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Cats pooping in raised beds
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Author:  mspreachcreach [ Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:33 am ]
Post subject:  Cats pooping in raised beds

I have raised beds. I do not own any cats but cats from the neighborhood love to use them as litter boxes. I have heard cat poop is not good. What does it do and how can I keep cats out without using chemicals that are unsafe.

Author:  sandih [ Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

I wish there was a perfect answer. I too have this issue. Some swear by the liquid or granular fox urine that you can put in your garden. I read that you can lay chicken wire on the ground, over your planting area, because cats hate to walk on it. You can also put pepper on top of the soil, where they're using the bathroom. If it's really bad, there are sprinklers with motion detectors on them. They turn on and spray whatever moves. Good luck and tell us if you find something that works for you.

Author:  mskitty42 [ Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

I have the same problem -- my cat stays indoors, but not neighbor cats. The only thing I've found that works is chicken wire. They just can't dig in it. It's not practical for me for all beds all the time, but right now I have it over the garlic bed (garlic grows up through it) and over two new raised beds that I'm developing. I have Reemay over the fourth bed and that keeps them out, too.

But, they are as happy to dig in my cedar mulch around the beds as in the beds themselves. I'd love to put up a fence to make it more difficult for them to get in, but no $$ for that right now. Shooing them off only helps in the moment. They come right back.

I'd like to hear success stories, too.

Author:  Love My Garden! [ Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

Chicken wire. Definitely. We have a neighborhood cat that we like who hangs out with us in the yard all the time. Although he is learning where it's ok to "go", sometimes he stills ends up where we don't want him. We started using chicken wire last summer and it works great! Cats stay out, keeps the squirrels from digging things up, too. (Though they still dig through it sometimes... :? )

We have planned to buy chicken wire ongoingly so we always have plenty to keep leaves from blowing around on the neighbor's yards when we are covering a planting area during the late fall/winter, and to keep the cats out.

I tried lava rock once. I worked but it is more expensive than chicken wire, and it's definitely not as quick and easy to remove as the chicken wire.

Happy gardening!

Author:  mskitty42 [ Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

I tried lava rock around one bed and it didn't even phase them. Granted, if I'd had more of it in a wider and thicker swath around the beds it might have worked, but I couldn't afford to buy that much and it's not what I want around the beds. I also like to walk barefoot out there in the summer!

I find the chicken wire a problem for lots of reasons, especially in beds that have good growth in them. You can't dig to plant something new, can't add soil amendments or mulch, etc. But, on the beds where I can't just leave it, I use smaller pieces of it to cover most of the bare parts of the bed. Not a perfect answer, but still the best thing I've found.

Author:  garlicmike [ Fri May 27, 2011 7:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

The stem debris from ROSES worked to stop cats in my beds.

Author:  mskitty42 [ Fri May 27, 2011 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

I bet thorny rose stems would indeed work! My neighbor got rid of the offending cat, so all is well here for the time being.

Author:  Doug [ Fri May 27, 2011 8:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cats pooping in raised beds

Try Cat Scram: http://www.green-living.com/pestcontrol.aspx

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