Cat proof hedge

will21hughes

Any recommendations for keeping a cat from out of a hedge that borders the neighbours.

Hedge is on neighbours side and backs up against a 3ft fence on our side. The hedge reaches above the fence over double the height and encroaches our garden but this is not unwanted.

Our cat is currently enjoying getting into the gaps in the hedge that are less dense to watch the birds that feed in their garden, pouncing and jumping back through the hedge to our garden.

Without chopping back and putting in a new 6ft fence my initial thought was to place chicken wire in the obvious gaps in the hedge that the cat gets into. Not sure how easy or successful this will be however.

If anyone has any thoughts or experiences with this then please let me know.

Lizzie27

Could you tie or secure a narrow vertical trellis panel to the hedge either side of the gap(s)? Does your cat jump onto the top of the fence and then through the hedge?

If the gaps are not large, perhaps garden twine criss-crossed across the gaps might deter the cat?

I had the opposite problem of a neighbour's cat getting through under our privet hedge so solved that one by putting a roll of chicken wire right along and letting the privet grow through the chicken wire to hide it. It doesn't always work because the cat sometimes pushes the wire up where I haven't been able to secure it down.
I'm not sure you can ever win a battle against a cat!

februarysgirl

Well, I don't have any suggestions per se, but I can guarantee that a 6ft fence won't prevent the little tyke. Our fences are 6ft but the neighbourhood cats jump it with very little effort. Even our cat manages it and he's a lazy arse 

Dovefromabove

You need minimum seven foot posts and chain link fencing around your boundary. That’ll keep him/her on your property and keep the birds safe. 

will21hughes

Agree, there’s not a lot we can do to stop her from doing her thing. Very agile, energetic and determined. 

It just seems as though the main gateway is these couple of gaps in the hedge that she can hide in and leap in and out without being seen and shooed away.

The twine idea might be worth a go for starters.

Poppypuss

I’d just make sure that your cat proof barrier is not also a hedgehog proof barrier

will21hughes

Poppypuss said:

I’d just make sure that your cat proof barrier is not also a hedgehog proof barrier

Unless the hedgehogs can climb 6ft into the hedge then they should be fine.

Poppypuss

will21hughes said

Unless the hedgehogs can climb 6ft into the hedge then they should be fine.

Now that would be worth seeing! 😀

NewBoy2

As long as the cat is not massacring the local bird population I should just let nature be.

Cats are a law unto themselves and lets not forget they are just small lions !!