No more raccoons ... or possums either.

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Ted Davis - 30 May 2006 21:19 GMT

Recently, the coon/possum problem got completely out of hand: every
night the vermin came inside, emptied the cats' food bowl, and muddied
the water bowl.

Over the three-day weekend I closed off the cat flap just above the
top back step, built a platform 48 inches off the ground (the lowest
part of its support is 37 inches) that is a 38 inch diagonal jump from
the top back step. I also cut a hole for a new cat flap through the
wall. That part is only partially done: I was interrupted by a
thunderstorm - I still need to trim the hole in the vinyl siding, and
the one through the wallboard on the other side, and install the
latest and least destructable versions of my weather-proof cat flap
design.

There wer no coons last night, though not for lack of trying: I caught
one trying to get in through the old flap - when he saw me the left,
and halfway across the yard, turned and gave me such a look. Not a
happy varment.

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philo - 30 May 2006 23:43 GMT

> Recently, the coon/possum problem got completely out of hand: every
> night the vermin came inside, emptied the cats' food bowl, and muddied
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> latest and least destructable versions of my weather-proof cat flap
> design.

Keep an eye on everything as they can chew right through wood. A metal plate
may keep them out though

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Ted Davis - 31 May 2006 00:59 GMT

>> Recently, the coon/possum problem got completely out of hand: every
>> night the vermin came inside, emptied the cats' food bowl, and muddied
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>Keep an eye on everything as they can chew right through wood. A metal plate
>may keep them out though

That's the plan: aluminum sheet over wood on the outside and plain
wood on the inside. I just need some time ... and dry weather - for
once, I have all the necessary stuff.

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philo - 03 Jun 2006 11:48 GMT

> >Keep an eye on everything as they can chew right through wood. A metal plate
> >may keep them out though
>
> That's the plan: aluminum sheet over wood on the outside and plain
> wood on the inside. I just need some time ... and dry weather - for
> once, I have all the necessary stuff.

Yeah...I had squirrels in the attic one year...they can easily gnaw through
wood...
But once I got them out of the attic and sealed the holes off with sheet
metal...
they stayed out.

I did have to live trap and relocate a few of them too.

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Ted Davis - 03 Jun 2006 15:41 GMT

>> >Keep an eye on everything as they can chew right through wood. A metal
>plate
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
>I did have to live trap and relocate a few of them too.

I don't have squirrels - at least not that I have noticed, though I do
have oak trees around the house and black walnuts near the road. All
that is over a hundred feet from the nearest natural area.

I going to try closing the hole with glass instead of wood and metal:
a floor level place for the cats to look out. They seem to like doing
that. If I can find my glass cutter.

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