Cats digging up my raised bed! Grrr...

[helyg]

I have a lovely new raised bed. I have sown lots of seeds directly into it, and some seedlings are coming up.

However the local cats seem to be just as enthused by it as I am, and keep digging in it. Which is killing my seedlings!

What is the best way to keep them off? Short of tethering a Rottweiler to the edge of the beds of course...

They love the wonderful big litter tray you have arranged for them. Either kebab type skewers placed in the soil at intervals or twigs /bits of wood laid on top will keep them off.

I usually protect areas with chicken wire...

Wire netting - if your seeds are still tiny, lay chicken wire over the top now and bury under a thin layer of soil. Otherwise a wider mesh green wire trellis (the squared stuff that you can grow climbers up) covered in mulch has worked for us in the past.

Thanks for all your help.

I have put some bamboo kebab sticks into the ground for now, until I can get something better. Hopefully that will stop them!

I've used wire netting and that works well but the easiest method is to lay cut branches (eg form a pruned buddlia)across the bed.
Your plants will come through and then when they are larger just remove the branches - by that time your soil has usually compacted a bit and is less desirable to the local moggies.