How do I stop cats using my garden as a toilet?

[happyhippy]

Yes I am serious! My husband and I dug some new borders yesterday and used those sprinkly flower seed containers,hoping to attract bee's and butterflies in summer.However.........this morning when I went outside,it appears a cat/s have used to border to use twice overnight as a toilet.One hole has poo in it and had not been covered up! Now before anyone gets on their high horse,we did have our own cat until 2 years ago!I would like to know if anyone has used anything to put on the borders to deter cats from using it.Would prefer something enviromentally friendly please.Someone suggested using pepper but as the weather is dodgy,if it rains it'll soon get washed into the dirt.
Any suggestions please?

[Flo]

If you can fix something like a fine green netting (very small holes) over the bare patches that should solve it.

[doofaloofa]

My first, instictive response is NERF GUN!!!

A NERF!!! dart in the ring puts off most cats IMO and is humane (and loads of fun)

But I have heard a few other ideas when I asked a similar question elsewhere

I have not tried these out so take with a pinch of salt

leave a hose pipe lieing around

leave pop botles full of water around the area

or you could try this thing called 'Gogle' or something. all the kids are doing it

https://www.google.ie/search?q=how+to+k ... jaU-WNgLgO

You might try planting catnip in your neighbors plot, surupticious like, if you don't like your neighbors

[happyhippy]

Thanks for the suggestions.I did try some plastic trellis type stuff a few years ago when cats were using my raised beds as toilets but...they just pooed on top the trellis which was even worse!

[berry]

Dried bramble or rose canes laid over the beds worked a treat here. Deters the cats from naturally digging and cr*ping! second defence, super soaker. Btw my cat loving neighbours hate me but its either that or I fling the cat AND poop back over the fence ;)

[pomegranate]

I have the same problem ,orange peel spread about or put some vinegar on a spray bottle and spray around the beds. Not on any plants you want to keep as it acts as a weed killer.Cats hate the smell of vinegar.

[ina]

I cover all those areas I don't want them to use (and there are lots of cats in the area, not just my own); I use anything from wire cages to old tree guards. Might not look "pretty", but it's effective and works even when you are not watching.

[mamos]

I am wondering if this might be another reason to have ground cover plants and not bare earth.

Paul

[diggernotdreamer]

There is a product called Get off my Garden which works very well, although it can get washed away if there is very heavy rain, but agree, perennial plants are probably a better bet, as a cottage gardener, I have perennial plants that are flowering from February and I can also dib in annuals that I have grown in modules to a good size to give more interest ............. otherwise a 12 bore can be effective

[pomegranate]

A 12 bore would knock me off my feel so maybe ground cover would be a better option. Do you have any suggestions that I could use in a veggie patch diggernotdreamer?

[diggernotdreamer]

A 12 bore would knock me off my feel so maybe ground cover would be a better option. Do you have any suggestions that I could use in a veggie patch diggernotdreamer?

Cats do love soil that has just been dug over, I try not to have bare soil at all so I either put down paper and hay or straw mulch all the time and plant my transplants through, or use a green manure as a cover crop, my favourite winter one is tares, some of my beds have forget me nots and poached egg plants at the moment which I have allowed to grow and pull out when I want to plant something in there

[doofaloofa]

And lean into the shot, left foot forward

[Puddleduck]

My dad had this problem, he planted some skewers in his flower bed, soon stopped the cats!

[boboff]

I would use a sprinker, leave it on low over night / until the flower bed establishes. If the soil is wet it's not as attractive as a dry, bit you have dug and not watered as an alternative could help also.

[happyhippy]

Some great suggestions posted so thankyou to all of you for taking the time to reply.I am going to make a little list,write down the suggestions,and try each one until I find one that works.I do already have some perennial plants in from last year but we extended the border.Thanks all!