| My next door neighbor's cats are persistant in using my raised flower and vegetable beds as litter boxes. Besides the annoying holes I'm concerned about possible bacteria entering into our vegetables of which we consume. Since our neighbor refuses to control their cats and fences won't stop them is there anything I can do short of destroying the animals to keep the cats out of my garden? |
| Apart from building a cage around your garden, you may have to experiment a bit until you find something that works on this particular cat. Some gardeners report success using a variety of deterrents to make the garden less attractive to cats. One is to scatter thorny branches (such as rose trimmings) over the surface, another is to spread a layer of wire mesh such as chicken wire over or just under the mulch to make digging impossible, another is to use a repellent spray applied to the garden (there are commercial varieties intended to repel cats or you can make your own concoction with garlic or pepper or both), yet another is to use the "predator urines" packaged for garden use. Finally, some gardeners report that a pet dog is the most effective deterrent they have tried. You might also check with the local authorities and/or neighborhood association as in some areas it is illegal to allow pets, including cats, to roam. |
