Rose prunning's as Geoff suggested also a water pistol that works a treat but you need to hang around for it to visit to zap it, I was lucky it only took about 6 visit's zap wise, it doesn't come back but I've fastened the rose pruning's down as the little **** used to very carefully pull them off, the more thorns the better.
Physical barriers are the ONLY way to stop them. The skewers or bamboo canes will work nicely. Any sprays or the like will wash away and are a waste of money and time. Buy some cheap bamboo canes and place them around the area where they walk and they will clear off, espcially if they are pooping in a flower bed.
I've had reasonable success in the past by spreading coffee grounds (wich also seemed to help deter slugs), citrus peel and placing moth balls in an old milk carton with a few holes in - seems they don't like strong smells!
The other trick my granny used to advise was to spray them with water - ok if you see them about, but not so good at night!
I've had a lot of problems with this too. I've tried the bamboo canes, small ones pushed into the ground, and thorny prunings. These do work but don't look very nice in my opinion and I find it tiresome after a while.
People will tell you the following does not work but it always has for me, and I've been using it on and off for years now. Essence of Lion dung pellets. Yes they are expensive to buy, 6 to 7 pounds a box and you will hear lots of reports of how it's a waste of money. My experience is that, you need to give these pellets time to work, about 3 weeks or so and if you have a large garden 1 box may not be enough. I find once the initial period has passed and the cat's have gone away, it lasts for at least 6 months or more before needing to apply again. You also don't notice it's there but you do need to apply it thickly. It's worth a go but patience is required as cats will compete with it for the first few weeks and it needs to be applied everywhere, including over shingled ground.
An alternative is to leave no soil showing by planting thick ground cover all over the place. Perennial Geraniums are good for this - masses of them but a garden like that can look chock full and crowded for some tastes.
We've tried most proprietary gels, sprays & powders, all without success with the half dozen cats that believed our garden was a communal PC. Had some success with holly prunings "they don't like it upem, them fuzzy wuzzies", but almost total success in recent months has been a "Water Blaster", an american water pistol for beach & pool, like an outsize bicycle pump. Claimed range - 60 feet & is a fair claim. Have rarely landed a shot on pests, but the sound of the squirt & falling water has turned local cats into sprint champions, so mere sight of the "weapon" eventually had desired effect & cats now very rare. Bought ours at some cost from California via web, but have noticed a UK supplier. Cost has been value for money.
Thanks everyone it appears I am not alone lol I especially like the scarecrow sprinkler. Could do with one of those at work as well to keep the deer from eating the roses in the wedding garden! Saw a little munctjac today (well his behind as he ran off anyway) doing just that!
Only downside is having the water on all the time (we have a water meter).
@ JDVS If you're water is metered, there are scarecrow cat repellents that use a integral water supply, handy if you cannot get a hose to the garden easily or permanantly, of if you are on a metered supply. You can check it out at http://catrepellentguide.com/ultrasonic-cat-repellents/guardener-a201-2-0/ hope that helps!
Posts
Just flicking the pages of August's issue of GW that dropped on my doormat yesterday, an there's a four page spread on "How To Cat-proof Your Garden"
Rose prunning's as Geoff suggested also a water pistol that works a treat but you need to hang around for it to visit to zap it, I was lucky it only took about 6 visit's zap wise, it doesn't come back but I've fastened the rose pruning's down as the little **** used to very carefully pull them off, the more thorns the better.
Sorry everyone, I have three cats
If any of my neighbours complained about them in their gardens I'd tell them to squirt the cats with a hose though.
Physical barriers are the ONLY way to stop them. The skewers or bamboo canes will work nicely. Any sprays or the like will wash away and are a waste of money and time. Buy some cheap bamboo canes and place them around the area where they walk and they will clear off, espcially if they are pooping in a flower bed.
I've had reasonable success in the past by spreading coffee grounds (wich also seemed to help deter slugs), citrus peel and placing moth balls in an old milk carton with a few holes in - seems they don't like strong smells!
The other trick my granny used to advise was to spray them with water - ok if you see them about, but not so good at night!
I've had a lot of problems with this too. I've tried the bamboo canes, small ones pushed into the ground, and thorny prunings. These do work but don't look very nice in my opinion and I find it tiresome after a while.
People will tell you the following does not work but it always has for me, and I've been using it on and off for years now. Essence of Lion dung pellets. Yes they are expensive to buy, 6 to 7 pounds a box and you will hear lots of reports of how it's a waste of money. My experience is that, you need to give these pellets time to work, about 3 weeks or so and if you have a large garden 1 box may not be enough. I find once the initial period has passed and the cat's have gone away, it lasts for at least 6 months or more before needing to apply again. You also don't notice it's there but you do need to apply it thickly. It's worth a go but patience is required as cats will compete with it for the first few weeks and it needs to be applied everywhere, including over shingled ground.
An alternative is to leave no soil showing by planting thick ground cover all over the place. Perennial Geraniums are good for this - masses of them but a garden like that can look chock full and crowded for some tastes.
We've tried most proprietary gels, sprays & powders, all without success with the half dozen cats that believed our garden was a communal PC. Had some success with holly prunings "they don't like it upem, them fuzzy wuzzies", but almost total success in recent months has been a "Water Blaster", an american water pistol for beach & pool, like an outsize bicycle pump. Claimed range - 60 feet & is a fair claim. Have rarely landed a shot on pests, but the sound of the squirt & falling water has turned local cats into sprint champions, so mere sight of the "weapon" eventually had desired effect & cats now very rare. Bought ours at some cost from California via web, but have noticed a UK supplier. Cost has been value for money.
I use a conitech Water scarecrow - 100% successful! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7jHYV6nJksw
Don't go for cheap imitations - all the reviews on amazon will tell you they are nothing compared to the real thing.
Thanks everyone it appears I am not alone lol I especially like the scarecrow sprinkler. Could do with one of those at work as well to keep the deer from eating the roses in the wedding garden! Saw a little munctjac today (well his behind as he ran off anyway) doing just that!
Only downside is having the water on all the time (we have a water meter).
@ JDVS If you're water is metered, there are scarecrow cat repellents that use a integral water supply, handy if you cannot get a hose to the garden easily or permanantly, of if you are on a metered supply. You can check it out at http://catrepellentguide.com/ultrasonic-cat-repellents/guardener-a201-2-0/ hope that helps!