Cats!

[mark smyth]

listening! ...

[Maggi Young]

yes, tell us, and also why so many white cats ( and Dalmation Dogs) are deaf, please.

[mark smyth]

Maggi but only those with at least one blue eye.

For the cat I'll say it's sex linked and males carry the gene without showing it.

I used to breed small Australian parakeets, not budgies, and had to learn genetics.

[Rogan]

Now you've frightened him away  or is he preparing an essay for us? 

[Maggi Young]

Anthony will surely return, Rogan... I have heard his middle name is MacArthur 

Cats are surely a pest in most gardens and we have serious issues with them regarding our garden birds but when they are as cute as these kittens, it would take a hard heart not to love them:
 

These adorable brothers, yes, they are two individual kittens, though VERY alike, are the latest additions to the family of Rod and Jane  Leeds ....
beautiful cats, aren't they? I think that they are colourpoint British Shorthair cats....but I'm no expert.

[gote]

Anthony
Do I want to have sphincters all over the place?
Göte

[Anthony Darby]

Göte, I knew there was a down side to that. 

Spot with sex linked Mark. Black (B) and ginger (G) alleles (forms of a single gene) are on the X chromosome. Females are XX and males XY. X_BX_B = black female; X_GX_G = ginger female; X_BX_G = tortoiseshell female; X_BY = black Tom; X_GY = ginger Tom. The odd tortoiseshell Tom is X_BX_GY due to a mutation in which the cat has XXY (Klinefelter's syndrome in humans -  given to parents in a blue blanket but the extra X expresses itself at puberty).

[David Nicholson]

Göte, I knew there was a down side to that. 

Spot with sex linked Mark. Black (B) and ginger (G) alleles (forms of a single gene) are on the X chromosome. Females are XX and males XY. X_BX_B = black female; X_GX_G = ginger female; X_BX_G = tortoiseshell female; X_BY = black Tom; X_GY = ginger Tom. The odd tortoiseshell Tom is X_BX_GY due to a mutation in which the cat has XXY (Klinefelter's syndrome in humans - you, given to parents in a blue blanket but the extra X expresses itself at puberty).

Well that explains it all!! I had no idea.

[mark smyth]

Cat/s did lots of damage in my garden last night. It's so annoying. I'm considering trapping them and taking them away for a long drive. Horrible but I cant put up with this through to next Summer

[David Nicholson]

2.2 rifle and a spade!

[Martin Baxendale]

Mark, have you considered electronic cat scarers? I used them to try to keep the badger out, which didn't work, but I found that cats really don't like them. You know the sort of thing - emits a human-inaudible high pitched screech that cats can hear and hate. In a small enclosed garden area they can be quite effective. You can get mains-powered one that pump out the noise constantly, or battery ones that go on when they detect movement. Try googling cat scarers (maybe + electronic) and you should find a mail order supplier. Or try some of the garden supplies sites.

[Maggi Young]

David, you'll get us all arrested! Anyway, if you can get close enough, the spade will suffice.

[David Nicholson]

Oooooooo, you are cruel

It's not really the cat's fault is it, more the owners? I think it was Martin who, when we last aired this subject, had trained his cat to go and do ait's natural functions in a place that he wanted it to go in rather than one that took the fancy of the cat?

[Maggi Young]

Quite so, the poor cat is only doin' what comes naturally... but if dog owners let their animal "do what comes naturally" they'd be arrested for sheep worrying and the dogs shot......we don't consider it acceptable for pet dogs to eat cats and children, why should cats be allowed to eat birds and do all their irritating stuff? Cats in a country area are one thing, in a twn they are a flipping nuisance... and don't get me started on them in the likes of far-flung islands etc where they have been introduced to the utter destruction of native wildlife.
I know lots of perfectly happy cats who are house cats who spend time oudoors with their owner, go for a walk etc and who never mangle a single garden bird... admittedly that means they aren't eat mangling any pests either, but what the hell...I'd rather deal with those pests and enjoy the birds.
Tummy rumbling so off to hunt down plate of caulifower cheese for lunch, rant over... meantime.

[David Shaw]

Dogs aren't allowed to chase sheep, chase birds, run through other peoples gardens, crap on the footpath without the owner cleaning it up'....... But they do.
Most dog owners are nice, normal human beings. Then there are the others.
For non cat people Martin's suggestion of the electronic scarer is a good one. For keeping selected cats out a powerful water pistol is a possible alternative.