Milly asked 16 years ago
Hi Gerry, Our neighbour’s cat cannot leave our Golden Willow alone and has scratched the bark very badly, it is quite a young tree, only in it’s third year and I’m really worried that it will damage the tree. I’ve discussed this (gently) with the neighbour, but she swears that this scratching will only enhance the tree, not damage it. She doesn’t want me to put any chemicals down as she’s worried about her cat and has asked me to try vinegar, which doesn’t work at all. I’ve also tried double sided tape and insulating tape, to no avail, I would really appreciate your help on this as the tree is much loved, but obviously I don’t want to upset our neighbour either. Thanks and regards, Milly.
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
The simple solution is to losely warp some close mesh chicken wire around the stem. It is not too obtrusive and will deny the cat access tot he bark. Be sure to loosen the wire as the tree stem grows in girth.
