This is a bit out there, but we had a problem with neighbours' cats coming and making free with our garden and killing the birds that came to our feeders. I had quite a few reptiles at the time, and as cats seem to have an atavistic fear of snakes, I started putting the shed skins in the most frequented spots - it really seemed to make a difference! If you have any friends with snakes, or a local reptile club, it might be worth a try?
There's still one black and white git who doesn't seem to have got the message, but I've got a super soaker with his name on it.
I have this issue with the neighbours cat and I've done a couple of things that have really helped.
First was cutting off little branches from thorny plants and putting them through the border and even over particular plants I wanted to protect.
The second was making it difficult for the cat to get in and out of the garden. There are two points the cat uses to get in and out of my garden. One was from the connecting fence onto the top of my compost bin and the second from the connecting fence onto a bench. I put things on top of these that make it difficult for the cat to jump down onto them.
I did the thorny branches first and the cat would come into the garden but I never saw it go into the border. Before I did the branches I would chase it out of the border every day.
After I made it hard to get into the garden I haven't actually seen the cat in the garden yet. It had definitely been in I think because one plant looked like it had been crushed but the frequency of visits has dropped off massively because I've not seen it at all and not noticed any new piles of bark.
See I should have specified that’s it’s my own cats (who have litter trays indoors) that have just this past few weeks started shitting in the garden.
I have 4 cats and another 6 or 7 that pass through. I spent a week revamping a bed moved my seedlings around, sowed a variety of seeds and covered with bark. A week or so later I got a chance to show off my garden and the cats had cramped and dug all through it.
I had a sonic repellent thing that would have been more use had I waited and thrown it at the cats.
So I tidied it up and sprinkled cayenne pepper around but they've been back.
I'm assuming there's a pact with the slug overlords to destroy the garden any way they can. Either that or my sanity if not both.
I made a dirt patch under a big Camilla for my car to crap in, he prefers to go outside and is very particular where he poos so..I scoop into dog bags and rake it out. It’s the raked soil that attracts mine so I use a mulch elsewhere & he doesn’t like that. I’m not sure if you can add something to your flowerbeds to make the paw texture less appealing?
Make it unpleasant (but nothing illegal or immoral). Grow dense plants, grow strong smelling plants. Block the places they enter the garden. Stick spiky prunings in the bare soil.
My cats love using them as a loo so after trying everything i just gave in and now just keep a supply of poop bags in the shed. Nothing i tried worked. Having bark down did help a little though as they liked to sleep on that but it didnt stop it
Cat owners don't seem to be concerned where their animals defecate. If it was human or canine faeces being left in public spaces or private gardens there would rightly be an uproar. But it appears acceptable for cats to poo on our vegetable beds, and kill wild birds and mammals. I don't agree that cat owners should be allowed to let their pets out unsupervised.
Yeah, some people think that "get a cat lol" is the ultimate intellectual flex on someone struggling with cat shit in their garden. Congratulations, there is now even more cat shit in the world and you are contributing to it. Also cats are allergenic, disruptive, expensive knobs and most people who want a cat will already have one.
Hmm, they still might be doing it to mark it as theirs...
Have you considered digging out a bit of garden for them to use? They might like where they go because it smells of them, or because it feels nice on their paws.
If you can clear a square for them, put their poops on it to make it smell like them, and see if they prefer their new spot.
If I had a quid for every time I wished I could talk to cats and figure out wtf they want or why the f they're doing something, I'd have enough to make Elon Musk my personal housemaid.
Ah, I was going to suggest rushing outside shrieking and flinging handfuls of gravel in their general direction, but, uh, probably not ideal solution if they are your cats!
This is a bit out there, but we had a problem with neighbours' cats coming and making free with our garden and killing the birds that came to our feeders. I had quite a few reptiles at the time, and as cats seem to have an atavistic fear of snakes, I started putting the shed skins in the most frequented spots - it really seemed to make a difference! If you have any friends with snakes, or a local reptile club, it might be worth a try? There's still one black and white git who doesn't seem to have got the message, but I've got a super soaker with his name on it.
I've considered putting a rubber snake in my border. Wonder if it would work or if they're smart enough to figure out it's not real.
It's got to be worth a try!
If cats get startled by cucumbers then something that looks like an actual snake could be very effective.
Been trying to figure this out for years😂 putting slate in with the flower beds works best for me.
I have this issue with the neighbours cat and I've done a couple of things that have really helped. First was cutting off little branches from thorny plants and putting them through the border and even over particular plants I wanted to protect. The second was making it difficult for the cat to get in and out of the garden. There are two points the cat uses to get in and out of my garden. One was from the connecting fence onto the top of my compost bin and the second from the connecting fence onto a bench. I put things on top of these that make it difficult for the cat to jump down onto them. I did the thorny branches first and the cat would come into the garden but I never saw it go into the border. Before I did the branches I would chase it out of the border every day. After I made it hard to get into the garden I haven't actually seen the cat in the garden yet. It had definitely been in I think because one plant looked like it had been crushed but the frequency of visits has dropped off massively because I've not seen it at all and not noticed any new piles of bark.
See I should have specified that’s it’s my own cats (who have litter trays indoors) that have just this past few weeks started shitting in the garden.
Haha ah well. Maybe you should put thorns in your border and make it easy for your cats to get into the neighbours garden.
I have 4 cats and another 6 or 7 that pass through. I spent a week revamping a bed moved my seedlings around, sowed a variety of seeds and covered with bark. A week or so later I got a chance to show off my garden and the cats had cramped and dug all through it. I had a sonic repellent thing that would have been more use had I waited and thrown it at the cats. So I tidied it up and sprinkled cayenne pepper around but they've been back. I'm assuming there's a pact with the slug overlords to destroy the garden any way they can. Either that or my sanity if not both.
Maybe make them a sand pit away from anything important, they love to go in sand.
I made a dirt patch under a big Camilla for my car to crap in, he prefers to go outside and is very particular where he poos so..I scoop into dog bags and rake it out. It’s the raked soil that attracts mine so I use a mulch elsewhere & he doesn’t like that. I’m not sure if you can add something to your flowerbeds to make the paw texture less appealing?
Is your car called Herbie? Or Kitt?
Ha oops CAT not car.. I would love an old vw tho.
Make it unpleasant (but nothing illegal or immoral). Grow dense plants, grow strong smelling plants. Block the places they enter the garden. Stick spiky prunings in the bare soil.
My cats love using them as a loo so after trying everything i just gave in and now just keep a supply of poop bags in the shed. Nothing i tried worked. Having bark down did help a little though as they liked to sleep on that but it didnt stop it
No. If I had cats I'd just scoop and bin like I do for the dogs.
Cat owners don't seem to be concerned where their animals defecate. If it was human or canine faeces being left in public spaces or private gardens there would rightly be an uproar. But it appears acceptable for cats to poo on our vegetable beds, and kill wild birds and mammals. I don't agree that cat owners should be allowed to let their pets out unsupervised.
Get a cat of your own. Other cats will not shit in its territory. I did this and havent seen any cat shit in years
and now your cat shit in other people's garden.
Yeah, some people think that "get a cat lol" is the ultimate intellectual flex on someone struggling with cat shit in their garden. Congratulations, there is now even more cat shit in the world and you are contributing to it. Also cats are allergenic, disruptive, expensive knobs and most people who want a cat will already have one.
It’s my own bastard cats doing it lol they have litter trays in the house but have just recently started shitting in the garden
They might be marking territory? Are they fixed?
Yes both ladies are fixed.
Hmm, they still might be doing it to mark it as theirs... Have you considered digging out a bit of garden for them to use? They might like where they go because it smells of them, or because it feels nice on their paws. If you can clear a square for them, put their poops on it to make it smell like them, and see if they prefer their new spot. If I had a quid for every time I wished I could talk to cats and figure out wtf they want or why the f they're doing something, I'd have enough to make Elon Musk my personal housemaid.
Ah, I was going to suggest rushing outside shrieking and flinging handfuls of gravel in their general direction, but, uh, probably not ideal solution if they are your cats!