Cat question

aliasojo

We've spent a lot of time sorting the gardens, we've also spent a lot of money on various pots and plants.

The cats have been using the pots as their toilet and there is always spilt earth on the ground, I'm assuming from where they try to cover over their mess. They have also dug up my bulbs in the process.

They are a real nuisance and we're trying various things to deter them but we've noticed that their owners have very similar pots and the cats don't use them. Will cats just never poop in their own gardens? Or have the owners done something or put something in their pots that the cats don't like?

Sequeena

My cats are indoor but I know cats that are allowed outdoors like to roam a lot. Your garden may be the edge of their 'territory' and they're marking their scent in there (sorry!). Try lemon/orange peels scattered around your garden, and bottles filled with water are meant to work (not sure how).

*doodle*_2

My cat poops in my yard and it really annoys me as he does have a litter tray. I ended up buying some netting from the pound shop to cover pots that have visible soil. This has worked a treat and he leaves any pots filled with bedding plants alone.

aliasojo

*doodle* wrote: »

My cat poops in my yard .....

Ah well, that puts paid to my theory about not pooping in their own gardens then.

easilydistracted

I would agree with the territory marking thing. There are five cats next door who practically used to live in my house when it was derelict. They like boshing my new plants, spraying everywhere and terrorising my cat to remind us whose house it really is. They don't make any similar messes in their own place.

*doodle*_2

aliasojo wrote: »

Ah well, that puts paid to my theory about not pooping in their own gardens then.

haha my boy is a softie and rarely leaves my garden. The day he roams is the day that that chocolate kettles become the norm!

Seriously, get rid of any visible soil in your plantpots. My lad destroyed all of my plants until I worked out how to stop him.

hcb42

I have trained my cats not to poop in my garden...they are so clever...


just kidding


I was mortified once, neighbour asked me in garden for a coffee and a cake, in the sunshine, and cat comes in and does his toilet..!:(

nic_santorini

It is so annoying, neighbours cats were crapping in my garden constantly, as they had already scared my cat into my house forever, that was until this March and we have got my cat outside for a little bit a day, usually supervised by us!! but she has walked around the garden and the other cats have stopped with immediate effect!! They dug up all my baby carrots and beetroot last year, really pipped me off. I love my cat, but really want to throw large objects at theirs!! (I don't but have a squeezy bottle of water by the window and soak them whenever they step on my property!!

rising_from_the_ashes

Def the territory thing!

You could try some gravel / pretty stones on the top of the pots to cover bear earth - I do this (anyway, not to stop cats as I don't like the look of soil, I know I'm odd) but don't have any problems and have cats so it must work!

They are rather partial to the bark that covers the soil in the beds in the garden tho'!

Fire_Fox

Mulch any bare earth with cocoa shells, they look a bit like small bark chippings and are available from any decent garden centre. Once wet it forms a gluey mat so prevents weeds growing, reduces the need for watering, feeds your plants as it rots down AND cats don't like them.