stopping cats fouling in our garden

Hi, not sure if this is the right forum, i'm quiet new here, but wondered if anyone had any tips on how to discourage cats from fouling in my garden. The more i clean up after them, the more they come back, it seems a no win situation. Thanks

 

Hi and welcome,

Not a lot you can do about the cats, so many things have been tried and eventually fail. Your only sure way of keeping them out of the garden is a dog. I haven't had one now for eighteen months and believe me my cat problem is back big style! If you're not a dog lover then like a lot of us you'll have to put up with it, sorry!

I help my pot and trough situation by breaking in half the small green garden canes and putting those upright in the soil. They're not keen on those, you can understand why!

My mother had aviaries with parrakeets in years ago, she used to put rose prunings on the roofs to keep the cats off, they don't like the thorns. That's worth a try if you don't mind the mess.

 

I have put curry plants all round my garden, it seemed to work and as a herb you can use the leaves. I have also seen a plant ,i think its called shoo away, designed for this purpose i haven't used it yet. I think it was on the mirror gardens web site. However if you type 'keeping cats off your garden' into a search engine it will give you a list of advice.

There is always a gun

 

Hi again stevethescot

The name of the plant wasn't shoo away it was 'scaredy cats' from Van Meuwen

 

This is not me typing the suggestions its a copy and paste but don't worry I checked there are no copyright issues involved so I am happy to post it here I hope it may give you a little relief

First. As you know cats are very agile, and they can get around almost anything. A Fence will deter the cats but you will need to make it CAT proof! A good suggestion is to dig a little tunnel directly below the fence; 2 inches wide and 6 inches deep, then fill the tunnel with quick cement, this prevents Cats from digging their way into your yard. We all know what great climbers cats are, so we need to prohibit them from going over the top! The best way is to install chicken wire along the top of your fence. Cats just won't climb over the wire.

Step 2 - ferals eating dog food Cats hang out in yard's because they feel safe. They also will camp out in your yard if there's a food source. Chances are if you have a nice deck that is low to the ground, cats have moved in. Now if you have a dog that comes in at night, but his food bowl stays out, you have a Cats bed and breakfast!

Step 3 - chickenwire under mulch As for the flower bed, chances are they aren't eating while they are in there, unless you have some catnip. Cats are more interested in the soft mulch that you just put down. To a cat mulch is the next best thing to kitty litter! Put down some chicken wire. Cats simply cannot dig through the wire to do their business. Cut the wire to any size, then place the wire around your plants. Next cover the wire with mulch.

Step 4- Freedigitalphotos.net If you enjoy citrus; oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes. Eat the fruit but keep the peels. Ok to dice the peel into smaller pieces. Then toss them where you want, cats detest citrus. Only one problem, you will have to replenish your peels every three days.

Step 5 - scarecrow Cats don't like water. Fact is cats want nothing to do with water. Yes they drink water, but it better not touch their fur! Why not pick up a motion activated sprinkler. It's like daring the cat to cross into your yard! But we all know that water won't hurt the cats, just scare them away!

Step 6 - There are many plant' s such as; Peppermint, Geranium, Rue, Lavender, Garlic, Lemon Grass and Thyme. All repel cats. You can plant them around your yard. Cats will naturally walk around and away from these plant' s.

Step 7 - coffee If you are a coffee drinker, save those grounds and sprinkle them in your yard and flower beds. Not only does coffee repel cats, it also keeps the raccoons, slugs and snails away.

Step 8 -Shake away cats There are also several natural repellent' s on the market that work. The easiest one that I know of is made from Fox, and Coyote urine. These animals dine on Cat, so one whiff of this solution will send those cats in your yard running! This product is easy to apply just shake onto your yard and away goes the cats!

Step 9 - cat & mouse You may find that you will rid your yard of the Cats but then notice that the rodents and snakes are back. Cats are a natural way to control mice and such. So maybe a cat or two isn't so bad, but that decision is up to you.
my mate is a crack shot but NO I did not say that

 

Here we go again on the cat problem.
Cat lovers love cats and make every excuse in the book for them, understandably.
Cats haters loath them ,hate them anywhere near themselves or their gardens and property especially round the bird feeders and ponds.
The answer I have found in summer.
A water shooter made to deter Herons foxes etc but works fine on cats.
In winter when the shooter can't be used due to freezing.
Keep the hose pipe handy, they soon get the message.

 

Late to this thread but I have a cat problem too - poo and spraying my pots! The poo I mostly can deal with as it's usually my cat! but I do try and deter him from digging where I have just planted.

The most effective deterrent I found to date is coffee - if you have a filter machine or cafetiere keep the used grounds and put them on top of the soil. The cats can't stand the smell. I have also on occasion used citrus peel. On plant pots I use small sharp sticks and chicken wire to stop them digging. And on plant pots I have sponged them with strong coffee to try and stop them spraying.

So far the coffee grounds have worked the best and have the added effect of deterring snails too.

In the past I have tried commercially made cat deterrent but the smell is foul to humans as well and worse than the cats!

Kate

 

Cats, slugs and snails. Old Faithfuls of the gardening forum. My standard response to the cat problem, if you just want to keep them off a patch while plants get established, is to cover the area with twigs, preferably stuck into the soil on end. Anything prickly is particularly good. I use rose prunings.

 

I was chatting about this on a forum the other week...cats crapping and bothering my aviary birds.A member in the USA said he was having similar problems over there,only in his case it was a black bear.....makes our problems a bit insignificant don't it?...

 

All jokes aside, its a major problem isn't it? It's ok for the cat owners/lovers because their darling little pets either go in someone else's garden or if they actually do it in their own the owners don't mind because it's their pet.

I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate someone else's dog coming into their garden and having to pick up the mess the next morning so why are cats still around to roam? I find cat poo far more offending than dog poo, mainly because of the smell is far worse, its dangerous to pregnant women and small people and because they hide it so you don't know it's even there until you either put your hand in it or disturb it with the lawnmower!

I appreciate the cat owners that either keep them as house pets or confine them to their own garden but those considerate owners are far to few and between. I seriously think there needs to be a law about cats roaming the streets, there are far too many of them about and they are a nuisance to gardeners and wildlife lovers. I consider them vermin to be brutally honest.

I have to spend time and money trying to keep cats out of my garden, I want to be able to enjoy a wildlife friendly family garden and with the local cats using it as a corridor or a toilet, its not going to work. I dont want to have to put unsightly prikka strips on the fence or stand on guard with water balloons (or an air rifle if i had my way) just because some inconsiderate people have decided they wanted a pet but didn't want the responsibility of owning one.

Sorry for the rant, but i feel really strongly about this. I also am not too bothered about offending cat owners because the majority of them seem to think this is a funny subject. I don't think they actually realise the effect it has on us non loving cat folk.

I mean, if someone disliked dogs, would you let one loose in their garden? No.
At my old street someone owned 8 cats, 8! That's just ridiculous, and where do you think they did all their business???
I have a small child, as do quite a lot of families, I do not want someone else's "pet" leaving parasite infested **** in MY garden, where my child should be safe!

Rant over!!!

 

I post on a pet forum and some cat owners get real nasty when this subject is broached.They think a cat wandering is 'natural'...as does the law.
Gardening apart,the number of cats killed and injured on the roads is horrendous.The 2006 animal welfare act specifically states a standard of care for all animals...how cat owners are excused this is beyond me.
If I let my dogs loose every day near a main road I would be prosecuted for animal cruelty on the grounds of abandonment and of lack of welfare.

The posts that really get me are the owners that post that 'little jimmy had his back legs squashed by a truck last night' They post in tears expecting sympathy...but can't seem to understand it's THEM that have caused the suffering by THEIR actions.

Cats wandering loose, fair enough on a farm...but not in a built up areas with todays traffic.