# Need help keeping cat out of my yard and away from my torts!



## igirl (Oct 2, 2008)

We have discovered that there's a cat who's taken to hanging out in our yard lately. I'm not sure how long this has been going on, probably a while, but lately it's there more often. 

I'm wondering what I can put down in the yard that won't bother or hurt the torts but will keep the cat out. We have 2 dogs, but they are separated from the torts and of course the cat knows this and likes to hang out behind the bushes just outside their reach and tease them. They bark their heads off, but the cat doesn't bat an eyelash. 

I just worry that the cat is going to flip over Lucky, our little tort. I'm pretty sure that Donatello is too heavy for him to flip, but Lucky could probably get pawed over. Any suggestions?


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## Shelly (Oct 2, 2008)

Feral cats have the run of my yard, and they have never caused any problem for my torts, and i do have one that is very small (or used to be, anyhow).


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## longbeachskunk (Oct 2, 2008)

Aside from our own cat, all the neighborhood cats roam into our yard daily. Our cat doesn't seem to mind the torts. He will just smell them on occasion out of curiosity or play with them depending on his catty mood. He's never pawed at them. Also the torts like the cat and follow him around. I'm assuming that the other cats do the same when I'm at work all day. Cats are cats, they are curious creatures but won't do any harm to your torts.
The ferel cats are fine, you shouldn't worry too much


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## CGKeith (Oct 2, 2008)

I'm not sure where you live but the City animal control office here will bring a "cat trap" and leave it. Once you have one they come back and pic it up. No more cat problem.


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## sharlan (Oct 2, 2008)

Our cats have never bothered our tortoises, it's the other way around. My male loves to bite tails and always has.


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## Greg T (Oct 2, 2008)

A well aimed garden hose will usually keep the cats away! One or two shots and they'll find somewhere else to hide.


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## tortoiselady528 (Oct 3, 2008)

The only reason I worry about this is because I once lost a baby leo to a neighbours cat. I had a top made of a sort of wire mesh that was bent and arranged so that it would clamp itself onto the enclosure when applied. However, pepper next door managed to get in somehow and take off with one of my torts!
We never did find her. I looked daily around the neighbourhood, in the yard, and in their yard for months. Posters and phone calls and still no Dot. She was very little at the time, about 2 months old.
The top of my enclosure is now nailed down on both sides and re-checked before leaving my little ones out. I would just suggest a top to your enclosure right now until you are sure the cat can't flip them over.


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## sushisurf13 (Oct 3, 2008)

I like the water hose idea. there are also motion activated sprinklers that will turn on for a few seconds if anything goes back there. My father in law installed on near his koi pond to keep herons and egrets from killing the koi. It worked great.


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## igirl (Oct 3, 2008)

That's funny the hose idea got brought up. That's exactly what my DH did last night when we went out and there it was hiding in our bushes. I'm hoping we can get it a couple more times so it will eventually stay out of our yard. Problem is that we're gone most of the day. I also think it comes really early in the morning before we're up and hangs out. 

I can't cover the enclosure because it's 1/2 of my yard. 

What do you think would be too big to flip over for a cat? Lucky is about 6 years old. I have no idea how much she weighs, but she's probably the width of a cantelope (not circumference - haha)


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## Greg T (Oct 3, 2008)

What do you think would be too big to flip over for a cat? Lucky is about 6 years old. I have no idea how much she weighs, but she's probably the width of a cantelope (not circumference - haha)
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She sounds to be big enough to handle her own with a cat. A cat would play with a small tort that she can easily control. Unless you have seen the cat and tort interact, I wouldn't worry much about it. I'd still try to get the cat out of the yard though, just because it is a pest.

Or you could teach your tort to do this trick!


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## igirl (Oct 3, 2008)

Ok, thanks. I'll try and see if I can see what the cat actually does when it's back there -- besides poop! I just worry cuz she's my little one  I KNOW Donny (the big one) can hold his own and I pitty the cat that messes with him. haha


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