Can I use slug pellets without poisoning the neighbourhood cats?

[VegemiteSandwich]

The slugs and snails are getting to all my plants and I want to put down some sort of poison for them.

The thing is, we have quite a problem with neighbourhood cats treating our garden as some sort of giant litter tray. I've just put in one of those cat scarers (the high pitched squeely thing) and I'm hopeful that it'll work - our neighbours found theirs very helpful. But apparently one of the local cats is old and deaf and therefore doesn't get scared away. And there will of course be times when the battery goes flat or the cats find some corner of the garden that is out of reach of the cat scarer's radar. So for all my efforts I am unlikely to get the garden 100% cat proof.

I don't hate cats but I hate cats shitting in the garden. Nevertheless I very much do not want them to be poisoned by slug pellets.

If I put down just a few pellets and follow the instructions carefully, how likely is it really that I'm going to poison a cat? Or am I just overthinking this?

please please please do not put down slug pellets they are highly toxic to cats and would be a slow lingering death, a better way of dealing with slugas is to sprinkle salt in the area you find the slugs as this dries them up and isnt too toxic to the cats as they wouldnt eat pure salt

Put the slug pellets under something attractive to slugs but inaccessible to birds, hedgehogs, cats, etc. Then remove and bin sluggy corpses. (A nice cool hollow under a water-filled plant saucer is very attractive to slugs.)

In fact if you're dedicated you can skip the pellets and just create a slug hotel, and then conduct regular massacres.

How about beer traps or nematodes instead?

OK, so that's a "no" for the slug pellets? Damn, was hoping you'd all tell me I was been over cautious.

I've never heard of nematodes ... I found somewhere that sells it though so might give it a go. Does it work? And if I put it around the strawberries will I poison myself instead? Actually, I might get some glass cloche type things to put over the strawberries anyway.

I did a bit of research a while ago on beer traps and stuff, so I guess I'll go and try some of those things. The Green Gardener had some good stuff (had already planned to get some ladybirds from them once the rain stops and the aphids come out).

I use slug pellets and sadly have never killed any of the neighbours' cats yet.

Another one jumping on the no bandwagon here.

When I was a child one of our cats was poisoned by the next door neighbours slug pellet regime (we had this confirmed by our vet, so not just wild speculation).

Slug pellet formulations may have changed in the years since, however I would not like to take the risk having seen the results in unintended victims.

Every year I see cats and dogs poisoned by slug pellets and really good alternative is salt it causes those slugs to shrivel up and die. Unfortunately Iamnotamindreader the slug pellet formulation has been the same for about 50 years.

My cat was found in a garden having been poisoned by slug pellets. He was having continuous fits and nearly died. Please don't use them - there are alternatives out there which won't risk the lives of your neighbourhood cats

This is the thing with cats though - the owners expect other people, who may loathe cats, to look after them. The cats live on other people's land, crap in other people's gardens and the owners expect everyone to modify their behaviour to suit the cats. It's just never seemed reasonable to me.

I thought salt turned slugs into slimy messes? it's the blue pellets which dry them out (& then birds eat them )

I got some stuff from aldi recently which is pale pink, claims to be organic & says you can actually use it as a mulch - I'll see what it's made of

it's actually called a slug blocker - comes in a big box & is supposed to keep them away from plants rather than killing them (in which case you'd have to use a lot) - it says it "absorbs their mucus, preventing further movement"

no active ingredient given???

so I'm not sure how much use it'll be. maybe nematodes would be best (esp in a big garden)

I had some of that Ponders. I sprinkled it on and next day found several, fat, healthy looking fat slugs nestled amongst it.
I love delphiniums, but have never succeeded with them myself, because of fucking slugs. I am never going to use slug pellets though. It seems a bit unatural to be putting poison in my garden.

I have checked the instructions on my container of slug pellets - it says not harmful to pets if used as directed ie scattered around thinly and evenly rather than put in concentrated piles.

damn

thanks, bobbly - comfy cradles for slugs I don't need

Actually the vast majority of slug pellet pots lie and say no danger to pets. But every pot I have ever come accross contains metaldehyde which is a neuro toxin to all animals - that includes us. Even if you don't want to protect cats children can pick these up and eat them and have nasty side effects.

Please please DO NOT use slug pellets! My beloved siamese cat is currently in a critical condition at the vets having eaten the neighbours slug pellets. There are alternatives. Please think of local pets and wildlife. We are worried sick about our cat! =(

my neighbour has used these in that way and as a result my beloved cat is in a critical condition at the vets... PLEASE DO NOT USE THEM

libbyliz hope your cat comes through this. As mentioned above, my cat nearly died after being poisoned by slug pellents but eventually came through it with no ill effects - will be keeping fingers crossed that yours does too.

fingers crossed for your cat libby i would rather have slugs and weeds than a poisoned cat