Cats!

[mystery]

Yes my DH could do that for you. You need an old burglar alarm room sensor. He is currently rigging something up like this to check that I do move away from my laptop at some point when I am at home with the children.

[scarlett]

Then you need to devise some sort of chain to hang your laptop around your neck....just be careful when taking dinner out of the oven.

[Y]

We tried one of those sonic deterrents - my son couldn't bear the noise, it made my ears feel like they were under pressure... and next door's cats came and rubbed themselves up against it. It went back to the garden centre. Curiously, have seen little of them since I sprayed the flower beds with an anti-soiling spray (it confuses their sense of smell) and took to hissing at them. The hissing requires a degree of aggression to make them run away - my daughter can't quite manage it!

[Thingsbehindthesun]

I think some shopes sell Cat & Dog Repellent Spray or you could try repellent granules.

[TIDDLYMUM]

Orange peel??? Thye hate the smell apparently.

[scarlett]

I'm thinking that if you try out all the ideas your garden would begin to resemble Bill Oddies .( rather eccentric !)

[Freya]

For some reason we don't seem to have a problem with cats!!

[scarlett]

I think you may have to lend me one of your dogs, Freya to give mine a quick refresher in how dogs should guard the family home....rather then snoring in the family bed.