keep cats from using your flower garden as a litter box

[susan hodges]

[bullthistle]

Oophs. Actually I prefer my cat use my garden as a litter box since it adds to the soil.

[rainbowgardener]

Get to know Search the Forum; it will be your friend to help you find tons of information already here. We have had several discussions on this topic.

Here's a few:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=130570&highlight=cats#130570

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=127617&highlight=cats#127617

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=116380

[applestar]

When they start using the strawberry bed as toilet, where there isn't even any dirt, and, because there's no dirt, they can't/don't bother covering it, I draw the line.

I have been THOROUGHLY dusting any area used as toilet (actually, I've only found 3 spots in the front yard, but 3 is too much! ) with a mixture of cayenne pepper and wasabi powder. Any cat that has returned to sniff around went home with streaming eyes, nose, and what my DH calls the "Wasabi Hit".

If their owners don't care enough to keep them safe at home, then I cannot be held responsible and will take what means are necessary to keep my garden clean.

As I have said before, if dog owners are required to pick up dog poop, cat owners should be responsible for cat poop as well.

(I have two indoor cats who get supervised outside time in our garden and no dogs)

[bullthistle]

Golly it sounds like your cats are in prison and you are the warden. My cat comes and goes as he pleases. He even sleeps on the grass mulch in the garden and sometimes the plants, but hey he's a cat.

[applestar]

[Gary350]

The cats will always find the softest soil in the garden to dig and use it as the cat box. I buy a $3 bag of sand and pour the whole bag in a pile. The cats find it an use it as the cat box. I have 3 cats, neighbor has 6 cats, other neighbor has 2 cats. The sand works great.

[shadowsmom]

There are a lot of feral cats in the woods behind my house. I have found if I cut long stems of the wild rose that grows in the hedge row and strategically lay it on the ground, the cats don't try to walk in that area more than once. I really don't like the cats going in the veggie garden area and I put the rose stems in a patten all through the veggies.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

My neighbor has 2 cat's and I have chickens... not a good mix. I'm going to try an organic option. Vinegar. Full streingth vinegar will repel cat's (or so Iv read)

[Garden Gal]

I guess I'm reaaaaaaaaaally lucky. My cat seems to be the only one in my neighborhood! She is spayed, so she does not attract other cats. She is outside most of the time. She prefers it. she keeps away unwanted critters. When she saw me start my Lasagna style garden which has a wonderful organic manure smell her first instinct was to claim that great big litter box as her own. I gave her a very loud, stern NO! And she left immediately. Now when I'm out there she comes to see what I'm up to, she walks along the wood border, then runs down to the back of my yard where there is lots of rotting 'woodsey' type stuff, and rolls around in it, and sniffs it and eats what she finds interesting. But she hasn't bothered my now lush garden.