I'm on it with repellents. Did bamboo skewers last year, but after a while cats just started pooping between them (kind of got to admire that). Going to try chicken wire, rue and bobcat urine dispensers (I hope it's not as stinky as the coyote pee my mom tried for rabbits). And will have to remember to keep repelling during the winter. We'll have to agree to disagree about the gross-factor of cat poop v. bird, bat, etc. And about the shrugging off of pet owners' irresponsibility. Honestly, I think most just don't know and should be educated/encouraged to take measures to limit the problem, as we did with dogs. Though I understand it won't be eradicated any time soon. And, again, I'm not personally worried about disease. Dude, I raised a thumb-sucker in Africa:) I only bring up the disease part because it ties in to the pet owners' respnsibility. There is a known, sometimes deadly pathogen in their pet's feces. We can only do so much to control wild animal risks (and a lot is done, actually, to try to control honta and other diseases transmitted by animals, whether the through feces or other pathways), but pet owners *can* do something to control the risk from this pathogen (in fact, help reduce its prevalence), but they are not asked to or don't. I'm not sure why we've decided it's their right to possibly infect even one person at risk of death or sever illness from toxoplasmosis. I don't want to overstate the risk. It's, in the scheme of things, quite small. But, without being overly dramatic, that's not really a comfort to the individual mother who's lost a pregnancy or person who's lost an immuno-suppressed loved one. I'm just saying, there are things that could be done besides having gardeners remove or repel the doo doo, and maybe we should think about doing them. Start by educating cat owners. Why not try? Thanks for he discussion. It's allowed me to procrastinate quite nicely:) Hasta luego.

Looking in my 2007-2008 winter-sow database I sowed Heuchera on 12/22 and I had germination by 4/6. They weren't really slow to germinate but growth rate was VERY slow. By the time I transplanted them into individual containers to grow on they were still extremely tiny to work with. I didn't even get them planted into the garden until late September. Here is some pictures of progress; remember they started germination on April 6th! May 24th same day they were transplanted to these pots: June 12th June 26th November 6th

A) What variety of tree is it - evergreen or deciduous? B) Where do you live? C) Is the cat alright? If you live somewhere that the trees (and this tree in particular) lose leaves for the winter anyway, it will probably leaf out next spring just fine - it just lost its leaves a bit early this year. Don't let it dry out until then, esp. if in a pot - keep watering it when the soil is dry down an inch or so. If you are somewhere that gets HARD freezes, then protect the pot and roots from freezing over the winter by burying the pot in the ground, surrounding it with dry leaves, or the like. Whatever you do, protect it from mice or bunnies chewing on the bark over the winter.

I understand you rescue your animals and want to love and help them so they have a home, but please trust me having 2 or 5 acres of land isn't going to solve any animals behavioral issues. I rescue and pet sit animals myself. October 3,2010 I rescued a chihuahua which thank god he has survived and living a happy life as my service dog now. May 2011 I rescued a 8 month old chow which the dog owner said he was pet and human friendly so my husband and I said ok. At the time of rescuing him we had 3 chihuahuas, 2 adult dogs and a puppy not including the chow. First few days the chow was great with the other animals. Fourth day came a bunch of older kids walked by our fence and was teasing our animals. I decided to let out my chow/boxer puppy so he could bark them away from the fence. My chihuahua ran out with him barking and running towards them instead the 8 month old chow grabbed him, threw him to the ground, and just kept attacking him and the noise from the kids kept getting louder and they were laughing and saying the most cruel comments. My husband ran outside had to kick the dog off so my chihuahua could get loose. When he did get loose the dog kept going at him so my husband kept trying to keep him away until we got inside. My chihuahua and I sat on the floor he laid in my lap my mother in law came over. Carefully she took care of his wounds and made sure he was wrapped up warm in my lap since he doesn't go to anyone else. Called the shelter spoke with them we had to immediately put down the chow because he kept attacking everyone after he attacked him. Got him in the van took him to the shelter and he tried to bite them as well. They do use the gas chamber and Euthanizing shot, but since he kept biting we got him in the chamber. When opening the door it didn't work on him until the 3rd try. If my husband hadn't got him off my chihuahua in time he would've killed him his tooth was very close to the rib. Having a huge yard is great and fun, but unless if you plan to train and socialize every animal with the ones you have you will end up with a problem just like I did. My chihuahua has survived, but since being attacked he's not the same dog and he only allows and feels safe around my Anatolian shepherd that we have which protects him from everything. We do have two cats they will play with him, but I'm very cautious about what happens outside and inside. If you believe your dog bit your cat you need to work with him one on one and I'm sorry, but at this time I'm moving as well and having furniture packed and boxes around doesn't make a dog attack another animal. I recently, just pet sit 4 dogs that weren't my own and two were aggressive towards mine, but it had nothing to do with me moving. I'm sure even with moving you could take the dog on a short walk twice a day, play with him inside for a bit, give him attention. If your going to rescue then you have to do it right not just build up a yard or house with a bunch of pets. It's unfair to them and truthfully I would consider you neglecting them. I am a cancer patient I at least take my dogs on one walk a day no matter if it's short long or even in the yard. My cats I spend at least a few minutes during the day several times petting them, hugging them, even talking to them so they know their important and loved. If you had a child would it only be sitting in front of a tv all day? Animals are just like our children maybe with four legs, but they deserve the same treatment love, patience, good health, and support always.