My neighbours over the (new) back fence are also cat owners but have developed a nifty way of getting feeders out of kitty reach.

They have a washing pole which has a pulley attached, at a height of about 15ft. Through this is threaded some washing line, which is attached to a clever feeder arrangment. A clear 'pipe' feeder with little perches and holes at the bottom is attached to a bracket which in turn is attached to a plank of wood. The whole contraption is lowered and raised with the washing line which is secured on the cleat at the bottom of the pole - as it would have been had it still been a washing line. The feeder is prevented from swinging around or blowing in the wind by two large U bolts top and bottom of the plank which go around the pole. The contraption slides up and down the pole easily, doesn't swing around in the wind and has a little shelf at the bottom for a pot that catches rainwater. There are a couple of suet fat balls hanging off the sides and it rests about 12ft above ground and a good 6ft farther up than any kitty, even sitting on the shed roof can manage. The pole is slender and metal so the kitties cannot climb it, and it's just far enough away from the trees that the branches will not support a cats' weight. I'll try and get a photograph of it and put it on Flickr with a link.. it's an ingenious thing, thought up by my neighbours' granddaughter!

I'm insanely jealous of it as we don't have a washing pole. I may adapt it to run up the back of the house but that will take some thinking and a very long ladder.

LTS