Darn Cats

[CdnChelsea]

I know what I am about to say doesn't help you with your problem with the cat but it is one reason why I grow all my veggies in containers. Using large containers stops any animals from pooping in the soil.

I am contiplating having a regular veggie garden but before I do that, I am going to build a high fence around the area to keep the critters out. To keep the moles and voles at bay, I plan on burying some fine wire mesh deep in the soil around the perimeter of the garden.

I'm running out of years I physically can do all this work but if I can have a veggie patch, no critters are going to ruin it on me.

[Laura]

A raised bed,if it is high,might be the ticket.Then a fence built around the top and your good to go ..... lol.

I will lose my Patch in a few years when we build a new garage and am planning already for a new one somewhere in the yard ... and I will be thinking of critter ridder ideas and such when planning.I am going to try a few things in containers this season I think but I still enjoy a garden patch.

If you have really big containers the cats can still get in them as they sometimes do with plants in the house.

I have to deal with many cats running loose in my area .... if I only had the one I think I'd furnish him/her a litter box ... lol.

[johnjf]

I was just thinking, last year when I made a garden I went to the beach and grab a few buckets of beach sand. I made a little zen garden area and the cats ended up using that as a litter box so maybe I can go get some beach sand again and place it somewhere else.

Anywho I got a cage to try and trap the cat so I'll be trying that tonight. Hopefully I didn't scare him off for good and he comes around tonight. Either way I'll be keeping the cage out for a week. I tried putting out cayenne pepper lastnight and that obviously did nothing.

[Mygrandmeresgarden]

The only thing I use mothballs for is to keep the skunks from going to live under the buildings in my yard. Take an empty soup can and half fill with moth balls, squish and put under the building. They won't come near it.

As for the digging cat, the only thing that worked was strips of chicken wire layed down in between the rows and staked at the end of the rows. It worked in my garden.

[johnjf]

forgot to update, I managed to catch the cats 2 days later after putting the cage out. Ever since then there hasn't been anymore digging in my garden

[CdnChelsea]

forgot to update, I managed to catch the cats 2 days later after putting the cage out. Ever since then there hasn't been anymore digging in my garden

What did you do with the cats?

[johnjf]

Oops sorry, it was just one cat, a dark grey one. It seemed like a wild cat but we called the dog catcher and he took it. Some people said to just go drop it off somewhere because the dog catcher would probably give it back to the possible owner and the cat would just be right back.

We'll see if it does or not though.

[Heidi S]

Have you seen the motion sensor sprinklers? When it is triggered it shoots a spray of water in a circle day and night.

Check out an example here:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page ... =2&p=44958

My neighbour uses one like this, and it works great. I think there are other brands too.

[johnjf]

yeeup I've heard and seen them, I didn't want to go spending money on stuff like that to keep a cat out but if it was a major problem then I probably would have. I'm hoping I won't have to in the future. So far so good, still no cats digging in the garden

[thistle]

I have the same problem only it is my own Cat doing the damage.Part of the problem apart from the digging to cover her deposits is that she is a HUGE Cat and flattens everything in her Path.I have managed to keep her going in approximately the same location ,and I have cleared it of any Plants she might destroy.She is very old and I hate to create problems for Her,but I don't think it will be going on for too much longer so I'm just letting Her have Her way for now.it's easier to clean up after Her when I know where she is doing her business.