Tomcat scaring fish?

Gail Futoran wrote:
"Elaine T" wrote in message
...

I have a black tomcat that comes to drink from the pond. Now the shubies
in that barrel never come to the surface when I'm there. When I first got
them, they played in the filter outflow and were always cruising the
duckweed hunting for food. Now I put food in and it disappears only after
I walk away from the pond. Every now and again I see a flash of color so I
know they're alive.

Will bird netting stop a cat, or is there any way to "reassure" the fish
so I can actually see them and know they're healthy? Is the cat even
what's troubling the fish?

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com


Probably a good idea to put netting over the pond.
That should discourage the cat from drinking, and
make it more likely the fish will reappear for you.

The goldfish and minnows in my two above-ground
(stocktank) ponds come to the surface to feed and
are only a little bit skittish. The minnows in my
in-ground (liner) pond I almost never see, probably
thanks to the many birds that drink from the pond.

Gail


I finally got to watch the some of the goldies eat today. I think I
will net, though. This will be a trick with all my marginals and
floaters sticking out of the barrels. Maybe I'll cut a hole in the
center for an "island" of water hyacinth and lettuce. That'll keep it
out of the spillways too.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com