RainierView Loc: Eatonville, WA

We've done similar things. I built 2 insulated cat huts, not heated like yours. As kittens they managed to get under our shop that has a crawl space, so I added a hole just big enough for them to get in. I bought a wood doghouse (for a large dog) with an 'A' roof to keep their food in on one of our decks. I added a door to it with a hole large enough for the cats to get in, not our dogs.

Our feral cats are big and go after anything that moves. They don't try to kill them, but play with mice, moles, chipmunks, and any other destructive rodents until they are dead. They seem to like stalking them, then pounce. I don't know what happened to the squirrels, but they are gone like the others. Once in a while we still get a dead mouse or other small rodent dropped off on our doorstep.

We also occasionally get racoons. They don't mess with them, will watch them eating all of their week's supply of food in one sitting. The racoons don't mess with the cats, just want their food. Because of the racoons I added a door to the round hole on the feeder house to keep them out at night. Somehow, they squeezed in there.

When deer or elk come around, they go out in the field and watch them. Somewhere I have a photo of a deer sniffing a cat. The cat just sat there.

Bottom line, we enjoy watching the cats running around playing, from a distance.

sourdough58 Loc: Maine

I think they liked it it would spin them around and they would jump off and come right back and jump on again. we never forced any squirrels to get on the feeder, they had a feeder of their own that had food in it. and they got two oranges every week, plus we had 6 feeders out and they liked that one.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I have had success with two types of squirrel-defeater systems. If you hang your feeder from a high spot where squirrels cannot jump to it, you can use the large inverted-funnel type to prevent them from climbing down the suspending cable. This also has the advantage of keeping rain and snow out of your feeder to some extent. I have several "Shepard's Crooks" type poles supporting feeders. I use the green torpedo-shaped baffles on the poles which definitely keeps the squirrels from climbing the poles. (Link below). Occasionally raccoons have been able to grab them and pull them down to the ground, and then climb up the pole, but I have moved them upward on the poles and my current crop of raccoons have not been able to do that. With this system you do have to make sure that the feeders are far enough from the nearest high spot that the squirrels cannot jump. They have a regular squirrel Olympics when you first put these up trying to jump to the feeders! Fortunately, the grass is soft....




http://www.amazon.com/iPrimio-Deluxe-Squirrel-Raccoon-Stopper-Install/dp/B077TZ2Y9N/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=squirrel+baffle&qid=1638453612&sr=8-6

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

As the locals will say "If a squirrel's gonna eat, a squirrel's gonna eat." My "squirrel-proof" feeders give up 10%-15% of their contents daily to very determined squirrels. It is the price I pay for living in the trees.

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

I mounted my feeders on a 4x4 rounded down to fit a 4” PVC pipe as a cover. Not a squirrel getting to it.
Deer… now that’s another question. I needed to square the area off with 6’ plastic deer fencing material. So far so good.

RainierView Loc: Eatonville, WA

Deer can jump an 8' fence. Good luck.

Doc Mck Loc: Terrell,Texas

I put sheet flashing around the closest trees works pretty good.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Took my squirrels less than 2 weeks to defeat the 4" PVC thing. Couldn't shimmy up it so they just ran up the side of it like it wasn't there. They thanked me, told me that was easier than shimmying up a skinny pole. I think they put stick'um on thier feet like a wide receiver in the NFL.

lowkick Loc: Connecticut

Best bird feeder ever. I've watched squirrels try to defeat this feeder for 2 years now, and they can't get to it. They try hanging from the top by their feet, but the feeder is too long for them to reach the feeding ports. If they jump down to the cardinal ring, their weight closes the feeding ports. Then they are stuck with no way to climb back up, so they have 12' fall to the ground. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0007LQ3RQ?pd_rd_i=B0007LQ3RQ&pd_rd_w=rUZP6&pf_rd_p=7ea8e9d0-fed1-49e8-a002-f2d3f5cb151d&pd_rd_wg=FstrQ&pf_rd_r=TAZQSMH6BS52D1F2Z6JX&pd_rd_r=41687b1c-1e98-4672-9011-2216f0403c17

These work very well for squirrels that try to attack the bird feeder from above. Nothing to hold on to and they rock the second the squirrel tries to set foot on it. https://smile.amazon.com/AUDUBON-NACLBAF16-Squirrel-Baffle-16-Inch/dp/B000HHJFSY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1WPAFBIZF8HCX&keywords=squirrel+proof+dome+for+bird+feeders&qid=1638551637&sprefix=squirrel+proof+dom%2Clawngarden%2C179&sr=8-3 These are expensive, but I found them much cheaper at Lowes.

jklepomis

Squirrels are innovative critters. I have had to resort to live trapping. I've moved 22 just this year. Check this video.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTvS9lvRxZ8

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

We use a regular Sheppard's hook. We put a Slinky on the pole attached with a couple of bread ties. Let the rest hang down the pole. Works perfectly. I have other solutions also. In answer to your question yes. Lol