Stopping Cats Messing!

[veg4681]

As proud as I am of my recently built raised vegetable bed, there is one most annoying 'pest' problem that reduces me to living in fear of losing my crop.

I feel deprived of the luxury of using my own bed for young seedlings (so patiently raised from seeds) only to have them distrupted/destroyed by cat treating the exposed soil area as his royal highess loo!!! Cat's not mine, don't keep one.

As you need to space out your plants to give room for further growth, this also leaves a wide gap enough for the cat to foul on. Where possible, I've covered the seedlings with a rack (from a mini greenhouse kit) but as the plants get bigger, they are then held back.

I have chemical based cat repellent but with constant rain, I fear it's too much hassle, spray every week or so depending on the rain. I've heard of sonic cat scarer but battery is the maintenance issue for me that I'd prefer not to deal with. Then I've come across cat scarescrow in some gadget brochure but don't know how effective it is.

So I'd be very interested to know what sorts of tactics that are being employed effectively as deterants for cat fouling.

[shirlthegirl43]

Pond netting over the whole bed works for me.

Have tried various other methods but the only failsafe one is the netting.

[moggssue]

Lots of bamboo canes crisscrossed over the bed work for me, just make sure not to leave a hole big enough for them to get their bums into!

[Phreddy]

I sympathise with you, pity there isnt a law preventing cat nuisance like the dog law.
Where I lived near Croydon it was a new build of houses. In our block of about 12 houses wide by 6 there seemed to be 2 cats per house and it was my garden they used. Nothing disuaded them, no soil? they used the lawn, so I gave up.

I read a recent document concerning the growth of garden pests (flying types not felines) and the writer put it down to lack of bird activity brought about by an increase in cat activity.

Here in Bulgaria, very few cats per metre, loads of dug soil and no cat muck.

Phreddy

[murray]

Veg - I've found that holly twigs/branches laid in the gaps helps1

[Nicos]

Never tried it- but when our kids were nippers, the local cats used to try and use their sandpit as a loo.
Might be worth offering an area of sand...or of peat....as they do tend to use areas which are easy to dig up.
I know you'd be the one left to do the clearing up, but it might just deflect the problem away from your crops?
Worth a try if all else fails????

[valmarg]

veg4691, go to your local asian supermarket (which in your case is probably Wing Yip) and buy loads of the short bamboo skewers used for sate dishes. Bury them pointy side upwards in amongst your seedlings, so that the points are about half an inch above soil level and quite close together. This will mean that the moggies will not be able to walk in the area, and most certainly not able to scrat and crap.

It might be moggy unfriendly, but so am I!!

valmarg

[Madasafish]

strong black pepper and black thin nylon thread together make pussies feel unwanted imo:-)

[NOG]

Cut Lemons or a water pistol and if you see them spray them them. that tends to work. Or Lion Poo from the zoo, I think they now sell it for this problem (True).

I found the cheepest way was to borrow a large dog for a few days....ok they wount eat all the cats in one go but they make a differance.

[rustylady]

I haven't found that anything works on a permanent basis. I don't have a cat, and although I quite like them I do not like them fouling my garden. OK, they mess in the newly borders (I can deal with that to a certain extent by covering with netting or upside down wire hanging baskets). They have also recently not even bothering to use the soil or dig holes and bury their excrement. They have been crapping on my lawn, and on the shingle covering the front garden. I work full time, so cannot be here to catch them every time and spray with water (it does work, even if only temporarily). My main concern (apart from the smell and the nuisance) is the fact that my grandchildren visit regularly and cat poo is a known health hazard. Cats should be licensed, just as dogs are, and subject to the same laws. You cannot blame the individual cat, they just do what cats do, but the owners need to accept some responsibility. Cats can be trained to use a litter tray (I have owned cats in the past and they always did)

[Sue]

A long while ago, I used to let my cats out, one of them went missing and I eventually found him at 2am after patrolling the streets (oh why did I call him Spotty), when I went to a streetlight to see if he was OK, I found his face was slashed and he'd been bleeding very heavily. After an early morning visit to the vet to be sewn up he was eventually fine (I suspected a local restaurant) Now he was an appalling nuisance, visiting gardens, houses - and restaurants -one over friendly visit too many and somebody got angry I suppose.
I don't let my cats out anymore, what with road danger, nuisance to other people, catching birds and possible cat theft, it's just too much worry. So in that respect it is the cat owners responsibility to make the decision of keeping in or letting them out. But once out unless they have been trained to a lead (and I've never managed it) then they are off and away, hence the pooh problems and the lack of legal control. It isn't fair to suddenly keep a roaming cat indoors, but anyone buying kittens should seriously think about it.
Every time I go to the allotment, there is evidence of cats, I have to cover any dug ground with kebab sticks as it's the only thing that seems to keep them off the raised beds. An awful nuisance and horrible to have pooh in and around the vegetables too.
Sue

[GardenFan]

Hi,

Keeping cats indoors is one answer but it would be cruel with some species of cat and they are like it or not, outside creatures. I will add that while cats are a pain in the rear with open patches of soil all it takes is some netting, and few sticks (sticking up so they get in the cats way and NOT cause them an injury) and they will quickly go some place else. I have in the past (not on the vine might I add) heard of folks going to measures that could result in a serious injury to a cat and as a cat owner such measures makes my blood boil

[Alice]

I cover mine with a net Veg4681. No cats, foxes, pigeons or other pests.

[Alison]

I have used a combination of netting and criss crossed canes to protect. Our cats aren't too bad and tend to use the same area in the back corner of the garden but recently there's been a new addition next door and we have the joys of a teritory battle going on!

On a separate note, is it me or has the name of this thread been edited so as not to offend?????

[valmarg]

One thing I've noticed. I used to use blood, fish and bone in the beds that I planted summer bedding in the front garden. When dug, and bf&b applied, even when planted out, all the local moggies used to come and crap in the beds. Since changing to growmore for ornamentals, no problem.

It may be coincidence.

In the back garden we still use bf&b, but this is an encosed area, and not many moggies get in. Any that do 'exeunt swiftly, followed by a bear'.

valmarg