When the fence is a highway, not a wall

If anything, it just changed the type of chaos.

That’s exactly how it went for me. I tried planting thornless blackberries along the fence, thinking the cats might avoid the prickly canes. Instead, they just used the gaps to duck through and nap in the shade. The beans were a snack for squirrels, and the cats didn’t care either way. In my case, nothing really stopped them - just shifted their route a bit. If you’re worried about plant damage, I’d watch for broken stems near their favorite spots. Otherwise, it’s mostly just a game of cat and mouse... literally.

Yep, fences just give them a new racetrack. I’ve seen cats squeeze through spots I didn’t even know existed, and squirrels treat the whole thing like their personal buffet. Tried chicken wire once - looked terrible and didn’t slow anybody down. Unless you’re building a solid wall, it’s just organized chaos out there. At this point, I just patch up what gets wrecked and call it good enough...

- Had a similar battle with raccoons last summer. They just climbed right over the privacy fence like it was nothing.
- Tried doubling up on boards at the bottom to stop smaller critters - didn’t slow down the cats one bit.
- Ended up just picking my battles. If it’s not a total disaster, I leave it be.
- Honestly, unless you’re pouring concrete, nature’s gonna win most of the time... I just keep a stash of extra planks and screws handy for the weekly patch job.

Honestly, I hear you on this one.

“unless you’re pouring concrete, nature’s gonna win most of the time...”

Couldn’t agree more - those raccoons are like little ninjas. I tried metal flashing along the top once, but they just found a new route. At some point, you just have to accept it’s a never-ending patch job. Keeping extra boards and screws handy is pretty much the only way to stay sane. If it’s not a total disaster, I’d say you’re winning.

I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had decent luck with hardware cloth buried a foot down and bent outwards.

“it’s a never-ending patch job”

- yeah, it feels that way, but sometimes a little overkill up front saves a lot of headaches later. Those raccoons are persistent, but they’re not unstoppable.