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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

It's a cat poo one

50 replies

leavethewallalone · 15/05/2022 20:07

Every day this week I have gone outside and picked up cat poo from our flower bed in the front garden. 2/3 lots per time. This flower bed is for DD. She likes gardening and wanted to plant her own plants, in her words, so butterflies and bees might come. She is 3. Her dad built it for her and she went and chose some little flowers to grow, every day she goes and tends to them with us supervising.

I know exactly what cat is doing it because I've seen them and nothing I do deters them. The most annoying part is the cats owner lives next door and recently I spotted her watching her cat pooing in this flower bed, but she did nothing about it, just carried on. She knows full well this is DDs little project as she has mentioned how nice it is. She's seen it doing it more than once.

Before it's suggested, I won't use one of those sonic things as they hurt dogs ears just as much as they are supposed to deter cats and we have a dog that would need to walk past it at least twice daily. Nothing else we have done has deterred the cat. I've tried literally everything. Coffee, orange peel, chilli, lion poo apparently works but we still have the issue of DDs flower bed being full of poo.

I'm getting really fed up because she knows full well it's happening. I've never had cats but if I did I'd be offering to pick up after the cat if I'd seen it doing it in an area that I know my neighbours kids use ("I've noticed my cat is pooing in your DDs flower bed and I'm sorry about that, would you mind if I popped round a couple of times a week and cleaned up any for you?" Flower bed is easily accessible without needing to come through a gate etc). Or I'd be posting some poo bags through the door with a sorry note.

AIBU? It's really getting on my nerves now. A neighbour the other day asked if I have been letting my dog poo in our front garden as they noticed the smell!! DH is fully up for putting it in their front garden every time it happens but I don't want to do that.

And before anyone says use the dog as a deterrent, ddog is scared of the cat, it's bloody horrible to him.

OP posts:
Mapletreelane · 15/05/2022 20:39

Get a water pistol / soaker type thing. Squirt it at cat whenever it goes near the flowerbed and shout and chase it off. If your neighbour comments just explain nicely that you're discouraging their cat from crapping in your flowerbed. Don't put the poo back in neighbour's garden as that is when bad relations can start and can escalate. Good luck.

oioimatey · 15/05/2022 20:41

Far reaching kärcher water pistol.

gamerchick · 15/05/2022 20:42

Get a packet of plastic cutlery or similar and poke it pointy ends up throughout the bed. The cat won't be able to squat.

GarlicGnocchi · 15/05/2022 20:46

Curry plant

MyStarHasGone · 15/05/2022 20:51

gamerchick · 15/05/2022 20:42

Get a packet of plastic cutlery or similar and poke it pointy ends up throughout the bed. The cat won't be able to squat.

Any prunings or twigs will do, rather than buy new plastic stuff. The idea is for puss to be unable to squat comfortably

dreamyunicorn · 15/05/2022 20:51

Take pics of cat doing it in case needed for proof. Knock on neighbours door and ask them to clear up after their cat.

I love cats but have had years of issues with them doing the same and finding out the owner 'doesn't need a litter tray as the cat doesn't like using it'.

Also have you tried letting your dog around that area as I read cats won't go in a dogs garden because of the scent?

Isaidnoalready · 15/05/2022 20:54

Coco shell mulch fab for the soil cats hate it?

Prickly matting

Water pistol is the best

Saracenia · 15/05/2022 21:06

I put sticks in any bare soil but the best thing to do is to cover the soil as much as possible with plant growth and they won't bother. I've also put terracotta pot shards on the bed, anything really that reduces the area they can use.

nomorespaghetti · 15/05/2022 21:17

We have this too, but I have to take it on the chin, as we also have a cat who is probably out pooping in someone else’s flower bed! Definitely have sticks poking up, that works really well. And some nice plants that spread themselves out. The cats will only poo on soil.

Stachys byzantina very pretty and soft, bees love it and it spreads itself out nicely!

TeacheeTeacherson · 15/05/2022 21:19

We had a problem with dogs pooing outside our house and got some stuff on Amazon which is supposed to deter them, it looks like green crystals so wouldn’t look too noticeable in a flowerbed. Not sure if it works for cats too though.

Trulyweird1 · 15/05/2022 21:25

Coco shell is poisonous to dogs and cats ( same ingredient as chocolate) so avoid that.
I find Defenders cat repellant scatter works - it smells garlicky.
I have 2 dogs and despite them having free range in the garden, our neighbours cat still visits and poops in the shrubbery.
Other than letting the dogs out when I see the little bugger, which I have done, I have used Defenders, netting and upright sticks, and it all works for a while. But having 2 large dogs baying at it, works best of all. Sorry, not sorry…

squashedalmondcroissant · 15/05/2022 21:36

I've done the thing of putting twigs/bramble cuttings on the area and it worked really well. Also wooden kebab sticks fairly close together. I only had to have them down temporarily before the cats gave up and even after I removed the sticks they didn't return 😁

Original poster
leavethewallalone · 15/05/2022 21:50

Tried bramble cuttings over the last week. Its literally been pooing on top of the brambles?!

Unfortunately ddog is scared of it and although he will chase it off if allowed to, he's very strong and its not a habit I want to instill if I can help it with so many cats around here (I've had to teach him to ignore them on walks). Plus he went through a long period of time of being scared to walk near our front path I'm case he saw it. Had to work on that for a while to make him comfortable in the front garden again as it used to jump out and hiss when he was younger.

Water pistol unless it takes a direct hit it isn't deterred but even then don't see it every time it comes so it doesn't seem to put it off. Honestly I've never known a cat be so unbothered by everything.

Will try the defenders cat repellent.

OP posts:
coffeecupsandfairylights · 15/05/2022 21:53

Can you cover the bed with netting while DD isn't watering it?

Original poster
leavethewallalone · 15/05/2022 21:53

*Definitely have sticks poking up, that works really well. And some nice plants that spread themselves out. The cats will only poo on soil.

Stachys byzantina very pretty and soft, bees love it and it spreads itself out nicely!*

Will try this although get a bit worried about dd hurting herself on the sticks so will have to do it for a few days, remove and hope that the cat is put off. I'll have a look at the plant, she will be happy to get a new one.

OP posts:
Cascais · 15/05/2022 21:55

Sticks

GarlicGnocchi · 15/05/2022 21:56

This is a bit out there but could you provide a litter tray for it next to the plants?

Original poster
leavethewallalone · 15/05/2022 21:57

Can you cover the bed with netting while DD isn't watering it?

I did this when things were freshly planted and small but now that the plants have grown it will squash them

OP posts:
FlyingPandas · 15/05/2022 21:58

Have you tried really chunky bark chips over the soil?

We have had a similar problem with cats pooing at the back of our garden behind a decked seating area. There was lots of soft bare soil there (quite dry beneath trees) and they had adopted it as their toilet. I've now spread chunky bark chips with jagged edges over the entire area and (fingers crossed) it seems to be working. I think the idea is to make it really uncomfortable for the cat to walk on - possibly they can delicately step between the brambles on the bramble cuttings OP? I would try some spiky dry holly leaves or similar and see if that helps.

I don't actually dislike cats but their poo is disgusting and it gives me the rage when cats poo in my garden!

Original poster
leavethewallalone · 15/05/2022 22:01

FlyingPandas thank you I'll try that. I'm the same, I don't dislike cats, it just annoys me when I have to deal with mess from pets that aren't mine especially if they do it where my children play or have their little hobbies.

OP posts:
FlyingPandas · 15/05/2022 22:04

Definitely give it a try. Apart from hopefully acting as a cat deterrent, bark chips look a lot nicer than bare soil and they will help the plants retain moisture too so win win all round!

MakeThingsRight · 15/05/2022 22:10

As a cat owner - who's cats poo on my freshly dug areas (!). I know you've said netting, but have tried cutting the netting open to allow the plants to grow through?
It's what I do. Easy to lift over / cut more if needed. I get a roll that stretches out for a couple of pounds. Just had to cut mine to allow tomato and sweetcorn plants to grow through.

katienana · 15/05/2022 22:10

I've had this tried lion poo, granules, egg shells, orange peel. The only thing that has worked is poking twigs/sticks into the flowerbed.

Everafter20 · 15/05/2022 22:10

Try these from Amazon. I got them for my new raises beds and it has worked well. They are plastic spikes so don't hurt my cats but keep them off.

It's a cat poo one