living in London all the local cats use our garden as a toilet, you can collect it by the carrier bag! An excellent solution I found was chilli powder. You can buy huge bags of it cheaply from Indian stores and it very quickly gets the pesky cats away! Just put it on any fresh soil.
I'm afraid Chilli powder doesn't work for long. I tried that and the blasted cats from next door soon got used to it and would dig and defecate on top of it. I've also tried putting down cuttings from really prickly plants such as Mahonia and Berberis but they didn't work for long either and are a nuisance for me when I am gardening.
Personally I'm in favour of a super soaker (giant water pistol)which has a far greater range and often chases the cheekiest of feline visitor at the top of our garden when they think they're safe :-) I've also tried small amounts of ammonia in tablet bottles with punctured child proof tops buried to soil level - it's effective but wears off too quick. I've also tried a light sprinkling of menthol oil(Olbas). But the best deterant is our own bully of a tom cat, he keeps all the other cats at bay. He does his business in our garden, which we don't mind clearing up and on the occassions when he visits our neighbours front garden we clean up and spray Jeyes fluid (friendly to plants, but cats hate it :-) As for catching our feathered friends he is told under no uncertain circumstances that it will not be tolerated as he's adaquatley fed. I have many feeding stations on the apple tree and thankfully he doesn't attempt to chase or catch the birds. He chases other cats instead ...hee! hee! Blissful peace in the garden.
Since having my dog put to sleep in February cats have been an absolute pest in my garden, as I try my best to encourage wildlife, birds mammals etc, i'm forever picking up cat mess & I've even chased one that was hid in my runner bean plants next to my bird table. Without trying to sound vindictive cat owners should be prosecuted as dog owners are for fouling public places also I don't see how a cat can be a pet? when its just let out to do what cats do, foul & hunt (wildlife) Its just my opinion.
Try covering your soil with slate chippings. This has worked for me in two seperate gardens. It is too sharp and heavy for them to dig into. NOT pea gravel,they love that. Cheap and lasts forever. Good luck.
has disgusted of hampshire lost the plot,is she so stupid that she would put a cat before a human being.people like that make me sick,there the same bunch who would say it was the parents fault if a baby crawling in your garden ended up with cat poo in there eyes & on there hands & ended up being poorly through it.
We have a cat, mainly because we live in the country and she helps keep down the mice population. We had a few rabbits bopping about when we first moved here, 9 years ago, but haven't seen any around in a long time - although we have hares. We do feed the birds, 24/7, and she gets her fair share of those, too. However, despite her, we have found the small bird population has blossomed and I think it is to do with feeding them? If the cat could read we would put a sign in the garden for her as a health warning - may contain nuts! All in all there seems to be a flourishing ecosystem here, even with a cat, but I don't think the rabbits would agree - if we could find any!
I also think cat owners should be responsible for their cats they use my garden for their toilet but I have spend so much money on trying to keep them out now I put their fouling on the owners front lawn.(lucky for me I know who the cats belong to and the owners dont like when I do that) As I say I dont go and use their garden as my toilet.
My beautiful seedbed all raked well drained and inviting for seeds, is just as inviting to the feral cat as my own cats. My cats have lovely dry indoor loos,I also have small secluded areas other than open seedbeds away from play and planting spaces which cats like to use to BURY poos. These "arrangements", have helped me and other users of this garden to distinguish whose is whose. I`m always surprised by the size of frog & toad not to mention hedgehog deposits and I also know that a wide variety of fauna visit my garden simply by identifying the droppings, and the position laid!It may be unjust to accuse cats of all poo just because the garden is in a town especially that found above ground. meanwhile any soil in need of protection is covered with an assortment of wiremesh or netting or large flints recycled from any digging & clearing
I have three cats, one of whom is a great hunter. Last spring was a nightmare; I dreaded hearing the cat flap bang. This year, after a finding a dead mouse, bird feathers and my beloved only frog mutilated, I am keeping the cats in at night. They are not upset and actually seem calmer. I would recommend it to everyone. Additionally, I am not worrying about them being near the road at night.
Posts