Cats. Argh...

We have cats.  Mostly, they are great.  They keep the mouse population at zero in my garage and shop, and that was the goal.  Problem is, they are too efficient as killers.  I do my best to create snake-breeding areas around the property, and I've been more successful than I could have hoped.  Every year I have lots and lots of baby snakes and a have quite a few large adults.  Yesterday we had an extremely abnormal day, nearly 90 degrees.  I got home from work and was making my normal rounds and I found a couple of my kittens playing with the 3 baby snakes they had killed.  Ugh.

Can you build in more hidey-holes closer together for them?   Rock piles?  Give them more of a fighting chance?   Good kitties honing their skills though, and taking out the competition lol.  

Heather Staas wrote:Can you build in more hidey-holes closer together for them?   Rock piles?  Give them more of a fighting chance?   Good kitties honing their skills though, and taking out the competition lol.  

I can try.  I have rock piles, but I can try making more closer to the breeding areas.  I'm afraid the cats will get them while they are basking in the sun, but more rock piles will give them a better chance.

We got our first kitten almost a year ago in May.

She helps with the mouse population like yours.

And unfortunately some other desirable wildlife.

She also rules our lives coming and going all day.

She goes out to play then comes back for a nap, etc.

Last summer I worry every night if we would have a cat in the morning.

This year I worry if she will show up before we go to bed because now she spends her nights sleeping inside in her bed.

I grow those wee beasties too, usually in 12 litre pots. Successfully grown five now, I got slightly carried away.

Here's one getting some sunshine before being fed and watered

I'm hoping to encourage some birds into my empty field in the future but have my concerns, might try fence off a small area for the birds to land and eat in safety from the cats.