This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Cats and coffee
dominic.bray
Posts: 7
in Fruit & veg
I have a small raised bed I grow, or try to, various veg and plants with my kids. The local cats love it, I have to empty it of cat droppings all the time. I've heard I could sprinkle used ground coffee on to deter them.
Will that work? We drink a lot of coffee so have plenty in constant supply, but will this adversely affect the acidity of the soil or something like that? Really fed up with beans and potatoes coming out of a bed smelling of cat!
I know this has probably been asked a thousand times, but my bed is set on top of some lining, it doesn't go into the ground, I'm worried it's a bit if a closed unit...
0
Posts
another £1
I bet! Sorry!
We've had many threads on this subject ... the most effective strategy seems to be to get a Water Scarecrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHYV6nJksw
Last edited: 14 August 2017 11:02:44
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
dominic . I should explain.
We get so many queries of this nature, I once said " I wish I had £1 for every, "how do I deter cats" question.
I totally understand abd understood.
The bed is all of 7ft by 3! A. Bit small for water shenanigans!
Is the coffee going to do awful things to the soil?
Just put bits of chicken wire, empty seed trays, empty module trays, cover the bare soil between your plants and the cats can't dig it up.
coffee grounds will do no harm at all, and , some say, will deter slugs.
Not here it doesnt?
Sit on your patio with a pump action water pistol ... cats are quick learners and have a well developed sense of self protection ... you don't have to soak them or even wet them at all ... I wouldn't harm a cat
... aim at the soil just in front of them. They'll find somewhere else to visit.
But you have to repeat it a few times and then intermittantly so they don't think the "water squirty thing" has gone away.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Lyn says "Not here it doesnt?"
I'm not sure it works anywhere.
hence , "some say, will deter slugs."