North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Don Yellman <don.yellman@webformation.com>]

Anton:

I have bluebird houses mounted on 4x4 posts out in the yard, and had the same 
problem you have with cats.  When the little birds hatch out and begin 
peeping it drives the cats to unusual extremes, and we lost several batches 
of nestlings before I found a solution.

That was to purchase a couple sections of plastic guttering material, which 
snapped around the post so firmly it was not even necessary to nail it, 
although it could be nailed if desired.  The cats' little claws can no longer 
gain purchase to climb the posts, and they soon gave up entirely.

This solution would not work as well for a post that is part of a fence, but 
is rather for freestanding posts.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA