Thread: Durned Cats!

So I live in a neighborhood with a decent number of cats. That might be my first problem but they keep digging in my flower beds which, while annoying, I can handle by raking the mulch back over the spots.
However, they've recently decided to start using my raised gardens as litter boxes. About half of my late crop of sugar snaps has been consumed (might have been rabbits) but last night when I was out pulling weeds I found cat poop in a few spots and that is something that I don't want in my gardens.
I've heard that you can sprinkle cayenne pepper around and that will help so I'm going to try that tonight.
Do any of you fellows (or ladies) have this problem?
If so, how do you keep the little devils out short of building a fence?

Bait and switch...

Mulch beds are just too inviting to cats - they love them for the exact purpose you describe.

I would suggest making another mulch bed and move the poo and surrounding earth and mulch to the new target bed. Scent is a powerful motivator for animals. If successful they will be quite happy with their new litterbox.

I guess you could get a dog, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody...

There's a spray you can get that repels cats, people use it to keep cats from spraying in certain areas or clawing on things they shouldn't claw on. I forget what it's called, you can probably get it at Petsmart or similar place. petsmart.com shows a lot of cat deterrent products.

Originally Posted by tonycraigo

Bait and switch...

Mulch beds are just too inviting to cats - they love them for the exact purpose you describe.

I would suggest making another mulch bed and move the poo and surrounding earth and mulch to the new target bed. Scent is a powerful motivator for animals. If successful they will be quite happy with their new litterbox.

I guess you could get a dog, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody...

See, I was hoping that since they already use the mulched flower beds that they would ignore the unmulched veggies beds.

Originally Posted by tonycraigo

I would suggest making another mulch bed and move the poo and surrounding earth and mulch to the new target bed. Scent is a powerful motivator for animals. If successful they will be quite happy with their new litterbox.

I'm not sure giving in to the cats' delinquency is the best solution here. Who knows what they'll lay claim to next!

An airsoft pistol and some patience.

Originally Posted by 96firephoenix

An airsoft pistol and some patience.

I'll be honest. I've already considered my pellet pistol or a silenced .22 . I have nothing again animals and prefer to kill them for the purposes of tasty meat. But a cat is a cat. And dead ones are the best ones. Besides, isn't that what goes into kung pao chicken?

If my daughter wasn't so in love with the neighborhood cats it would probably happen. I'll have to try finding that spray stuff. Although I did see a motion activated sprinkler that targets anything that gets within 20ft of its sensor with a 7 sec. blast of water

Originally Posted by ChesterCopperpot

There's a spray you can get that repels cats, people use it to keep cats from spraying in certain areas or clawing on things they shouldn't claw on. I forget what it's called, you can probably get it at Petsmart or similar place. petsmart.com shows a lot of cat deterrent products.

I would suggest using a spray, too. However, the spray I'm thinking of is not available at Petsmart. I'm thinking more along the likes of the type of spray that only a fast finger and a semiautomatic can provide.

p.s., cat lovers, I apologize for being graphic but even ardent cat lovers must be able to agree that feral cats pose myriad problems. In many places, local governments have implemented cat birth control programs. Personally, I don't trust the little devils to wear the condoms at all!

I am most definitely a cat person, but I have no love for ferals (cat, dogs or people for that matter). I'd suggest the cayenne pepper to start with. Don't be stingy, either. You want a good amount of it to have the desired (and memorable) effect.
The cats won't damage your plants if they can help it, certainly not like rabbits (BIG problem animal here) and if you're washing your veg before you use it like you should be anyway their droppings are no different than manure fertiliser, but if it's a problem for you then you need to take action. Just try to look for collars on the critters before you plink them so you don't take out "Mr Snuffles" from the old lady's house down the road. REAL ferals make good fertiliser.

A solution I have heard of, and won't say if I have use it, is to buy or hire a cat trap. Also known as a possum trap. Bait it with some tasty fish and wait. When you catch one, beat the crap out of the cage and scare the cat half to death. At the last moment when the cat thinks the killing blow is about to strike, let it go. The cat will spray fear induced pee and never come back to your place. Even better, other cats will smell what happened and stay away also.

Or you could try capsasin spray in a super soaker. Go cat hunting.