Keeping cats out of my garden?

Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?

Thanks
-Mark

"Mark" wrote in message
...
Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?

Thanks
-Mark

We use a plant/shrub cat repellant spray. Safe for animals and people, and
good for indoor and outdoor use. It has a foul smell to the cats and they
stay away from it. Worked wonders for our cat for our house plants. We
spray the plants every month or so. I'm sure pet stores carry a variety of
the sprays. This bottle was cheap - about 7 bucks at Walmart, and it seems
to go a long way. We had problems with our cat digging in the house plants,
and since we've used the spray, she's gone back to her cat box.
I also have heard that cats also don't like citrus, and someone on another
group said that tobacco dust works good as well. Both, I've heard, are
harmless, but cats hate the smell.

"Mark" wrote in message
...
Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?

Thanks
-Mark



More expensive, but fullproof. Surround your garden with a cat proof fence.
(These fences have a top section which slants outward like this \. Cat
can't climb around the overhang. You could probably build one yourself once
you see an example.)

"Mark" wrote in message
...
Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?



I believe that I would leave that patch empty for at least another year
before I grew edibles in it. The feces from meat eating animals is full of
parasites and parasite eggs and not suitable for foodcrops.

Second choice is dig it out to at least three feet and replace the soil.


--
Toni
South Florida USA
USDA Zone 10

"Toni" wrote:

I believe that I would leave that patch empty for at least another year
before I grew edibles in it. The feces from meat eating animals is full of
parasites and parasite eggs and not suitable for foodcrops.

Second choice is dig it out to at least three feet and replace the soil.

Well, neither of those alternatives really works for me. I _have_ been
removing the piles promptly, which should keep the cootie count down.

Has anyone here tried the "Scarecrow" or similar products for
keeping cats out of the garden?

http://tinyurl.com/hdcox

(http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...n=B000071NU S)

Thanks
-Mark

I had something like that the raccoons quickly learned how to avoid it and
get around it. I had to come up with new ideas to deal with them

the dogs hated it so did the cats. and the crows

Mark wrote:
Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?

Thanks
-Mark

plant corn dogs in the ground, pretty soon the cats won't be a problem.

man that's corny

Mark wrote:
Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?

Thanks
-Mark



Yes, your best method will be to obtain a picture of one "Brandy
Alexandre" and have it blown up to roughly human size. Mount it on a
stake and install in the garden.

Cats recognize good pet owners almost instantly and will flee the garden
upon viewing the picture.

:-D

Mark wrote:
Hello.

My cats have been using my vegetable patch for a litterbox
since last Fall. I am now ready to plant vegetables, and I
would like the kitties to go someplace else. Any suggestions
for how I can keep them out of the garden?

Thanks
-Mark

Garlic infusion works pretty well.
From an old post of mine:

**paste***
I did some research today on cat repellents, while at the garden
center. There seemed to be two long-lasting repellents (ones that
could be used weekly instead of daily). One contained D-limonene (a
major component of orange oil and lemon oil) as the active ingredient
and the other contained 2% garlic juice. Since we are having a
terrible time keeping cats from the vegetable garden (and haven't used
a repellent this year) I wanted an extra-potent solution. I purchased
5 large heads of garlic, put them in a plastic baggie, pulverized them
with a hammer, steeped them in 30oz hot distilled water for 30
minutes, and then strained the concoction. From my estimation, this
solution probably contains 3-4% garlic juice. I will use it today,
and every 3-5 days thereafter. I will report back in a few weeks to
see if it seems to be making a difference. The commercially available
repellents say to use once per week, for two or three weeks, and then
monthy thereafter.

***end paste***

IIRC the garlic infusion worked but needed to be reapplied ever 3 days
or so.

You can also trap the cats and take them to your local Humane Society,
in most places. Check your local laws. Once or twice having to spring
thei cats from the HS, and most people will be more cautious about
allowing their cats to roam.

-L.