Tortie is just one of a quartet of well-established guest visitors who take full advantage of my open-door policy (actually, open-window), coming in for the food on offer; as though I don't have enough to do caring for my own 'resident' Dynamic Duo (more pics at bottom of blog). Tortie even occasionally comes in for a nap, freely using any of my rooms, much to the unexpressed but clear displeasure of my real 'children', Blackso and Noodles.
But as well as all these whiskery ones, I'm now also being visited by, of all things - a SEAGULL! - it may actually be more than one of them. I can't tell them all apart easily. This bird, assuming it is just the one, is actually bigger than my own two cats and when, some weeks ago I found it sitting on the window sill, I reduced the window gap just in case it was tempted to make an entry. The window is left open day and night so the pussies can come and go as and when they wish.
Then some days ago there was the sound of some sort of skirmish in the kitchen. The bird had come right inside and was trying to get out again by flying up and charging against the window. Managed to let the panicky thing out, while dodging its large (relatively) wing-span. I then reduced the opening still further. But then just a couple of days later, it was in again. Let it out once more and attempted to reduce the gap even more by blocking part of it with a couple of large dry cat-food cartons. The cats have to really squeeze to get through now. Yet now only this morning I heard a persistent 'tuk-tuk' sound, with my own Noodles looking wide-eyed down the hall in the direction of the kitchen. Went to investigate and - would you credit it? - the pesky thing was in yet again, helping itself to the left-out cat food. Before I could open the window wide to coax or force it out once more, it actually pulled its body into a smaller size, squeezed out of the little gap itself and flew off. What a nerve!
I already spend more on cat food for my own two, plus the four approved 'guests', than I spend on food for myself. If I'm to add to my visitors a non-feline and unwelcome intruder that would be just the limit! No, I'll just have to put my foot down. But how on earth to keep the cheeky feathered thing out while giving the true pussies free rein to come and go as they please? In a fight between the gull and one of 'my' cats I don't think I'd bet on the cat coming out the better one. What happens if it gets in while I'm out? Oh dear. Problems, problems!
seagulls can be agressive birds, so beware
ReplyDeleteThink Hitchcock !
Yes, Dr Spo, this particular gull (just the one? Can't be sure.) has a wingspan of at least a yard, and last night in got in yet again. They can be quite scary when very close. I've rigged up a plastic 'curtain' with vertical cuts, out of rubbish bags to hang from the lower window frame, so the cats can come and go but the birds might be deterred. Too early to say if it's working but trouble is, as it's translucent, not transparent, the cats can't now sit at the open window to watch the world going by, as they like to do. My hope is that the gull will get fed up and stop trying, and enable me to take it down after a little while.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, though.
Why are the cats not hunting and killing the bird?
ReplyDeleteBecause the bird is as big as my two cats put together, Cubby. They must find its intrusion even more daunting than I do.
ReplyDeleteBe careful Ray, they can be very mean and they don't back down easily. I like your plastic sheathing idea. I might have suggested something similar.
ReplyDeleteThought I'd cracked it Kyle. Found a metal telescopic bar I had (just can't remember what it was from) which fits tightly across the window width, and placed correctly makes it impossible (I thought until yesterday) for the gull to squeeze under or over it if the window also remains insufficiently open, yet can allow the cats to squeeze through. Then this morning I heard that familiar commotion. Yes, there it was in again! Hell's bells! Now I'll try a combo of the plastic AND the bar. But this is getting just too absurd for words.
ReplyDeleteHe's a clever one alright! Is it time to change the open window access to a cat flap? Or would that be too traumatic for your own cats as they aren't used to that type of access?
ReplyDeleteCraig (thanks for visiting) - cat flap no can do. I'm on the first floor - (what Americans call the second floor!) I don't know if they make cat flaps for open windows. Maybe worth investigating.
ReplyDeleteJust when I think the gull has finally given up I find it there, sitting again on the window sill, peeking in jerkily - though I have managed to keep it from actually getting inside for several days now. However, the cost is to the ease of the cats getting in and out, which they can do, but it's an awful struggle for them.
In a couple of days I'm going away for a short while, putting the cats in a cattery. Hope that when I get back the gull will have got tired of trying, but I'm not pinning hopes on it.