OT barking cat problem

[default]

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed,
and affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer
to do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

So far it's been working for a year. She did learn how to bat the
copper wires down and then step over them, but she hasn't been able to
do that with the SS wire. (old fishing leader wire - spring steel)

 

[George Herold]

On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 2:06:11 PM UTC-5, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:47:25 -0500, default wrote:

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed, and
affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer to
do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

So far it's been working for a year. She did learn how to bat the
copper wires down and then step over them, but she hasn't been able to
do that with the SS wire. (old fishing leader wire - spring steel)

If you were local to Portland OR I'd offer to take her on for you.

The only two things keeping me from being a crazy cat lady are (1) my
gender, and (2) my wife.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Don't go there Tim! I'm not sure if this is true.. it's partly neighbor
rumors. But about 10 years ago there was a crazy cat guy who lived in an old
house down the road. (Cats everywhere.) One night there was a fire, and the
rumor is that it started from spontaneous combustion of the accumulated cat droppings. (Crazy cat guys don't have the cleanliness needed.)

To the OP I would suggest that if you don't want cat's "barking" at your door,
then don't feed them.... that tends to work for most animals.

George H.

 

[Tim Wescott]

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:47:25 -0500, default wrote:

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed, and
affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer to
do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

So far it's been working for a year. She did learn how to bat the
copper wires down and then step over them, but she hasn't been able to
do that with the SS wire. (old fishing leader wire - spring steel)

If you were local to Portland OR I'd offer to take her on for you.

The only two things keeping me from being a crazy cat lady are (1) my
gender, and (2) my wife.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

 

[default]

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 13:06:07 -0600, Tim Wescott
<seemywebsite@myfooter.really> wrote:

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:47:25 -0500, default wrote:

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed, and
affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer to
do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

So far it's been working for a year. She did learn how to bat the
copper wires down and then step over them, but she hasn't been able to
do that with the SS wire. (old fishing leader wire - spring steel)

If you were local to Portland OR I'd offer to take her on for you.

The only two things keeping me from being a crazy cat lady are (1) my
gender, and (2) my wife.

I like cats and would part with this stray because it is so obvious
that she's gentle and was someone's house cat. I can't walk past her
without her flopping on her side assuming a submissive posture. She'd
probably be great with kids.

 

[default]

On Mon, 8 Feb 2016 12:58:47 -0800 (PST), George Herold
<gherold@teachspin.com> wrote:

On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 2:06:11 PM UTC-5, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:47:25 -0500, default wrote:

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed, and
affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer to
do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

So far it's been working for a year. She did learn how to bat the
copper wires down and then step over them, but she hasn't been able to
do that with the SS wire. (old fishing leader wire - spring steel)

If you were local to Portland OR I'd offer to take her on for you.

The only two things keeping me from being a crazy cat lady are (1) my
gender, and (2) my wife.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Don't go there Tim! I'm not sure if this is true.. it's partly neighbor
rumors. But about 10 years ago there was a crazy cat guy who lived in an old
house down the road. (Cats everywhere.) One night there was a fire, and the
rumor is that it started from spontaneous combustion of the accumulated cat droppings. (Crazy cat guys don't have the cleanliness needed.)

To the OP I would suggest that if you don't want cat's "barking" at your door,
then don't feed them.... that tends to work for most animals.

George H.


That assumes a lack of empathy and compassion.

 

[George Herold]

On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 4:25:20 PM UTC-5, default wrote:

On Mon, 8 Feb 2016 12:58:47 -0800 (PST), George Herold
gherold@teachspin.com> wrote:

On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 2:06:11 PM UTC-5, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:47:25 -0500, default wrote:

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed, and
affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer to
do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

So far it's been working for a year. She did learn how to bat the
copper wires down and then step over them, but she hasn't been able to
do that with the SS wire. (old fishing leader wire - spring steel)

If you were local to Portland OR I'd offer to take her on for you.

The only two things keeping me from being a crazy cat lady are (1) my
gender, and (2) my wife.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Don't go there Tim! I'm not sure if this is true.. it's partly neighbor
rumors. But about 10 years ago there was a crazy cat guy who lived in an old
house down the road. (Cats everywhere.) One night there was a fire, and the
rumor is that it started from spontaneous combustion of the accumulated cat droppings. (Crazy cat guys don't have the cleanliness needed.)

To the OP I would suggest that if you don't want cat's "barking" at your door,
then don't feed them.... that tends to work for most animals.

George H.


That assumes a lack of empathy and compassion.

Ahh OK. We've got two cats at the moment, both strays. There are a lot of "barn
cats" in the area, and at least once a year another one will take up residence in
our barn for a few weeks... and then move on.
I try and train the cats, the cats try and train my wife.
(The cats have more success than I do.... but I'm a dog person.)

George H.

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:25:15 -0500, default wrote:

> That assumes a lack of empathy and compassion.

Electrifying the cat doesn't seem very compassionate, though.

 

[default]

On Mon, 15 Feb 2016 00:08:50 -0000 (UTC), Cursitor Doom
<curd@notformail.com> wrote:

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:25:15 -0500, default wrote:

That assumes a lack of empathy and compassion.

Electrifying the cat doesn't seem very compassionate, though.

Agreed. The cat already found ways to circumvent the various physical
barriers I tried, so...

Needless to say, I've experienced it a time or two myself. It is
unpleasant, but I could hold on to the electrode if it were necessary.
If she touches it now, it is because she's still testing it since I
went to stiff electrode wires. She just perches on the fence railing
in the morning's.

 

[Frnak McKenney]

On Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:47:25 -0500, default <default@defaulter.net> wrote:

OK so she doesn't really "bark."

I have this stray that seems to be someone's house cat that got
abandoned during the last economic downturn. She's docile, spayed,
and affectionate, lives in my gazebo and has the annoying habit of
scratching at the bay window in the mornings. I feed her, but prefer
to do it on my schedule not hers.

To keep her from getting to the window from the nearby deck railing, I
bought a surplus 800V power supply. ($2) One of those low current
gizmos that are used to power cold cathode fluorescent tubes with high
frequency. It works on 12 volts, and is connected to some low voltage
lighting power supply nearby. I ran the hot electrode to a spray of
stainless steel wires (have to get down past the fur before she feels
it) and mounted the wires on the railing.

The picture I have is that the gazebo is a building detached from your
house, and that the bottom of the "bay window" is a foot or two from
the ground and projects out a foot or two from the house.

I'm guessing that the bay window also has an outdoor sill that the cat
sits on to scratch at the window. ( If she's jumping from the ground
and batting at the glass panes I'm not sure what to recommend. <grin!> )

If you're willing to give up viewing through an inch or two of the bottom
panes on the window, how about installing a triangular block that fills
the sill, such that the cat simply slides off whenever she tries to sit
on it?

Jes' a thought...


Frank McKenney
McKenney Associates
--
If youth is the season of hope, it is often so only in the sense that
our elders are hopeful about us; for no age is so apt as youth to think
that its emotions, partings, and resolves are the last of their kind.
We are told that the oldest inhabitants of Peru do not cease to be
agitated by the earthquakes, but they probably see beyond each shock,
and reflect that there are plenty more to come.

-- George Eliot, "Middlemarch"
--
Frank McKenney, McKenney Associates
Richmond, Virginia / (804) 320-4887
Munged E-mail: frank und.scr mckenney aatt mindspring d.ot com