This may not be practical but I have used the smelly leaved perrenial geraniums to keep cats away. They are easily propagated by just pulling a root off and putting it straight in the earth. They spread quite quickly especially at this time of year. I put the plants in the places where the cats have been after removing the poo. You need to cover up all patches of bare earth with plants. I have also used fast growing sedums to fill up bare patches of soil. Cats will only dig where there is enough bare earth to scratch a hole and fit their body in the space. If you can, keep bare patches of soil well-watered as cats hate wet muddy soil. I have been a cat owner in the past and it would be no good telling the owners as cats roam where they want - you cannot keep them in your own garden. Mine used to eat the duckings in the village pond but I could not do anything about that either. Many folks said it stopped the place being over-run with ducks and the mess they make. Typically cats have a "not in my back yard" attitude. All you can do is make them go somewhere else. I had a local cat visit my garden once and I agressively chased it off making a load roaring noise. It has never been in again but visits my neighbours quite often!
To all the people who think skewers, canes, netting, string etc works. It doesn't. If they want in they'll get in. I looked out my window one day, and watched one balancing on this lot ready to dump it's load.... I don't want a garden that looks like the Vietcong have got traps set up in it thank you very much. That's when I bought the first water scarecrow.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Orange peel maybe? Most cats hate the smell. I must say its ironic though that some of the loveliest garden pictures usually have the obligatory cat in there somewhere lounging in the sun. I suppose if its your garden and your cat poo you don't mind so much.
Could owners keep them in and not let them out until after they had done their business in a litter tray (the cats, not the owners ) maybe there would be less chance of them making a beeline for someones garden to use as a latrine if they had already 'been'. Sort of what a dog owner does when they take their dog out to do its business, but in reverse.
I still reckon there is merit in the shoe box solution.
Yes, we know, BG. Can we avoid going handbags at dawn?
I find a really good way is as dense planting as I can manage - with any good ground cover. I am covering all spaces with Roxanne and woodruff at the moment. Winter and early Spring are def'ly the trickiest parts of the year, for poo. I'm not in the garden as much to throw things and there isn't so much cover starting to grow yet. Chopsticks, holly barrages, lions poo, lemon skin, orange peel? No chance. They see my garden as their toilet and their territory and nothing short of an actual lion is going to dissuade them.
I will investigate at Scarecrows again. Ideally I would borrow one for two weeks to see how the cats manage to get around it.
Nope. All nonsense and baloney. And why should I buy oranges when I don't eat them! Someone's bound to suggest buying a dog soon.... Just read what Lizzybusy is doing to deter them. It's ridiculous, although they can be kept in your own garden if you make the effort...it's all been said before.
I'm not posting on this thread again, as it'll no doubt become like the other recent one...and the one before that.....and the one before that...and the hundreds of others before that....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
When my sister-in-laws Jack Russell cross was younger they had no problem with cats. At least not after the first one had the fear of god put into it. We just saw this black flash and heard the cat squeal and manage to reach the fence quite literally less than a second before the dog got there. The dog was a fantastic 'ratter' and to him any animal in his territory was fair game. Our neighbour's rescue greyhound had the same opinion of cats and also came very close to winning on more than one occasion.
Posts
I don't want a garden that looks like the Vietcong have got traps set up in it thank you very much.
That's when I bought the first water scarecrow.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I still reckon there is merit in the shoe box solution.
And why should I buy oranges when I don't eat them!
Someone's bound to suggest buying a dog soon....
Just read what Lizzybusy is doing to deter them. It's ridiculous, although they can be kept in your own garden if you make the effort...it's all been said before.
I'm not posting on this thread again, as it'll no doubt become like the other recent one...and the one before that.....and the one before that...and the hundreds of others before that....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...