Topic: cats

[Nigella]

Hmmm as I left the house this morning next doors tom cat was scratching in my borders, where at the weekend I had sown my poppies and larkspur.  :(

Any tips on what to use to stop him ?  :-\

[Jesse]

Go and cut lots of holly and put the holly branches over your seed bed, they don't like the prickles.

I have used that cat deterrent powder with some success, but you have to keep applying it regularly.

Last year I finally got so irate with neighbours cats that I bought one of those cat scarers off Ebay, haven't seen a cat in the garden since apart from the occasional one that runs through as though there's "something" after it! Great success  ;D

[aquilegia]

I thickly scatter woody prunings over bare/recently sown soil. You can also poke them into the soil so they stand up, but remember cats can shrink themselves. Non-prickly ones seem to work well, but a few bits of rose pruning certainly help.

[waggi]

air riffle

or a BIG DOG

[Mrs Ava]

Oh Waggi, a girl after my own heart.

Sharp twigs is a good one, I also use that cat deterrant gel stuff as they are currently using a patch next to my deck to poop >:(.......not now however  :).  Chicken wire just above soil level is another good one.  I have heard people leaving a length of hose laying on the ground to put cats off, or half filled pop bottles, but I don't know if that works.  An Uncle on Ava's side bought a couple of those black cat with marbles for eyes to try and keep the moggies off the garden....they poo'ed ON it!!!!!! hehehehehe.

[Svea]

i like my cat visitor :)

granted, he poo'ed on my seedbed (but before i had anything sown on there) - i told him off next time he came round while i was working there. i covered the seedbed with the cloche, hence preventing him to use his usual toilet.

he hasn't done any mess in my garden since.
a really lovable cat, actually.
now that i have dug over the corner of my plot behind the rhubarb, he can go in there if he likes ;)

i think i will cover the beds when i sow/plant little things for a little while so there is no temptation for him.

bless him, hubby and me were on the lottie on saturday, and he came to visit and took a few dust baths on the path :D awwwwwww

svea

[Georgie]

Aww, what a lovely tale, Svea.  I love cats too and I think, like you, that it's all about managing to live together in relative harmony. 

G xx

[NattyEm]

I have three cats and my main problem is stopping one from pooing in my big dragon tree in the house, little b*g*er.  I've just covered it with sharp shingle though so lets hope that helps.

I have an appealing patch in my garden to try and encourage them to go there but they still choose the dragon plant in the house or my big pot of bulbs in the garden, you'd have thought a flat soily space under the laurels would have been  more comfey than all those spikey tulip leaves, but apparently not.  So now my tulips aren't growing.  Ho hum.

[Melanie]

Personally, I like seeing cats around--keeps the mice and rats down, for a start.

I've never tried this and so I don't know if it actually works but I have read of people planting catnip or catmint in a patch that they don't mind cats using--supposedly it attracts the cats away from other parts of the plot. Perhaps there's a 'fallow' allotment on your site that you could sow catnip on?

Best,
Melanie

[Merlins Mum]

Not sure about that Melanie, it could attract more cats if they love catnip like Merlin does.  He rolls around in it and looks positively stoned, haha.  I have to place a wire hanging backet upside down over the plant or they would be no plant left.
To protect seeded areas I have used chicken wire in the past.

[Merlins Mum]

Oooops that should read a wire hanging basket

[Georgie]

They really do love the old cat nip, don't they?  I grow mine in large pots and cover them in pea netting over sticks.  I leave one for them to nibble/lie in whilst the others gain strength and alternate them.  Seems to work well.

As for keeping the little darlings off my seed beds I've found pyrocantha cuttings patricularly effective but I leave some bare soil areas for them to do their business.  So far, so good.

G xx

[Merlins Mum]

Yes Georgie I've put catmint in pots in the past but didn't think of protecting it.  Didn't amount to anything very much as Merlin thought it was a very good place to sleep in the top of the pot!
Thought I would try to add a photo so here goes
[img][MyCatmint.jpg
/img]
Here he is guarding HIS catmint.

[Merlins Mum]

oh that didn't work did it.  what am I doing wrong.

[Merlins Mum]

Help what am I doing wrong, I can't seem to get a picture.  I have loaded my pics in photobucket  but it still isn't working????????????????

[Georgie]

Strange.  You are copying the image bit, aren't you?  This place can't cope with URL

G xx

[Roy Bham UK]

Hi Merlins Mum, ;)  try Image shack, it does all the tricky bits for you here's the link, easy peasy ;) ;D
http://imageshack.us/

[Georgie]

This is one of my cats, Fletcher, sleeping in a pot of cat nip by way of a test.

G xx

[Georgie]

Hi Merlins Mum, ;)  try Image shack, it does all the tricky bits for you here's the link, easy peasy ;) ;D
http://imageshack.us/

I was directed to photobucket when I first came here and even I can use it it!  Block image, copy, come here and paste.  You telling me there's summat even simper?   ;)


G xx

[Merlins Mum]

oh Georgie he/she's gorgeous.  I'm going to give it another go!!!!!!!!!!
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