Aibu to ask for mn advice re cats and a garden

[londonrach]

We recently bought our first house and in great excitement have been laying a garden out to replace the gravel the previous owner had. We put alot of plants in which have taken and looked healthy until a neighbours cat discovered our new earth. This cat keeps spraying the plants and yesterday i noticed the plant he mostly sprayed has died. Our next door neighbour said she also having problems with the cats and poo and spray for yeard. Yes it cats poo not fox and we see the cats doing it. So please mntters what works to stop a cat doing its business. Ive heard lemon or orange peel might work. Id be grateful for any suggestions please.

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

A dog?

[gamerchick]

Do you have a dude who could pee in the garden for you? I've heard that helps. Never tried it though.

[SouperSal]

Super soaker.

[covertblackberry]

I have tried everything but the only thing that worked long term is a pestbye beeping scarer thing. They sell them on amazon

[bertsdinner]

You could try those cystals that deter animals from using your garden. Think theyre called "Get off My Lawn". The downside is they do smell, they are luminous green and they melt in the rain. Despite the name, you can put it on soil.
I found them effective against dogs using my open plan front garden as a toilet, and a work colleague used some to deter cats.

My mum had some success with a sonic cat scarer, older cats are less likely to hear it, apparently, but it has detered the majority of cats.

[Tiopyn]

Your own cat? Since they always seem to go to others' gardens to do their business, and yours might scare away the others.

[Vinorosso74]

A friend of mine heard human male urine works so sent her DP out to piss in the garden in the dark.....

[tilder]

Cat shit is disgusting. I have a cat. With a litter tray to hopefully minimise crapping elsewhere.

Am not clear on your op though. Have you got rid of the gravel? Gravel = catty litter tray.

Plus if your plants are dying, I would be very surprised if any cat could wee enough to do that. If they are new plants, are you watering them enough?

To stop cats pooing in your garden, the best way is get your own boy cat. Or possibly a dog. Failing that, supersoakers work quite well.

Provided you don't hurt the cat.

[londonrach]

Situation is getting worse with this cat. I dont want a cat as i like birds in the garden and getting a cat would just give my neighbours the same problems we have. Would bark around the plants or chicken wire help.

[londonrach]

Cat was caught mid poo wee this morning!!!! We got rid of the gravel and put plants in.

[allypally999]

We have had this a lot over the years and have tried many different things. The thing that worked best (and I'm not proud of it as I love cats) is scaring the bejeesus out of them mid poop or throwing water at them. Never had a problem since I got my own cat though!

[tdm1]

And any bare earth / gravel is a magnet for cats to use as a toilet, so while perennials are getting established I would cover the place with fast growing plants e.g. californian poppies, nasturtiums, cranesbill geraniums, etc etc. Even a quick growing 'green manure' might be a good option.

[skippy67]

Super soaker water pistol.

[StillRunningWithScissors]

Wooden/bamboo skewers placed in the beds works really well. The cats can't get in to squat (make sure you space them so they're fairly close together).

[Unremarkable]

[Strolls over from Gardening board] Chicken wire works fine. Or pop some spikes or prickly cuttings around your new plants - berberis is good or hawthorn or use some bamboo skewer that you get for bbqs. The cats then can't lower their furry bums without getting prickled. Or try a motion activated water spray - they're about £20, something like PestBye Jet Spray Cat Repeller. Squirts them with water whenever they come near. For job reasons I know these to be the most successful deterrents .

[Momamum]

I go down the route scissors has suggested. Works for me (and I grow vegetables!)

If you just want to protect individual plants while they get established, you can make a wigwam out of short canes/twiggy bits, and plant bamboo skewers in between?

I loved my SuperSoaker! Loved my cat too, btw..

[GlitteryFluff]

We've got an issue with a cat pooing / being sick on our door step most mornings. Not happy that I didn't see it the other day and walked it through my house! Had to throw away door mat outside and the runner inside.
I read that they don't like the smell of lavender plants so I've bought two for either side of the front door and I also bought a spray that repels cats to spray outside. You'd have to check if it's safe to put into flower beds though.
So far, it's only been three days no cat poo/sick so am hoping they're staying away.

[ElegantDream]

I'm starting to sound links I only some on threads to say this, but my world has been changed by it, so I'm passing the message..

Cat fencing. I actually got it to keep my own cat in the garden, but since I put it up, I haven't had a single visitor - the cats patrol the fence, but can't get in.

It's not as ugly as it first seems - if something is growing up behind it, (ie bush on the neighbour's side) , then it's as good as invisible.

I used Securacat but there are other types available - just google.

[Momamum]

Chicken wire. Had a little froglet from the pond trapped under some, once, cat saw it moving, little frog started screaming..horrible, it was.. Back to the skewers, for me.

[ElegantDream]

Argh!

I always get the link wrong!

Securacat correct link

[ElegantDream]

Ps and my own cat is contained in my garden and doesn't bother anyone else

[isthatpoisontoo]

It'll settle down once you don't have freshly turned earth.

The only solution I've found works (and I've tried many) is putting plastic mesh over the ground, weighed down well at the edges, with holes cut for the plants to grow through it. The cat's can't dig at the earth, so they don't use it. Then, after a few weeks, when the soil is more solid so less inviting to them, you can take it off (carefully snipping so it doesn't catch the plants) and your garden is back to normal.

[isthatpoisontoo]

Actually, one other thing has worked for me: closely planting lots of cheap bedding plants on all bare earth. You get a fabulous riot of colour, too! I have a small garden, though, I imagine it could get expensive very quickly with a bigger one.

[Frrrrrrippery]

That secure-a-cat is crazy .

The only thing that actually works that doesn't involve a dog is a motion activation water jet. It squirts a jet of water at the cat. THESE ONES are £20 on Amazon.

I've got Contech ones which I bought for about £35 on sale but they don't seem to be making them any more.

The only problem is you can't use them when there is a risk that the water might freeze. (The other problem is forgetting about them and getting squirted with water

I have a big garden and lots of flower beds and never get cat poo (or fox poo) even though my neighbours have plenty of cats.

[lalalalyra]

My mil has a motion activated frog from poundland- it's not the prettiest ornament in the world, but the local cats are scared of it. Other options are a water gun, pepper or lion poo that you can buy online.