Does anyone have a play bark area in their garden?

[Bubbaloo]

We're having the garden completely re-done next week and have chosen to have a play bark area at the end of the garden,to put the climbing frame and swings etc.
I'm now wondering whether all the neighbourhood cats will think it's a giant litter tray and if so,what other alternatives may be better.We've got 2 cats,there are a few strays that come into the garden aswell as plenty of foxes.
Thanks.

[ChupitosGalore]

grass if not too much wear and traffic (obv get muddy if , say, swings are used all the time)
slabs if you dont need/want the safety aspect of cracking heads open of hyperactive playing dc
decking... if youre minted
ummmm
gravel?
if it is a safety play surface you want you can get those rubberised outdoor play tiles they use in public park playgrounds... prob 'spensive tho...

[zippitippitoes]

i did have when i had kids

used some prodct called reynard to keep cats away

[Bubbaloo]

Thanks.
It really does have to be somewhere safe,especially as ds1 has problems with his feet and does tend to fall over more than most children
Did that Reynard work in keeping the cats away?

[glowersintheattic]

The cats near us use the play bark in the playground near us as a litter tray, in fact I recently caught one in the act and tried to get her out before she started - too late, the little just left a trail of poos to the fence which I then had to go back and try to find and remove - almost impossible as play bark is perfect camouflage for cat poo. So personally it's the very last thing I'd put in my garden. Could you do grass with the rubberised tiles just under the swing, end of slide etc.?

[Olihan]

We looked at bark to go under our climbing stuff but were put off by the thought of it turning into a cat toilet. We bought recycled rubber stuff called EcoScape in the end (google it) which is great because the cats won't poo in it, it doesn't hold water, comes in about 12 different colours and doesn't disintegrate like bark. The only downside is that it's about twice as expensive as bark.

[midnightexpress]

I was recently talking to someone from the nursery over the fence from our garden and was advised against play bark for that very reason. And as glowers suggests it's perfect camouflage for all sorts of unpleasantness. He also said that the cushioned stuff they have in playgrounds is v v expansive, so don't know what else to suggest I'm afraid. Will watch with interest though as we're in the middle of taming a jungle out in our 'garden'.

[bythepowerofgreyskull]

we have bark chippings (ours wasn;t called play bark) round sand pit and play house and under swing. loads of cats in area and no cat issue here.. not sure if it is because it is chunkier that play bark?

[ChupitosGalore]

anything on here?

[Bubbaloo]

Thanks.
Think I've definately gone off the idea of play bark now.Will ring the gardener tomorrow and see what he suggests as an alternative.

[VersdeSociete]

Bark chippings are fine. Many cats about in our neighbourhood, not apparently attracted to our bark

[Bubbaloo]

Oh no,I'm now in 2 minds again.

[ChupitosGalore]

dont you just hate that?? i cant make a decision to save my life any more... sympathy!

[SmugColditz]

DON'T DO IT

THE CAT'S TREAT IT AS SOME SORT OF DELUXE TOILET, THEY ARE PRACTICALLY QUEUEING UP TO CRAP IN IT.

[VersdeSociete]

Have this horrible feeling that there are possibly queues of crapping cats in my garden and I have never noticed them...

But surely my children would be covered in cat faeces if this were so?

[Gingerbear]

Bark composts quickly, and it is a brill weed magnet - we have a patch of omnipresent bindweed in ours. Soon to be dug up and grassed!

[BibiThree]

Next door have it and it's full of cat poop and has mushrooms growing in it
They hate it.

[ChupitosGalore]

now thats what i like to see; a decisive, clear, unequivocal statement one way or the other. in caps too... id go with that if i were you.

[VersdeSociete]

There is some sort of linery stuff under our bark which probably discourages mushrooms. I shall be inspecting it tomorrow for cat crap...

[ChupitosGalore]

weed suppressing fabric a good idea under any top dressing. its short sighted not to ime.

[Bubbaloo]

Right,definately not having the bark now-have made up my mind.
Will find out how much extra it will be to maybe have decking instead,unless he has a better suggestion.

[Bubbaloo]

Have spoken to the gardener this morning who tells me that the play bark pieces are apparently alot bigger than the standard bark chips and therefore the cats aren't usually interested in using it as a toilet.
He's bringing over some samples of it to show me on Weds evening,so maybe I should hold judgement til then.

[OrmIrian]

We have some but only under the trampoline where no-one walks. I'd avoid it where there's too much through traffic as it will get squashed and scattered and muddy. Yes, cats did use it as a litter tray but I think it was only ours.

[Bubbaloo]

I asked him about the decking but he said he didn't think it was suitable/safe for a children'a area and even suggested leaving it as a grass area,but obviously that would eventually be ruined too.

[Uriel]

Ask the gardener if he can guarantee that the cats/fox won't use it as a toilet.

[Bubbaloo]

Theres no guarantee with anything is there.
I'll have a look at the sample he brings over and see if he can suggest any other alternatives.We're also replacing the fences and having 7ft ones all the way round,so hoping it may keep the foxes out and one of the strays who looks like she hasn't got the strength to jump very high.
Was really looking forward to having the garden done,now I'm not so sure.
Bloody cats..