At our vacation home the birds like to build their nest on a 90 degree bend in our downspout. Unfortunately it's next to the front door so we disturb them every time we enter or leave. And since we're not there every day we can't dismantle it when they start building.

So we finally put some plastic chicken wire on top to discourage them and they're relocated to the downspout on the side of the house. Would something like that work for you?

Cynic, get a bit of mesh fabric and put 2 or 3 moth balls in it, and tie it to the light fixture, and they wont build there anymore. I had same problem here, and last year, the light fixture itself had, had enough, it came loose from its mounting, and it was really shabby looking. I went and bought a new one, and had it installed, and this year, the little bit of moth balls is taking care of the problem, so no nesting there. My little mesh bag is right on the very top of the fixture, because thats where they put the nest.

Were there eggs already in it?? Hope not!

That is the biggest...most contented looking...ball of fur I've seen in a long time. :-) And...look at the size of those paws! What do you feed her, Cynic? The neighbors?!?

She's beautiful! Sure wish I had a clone of her to keep me company.

Anne

Yep, rubber snakes and lizards strategically placed work great for us.

Jodi-

Can't help you with your bird problem Cynic, but I think your kitty is gorgeous, and that she needs a new playmate!!! LOL

Years ago, we had a sailboat that we'd winter over in the back yard with the mast down. And every spring there would be a birds nest with eggs in the end of the mast. We'd wait until the babies flew away before we'd launch the boat in the spring. A friend had a boat that he'd dock in the spring and got tired of the ducks laying eggs in the coaming (a pocket in the wall in the deck of the sailboat.) for several years. He boarded them up every spring to keep the ducks from laying their eggs there.

If you have any old music CD's (you known those shiny disc things) you can tie them through the center holes with string and let them twist in the wind. This will scare birds off. I know it works because every spring I get robins trying to build a nest in my kitchen exhaust fan. CDs work!

I was wondering about mothballs. Jannie, I had forgotten about CDs. I have a *bunch* of those around here! Some chicken wire too is a possibility. Didn't even realize there's a plastic version although there's plastic everything these days so I shouldn't be surprised. That wouldn't interfere with the lights either. The problem is mainly during nesting season. Once I get through this, all is well. I just feel bad that they wasted all that effort. But at the same time I don't want to risk endangering them either. My sister suggested putting a bird house up next to it but I wondered if that would just bring a second nest!

Oh, no eggs in it sjerin. There was the one year and the heat from the light cooked them. Really felt bad about that.

She must have heard you anne_ct, guess who's laying across my wrists while I type? And I'll have you know she's withered away to skin and bone! (and fat...) She's just bulked up for the extended winter we've had around here. Also telling me she needs the extra insulation for the hot summer coming. That's her story and she's sticking to it! Here's how she looked in her more slender days. Yes she has large front paws but quite dainty rear paws, well at least more typical size. Sounds like that's not unusual in a Manx. She love chasing the red dot around. I found the laser pointers at the dollar store now so there's a cheap source for them. She comes yelling for it about 3 or 4 in the morning. And when she wants exercise I won't deny it. My cat's not spoiled... she just smells that way! And Jasdip, she has made it clear that this is a one-cat household. Dogs may enter at their own risk. She'll beat them up like she did little Sunny-boy. She fancies herself a bit of a hockey player and will check the competition into the boards, and with her at about 15 pounds now, she gets momentum when she charges. She was a traumatized cat when she first arrived. Was on her way to her final shot when a friend asked if I'd try to find a home for her. She still isn't too trusting of a lot of people, women especially (she was abused) but as you can see, she manages to force herself to relax some these days. Typical female, she wants things HER way but she's calmed down a lot over the years and it quite friendly and affectionate.

Uh, but, now that you mention it... there's a couple neighbors I haven't seen around in a while...

She's absolutely precious, Cynic! It's easy to see that she's well loved and very content with her caretaker. Skin and bones eh!?! I doubt she's seen anything close to that under your care. She has a beautiful coat and I'm sure it's a reflection of her menu choices. [Neighbors included.] She's not spoiled. Nah! She's an intelligent matriarch.

My deceased cat used to love the laser romps. IMO...those pointers are the best cat toys ever invented. She'd chase that red beam all over the house. It was wonderful exercise for her...and she tipped the scales at about the same number as your darling does.

Thanks so much for sharing her pictures. I wish I could afford to adopt a new furry companion...but for now...I limit my enjoyment to other peoples. You added a lot of sunshine to my last couple of days by sharing yours. She's beautiful!

Anne