Grow Your Own Magazine

Does anyone have anything that will keep cats out of the garden, or at least off the seedbeds? We have about 6 of the neighbourhood felines crapping all over the place - really, really unpleasant to come across when you're weeding. They also terrorise the birds.
We tried Coleus Canina last summer but they all died of frost. Now we're putting coffee grounds on the borders - one of the coffee chains gives it away by the bagful. Anyone had any real success? Please don't suggest getting a cat or dog of our own - we only have vegetarian pets!

Can only sympathise as I was in that situation a few weeks back after I had created a new flowed bed. Disgusting. Why oh why is it that dog owners (quite rightly) are constantly reminded about responsible ownership but cat owners are never told to encourage their pets to c**p in their own gardens? If you do a search on "cats" I'm sure there have been lots of suggestions made on the forum. We don't have a problem any more .....I bought a dog!!
Jools

If it was down to me and me alone, I'd use the short sharp shock method of deterring puddy cats - a dose of lead from a 12 bore, but I know that there are quite a few fellow grapes who would not agree with me.
You could try an small electric fence powered from an old car battery and placed round your boundary, about 6-8 inches above ground level.
Alternatively, lay chicken wire loosely over your seed beds - they don't seem to like that either.
There are other devices - there is a device you can attach your hose to which detects movement and sends a jet of water towards the spot the motion detector registered an intruder, there is Lion Poo (available from certain zoos and alledgedly works, and there is a sonic deterrent that you can buy.
Me ? Over and above the sudden death scenario, I'd go for the chicken wire, alongside the electric fence.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

They don't like pepper or lemon so you could put some of that down, also try putting small sticks vertically. I had a friend who used to bring his dog to visit and d**n thing cocked his leg all over my thyme plants until I made it uncomfortable for him by putting small sharp sticks in among the plants. They do like bare dug soil though!

Bubblewrap says amonia in small containers strategically placed around the garden deters them too. Any strong amonia smell will work, or you could try the 'pee in the compost' method, and spread the compost?? !

Here's a link for you, but I used to find that a bucket of ice cold tends to deter most felines. You do need to keep it up for a while though. Get a Supersoaker, then you can play with the kids in Summer too Cats generally get the message after the fourth go!

http://www.deteracat.co.uk/

Good luck

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

A trick we've heard of is to 'plant' your bed with cocktail sticks, leave them sticking out about an inch and when the cat tries to squat, 'Youch!'

Doesnt cause any serious or lasting harm, but will definitely disuade them from using your beds as a litter tray!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 5th November2008 - new piccies!

This is also the ancient method of propagating a cheese and pineapple tree........

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Geordie

Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure

I have problems too. Tried pepper and citrus, half-filled bottles of water, proprietary cat repellants - all no good. Running into the garden yelling like a banshee works temporarily, but the neighbours are starting to give me funny looks (and it doesn't work on next door's cat who is stone deaf). Water delivered through a supersoaker or a hose definitely works, unless the cat panics and runs into your open greenhouse and bounces off all the walls knocking everything over in his hurry to get away - don't laugh, this did happen. Daughter and I did laugh, it looked really comical until we had to go and pick up the pieces. My main problem is that I work full time and the little bu***rs seem to know I'm not there. My friend bought the electronic cat repellers and said they were rubbish. I do like the look of the PIR activated water thingy, but knowing my luck it would just spray me, the grandchildren and any visitors who are still prepared to come round - also it's very expensive. I have considered the 12 bore, but my conscience won't let me do it.

The real answer lies in the education of cat owners. It's only quite recently that dog owners have got the message via the law that they are responsible for their pets toilets and they just can't leave it all over the pavements and foot paths. Disgusting !
Cat owners can go a long way to solving the problem by providing a toilet area within their own property for their cats. Any area suitable for the cats to dig in, made from sand and cinders, or outdoor litter can be bought now. This area can be dug out regularly, binned and replaced.
The legal problem is cats don't BELONG to anybody so there is no legal recourse. I know this doesn't solve your problem Two Sheds but it is the crux of the matter. Do you know the owners of any of these cats. Maybe if you spoke to them. They have probably never thought about it. Maybe we all have to raise awareness. Letter to the local press maybe ???

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Interesting thread. I have a cat - well he is No2 son's pe(s)t. Nothing I try can convince him to use somewhere other than my garden patch for a potty. He has his own seived, raked, clean pile which he can use and he does use it, but he will always return to the bit where I am growing stuff. Don't know if he goes next door - they don't garden much and wouldn't notice if he did. he just seems to love the dug earth

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I have the same problem...they like to crap on my lawn...too lazy to dig a hole to poo in. I have read that used tea bags with a few drops of olbas oil on them work. I have tried it but as soon as it rains you need to refresh the old bags. Make the garden smell..........well ........different

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Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful..William Morris

Hi - This winter I have mainly been using use holly twigs, sticks and string ; )

I think next door will notice ,Shirlthegirl , if your cat leaves his calling card on their grass, day after day.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Of course he does, cat's aren't stupid!! If they can get humans to do the work for them, they will!!
Maybe the solution is not to dig your garden??!

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

I have two cats, and our garden is a feline thoroughfare for neighbour's moggies as well. I can't speak for the others, but my cats do seem to think a freshly dug patch is fair game, specially prepared for them! Of all the things I've tried, laying netting or fleece over the earth seems to work best, but could be tricky around the smaller seedlings. Once plants are a reasonable size, my cats don't bother to try and dig them up, but bare patches are vulnerable. They also don't seem so attracted to areas that have been mulched with grass clippings, chopped straw or somesuch. I will definitely try the holly twigs mentioned above as I can imagine that would be a good repellent.

On balance having cats is a benefit in our garden as they provide very effective organic mouse control around hay and straw storage sheds. I am sure providing a specific 'litter' area is a good idea so long as it is regularly emptied as they are quite fussy about where they 'go'!

Our garden used to be a toilet for every cat in the neighbourhood. We finally bought a PIR thingy which emits a noise we can't hear (and neither can the chickens) but which keeps the cats out. We would need two to cover the whole garden though.

If I have something I don't want them to dig up then I poke sticks in the ground so they can't sit down.

When you find that they've left you a present, cover the area with something smelly (coffee grounds are good but the smell wears off quite quickly) because I have read that they recognise their toilet area by smell.

We also found that incursions decreased when we raised the height of the fences - most of the neighbourhood cats are too fat to scale a 6 ft fence with ease!

Muppet

a sound-device that only pets can hear - its called pet-away cost around £40, wont cover the whole garden, but worth putting it in a specific place, it does work, unless they are deaf of course, i sold my sound-device cause i have a dog now, and that does the job, i had no cat problems whatsoever with the dog!! . pepperdust?! twigs and thornbushes-cuttings to make it difficult to walk over?!

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Best Wishes
Happy Growing
blue-and-green

http://blue-and-green.blogspot.com/

thank you - i totally agree with that!! its equivalent to doing your business outside yourself! dung is dung.

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Best Wishes
Happy Growing
blue-and-green

http://blue-and-green.blogspot.com/

Is there any reason not to compost it?? We use horse/cow/chicken etc I know it has some diseases but would this not break down??

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No mater when time you set out, you always get there at the same time

not a good idea to compost cat or dog dung, i read if it gets stuck under your nails for a long period of time, it can cause blindness, not sure of the scientific names. however farm manure is excellent.

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Best Wishes
Happy Growing
blue-and-green

http://blue-and-green.blogspot.com/

I think the main reason why you can't compost dog/cat mess is that the majority of them will have been wormed and therefore their deposits will kill the worms in your compost bin.

It is true that cat's poo can cause blindness - which is a bit of a problem if you are trying to encourage your kids to grow stuff in the garden and someone elses bloomin cat has left a calling card.

I also agree that high fences might keep some of them out. Before we picked up our pup, we mended a hole in the fence at the bottom of the garden and we noticed that we had less visitors even before the dog arrived. we have quite high barriers but I am busy planting things to grow up the trellis on the top of our wall so that it makes it even more difficult for them, should they be thinking of risking the dog!
Jools

Was having a quick browse through GYO February issue and on the letters page are a couple of letters re deterring cats - one suggests a pop up fence - available from N.A.Kays -might work - letter writer seemed very impressed with it

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Maybe Suffolk cats are thick? We've tried Pepper, Chilli, Citrus, Thorny sticks, Supersoaker. They just come back for more! And the problem isn't just in the dug beds, because they crap on the lawn, with no intention of burying the stuff.