Flamin' Cats!!

[MaureenHall]

My cat loves the "new litter trays" that I've dug, except that I call them raised beds!! One thing she can't stand though is chilli powder or curry powder sprinkled liberally over the surface I used that 'cos I'd run out of pepper. Once sticks are in though, she leaves them alone. Will try the cd's as well I think

[amandaandherveg]

I though I was being smart and put nets over all my raised beds, initially didn't drape them high enough over the earth and they just pooped on the nets, ick!

[Alice]

Amanda, I made the net supports with small size drain pipes. Very, very cheap from B & Q. I used the little angle joints - very cheap - to join them together. All very lightwieght and easy to assemble and can be moved about easily.
I'm going to puts some fleece or polythene over them to get an early start next year.

[di]

May need to take that idea too!Our nets all look so untidy over the brassicas~yours look really neat.Also look a lot easier to move the net for weeding~ours is held down by random sized canes etc~total nightmare for weeding purposes!

[Alice]

Andi&Di, I hold the nets down with pegs made from a little roll of fence wire from B&Q. Cut into lengths and bent into a C shape at one end. I just push the spikes into the ground and catch the bottom of the net in the C. They're very easy to put in and out to get into the beds.
But wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to bother with anything .

[quark1]

Despite having a garden - and 3 cats - I have always maintained a litter tray - even when the house I had had an even smaller garden.

Its not nice digging about and finding your hands covered with cat - or any other critter's poo - so I at least minimise this for my neighbours.

I've even seen them making a dash for the litter tray in the sun lounge before now. I'm not stupid enough to think they NEVER poo/spray elsewhere - but at least I've minimise that possibility.

What realy riles me is that outside my house right now - not 2 yards from an official penalty sign - is a quantity of dog's doings -I think I know the source - an uncontrolled pooch who cannot be blamed for the inconsiderate behaviours of its owners - who think to let the dog do its 'essentials' is to let it into the garden where side-exit is available to foul wherever and whenever it choses.

[Demeter]

Alice - how do you secure the drainpipe "goalposts" (that's what they look like to me!!) to stop them blowing away - that would be my concern with them being so light. Do you just shove them way way into the ground?

(Can you tell whose idea I'm going to be copying next year?!)

[Jameslovell]

Never tried it, but orange or lemon peel is supposed to deter cats. I think it is the citric acid/smell which they don't like and stay well clear.

[Alice]

Demeter, they are just pushed into the ground. Have not had a problem with anything blowing over. There is nothing to catch the wind.

[di]

Andi&Di, I hold the nets down with pegs made from a little roll of fence wire from B&Q. Cut into lengths and bent into a C shape at one end. I just push the spikes into the ground and catch the bottom of the net in the C. They're very easy to put in and out to get into the beds.
But wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to bother with anything .

Thanks Alice~& yep it'd be great to be able to just leave them all to their own devices!spent nearly an hour tonight trying to rescue my brussels from a bucketful of caterpillars!!As it was almost dark & was struggling to see them anyway I didn't notice the ones on my red cabbages!!Guess what I'll be dreaming about tonight!?

[hamsterqueen]

I've got nasturtiums growing round by raised bed (more by accident than design) and they seem to have attracted the caterpillars away from my veg. They are strays from a failed experiment last year to stop the slugs getting my beans. I may leave a few to self sow again

[Demeter]

Thansk Alice

HQ - I've got caterpillars on my nasturtiums too. I think I have read somewhere recently (on here?) that they are a good cabbage white "distracter" so there must be method in our madness...

[Mike and Louise]

We use netting too and it helps.

But recently we brought a high tech sonic gun with a laser sight. You point the red dot at a cat and pull the trigger.

Run cat run... it's fun.

[Jon]

I had a similar problem to you. My raised beds seemed to attract all cats from miles around. I resorted to covering my beds with netting supported by sections of "blue" plastic water pipe (25mm I think). You can get the pipe in 20m coils from DIY outlets. Cut the pipe to sections of required length and form into a C shape. Stick each end of the section in the ground and place netting over the top. I cable tied the netting to the pipe sections for extra security.

Regards