Wooden mulch, bird baths, cats

[Newbie]

To make a long story short, I am worrying about whether wood mulch (Cedar Nuggets from Home Depot to be precise) is safe for cats to run on or jump onto? Or small metal bird baths placed on that mulch?

Nothing bad has happened to our knowledge. But a neighbor's cat returned with a serious limp in one of the front leg. She'll heal, but this got him and me talking that while there isn't much we can do about the outside world, we should cat proofing our yards more consciously.

Exhibit 1: My wife has created about a 60 feet long strip of wooden mulch along the fence because grass doesn't grow easily here. Cats love to walk on the mulch, even jump on it from the fence. (As mentioned, it is Cedar Nuggets from Home Depot.)

Now, I tried walking barefoot on it for a few feet and realized it wasn't like normal ground. You have thousands of wood chips, some with sharp edges, all at random angle. I felt a lot of sharp points and edges. Walking gently is one thing, but if a cat ran or, worse, jumped from a fence, she could land on a sharp chip the wrong way and get hurt?

Exhibit 2: We have an 18" heavy iron bird bath. It looks pretty but my fear is it easy to trip. Especially when it is sitting on an uneven ground like the mulch or even grass. Cats are naturally curious, this is just the roght height for them to try playing or climbing, and having it fall on them.

Would appreciate any experience you have guys may have here about saftey of cats running/jumping on wood chips, and playing near bird baths.

[Pennyaline]

Exhibit 1: My wife has created about a 60 feet long strip of wooden

If you want to make your cats' lives better and safer (and give yourselves less to worry about in the bargain) keep them indoors.

Cats are clever. They wont persist at something that hurts. Very wise, unlike many of us higher animals, obviously. Either don't use the mulch or keep the cats indoors. If neither of those are viable options, stop worrying. As you said earlier, "they love to walk on the mulch, even jump on it from the fence."

I'm concerned about the safety of the birds in such close proximity to the cats.

If the birdbath is so unstable you're concerned about the cats being injured by it:

1. don't put it up -- find another way to leave water out for the birds, or
2. keep the cats indoors

[FragileWarrior]

No to the woodchips bothering the cat. His paws and his weight are not the same as your feet and your weight. The fact that you can see cats like walking in it (and using it for a literbox, too, no doubt) is a good indication that cats are fine with it.

No to putting a heavy, unstable ANYTHING on top of woodchips. Go to ground level, put down a paving tile, level it, put the birdbath on top and rake woodchips around it. If it still tips easily, get a plastic one or risk finding a cat with its brains bashed out someday.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Do me a favor. Tomorrow morning, when you're sober, post an apology for that question, OK?

[Newbie]

: I'm concerned about the safety of the birds in such close proximity to : the cats.

We call it a birdbath because that's what the shop called it, but birds don't seem to agree and it is merely a decoration. Birds do like to eat in our yard, but so far our water has not interested them. Maybe there are other better sources of water nearby.

There are many cats in the neighborhood, and many birds too. With a little common sense it seems to be working out. Cats are usually well fed and content. Bird feeders are high, near wires and tree branches which they use as staging area. I try not to have any thing near the feeder that would hide cats.

[Steve]

ROTFL

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from Pennyaline contains these words:

Do the same for your children, you know it makes sense.

Janet.

[symplastless]

Good question.

If a tree had a great deal of injections and systemics applid there is a good chance that thge chemacls may be stored in the wood. Trees load, store and then use.

What I use at clients properties is composted tree trimmings. This consist of wood chips, leaves and needles. I let them compost for at least one year. NOT FRESH CHIPS. I do not find myself recommending to clients to buy bags of mulch. What ever you use here are some helpful tips in proper mulching.

Proper Mulching -

Look up "Mulch"

Here are two links addressing some of the chemistry of mulch.

Troubles in the Rhizosphere

Touch of Chemistry John A. Keslick, Jr. Consulting Arborist Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology. Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss.

[Jo Ann]

This has GOT to be a troll. No one that worried about cats' safety would be letting them out to travel the neighborhood.

Jo Ann

[William Graham]

If a cat is "fixed: it will seldom travel off of your property....We live on a dead end street, and one of our cats came from a neighbor (when they got a dog) she still goes back there to visit once in a while, and takes her buddy B-K with her, but other than that, all of our cats spend all of their time on the property. So, other than using the ground for a cat box, they are really inside cats.....

[Pennyaline]

Spayed and neutered cats roam just as much as intact cats do. The difference is that they don't roam looking to mate and don't contribute to the cat overpopulation problem. They are just as much at risk of getting lost, being killed by traffic, getting injured or killed by other animals, exposure and reexposure to diseases communicable to other animals AND humans, becoming stranded outdoors in bad weather, eating poisoned baits, etc. They will return to anyplace they find food, so don't pat yourself on the back about your kitty's fidelity. She may vanish forever at any moment, and then who will you blame? Indoor cats that go outside are not indoor cats. Keep your cats inside!

[Dave]

If the birdbath is not level, or whatever is setting on is not substantive, is the cause. Fix that.

Dave

[William Graham]

The above has NOT been my experience, and I am 72 years old and have had many cats during my life....I have four of them right now....two males (one fixed, and one not) and two fixed females. Even the unfixed male never went more than two blocks away, and now, at about 6 years old, he seldom leaves the property. Three of my four cats were outside cats when I got them, and the other one soon learned to appreciate being able to go out on the deck and sun herself.....I wouldn't have an inside cat unless I lived in a very hazardous place, like a city apartment, and then I would get one only as a kitten, and train him/her from birth to live inside.....Even then, every inside cat I have known lives to go outside, and runs out every chance they get. - That should tell you something right there........

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from Pennyaline contains these words:

I think you underestimate cats:-) . In the UK, the vast majority of pet cat owners who live in houses (as opposed to flats/apartments) let their pet cats roam free; ours always have. Most responsible owners neuter the cat and if they live in an area with a high cat population, vaccinate against the commonest cat diseases.

In a lifetime of keeping cats, I've only lost one to a car accident; all the others have stayed with us in perfect health until they died of old age (the last one to go was 18, and the current one is a fit, active, kittenish 17 yr old who still chooses to spend a great deal of time out and about in the day.

Janet

[Pennyaline]

You know, when my mother had the first traffic accident in which she was truly at fault, she insisted to the victim, to the police, to the judge and to us that she couldn't POSSIBLY have done anything wrong. She explained ad nauseum that her driving was flawless, because she had been driving for 55 years and had so much experience. It was all the other person's fault, she rationalized, because the victim had only been driving for twelve years and was clearly inept for that reason. She denied blame then and still does to this day. She still will not see that using her age as a defense was one of her biggest missteps in that case.

Don't try to use the number of cats you have right now and the statement you've had many cats during your life as justification. It's lame, and comical.

He never went more than two blocks away? How far does a cat have to go to be lost, injured or killed. Every cat, even the best "trained" cat is motivated by prey drive. A fixed well-fed cat will still chase prey just to chase it.

But I can see there's no reasoning with you about this.

[CatNipped]

Obviously you don't know my cats. I can leave doors and windows wide open and none of them will go anywhere near the scary "out".

Hugs,

CatNipped

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from "CatNipped" contains these words:

Just tell them "On no account, may you go outside. I forbid it. Going outside is banned. DO NOT touch that grass. Stay inside, or else."

Cat Psychology Services Inc.

[William Graham]

What's, "comical" to you isn't necessarily comical to me....My sense of humor is a bit more expansive than that.....

In my case, (where I'm living right now) a lot further than two blocks.....You should learn to speak for yourself, and your own circumstances and experience.....Don't try to speak for me.

Every cat, even the best "trained" cat is

That's true, and I live on the edge of town.....My cats have over a hundred acres of farm land behind my house to do their sport hunting on.....

That's right.....Your mind is made up, so there's no chance that I will suddenly throw away all my knowledge and experience and acquire yours.......You have already decided that you know all about me and my cats. I'll bet you can read Bush's mind and know that he lied about the WMD's too, haven't you? Let me guess.....You're a liberal.....Right?

[William Graham]

That's true, I don't know your cats. I can only speak for the ones I have known. They have longed to go outside, but I have to say, they don't go far when they escape....They usually have just rolled around on the sidewalk just outside their mistresses' apartments.

[Pennyaline]

So is mine, but not so much that you're not funny.

I wasn't speaking for you, only quoting you. Observe the following, written by you:

"The above has NOT been my experience, and I am 72 years old and have had many cats during my life....I have four of them right now....two males (one fixed, and one not) and two fixed females. Even the unfixed male never went more than two blocks away, and now, at about 6 years old, he seldom leaves the property."

See, "two blocks away." Your claim, not mine.

Sooooooo, what about the aforementioned "two blocks"?

Okay, mom. That's right, the accident was NEVER your fault, mom.

Isn't that prerequisite to having a cat?