I found all your comments about cats really interesting. I have had trouble for years. A few houses down from me has ten cats!! Then other neighbours have one or two cats so I am surrounded by the blasted things. I am going to try some of your ideas wish me luck.
Angel/Melody2, over the years I've tried lots of things, costly doing it too. Last summer I came across this Jeyes fluid method with teabags.... so far working while they are fresh stinking. Cats can't stand them and steer clear. I think after awhile once they realise its a stinky area, they learn not to visit.
The Jeyes fluid I think was about £4-7 for a small tin can (its in a tin can as its strong cleaner type stuff), and this tin lasts ages, because it takes awhile for the smell to fade. (Compared to when I used pepper types or chilli powder, they worked, but as soon as it rained, you have to reapply).
Rain doesn't seem to wash the smell away either, which is fab, and means it's long lasting.
Melody2 just an idea, when you get it, try diluting and washing your paving stones with it first as its a patio cleaner, that should do the trick also and keep them away.
Dove and Gemma are right the water scare crow has been working for me on the veg patch since I read their recommendations on here, now the cats/foxes are giving the area a swerve even when it's switched off... stupid they aint though they need to have it on most of the time!
@Sunflower888Please don't put down pots of Jeyes mixed with water. Cats find this solution very attractive and drink it, causing an agonising death - or at the very least huge vet bills, a great deal of pain for the cat and distress for the owner.
However angry you feel about the cat, no animal should suffer in that way. Our neighbours had a vet bill of nearly £2000 because someone in the neighbourhood had put out a dish of diluted Jeyes.
Dovefromabiove I hear what you are saying but it was a last resort. The amount of money I have spent is ridiculous and due to other peoples animals coming into my garden. Can you imagine what it's like to have years of other peoples pets treat my nice garden as a toilet or trample my plants. One time they knocked over a bird table and smashed it too, as well as scaring away all the birds I try to attract.
I have to wear gloves all the time because they spray all over, and then I find poo at various places in the middle of my nice garden areas, that I have to clear away when I don't have pets that is infuriating, and all over the place. And why, because of my pets, no? Because of other peoples.
I have tried to do it the nicer ways, nothing works, they keep doing it so don't learn despite me using say the water pistol, you'd think they'd get the message.
The final straw was two news cats visiting, and then for the past year, EVERY DAY one cat will spray the front and back of my car bumper, EVERY DAY very early in the morning, which is disgusting. If my car was newer I'd be livid, because it is probably doing damage.
The last action was one cat started spraying my front door. I would open the door each morning to the smell of urine, a patch on the door, and where it has dampened the doorstep, very unsightly. Why should I have to keep washing my car and door everyday? Whoever is the pet owner needs to take responsibility and control their cat somehow.
As well as that, the pots I had in the front, they would poo in it, and put urine, there is a strong stench of urine, I ended up using the jeyes to cleaning the area first.
I don't have any way to keep a water supply on to some areas of my garden or the front areas so that is not an option to use a water scarecrow in those areas, and too many entry points. Plus I have 7 different cats visiting my garden before.
If there is any other solution you can suggest I'd gladly try it where no water supply is needed, but until then if I want to keep my garden clean its only Jeyes working so far.
btw - I didnt think they'd drink, as they seem to stay away. In which case, maybe I will just pour it on to the teabag without the pots. Then they will just stay away.
I've noticed the bed they use is the only one that doesn't contain any sort of allium, so I've planted spring onions there, and I also use sticks as a deterrent so soil isn't bare. It's the long grass I struggle with now.
Posts
I found all your comments about cats really interesting. I have had trouble for years. A few houses down from me has ten cats!! Then other neighbours have one or two cats so I am surrounded by the blasted things. I am going to try some of your ideas wish me luck.
Angel/Melody2, over the years I've tried lots of things, costly doing it too. Last summer I came across this Jeyes fluid method with teabags.... so far working while they are fresh stinking. Cats can't stand them and steer clear. I think after awhile once they realise its a stinky area, they learn not to visit.
The Jeyes fluid I think was about £4-7 for a small tin can (its in a tin can as its strong cleaner type stuff), and this tin lasts ages, because it takes awhile for the smell to fade. (Compared to when I used pepper types or chilli powder, they worked, but as soon as it rained, you have to reapply).
Rain doesn't seem to wash the smell away either, which is fab, and means it's long lasting.
Just checked the 300ml tin is:
£3.00 in Asda
£3.40 in Tesco
£3.50 Wilkinsons at the moment.
Bargain!
Melody2 just an idea, when you get it, try diluting and washing your paving stones with it first as its a patio cleaner, that should do the trick also and keep them away.
p.s. I suggest you wear rubber gloves, don't get it on your skin either.
Bearded Iris2.... what you need is a water pistol. That works too, but then only when you see them and act quick enough, lol.
Interesting her cats are used to it. But other neighbouring cats probably arent.
Dove and Gemma are right the water scare crow has been working for me on the veg patch since I read their recommendations on here, now the cats/foxes are giving the area a swerve even when it's switched off... stupid they aint though they need to have it on most of the time!
Very pleased I tried it...
@Sunflower888 Please don't put down pots of Jeyes mixed with water. Cats find this solution very attractive and drink it, causing an agonising death - or at the very least huge vet bills, a great deal of pain for the cat and distress for the owner.
However angry you feel about the cat, no animal should suffer in that way. Our neighbours had a vet bill of nearly £2000 because someone in the neighbourhood had put out a dish of diluted Jeyes.
If you read this earlier thread http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/problem-solving/jeyes-fluid-uses/79970.html you'll see confirmation from regular poster 'Steve the Gardening Vet' and other posters that Jeyes is both palatable to cats and highly dangerous to them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dovefromabiove I hear what you are saying but it was a last resort. The amount of money I have spent is ridiculous and due to other peoples animals coming into my garden. Can you imagine what it's like to have years of other peoples pets treat my nice garden as a toilet or trample my plants. One time they knocked over a bird table and smashed it too, as well as scaring away all the birds I try to attract.
I have to wear gloves all the time because they spray all over, and then I find poo at various places in the middle of my nice garden areas, that I have to clear away when I don't have pets that is infuriating, and all over the place. And why, because of my pets, no? Because of other peoples.
I have tried to do it the nicer ways, nothing works, they keep doing it so don't learn despite me using say the water pistol, you'd think they'd get the message.
The final straw was two news cats visiting, and then for the past year, EVERY DAY one cat will spray the front and back of my car bumper, EVERY DAY very early in the morning, which is disgusting. If my car was newer I'd be livid, because it is probably doing damage.
The last action was one cat started spraying my front door. I would open the door each morning to the smell of urine, a patch on the door, and where it has dampened the doorstep, very unsightly. Why should I have to keep washing my car and door everyday? Whoever is the pet owner needs to take responsibility and control their cat somehow.
As well as that, the pots I had in the front, they would poo in it, and put urine, there is a strong stench of urine, I ended up using the jeyes to cleaning the area first.
I don't have any way to keep a water supply on to some areas of my garden or the front areas so that is not an option to use a water scarecrow in those areas, and too many entry points. Plus I have 7 different cats visiting my garden before.
If there is any other solution you can suggest I'd gladly try it where no water supply is needed, but until then if I want to keep my garden clean its only Jeyes working so far.
btw - I didnt think they'd drink, as they seem to stay away. In which case, maybe I will just pour it on to the teabag without the pots. Then they will just stay away.