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rdbrya2

Keeping cats out of my flower beds!!!

rdbrya2
9 years ago

I can't seem to find a forum dedictated to this particular issue haha....so I figured it was safe here :-)

I recently installed new landscaping and it came out beautiful!!! I've had it about 5 weeks now and now every morning when I go look at my plants the neighbors cats have dug holes in the pine straw and are going #2 in my beds then kicking back the mulch with their feet!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooooo upset to see this. This is the 3rd morning in a row they did it in a new spot. Between the entire road there are tons of cats so I cannot pinpoint whose cat it is doing it for sure.
I was really hoping ya'll knew of a way to prevent or detour them from doing this. I spent a ton of money to get these beds professionally done and I'll be devastated if this continues.

Comments (8)

  • lucillle
    9 years ago

    This may work:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sprayer

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    That is maddening. I feel for you. Stray cats and neighbors' cats use my garden as their litter. I tried everything I couldn think of, including trapping them & taking them to the Anti-Cruelty Society. The latest method is coyote urine. This stinks even worse than cat's urine. LOL. It works very well, but the odor discipates quite quickly, though.

  • TNflowerlover Zone 7a
    9 years ago

    Do you have a neighbor with a sweet gum tree? I have heard the sticky balls deter cats from using the area. I know I hate them...I used to walk barefoot, but the tree cured that. Lol

  • rdbrya2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I am definitely going to try that water sprayer. I am not a mean person and I do like animals, I just can't bear to see my flower beds torn up and soiled after spending all that money. I found another motion activated sound alarm to try, too. Although I am also annoyed that now I have to spend more money and have an ugly device sticking out the ground to 'compliment' the beds. Boo!! I hope it works!

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    9 years ago

    rebrya, the motion activated sprayer does work, but the two I have are Scarecrow by Contech. I found them very customer friendly, when a small spring broke in one of them I called the company and they cheerfully sent a replacement spring free of charge, no proof of purchase or date purchased required and my product was a couple of years old at that point.

    Granule repellents can be effective although with newly installed plants it may have to be replenished somewhat often (thinking irrigation here, watering which will diminish the effectiveness). Critter Ridder by Havahart, the pet friendly people ;), is one I've found helpful.

    I feel your pain on having to spend gardening budget to control others household pets - having done the same and resented it. We've been at this location a year and a half now and have no wandering cats or dogs at all, it's wonderful. But, I've traded those for daily deer and chipmunks so think it must always be something that will need our attention, undo our gardening efforts....

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    9 years ago

    We had a small ultrasound battery-operated gizmo that was motion-triggered to go off when something nearby moved. It worked well to train our cats not to jump on the kitchen counter as they found it an unpleasant sound. It was only rated for indoor use, but I imagine a waterproof canopy over it would work as long as it wasn't in the same area as the motion-triggered sprinkler. My memory is that it cost less than $25.

  • babera
    9 years ago

    I have dogs so cats don't visit my yard, but my neighbor has strays/roamers. She sets orange/lemon and lime peels around. I hear they don't like citrus. . . when she stops I see them coming back but when she is on top of it not a cat to be seen.

    Good Luck. . .

  • monarda_gw
    9 years ago

    It's not the cats, it's the flies their droppings bring.