Moan about cats - Sorry cat lovers!

[selfraising]

I feel really fed up. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, I'm constantly picking up cat poo from the local cats. Not only that but they've dug up some of my mange tout shortly after planting, killed off several asparagus plants through constantly using the bed as a toilet and now this morning I find they have been in the raised bed where I have sown some winter crops and everything is dug up (not for the first time) I have spent a fortune on cat repellants (none of which seem to work), covered the raised bed in sticks, used water spray, chased them off, lemon peel, you name it I've tried it.

Not only that but next doors cat cries like a baby night and day because they won't let it in and then it walks into my house, so I can't even leave the door or window open!!!

This is really getting me down, what's the point of me trying to grow things or keep the garden nice when the cats come in and wreck it all

Apologies for the moan but I needed to get that off my chest!

[rustylady]

Sorry if this sounds flippant, I have the same problem, but have you thought of getting a dog?

[selfraising]

I have a dog rustylady but he's 14, blind and deaf, so not much use in the cat chasing department any more.

[RedThorn]

have you tried those motion sensitive garden sprinklers you attach to the hosepipe?

I have 2 cat's and it irritates me, so I'd hate to know how you feel when they ain't even yours!

[Incy]

Chilli sauce painted onto the edge of the raised beds worked well for me although it needs redoing fairly frequently with the amount of rain we have.
I had a major problem with neighbourhood cats until we got our kittens. They seem to be going elsewhere now

[Jeanied]

I agree with Incy - the only answer is to get your own!

[janeyo]

I would defo have a word with the neighbour as if they don't let it in it's affecting your life as it wants to come in. They can shut it in the garage or something overnight. (My m-in-law had a garage cat and it hated coming in the house!) Maybe they don't know what a nuisance it's being and need to be alerted to the problems?

[selfraising]

Janeyo, yes good point I may do that although they don't seem to be that approachable and I'm not very assertive.

[matthew2riches]

Could you not have a chat with next door and see what they have to say? They will probs think you're some kind of busy body but at least you've made them aware.

As for your beds. You could net them so the cats won't be able to physically get to them.

We used to have cats s**ting on our front drive all the time but we put the black stuff down (tarmac) and they haven't been back for a while. We find the odd one but throw it over into the front garden of the dirty pigs that live next to us who own the cats. They don't seem to care. Garden like a jungle and cats that are riddled with fleas and mites.

[lizzylemon]

It used to drive me nuts too and it was my cat so goodness only knows how cross you must get with the next doors moggy.

I ended up giving mine to a friend - when I was pregnant I got a bit OCD about cat mess and he'd started doing it in the bath as well as the veggie patch by that point and I just couldn't deal with it. Plus I stopped eating veg off my patch as I couldn't get the mental image out of my head every time I went to eat something.

I agree with Matthew, the only way is to net it. Dogs won't be out side 24/7 and the next door pple already know how much noise it makes as I'm guessing they're not deaf and we all know when a cat 'sings' they really let rip so complaining wont achieve m,uch I wouldn't have thought

Also getting a cat of your own will only reduce the amount not stop it completely and besides, you have to like them and most people who like cats tend to already have them (if you know what I mean).

[piskieinboots]

is there an area you can set aside for cat stuff? if they are coming in anyway - it might as well be on your terms

[FionaH]

Janeyo, yes good point I may do that although they don't seem to be that approachable and I'm not very assertive.

I can be very assertve on behalf of my friends, (hopeless for myself) Want me to come round and duff 'em up?

[selfraising]

I can be very assertve on behalf of my friends, (hopeless for myself) Want me to come round and duff 'em up?

Ha ha, nice thought thanks Fi but you gotta catch em first

I've followed people's advice and netted one complete raised bed and most of the next one (I ran out of netting on the last foot). So what happens this morning, the cat has gone in the un-netted bit, which is a tight space and dug up half of my spring onions. Fuming I went into the shed and searched for more netting. Shed contents were being flung out to try and find a bit of netting (OH kept his distance and wisely chose not to ask what I was doing). I finally found a bit of pond netting which I have put over the last bit. Waiting to see what the morning brings!

[FionaH]

I have some spare netting if you want it? Car on the blink atm but can run it over when fixed. Let me know

[jackie j]

My sister used to have one of those wire things that only cats can hear, till someone pinched it, she never had cats in her garden.