Scooby Don't
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
>

[Ka30P]

Do you have electric fido fences
over on your side of the pond?
They deliver a shock to the intruding
animal and usually that is enough to
keep them away forever.
Or one of those motion activated
sprinkers works too.

good luck!
ka30p
http://www.geocities.com/watergardeninglabradors/home.html

[Theo van Daele]

Sorry for going off topic, but your username... you don't happen to drive a
type of Japanese car do you ?

Theo

[[email protected]]

bwahaahhahaaahhh .. the combination of wet cat making contact with electric fence
standing on wet ground ... YES!!!!


(Ka30P) wrote:

>
>Do you have electric fido fences
>over on your side of the pond?
>They deliver a shock to the intruding
>animal and usually that is enough to
>keep them away forever.
>Or one of those motion activated
>sprinkers works too.
>
>good luck!
>ka30p
>http://www.geocities.com/watergardeninglabradors/home.html



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[LORRAINE]

Scooby Don't wrote:
> *I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pon
> in the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
>
> The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called
> guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond an
> install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He als
> attached meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting th
> fish'.
>
> It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats an
> 2 of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die.
> The remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and h
> has claw marks all over him.
>
> How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis alon
> all walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you hav
> any other ideas.
>
> Thanks * Hi hope this helps..have you tried building up the sides of your pon
so the offending cats are looking down into your pond rather than bein
on the same level as the water, that way they cannot just take a swip
of the fish
-
LORRAIN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

[Rich]

Moth Balls, One of these water throwing herrings.
A fake barking dog. Or a pellet gun.

"Scooby Don't" > wrote in message
s.com...
> I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond in
> the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
>
> The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
> guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
> install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attached
> meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
>
> It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and 2
> of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. The
> remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
> claw marks all over him.
>
> How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
> walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
> other ideas.
>
> Thanks
> --
> Scooby Don't
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
>

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

Are there raccoons in the UK or other fish eating (don't mind getting wet)
critters? Or are the cats in the UK particularly aggressive? Regardless,
look for the Scarecrow, a motion activiated sprinkler as shown here:
http://www.km01.com/index.html click on Pest Deterrants. ~ jan

See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Defrosted~
Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

>"Scooby Don't" > wrote in message
>> I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond in
>> the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
>>
>> The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
>> guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
>> install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attached
>> meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
>>
>> It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and 2
>> of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. The
>> remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
>> claw marks all over him.
>>
>> How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
>> walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
>> other ideas.
>>
>> Thanks
>> --
>> Scooby Don't
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
>>
>

[Marion Margoshes]

Scooby Don't wrote:

> I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond in
> the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
>
> The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
> guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
> install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attached
> meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
>
> It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and 2
> of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. The
> remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
> claw marks all over him.
>
> How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
> walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
> other ideas.
>
> Thanks
> --
> Scooby Don't
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Think RACOONS!

[Marion Margoshes]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote:

> Are there raccoons in the UK or other fish eating (don't mind getting wet)
> critters? Or are the cats in the UK particularly aggressive? Regardless,
> look for the Scarecrow, a motion activiated sprinkler as shown here:
> http://www.km01.com/index.html click on Pest Deterrants. ~ jan

I agree. It does not sound like the work of cats.

[Gary]

Marion Margoshes > wrote in message >...
> Scooby Don't wrote:
>
> > I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond in
> > the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
> >
> > The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
> > guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
> > install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attached
> > meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
> >
> > It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and 2
> > of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. The
> > remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
> > claw marks all over him.
> >
> > How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
> > walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
> > other ideas.

I, too, suspect it's not cats. A racoon or maybe a skunk would be my
guess. Most cats don't like getting wet, but I suppose one might make
an exception if it was hungry. My cat and the 30+ goldfish in my pond
get along well together. When I feed the fish, the cat likes to lap
up some of their food from the surface of the water while the fish
nibble from down below. The cat has never made any attempts to catch
or play with the fish otherwise, and I have never had any missing
fish. Also, the fish come up to the top to say hi when the cat walks
by; obviously they are not terrorized.
> >
> > Thanks
> > --
> > Scooby Don't
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
>
> Think RACOONS!

[Steve and Lisa]

I gotta ask hubby when he returns tonight about raccoons....but he was
surprised by all the skunks here in Ohio when he moved here 5 years ago from
Derbyshire England, so I don't think it would be skunks. (Had never seen one
before.)

As to are the cats overly aggressive there. Unlike here they roam freely
everywhere. Hubby had three who regularly came to his back garden (yard) all
three Toms. One was missing half an ear. When we went on a pub crawl one
evening, walking back we saw numerous cats out on the rooftops.....one
desperately trying to get back into it's upstairs window, while three others
were chasing it. I found this all interesting as people here would go spare
if a neighbors cat came to their yard/garden.

Many people have cat flaps and declawing is considered cruel there, unlike
here where nearly everyone has their cat's claws removed. (We tend to like
to remove things those in Europe leave in tact.....probably should have left
that one out....lol.)

Lisa
"Gary" > wrote in message
om...
> Marion Margoshes > wrote in message
>...
> > Scooby Don't wrote:
> >
> > > I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond
in
> > > the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
> > >
> > > The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
> > > guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
> > > install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also
attached
> > > meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
> > >
> > > It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and
2
> > > of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die.
The
> > > remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
> > > claw marks all over him.
> > >
> > > How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along
all
> > > walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
> > > other ideas.
>
> I, too, suspect it's not cats. A racoon or maybe a skunk would be my
> guess. Most cats don't like getting wet, but I suppose one might make
> an exception if it was hungry. My cat and the 30+ goldfish in my pond
> get along well together. When I feed the fish, the cat likes to lap
> up some of their food from the surface of the water while the fish
> nibble from down below. The cat has never made any attempts to catch
> or play with the fish otherwise, and I have never had any missing
> fish. Also, the fish come up to the top to say hi when the cat walks
> by; obviously they are not terrorized.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > --
> > > Scooby Don't
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
> >
> > Think RACOONS!

[Hal]

>> > How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
>> > walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
>> > other ideas.

Try a hav-A-heart type trap and see what you catch. Animal control
will come out and set a trap here, if they are asked. You might call
your local dog pound and talk with them, they may offer you some help.

Regards,

Hal

[Anne Lurie]

Are you sure that cats are the culprits? I have (or rather am owned by
cats) now and then, and they just don't seem to like dipping those paws that
far into water, in my experience.

Also, it doesn't sound very "catlike" for a cat to leave its prey behind.

Although I think the predator might be a bird or raccoon or some other, my
suggestion would be to put finer netting over the grate.

About your neighbor's recommendations: I think trellis might help a
predator rather than hinder it; as for nails on the gate, that sounds like a
lawsuit waiting to happen. (I'm assuming you're in the UK, where the people
are -- I hope! -- not as ready to sue someone as here in the U.S., but
it's still a consideration.)

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC



"Scooby Don't" > wrote in message
s.com...
> I've recently moved into my new house which has a lovely little pond in
> the garden - home to 3 goldfish.
>
> The water was so murky that you couldn't see the fish, so I called a
> guy from a local aquarium company who came out to clean the pond and
> install a saftey grating (I have a 2 year old child). He also attached
> meshing to the grate to 'keep the cats from getting the fish'.
>
> It hasn't worked! The fish have been terrorised by numerous cats and 2
> of the poor buggers have somehow been dragged out and left to die. The
> remaining goldfish is in a right state, his fins are torn and he has
> claw marks all over him.
>
> How do I keep the cats away - my neighbour recommends trellis along all
> walls and nails on the gate, has anyone tried this or do you have any
> other ideas.
>
> Thanks
> --
> Scooby Don't
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
>

[Offbreed]

"Anne Lurie" > wrote in message >...
> Are you sure that cats are the culprits? I have (or rather am owned by
> cats) now and then, and they just don't seem to like dipping those paws that
> far into water, in my experience.

Wasn't there a thread not long ago about cats and water in this ng?
Some weird cats wanting to take a shower with the poster?

> Also, it doesn't sound very "catlike" for a cat to leave its prey behind.

It will if it's just experimenting with the new "toy".

> Although I think the predator might be a bird or raccoon or some other, my
> suggestion would be to put finer netting over the grate.

Bird, maybe, or otter. That's England. Racoon are not native over
there, and are destructive enough that I would expect the gov animal
control people to have an absolute fit if they thought any had been
released.