Stressed Itiogawa Shimpaku

[Nybonsai12]

buy a trap, and a couple cans of cat food. When you catch it take it for a little drive, and pretend nothing happened. If you feel bad dumping it in the woods you could take it to a shelter in another town. Don't let the family find out; your own family or theirs. Buy the trap with cash, some people would go as far as to get the police to search your credit card purchases.

I agree with speaking with the neighbors but regardless of the outcome this part of your suggestion is ridiculous. Take em to court if you have to but kidnap a family's pet over a broken tree?

Ben sorry about the tree.

 

[tmmason10]

I don't like cats. Maybe mostly because I'm pretty allergic to them. Still, I agree with NY that part of your response seems pretty harsh mc. Unfortunately losing a tree is financially related while losing a family pet is emotionally related and really you can't put a price on that.

Beng, talk to you neighbors but I wouldn't expect anything even if they are reasonable and sorry.

 

[Jaberwky17]

Seriously?

You need to have a chat with your neighbor. Bring the dead tree, and a bill for what they owe you.

If they act snotty just walk away with a smile on your face. Then buy a trap, and a couple cans of cat food. When you catch it take it for a little drive, and pretend nothing happened. If you feel bad dumping it in the woods you could take it to a shelter in another town. Don't let the family find out; your own family or theirs. Buy the trap with cash, some people would go as far as to get the police to search your credit card purchases.

I had some cat issues, for me a talk with the neighbor worked out, reasonable people will listen and understand it was their fault. Unreasonable people can't be reasoned with.
They should have taken precautions to keep their animal on their own property, you shouldn't have to worry about keeping it off yours.

I really hope you are kidding but I'm afraid you aren't. This "solution" is just wrong. Does the OP have a right to be VERY upset? Of course, and I would be, too, but it isn't the neighbors' fault any more than it is the OP's. It is quite unreasonable to expect that they pay for the value of the tree and pot - it simply won't happen, nor should it. The OP sprayed a fish-based substance on the plant and it should be no surprise that a cat found this enjoyable. It would be the same thing if you grew a flowering tree and a crow was attracted to the berries and knocked the tree over. S**t happens. No wonder our society is rampant with a "sue first, ask questions later" mentality. Not everything is somebody else's "fault" that they should be expected to pay for.

The OP even said in the post that they regret shouting at the cat. If that hadn't happened its likely the tree wouldn't have fallen. So there is half the blame. If there is willful negligence - the neighbor knocks over a fence, or sprays a weed killer, etc. that kills your bonsai that is entirely different. But in this case the OP is technically just as responsible by making the animal scared and jumping. Stealing the neighbor's pet and covering your tracks (cash purchase - really??) is far worse than the initial infraction. Suck it up, express displeasure to the neighbors and ask them to contain their animal, chalk it up to the fact that the world isn't fair.

 

[october]

Sorry Ben...It seems like if it's not a fungus or a pest, it's an animal. Lots of obstacles in bonsai.

Rob

 

[coh]

I really hope you are kidding but I'm afraid you aren't. This "solution" is just wrong. Does the OP have a right to be VERY upset? Of course, and I would be, too, but it isn't the neighbors' fault any more than it is the OP's. It is quite unreasonable to expect that they pay for the value of the tree and pot - it simply won't happen, nor should it. The OP sprayed a fish-based substance on the plant and it should be no surprise that a cat found this enjoyable. It would be the same thing if you grew a flowering tree and a crow was attracted to the berries and knocked the tree over. S**t happens. No wonder our society is rampant with a "sue first, ask questions later" mentality. Not everything is somebody else's "fault" that they should be expected to pay for.

Yeah...but...

I'm not going to support the suggestion to trap and relocate the cat. However, there is a big distinction here. The crow is part of the natural environment. The cat is not. The cat is supposed to be a house pet. When they are allowed to roam freely they do an enormous amount of damage to the native bird population (for one thing, but it's a big one). We have neighbors who let their cats run free...in addition to killing birds, they use our garden beds as litter boxes. Ever put your hand into fresh cat crap while weeding? Not pleasant. And it's almost impossible to keep cats out of an area, unless you put your whole yard in a cage.

Cats should not be allowed to roam freely and their owners should be held accountable for any damage they cause. Whether it's worth damaging a relationship with a neighbor is another question.

Sorry to hear about the tree, Beng!

Chris

 

[jkd2572]

I agree. The owner is responsible. If they don't take responsibility. Pellet gun. I have a very little dog. If a cat comes in my yard and kills him. Is it my fault, because my dog looks yummy. Don't think so. Pellet gun.

 

[John Ruger]

Try a citrus based spray, cats don't like the stuff...another idea is coyote urine, you can get this in either spray or pellets.

 

[mc4mc44]

I really hope you are kidding but I'm afraid you aren't. This "solution" is just wrong. Does the OP have a right to be VERY upset? Of course, and I would be, too, but it isn't the neighbors' fault any more than it is the OP's. It is quite unreasonable to expect that they pay for the value of the tree and pot - it simply won't happen, nor should it. The OP sprayed a fish-based substance on the plant and it should be no surprise that a cat found this enjoyable. It would be the same thing if you grew a flowering tree and a crow was attracted to the berries and knocked the tree over. S**t happens. No wonder our society is rampant with a "sue first, ask questions later" mentality. Not everything is somebody else's "fault" that they should be expected to pay for.

The OP even said in the post that they regret shouting at the cat. If that hadn't happened its likely the tree wouldn't have fallen. So there is half the blame. If there is willful negligence - the neighbor knocks over a fence, or sprays a weed killer, etc. that kills your bonsai that is entirely different. But in this case the OP is technically just as responsible by making the animal scared and jumping. Stealing the neighbor's pet and covering your tracks (cash purchase - really??) is far worse than the initial infraction. Suck it up, express displeasure to the neighbors and ask them to contain their animal, chalk it up to the fact that the world isn't fair.

It was more of a joke, but reading my post over it didn't come off as one... sorry.

But people need to keep their animals on their own property, no one should have to worry about the neighbors cat or dog on their property. People should keep an animal indoors if it wanders and causes trouble. And I'm not saying to sue the neighbors, but get them to at least apologize, say it won't happen again, and get some of the money they owe. It's impossible to get a person to pay all of it, and it shouldn't even be expected, but they need to feel some of your pain when they fork over a couple hundred bucks. OP said the pot alone was $200, I would be furious. I would need to get something out of them at least.

My neighbor has a couple dogs and a cat, I have a horse and chickens. The neighbors dog comes on my property and terrorizes the horse, the horse has kicked at it a couple times (thankfully, she missed the dog). My neighbor doesn't realize the horse could seriously wound or even kill her dog but she does nothing. We've told her what could happen, but she said we shouldn't have the horse. Her cat killed one of my chickens, shredded it to bits. We brought the dead chicken over to show her, and she still did nothing. People don't take responsibility for their animals, when they should. If her animals are causing trouble she should deal with it. We were living here before her, and it's her animals causing the trouble, not mine. This is all different from a cat killing a tree, but people need to take responsibility for what their animals do.

 

[fore]

I've lost several trees this yr Beng, so I know where you are. A crappy place. Sorry you lost the shimpaku. I finally found out my culprit to anything organic introduced to my trees, birds. They really seem to love fine akadama with fish emulsion or cakes. I even tried organic Plantone, and they still pecked at the soil surface eating a 1/2" hole, roots and all. I've completely given up on organics. So maybe this might be the easiest solution for you, just don't use organics anymore...just an idea.

 

[october]

I have noticed some birds coming in on my trees as well. I use fish/seaweed fert and also green dream. I also use akadama soil. Sometimes when I come home soil is everywhere from the bids. They particularly like this one san jose in a terra cotta pot. However, the soil is a turface mix in that pot.

I think this went on for a couple/few weeks, now I am not seeing it as much. I think if you can, wait it out, it might stop. Unfortunately for the birds, I think they might become sick, or die if they are eating the akadama or the fertilizer cakes. I have not seen them around in the last week. So either they were smart enough to know that this was not food or they ended up getting sick. Perhaps they just moved on, who knows.

Also, when I mentioned wait it out. This is providing that tree damage is not occurring. I did not see any damage on my trees. Just worn away soil and a mess. Also, the san jose is in a very deep pot.

Rob

 

[Vance Wood]

Unfortunately it's an overall color change. The entire foliage is getting paler and deader looking by the day a little less so at the tips but it's sagging overall, there's not one branch that looks happy. I'm guessing the roots aren't taking up enough water due to the shock and the heat since it's been in full sun. It's inside tonight i'll leave it in the bathroom to keep it from drying out. Will do the same each night until the heat wave is gone. I haven't lost a tree in years, I think I may start wiring trees to my benches after this experience.

I had a kishu go yellow overall gradually and come back over the summer, but it wasn't due to trauma it was some sort of fungus. This is definitely due to the stress of the fall, not mites, bugs, or fungus on this one.

This sounds more like spider mites than anything.

 

[jkd2572]

Check for spider mites. Get white sheet of paper. Hold under foliage. Shake foliage over paper. Look at paper little specs that look like black pepper. If they start moving its spider mites. Junipers worst enemy.

 

[october]

Check for spider mites. Get white sheet of paper. Hold under foliage. Shake foliage over paper. Look at paper little specs that look like black pepper. If they start moving its spider mites. Junipers worst enemy.

The tree in this post is already dead.

Rob

 

[Beng]

Thanks guys, I did talk to the owner his excuse was it's an outdoor cat it roams free and does what it wants and he can't lock it up inside when it's lived outside all it's life. I told him if his property damages mine it's a problem. Lets just say him and I have never seen eye to eye on anything. This neighbor lives above me this is brooklyn after all and his cat can jump down from the upper deck fairly easily by climbing down the wood fence. I live in a 2 story brownstone here. Nothing I can do except chase it away when i see it. It's steered clear of the yard lately I think it's scared of me. The ume that lives next to the dead juniper has not grown since around the same time. But it seems to not be dying either so perhaps it got less of the cats spray. I'm definitely not going to pull it from it's pot this time of year i'm sure the rain and daily waterings will wash it out eventually. We all loose trees, insects, fungus, a sudden hard frost. The dog knocked your favorite tree over, squirrels and so on. Happily I have many other trees to nurture, and refine. A loss is a loss but in the end theres nothing we can do. I will say i'm on the lookout for a new really nice itoigawa now. Que Sera Sera

 

[Dan W.]

Sorry about the shimp Ben.

No itoigawas... but I do have RMJ's...

 

[Dav4]

... but I do have RMJ's...

...and they already smell like cat pee.




fwiw, I really like that RMJ smell....really.

 

[flor1]

Cats loose on my property figure damaging my property time to dig it a good home.
People have to learn to be responsible for their pets.

 

[Roberts]

I agree with the pellet gun, but not to kill the cat. Just put 2-3 "pumps" on it and sting the cat. It will not forget that.

I did this with squirrels a few years ago. Was killing them weekly all summer but when one dies off it just gets replaced with a new one. Then I just started "stinging" them with a few pumps and they stopped come in my yard. In fact when they wanted to get to the neighbors yard they started using the electric/phone wires to cross to it. I think they have a way of communicating to other squirrels about the dangers of my property, ha ha.

Robert