[Ann]

Hi

I have just dug over two areas of the garden ready for veggies and salad crops.  However, the neighbours cat have other ideas for the areas, how do you all cope with this?

[Ice]

Hi Ann.  Had a similar problem when I moved in.  A combination of pepper dust from the garden centre and my secret weapon, a super soaker water pistol did the trick.  Resist the temptation to fill it with anything but water and just aim near to it, though a drop of water won't do much harm.  Oh, and don't let the neighbour see

[supersprout]

Cats love freshly dug soil. You could also use a cover of wide steel mesh (about 1.5 inch grid) until the plants are established, then mulch heavily over your soil, right up to the plants, with e.g. straw, spent hops, leaves etc. Cats might play with mulch, but will prefer to go off and find some freshly turned soil instead :roll: Some people who have e.g. pyracantha and holly prunings swear by them, piled loosely over the seedbed.

[legendaryone]

My gran  used dried orange peel and Oil of Olbas and she swore by it. She would sprinkle the Oil of Olbas onto used tea bags and put them on the garden, and scatter the dried orange peel.

[Bigbadfrankie]

Shoot them then they dont come back :twisted:

[Eristic]

If we can find an acceptable solution to this problem we will all get seriously rich. There is no cure while you have a nice garden, all you can do is try to control it a bit. A nicely raked empty bit of ground between small shrubs tends to localise the problem but I've never found any of the scent methods work. We all want a clean toilet, but when you have to go, you HAVE to go. Anywhere regardless of the smell.

[mercury]

I've got my own cat repellant, he's a border x lakeland  

[Ann]

Hi

Thank you all for the replies.  I think I will give the pyracantha a try first of all as we have a large one I was thinking of getting rid of.  If it doesn't work I can work my way through the other suggestions.

[muntjac]

free cat deterrent on most allotments available in quantity .. werks briliant for me and i have my own cats .... oh what is it ? oh nowt much just bramble cut from the ground and dragged out with gloves and layed down on the fresh dug soil  :twisted:

[beansticks]

I am with big bad frankie,shoot them.They are a blooming nuisance

[jane1264]

Yes but they do have some good points - one of our cats is loved by the old boy who has a big veg patch just across the road from us, Why?  because since we moved in the rabbit population has pulmented because our cat has this complete and utter passion for baby rabbits.  We know when spring has come because he starts to leave bits of rabbit in the garden - he catches so many he can't eat them all!  I'm sure he wipes out one litter, has a break while they have the next, then starts on that one.  However he does only like furry things so is not interested in birds so I never manage to get any cherries off our tree in the garden - they always get there first but I don't mind 'cos I like the birds and can't complain when I feed them to encourage them into the garden anyway!

Jane

[richyrich7]

Get your own preferably a tom that will stop em. But the super soaker will work, shoot em up the bum they hate that  

The good point about cats is they kill vermin and they don't bark at every bl@@dy thing.

[Ice]

Richyrich.  I wanted to say shoot them but was worried that there were a few cat lovers on the forum.  It's only water and they absolutely hate it, but no harm done.  However, they very quickly learn not to come into your garden.  Worked a treat for me.

[richyrich7]

Hey Ice Hockey Mad we are all entitled to our opinion, Me I love cats and dogs, just not my neighbours thing that does nothing but bark every time you walk out the back door and then they tell me they are getting another, deep joy !
But your right cats hate water and soon learn. I tell my other neighbour to chuck water at my cats if they are a pain. I think the only thing worse is finding dog poo right outside the school gates, but then that's just bad owners not the dogs fault.

[John]

Resisting the urge to ban certain people...

Shooting at peoples pets is not funny. I knew a really nice guy who did three years because someone shot his cat with an air rifle and he caught them.  I'd have given him a medal.

A water pistol will send off a cat with no harm done, except to his dignity. Once a cat vacates an area, another cat will take his place and occupy the territory.

Unfortunately, even if you provide a cat with easy soil or a litter tray he will still mark his area and poo is sometimes an ownership marker.