Hosta,£1for the pot. Only thing I found works is having our own cat,and hubby won't let me I don't know if this actually works,but I was told to get a bit of cat poo from a friend with a cat (I know, I know!!!) Put it on the boundary and it marks the territory,and other cats won't come in. My daughter ended up in tears and banning the kids from the garden which they were small, because of the amount of poo,they were also spraying in her lean to where her tumble dryer is. I tried garlic,chilli, pigeon spikes, prickly plants,that scardy cat plant, coleus cannina. We've tried covering with chicken wire netting, I have a sonic device. Makes younger people and kids scream and clutch their ears, doesn't deter the cats
It was not a big problem for me as there are only 2 cats in the neighbourhood belonging to my next door neighbour.
I think the sonic thing is CRUEL. The sound waves carry over a significant distance, unheard by humans, but heard by cats, dogs, and other creatures and TORTURING them.
I used this spray for a while and it worked. I am not 100% sure how it works, but you know how cats mark their territories with urine and navigate their territories with scent? This is supposedly a kind of scent marking that does something like marking the region as the territory of a scary big cat or something. Anyway, it worked.
The reason I stopped is that I actually like her coming into the garden because she watches and catches the couple of mice that run around. Also, I thought the spray deterred my fox and hedgehogs in whose hunting ground my flat lies. Hedgehogs controls the snails and foxie also hunts any mice.
Cats are very intelligent ones. So, I kind of trained her that she could come into the garden, but not to poo except in a corner area behind a tree and not to come indoors, using like voice tones and rewards. I also presented my neighbour with a cat littering box and one sack of that coal thingy that goes in there and I think she has litter trained them now.
I suggest you try the spray. It worked while I used it.
The sonic devices can be really effective - I think @Fire uses one, perhaps the RSPB one [?] so she might be able to give the name if she sees this, and @Bee witched recommended a good one, but they're out of stock just now. The water scarecrow is excellent. The downsides are - they freeze so you can't use them all year round, and if you have an awkward shape of garden it creates a problem - especially for the postman Round here - nothing else works. They s*** on, and through, any kind of netting, and don't care if there are bamboo canes or skewers stuck in. They just 'hover'. They do it on the grass as well - nowhere is safe. I have groundcover plants almost everywhere, but if there's a space for a few days.....
It's a really horrible problem, and you have my sympathy @Pink678. It's also a serious problem for pregnant women. My hubby cleaned our litter trays when I was pregnant, but more importantly, our cats used that, and also used our garden. It's perfectly possible to train cats, but people just can't be bothered, it seems.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you for all your comments, it's a real problem!
I just sprayed with the orange oil and put down a black bin bag with bricks for now. I agree with Jac though, I hate to discourage hedgehogs.
I might get a water pistol.
What do you think about putting a large litter tray down outside with cat litter in it, to keep it in one place and easy to clear of the droppings? Would they prefer that to the flower beds? Being cats, probably not ...
About a grand's worth now I should think @Hostafan1
The water scarecrows and sonic devices have no effect on hedgehogs @Pink678 The real problem is the amount of time and money and effort people have to go to to keep other people's 'pets' out. One repeat offender here is out at all times of the day and night. Unless you can stand there 24 hours a day - a water pistol really isn't any good.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I just bought a roll of heavy duty galvanised steel rabbit netting from an agricultural suppliers done years ago.
Keep it rolled up except when being used and it keeps it’s shape pretty well.
The Super Soaker is as good as any … we don’t have one now but the neighbour’ cats still think we have … when they get another one we’ll probably have to buy another.
Can’t grumble too much … the neighbours are feeding the hedgehogs for us this week while we’re away. 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
I don't know if this actually works,but I was told to get a bit of cat poo from a friend with a cat (I know, I know!!!) Put it on the boundary and it marks the territory,and other cats won't come in. My daughter ended up in tears and banning the kids from the garden which they were small, because of the amount of poo,they were also spraying in her lean to where her tumble dryer is. I tried garlic,chilli, pigeon spikes, prickly plants,that scardy cat plant, coleus cannina. We've tried covering with chicken wire netting, I have a sonic device. Makes younger people and kids scream and clutch their ears, doesn't deter the cats
I think the sonic thing is CRUEL. The sound waves carry over a significant distance, unheard by humans, but heard by cats, dogs, and other creatures and TORTURING them.
I used this spray for a while and it worked. I am not 100% sure how it works, but you know how cats mark their territories with urine and navigate their territories with scent? This is supposedly a kind of scent marking that does something like marking the region as the territory of a scary big cat or something. Anyway, it worked.
The reason I stopped is that I actually like her coming into the garden because she watches and catches the couple of mice that run around. Also, I thought the spray deterred my fox and hedgehogs in whose hunting ground my flat lies. Hedgehogs controls the snails and foxie also hunts any mice.
Cats are very intelligent ones. So, I kind of trained her that she could come into the garden, but not to poo except in a corner area behind a tree and not to come indoors, using like voice tones and rewards. I also presented my neighbour with a cat littering box and one sack of that coal thingy that goes in there and I think she has litter trained them now.
I suggest you try the spray. It worked while I used it.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BZL5YFY/
The water scarecrow is excellent. The downsides are - they freeze so you can't use them all year round, and if you have an awkward shape of garden it creates a problem - especially for the postman
Round here - nothing else works. They s*** on, and through, any kind of netting, and don't care if there are bamboo canes or skewers stuck in. They just 'hover'. They do it on the grass as well - nowhere is safe. I have groundcover plants almost everywhere, but if there's a space for a few days.....
It's a really horrible problem, and you have my sympathy @Pink678. It's also a serious problem for pregnant women. My hubby cleaned our litter trays when I was pregnant, but more importantly, our cats used that, and also used our garden. It's perfectly possible to train cats, but people just can't be bothered, it seems.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The water scarecrows and sonic devices have no effect on hedgehogs @Pink678
The real problem is the amount of time and money and effort people have to go to to keep other people's 'pets' out. One repeat offender here is out at all times of the day and night.
Unless you can stand there 24 hours a day - a water pistol really isn't any good.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.