Topic: Scare Cats Away

[caseylee]

I was wondering if someone knows the name of the plant that you plant in your garden the cats do not like.  I have a cat that keeps messing on my garden and I would like to put something there so it does not want to go near it.  I don't want to plant anything to harm the cat, just a smell to keep it away.

[Jeannine]

It is on Sarah Ravens site, but I can't remember the name .XX Jeannine

[Hyacinth]

Coleus canina?

It's a pretty variagated leaf - and smells foul! Once it takes off it can get pretty invasive. I've got abt.4-6 low wide pots planted with it & position them in the borders. It dies down in the winter.

(just goes to show...I know b.all about flowers but lots about poo ;D)

[Tin Shed]

It doesn't scare foxes away as well by any chance?

[Hyacinth]

Certainly scares me away...an I'm a foxy penshner ;)

[floraldi]

Just reminded me! I took lots of cuttings last year and kept them in the potting shed and I don't remember seeing them lately - strange.  I just remember the name ends in Canina but I didn't know it was in the coleus family.  The one I bought had thick green leaves and does smell horrible.
If you ever look on the BBC Gardening forum this subject has been covered extensively and one lady who I admire greatly for her knowledge says the best thing of all is a scarecrow gadget that squirts water on cats.  We have tried  the following but with no success:

Get Off MyGarden (a sort of gel) - Wilko and other garden places.
The high pitched noise gadget that needs plugging in - we can't hear it but they can apparently
Citrus peel
Water pistols
Lion's Roar - made from Lion's faeces apparently. The cats are meant to
                     think there is a huge cat in the garden.
& various other chemicals.

[Jeannine]

The plant I mentioned from Sarah Ravens apparently smells reall bad if touched and the cats won't go near it XX Jeannine