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Help-how do I deter cats from fouling in my vegetable plot?.

(26 Posts)
Maggymay Fri 06-May-16 20:13:44

I have just created a new veg plot and my salad seedling were all growing well.
Today went to check on it all the plants scratched out and cat poo everywhere.
Any ideas what to do?.

suzied Fri 06-May-16 20:20:49

Apparently they don't like citrus smell, so you can strew orange and lemon peel around. Not tried it though.

Auntieflo Fri 06-May-16 20:34:29

Have you tried "Lions Roar" pellets?

jinglbellsfrocks Fri 06-May-16 20:37:59

Silent Roar.

Pellets soaked in lions'' piss.

You should see the neighbours' cat hare through my garden hell for leather. Terrified!

jinglbellsfrocks Fri 06-May-16 20:40:41

buy it here

shysal Fri 06-May-16 21:25:18

I have heard that a piece of hose pipe on the ground deters cats, as they think it is a snake. I haven't tried it though. smile

Teetime Sat 07-May-16 08:50:28

We have two of those little gadgets that emit a high pitched noise that humans cant hear(from Amazon). These are brilliant and we have had no further cat problems they wont come into the garden now but it doesn't deter the birds who are fine with it.

annodomini Sat 07-May-16 09:40:33

Surround the plot with twigs and stretch threads or fishing line across above the veg plants. I once used that on a strawberry bed.

Indinana Sat 07-May-16 09:49:20

Buy a pack of plastic forks and stick them, tine end up, throughout the vegetable patch. That should stop the neighbourhood cats being able even to walk on the plot, never mind do any business.

jusnoneed Sat 07-May-16 09:55:31

The only thing that stops them here is a physical barrier, my OH has made frames to go around the seedling beds, then has netting over them. They can easily be removed once plants are ready to harvest. Even then our own cat will lie on or under them if she gets the chance, hence the reason for making them 12-18inches high.

Bellanonna Sat 07-May-16 10:10:38

jings I like the sound of that, but would need reassurance that humans can't smell it. Not too conducive to a little garden relaxation if it did smell of pee. Otherwise I'm tempted.

Thingmajig Sat 07-May-16 10:14:02

We were the same when we moved to this house 2 year ago, our garden seemed to be the toilet for local cats! We tried everything on the market (at great cost considering we don't actually have a cat!) but the only thing that really worked was a physical barrier. DH cobbled the shrubberies and we erected netting over the veggie bed.

I do like the sound of the plastic forks though so will give it a try when we plant out the veg seedlings.

rosesarered Sat 07-May-16 16:37:17

Low level barbed wire? Electric fences? Strategically placed machine gun with movement sensor??????

jinglbellsfrocks Sat 07-May-16 16:56:39

No smell to it Bellanonna. Once you've put it down you don't know it's there.

Maggymay Sun 08-May-16 10:22:14

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions I will certainly be trying out Some of them.

rosesarered Sun 08-May-16 13:54:14

....but not the machine gun?

rosesarered Sun 08-May-16 13:56:37

Just to add, I have tried everything in the past and have concluded that there is no reliable method from deterring cats in the garden.They have their territory and they will patrol it no matter what ( and do a bit of digging and fouling along their merry way.)

Anya Sun 08-May-16 14:31:57

Yes, I yes those gadgets that Teetime mentioned and I back them up by putting cutting from roses and other thorny clippings between plants in the bare soil.
It does the trick for us.

I used to set the dog on cats (he'd chase them but that was it) but now as he's old, one-eyed and deaf, he's not up to cat duties any more.

Bellasnana Sun 08-May-16 14:46:19

I remember my mother saving up used tea bags to which she added olbas oil. My cats certainly steered clear of her flower beds grin

BBbevan Sun 08-May-16 19:41:41

We lay plastic netting over the veg.plot. Easy to roll up , plants grow through it and the cats can' t scrape on it.

f77ms Thu 12-May-16 08:43:51

Olbas oil works , also Vicks chest rub . You would have to put the vicks on some kitchen paper and partly bury it where you don`t want the cats to go . More humane than setting dogs on them , I was quite shocked by that admission !

Jalima Thu 12-May-16 09:57:38

I don't think that Anya actually set the dogs on them, ff7ms!
We used to have a small dog who loathed cats and would chase them out of the garden, he never caught one as they were faster than him. One used to sit on the fence and torment him.
I mentioned all the possibilities to DH and he likes rosesarered's suggestions best grin

Granmoo59 Thu 12-May-16 12:53:33

And don't get me started on the deer that have yet again eaten all my rosebuds, magnolia tree buds and earlier, winter flowering pansy heads! Have resorted to an electric fence round the rose bed, very unsightly! Haven't seen many cats come to think of it!

Jenty61 Thu 12-May-16 13:29:44

we used to kep racing pigeons and had tried all sorts to deter cats from the garden and the one thing that did work was moth balls scattered around...cats hate the smell...

lizzypopbottle Thu 12-May-16 16:42:28

Granmoo59 A friend used human hair sweepings from the local barber and hairdressers to deter deer. Apparently they dislike the smell of it. I don't know how successful it was though.