Problem with cats

[Redalder]

Most of my neighbours have gardens with lawns and shrubs and many seem to have cats. I have a fair sized vegetable plot and like to grow flowers. My garden is a gift to local cats to the point where I can't weed without rubber gloves and I get up most mornings to find something precious and usually expensive (in time at least) dug up! I have tried spreading netting on freshly dug soil but the birds are the ones that get tangled up. I love cats and wouldn't harm one, can anyone suggest anything that will keep them out? Is Cat Shoo any good?

[Redalder]

[Borlotti]

If you manage to spot the cat/cats spray with a water pistol, it won't hurt them and they soon learn.  I only have to pick the water pistol up and the cat clears off.  Otherwise use twigs/branches or anything else you can think of to protect young plants and remove once there are established.  May not look pretty but works.  My cat kept going in the window box where I plant my toms so have covered it over.  Not so bad when it is your own cat, but annoying when it is not.  See photo.

[Nora42]

Same thing happens here all the time so here is what I do and it works.

Plant sticks  in a random pattern- they don't have to be tall a mixture of ordinary sticks pruning's from roses and any thing else thorny upright in the ground so that the cats can not sit to do their business without having to pick through the obstacles. Once the plants have established the sticks can be pulled out - I also sometimes lie dead bramble branches on top of the ground between the sticks.
No harm done to anything unless you object to our feline friends getting a stick up their bottoms.
nora

[Ellen K]

Once cats have got the habit of using a space, it's difficult (near-impossible) to change their behaviour.  The repellents don't work (in my experience), even the sonic devices.  I'd bite the bullet and build a large cage for the whole plot rather than fight a daily battle.

[Redalder]

Thanks for the suggestions, have plenty of dead brambles and sticks waiting to go to recycle - will give it a try. Also going to try Coleus Canina and brambles around the boundary to protect the birds

[telboy]

I've tried everything over the years to no avail but I've found an American product that has worked. It's called 'ssscat' made by Innotek, It ain't, cheap but when one of the little sods get near it they run a mile. Google it, you won't be disappointed!!!

[Gordonmull]

I garden with two of my own little horrors, so I'm well up on this and obviously can't really use repellents. I not only have to take precautions in the garden but indoors as well. Too often, kitty wants windowsill space and sends pots flying, or just about any number of new surprising ways to annoy me!

Two things to consider - any ground without good plant cover is fair game. The finer the tilth, and softer on kitty's paws and bum, the more attractive it is.

I used to cover all freshly prepared ground with fleece until plants gave decent coverage or were big enough. I'm going off fleece these days because I find it harbours slugs, so I've moved to green netting this and last year, which looks better as well. Also, chasing the fleece became a game for kitty. Now have to make sure it doesn't flap too much in the wind  Then it became a lovely warm place to lie on a sunny day 

Fleece might be your solution, with you not having cats of your own, so I'd give it a go at least. To avoid birds getting caught up in netting you could try to make the netting into long cloches by using short bits of cane with 2" pots/plastic cups/empty cans etc. on top of the cane to prop up the net. I've not had any birds caught up yet and that's what I do.

Another helpful thing is to avoid direct sowing wherever you can and plant out strong plants that cover as much soil as possible.

Don't be too despondent, though, when you don't have crops in the ground and you're not working the soil, kitty is helping a little, scratching up weed seedlings and fertilising. Also keeping mice, rats, pigeons and other horrors at bay.

Try this one as a challenge - grow a few catnip plants. If you can keep them off that then you've conquered kitty control.   

[artichoke]

First, I have in the past planted wooden BBQ skewers all over my garden to stop the cats that were endlessly invading it. This was quite successful but annoying to do.

Secondly, in my son's garden, I have attached almost invisible green fine netting to his fences with neat little hooks. The cats that were fouling everything he and his wife grew in their little yard are completely excluded.

Thirdly, I looked up the RSPB site which advised us to exclude cats by placing strands of wire around the fence on vine eyes about 3 or 4" tall, which we did. It did not work, as the cats girl thingy footed their way around it and jumped down into the garden.

Netting or lots of scratchy holly is the only way.

[ancellsfarmer]

Recommended: the water pistol, ideally one of those "supersoakers" When your accuracy improves with practice, upgrade to  vintage nettle tea.
When I had the hardware shop, one old lady customer regularly asked for 3 foot bamboo canes "with sharpened ends" She was notoriously accurate, so much so that some villagers dubbed her "Fatima " as our Olympic javellin star
The best chemical deterent seemed to be Growing success" cat repellent but I'm not sure how you get them to swallow it..

[terrier]

Do as your neighbours do, get a cat of your own. Your cat will keep all the other cats out of your garden, then you will only have your own cat to worry about.

[ancellsfarmer]

Thanks Terrier, I was tempted to suggest your namesake as a suitable remedy but thought it undesirable in case somebody did set theirs at a cat. This would be wrong. Just yelling "Fetch "should be enough.

I did know of a case where a chap had an allotment overlooked by the local older peoples flats, which had caused him great problems. He drove a lorry for a living and came upon a dead cat lying by the side of the bypass. He stopped the truck and picked it  up , returning home ,taking the unfortunate   corpse back to his plot and fixing it to his shed door, in direct view of the flats windows. No cat was seen for several weeks!

[Palladium]

I have had a lot of trouble with cats but when one neighbour with about 8 of them moved then things quietened down.  I found the ultrasonic scarers did work, some better than others.

Another one I have tried is the water heron.  That is an imitation heron with a hosepipe connected to it and a PIR like an intruder alarm.  When anything moves in its field of view it sprays water.  I found it works well on cats but also drove the birds away that I was trying to encourage!  It was also prone to leaks so needs good hose connections, I also tend to forget its on and walk out and get soaked myself.

[petefj]

Have a look at:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANIMAL-WATER-JET-SPRAY-PEST-DOG-CAT-REPELLER-FOX-BIRDS-HERONS-SQUIRREL-/390842389116?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Weed_Pest_Control_CV&hash=item5b0005927c

It seems very cheap if it works.

Peter

[pigeonseed]

kitty is helping a little, scratching up weed seedlings and fertilising.

But the trouble is it stinks, and carries disease - I think I can do without that kind of help!

I didn't want to use sharp sticks as I have small children who play in the garden, so I collected metal grills - from old barbecues, old ovens - people throw that kind of thing out surprisingly often. You lay them on the soil and the cats can't get at the soil to scratch, so don't poo.

[juju]

I have 4 cats and they are welcomed on our allotment as they keep the pigeons away. I have a thriving allotment and garden,3 kids and 4 cats they are all healthy.My cats don't carry disease as they have regular checks and vacinations. My garden borders the allotment so they have access to the allotment site. My cats Katie,Tula,Tammyand felix sometimes follow me round the plots. One member brings his cat on a lead it is a bit hilarious but the cat don't seem to mind.