Cats, helpful or nuisance?

Our neighbours premesis has a garden area with trees and shrubs. Creatures like insects are common, even in my yard. Allowing cats to roam about is known to be helpful in keeping the insects/reptile numbers in check. They don't do any damage to plants as such. So, I too have allowed them to roam about. There are 3 kitten now. They don't seem to go to the pond for fish now but earlier I had a doubt if it was taking fish - not the mother of these kitten, but another cat from another 'owner' opposite house - now gone. I'm now convinced that the fish are safe. We don't keep them inside as we are not used to petting. We are just animal lovers. Satisfied with observing from a distance and showing kindness to them. But these cats can be a nuisance in the mating season - they make a lot of noise preventing us to sleep. These are from the same mother.

These are lovelier! They are sitting on the wall of my neighbour.

A tabby's a tabby anywhere in the world, I guess. Such lovely kittens.

Yeah?

Dinu, The best thing you can do is get the cats "fixed". A female cat will stay in heat until bred, and as soon as the kittens are weaned, the mom is in heat again....hence the outrageous cat population. I'm not sure what kind of facilities are available to you there in India, but spaying and neutering are the way to go, unless you don't mind a hundred cats! Cats are great at catching mice, obviously, but they are also very good at finding snakes.
I love cats, especially the big ones (like y'all have over there). I wanted a cougar for so long, but had kids instead....they're 'bout grown up so maybe there's still hope for me to have the pet of my dreams!

I have no idea about the controls. But what may be happening to keep the cat number in check may be because someone interested in pets could be picking them up when they find them outside the premesis or if it strays out of its regular habitat. This is a great possibility. So, we are not that much worried about the numbers. There are bandicoots around that can damage my garden by digging seedlings and earth in search of food. They are the size of these kitten and slightly bigger as well. Mice too are present indoors, but not a problem with things, but with food/fruits. We close the kitchen door at night to prevent rats. If we keep the cat in, this can be overcome, but then that does not happen for other reasons.

Here are some cat factoids for you.

http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/

Our neighbor has outdoor cats, which catch mice and voles in our garden. The cats sometimes hang around beneath our bird feeders, but the birds spot them easily and the alarm call goes out. We lose more small birds to hawks than cats. On the whole, I think the cats have a beneficial effect in the garden. They can be a nuisance scratching holes in newly dug areas, however. My father had a vegetable garden and when he sowed seeds he used to string cotton over the seedbed to keep the cats off.
Our own cats stay indoors. We are too worried about foxes and coyotes eating our beloved cats to let them outside. Dinu, perhaps there are predators in your neighborhood that are keeping the domestic cat population in check. If no-one is vaccinating the cats, their disease fatality rate is probably quite high too. Poor kitties! I am glad they have found sanctuary in your garden.
June

Thanks June. I have seen sometimes dogs prey on cats. It's their natural instinct, I reckon. We live in densely polulated area unlike yours where you have problem with foxes and coyotes. Here, nobody cares for cats as much as they care for pet dogs, probably because they are 'hardy' and don't ask for much attention with relation to petting and feeding. AS such, vaccinating them is out of question. Since by nature cats don't like water, bathing them too is avoided by "owners".

I have issues with cats defocating & urinating in my garden beds. This is especially a problem when the soil is freshly turned and not too wet. It is a nasty business in my vegetable garden. I don't own a cat, but the neighbors do. I try to avoid churning the soil, and I try to keep it damp, so it is less inviting.

anyone need kittens? I'll ship them!

LOL!

Weezingreens, you could try sprinkling powdered hot pepper in your garden beds (this also deters raccoons and rabbits). You would have to re-apply after watering, however. My favorite brand is Szeged Hungarian Hot Paprika.

Sounds good, June, but I live in a rainy environment, and I have more gardens than I can afford to sprinkle with hot pepper. I will keep it in mind, though for the early part of the season when the plants are small and the ground is freshly turned. I like kitties, but not in my garden!

Weez I have also used the cuttings from my Barberry to lay in the certain beds that were being used by my neighbors cat. She learned fast!! I would think anything prickly would do the trick!

My mom's beloved rabbit was killed right in front of her by a wandering dog. My mom was in HER yard with Bunny taking him for his 'walk.' It's just a shame... There are so many good reasons to control feral populations and keep your pets restrained. I love my animals too much to let them run loose. Unfortunately too the feral cat population at least in the US has done serious damage to the native bird population. The whole thing is just sad to me. Nobody wins..

Nicole

I think it is much harder to keep cats in the yard, than dogs. Cats are just natural wanderers, and if they are allowed outside, they seek out soft soil, or even decorative mulches to do their business, as well as preying upon birds at feeders. One can't blame the cats... it is in their nature, and it seems sad to keep a cat from the outside world it loves, but in urban environments, they can cause such problems. Feral cats in the cities are even more of a problem since the breed so readily, and natural predators are limited.

We have that problem with domestic rabbits in the downtown Seward area. People let them go because they think a bunny hopping around the yard is charming, but they breed and spread, becoming real menaces for gardeners. However, domestic rabbits released outside the town last less than a year because the bald eagles snatch them up. I imagine they are more likely to be eagle food because they are not the camouflaged dun color of wild rabbits, but rather white and spotted.

they also have no skills to help them.

Yes, the wilds are for hares and rabbits, not bunnies.