Watching...and Waiting for Squirrel TV to come on

[WoodlandTabby]

That stinks! Squirrels go nuts for corn, here, in Pennsyltucky.

I wonder if it's because squirrels in Cali. aren't exposed to corn as much as they are in PA.
Around this neck of the woods, you can't throw a rock without hitting a corn field. I don't think corn is a popular crop on the left coast.

Casper's Girl-Human is originally from CA. She says that the squirrels and chippies, out here, are different.
She also says that the Eastern Coyote is different than the ones out west. I don't know. I've seen a hundred coyotes around here but not in the west.

Walnuts are also a biggie for squirrels, around here, too. If it wasn't so expensive to buy them, compared to corn, I'd probably feed them to the critters, too.

Being in the West we have different genus of squirrels, for instance, here in the coastal Pacific region there is the Douglas Squirrel, which, up until recently was actually considered an endangered little varmit - which was amazing becuase they are incredibly destructive but very cute. They are little brown monkey-looking squirrels that are the ones Max & Poppet wait for every morning. They throw huge cones down from our (Douglas) Fir trees and hoard them as food for the winter. They threw a cone down with so much velocity last week it dented my new car's roof. Not happy.

Wetern coyotes are different, they are high desert in origin and burrow into the canyons and steppes in this area. Not knowing where in PA you are execstly, it could be simply a matter of space - we have so much land out here we are not apt to see them all that much unless in a rural area. Where I am is rural and they do co-exist easily here - the kitties go nuts at night when there's a kill - and the cackling and cajoling ritual between all of them lasts about 10 minutes.

 

[WoodlandTabby]

I am interested in the pet proof screen. Our apartment is on the 7th floor and we have a standard mossie screen, nylon mesh in an aluminium frame held in the window frame by 4 small pieces of metal. I haven't found any better solutions in Kiev and gave now doubt at all that even the lightest of our girls could knock the whole damn thing out of the window.
Paul
Kiev

I would be very interested in learning more about this, Paul! I have been thinking about one pet-proof screen but Max is like a mountain lion, all blond with rippling muscles when he walks, he's a pretty powerful boy... so maybe not. Wonder if Amazon has something good.

 

[Caspers Human]

I am interested in the pet proof screen.

Pet proof screen can be bought at most home improvement stores like Lowe's or Home Depot.
I don't know what stores are in the place you live but I think you get the idea.

Pet proof screen comes in rolls. You'll also need to get a few tools like a utility knife, a screwdriver and a special roller used to push in the rubber spline that holds in the screen.

A reasonably handy person should be able to remove the old screen frames and refit them with pet proof screen in an afternoon's work.
I replaced the screen in our patio door, probably, in about an hour or ninety minutes and I was taking my time.

Remove the screen frame from the window. Lay it on the floor or sturdy table. Use a knife to carefully cut out the old screen. Use a screwdriver or pair of pliers to pull out the rubber spline that goes around all four edges to hold the screen in place. Clean and repair the frame as necessary.

Cut a new piece of screen fabric a couple of inches larger than your screen frame. Lay it over the frame, smooth it out and make sure the weave is straight and going in the right direction.

Insert a new piece of rubber into the groove, starting at one corner on a short side. Use the roller tool to push it in place until it snaps in tight. Continue until you get to the next corner.

Stretch the screen taut so that it doesn't have any wrinkles. Insert a new piece of spline, starting at the diagonally opposite corner and use your tool to roll it in place. Neaten things up to make sure that there aren't any wrinkles or crooked spots. Finish up by putting in the spline on the long sides. When you've got it all in place, use your utility knife to trim off any excess screen so that it's flush with the edges and looks neat.

Replace your screens back in your windows and make sure that they are securely fastened. You should be able to find metal clips at the home improvement store if you need to them to better secure your screen.

If you can't do it yourself, any competent handyman should be able to do it for reasonable cost.

If you live in an apartment or rented home, your landlord should be able to do it if you ask.

 

[Paul9856]

[/QUOTE]
TY unfortunately the DIY stores here in Ukraine only stock the standard mosquito screen, I see it would fir in the same way however even if I could get the screen material I still would have the same problem with the frame held in place by 4 flimsy metal tabs which in turn are held by loose self tapping screws - not something I would trust to stop my girls from heading out the window after a pigeon or fly. Thanks for your help any way

Paul