A sad, sad day for my lettuce...

My lettuce has been destroyed by....next doors cat. Aside from being extremely hacked off I am also quite $%^$&% off to say the least :( lol!

So I am going to start again and keep it inside this time. The bloody thing didn't go for anything else, so I will keep my other plants outside. So how easy is lettuce to grow indoors?

 

That's happened to me too......what did the cat do, eat them t or scratch them up to have a pee?:hehe:

Re growing lettuce inside: it works OK in winter and early spring to grow in a greenhouse but they generally get too hot from now until autumn. They don't head up properly and need watering too much. I don't recommend it. Much better to grow outside in the veg garden and put some kind of cat barrier around to keep the furry friends out.

 

Gutted for you!

Can you get hold of any chicken wire?

I've got some folded over my lettuce to keep "pests" (cats!) off them

Should be fairly cheap to do and it does work

Better luck 2nd time round!

 

So sorry for you. Yes cats are total ****** pests and their owners think they have a right to go where they like and do what they like.

I think it will be too warm now for lettuce indoors. I would plant it out and put some kind of netting or wire over it. Blinkin' nuisance I know but I have to net all my veggie beds to keep the flippin' cats out.

I've been out several times today chasing a cat who has discovered a blackies nest in my hedge. At one point it was walking along the top of my hedge and the blackie parents were going demented.

I've saved those chicks for now, but I do know that bandit cat will be back.
All my veggies are safe under nets, much to my inconvenience.
Cat owners - why should I have to do that ??????

If it's your cat V my birds and veggies I know which side I'm on/

Hmmm! I think I've just got mad enough to deal with the varmint.

 

No, not all cat owners thanks. My cat is kept inside, except on days where we can keep an eye on her. Then she gets to roam my (very small) garden until we go in.

Cats are natural predators though, so I'm sorry if they go for your bird nest.... but that's what they do, it's in their blood, their psyche. Cats go for birds... as bees go for flowers... as mice go for snails... and as dogs go for cats. Tis the way of the world, as gardeners, we just have to deal with it as best we can.

I wish our cat wouldn't keep making despairing dives for the bird feeder whenever a baby sparrow is feeding, but you can't stop birds feeding and you can't stop cats hunting and leaping. Tis what they both do.

 

We used to keep Budgies in an outside avairy which was a 'target' for the local cats. Our solution was to get ourselves a couple of cats which kept the others away. It worked, and it didn't take long to 'train' ours not to go near the avairy.

As Canuks says, cats are a law unto themselves.

 

My chard and chinese greens are decimated this morning......rabbits are the culprit here. Will the chicken wire work for those too? I think that's what we might have to do and fast. I have another bed of greens they haven't found yet.......by tonight it might be too late for that bed if we don't act today.

Thank goodness none of our neighbours have cats so that's not a worry here.

 

If you try and grow lettuce indoors now, I don't think it'll be very good.
As others have suggested, use semi-rigid wire netting, either plastic or galvanised metal.
It's a nuisance and not very pretty but I have to do this anyway to keep the pigeons off.

 

It bloody peed on them!!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I'm just a bit confused as to why the stupid thing targeted two pots of lettuce and nothing else. Everything is covered for the mo.

grrr. I am still angry.

 

You could try putting a Curry plant or two with your Lettuce. Cats hate them.

 

[quote=Canucks72;335617

Cats are natural predators though, so I'm sorry if they go for your bird nest.... but that's what they do, it's in their blood, their psyche. Cats go for birds... as bees go for flowers... as mice go for snails... and as dogs go for cats. Tis the way of the world, as gardeners, we just have to deal with it as best we can.

I agree, and we all have to deal with the various annoyances created by having to share our surroundings with others!
I use pieces of bramble stem to keep keep cats (my own and neighbours') off newly-worked beds.
I would also add that there are lots of dogs and cats in our row, and the many cats who come into the garden cause minimal problems, while the dogs are another story!

 

Sorry to hear you are having problems with cats. Cats are natural predators. It is in thier nature to roam and catch food on the hoof. Don't blame the owners as there is very little you can do to stop a cat from roaming.

Some netting will help and you can get all sorts of net that may help it be less of an eyesore. There are plants that will deter cats and dogs from going anywhere near your garden. Can't think what they are but I am sure more experienced gardeners will be able to help you.

I have five cats. I live in the country and have a big garden backing onto a large orchard. My tribe has plenty of space to roam and they do decimate the local mouse population and take care of any unwary rabbits.

Cat owners are going to hate me for this. Are you any good with a catapult? I use one with small pieces of rubber cut from the side of a tyre. Aim for a near miss. You only have to make the cat jump a couple of times and it will learn to stay away from what you are trying to protect. Has worked very well with my cats.

Chopper.