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25 Mar 02 - 03:34 PM (#676069) Subject: Garden cat deterrents? From: GUEST,Terry t.kingston@post.com Having just come into possesion of the first garden that I've ever had in my adult life, and having lovingly prepared, mulched, etc. my plot, I am dismayed to find that it is now the local cats' toilet of choice. A quick search of the 'net and various books come up with all sorts of wierd and wonderful suggestions to combat this: orange peel, curry powder, various electronic ultrasound devices etc. etc. Anyone have any tips that work (apart from a gun) Terry P.S. the gun bit was a joke (in case any oversensitive cat lovers were upset) |
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25 Mar 02 - 03:51 PM (#676078) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: RichM It's a vexing problem for gardeners, and there is no simple solution. I sympathize--I am a gardener AND I have 4 cats. My solution? I have put up angled netting at the top of my 5 and a half foot fenced perimeter. It discourages neighbor cats from entering, though it doesn't stop the most persistent ones--until they get in and realize that getting out is problematic until I open a gate for them. They usually avoid my yard after that. And it keeps my cats from disturbing neighbors. The ultimate solution is for cat owners to control their pets. But don't hold your breath... Rich McCarthy |
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25 Mar 02 - 03:54 PM (#676080) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: ciarili I'm just being a smart-aleck, but the first thing that leapt to mind was, "DOG!" Seriously, cats don't like to eat where they "go," so maybe mulching with Friskies would work.... OK, I'll stop torturing you now! |
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25 Mar 02 - 04:27 PM (#676109) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: McGrath of Harlow Good lateral thinking, ciarali. Or is the word cateral in this case?
But "the ultimate solution is for cat owners to control their pets." You can't control cats except within very strict limitations. (Leaving aside those vicious bastards who do things like de-claw their pets - any vet who did that here would be catfood if the news leaked out.)
We once had a visiting cat who used to wait till the door was open, and he'd sneak in and use our cats' litter tray. I've never known another cat with that kind of toilet training!
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25 Mar 02 - 04:30 PM (#676114) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Gareth Mmmm !, Kevin, a cat wot hangs around other cats conveniences - at the risk of sounding terribly Un-PC, is that a pouffy cat ! Gareth ;-) - and running for the pub. |
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25 Mar 02 - 04:47 PM (#676125) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: RichM Sure, you can control them. Keep them inside. Dogs used to be a neighborhood nuisance here many years ago. Now no one tolerates loose canines. Just extend this to moose, buffalo, zebras and ahem...cats :) |
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25 Mar 02 - 04:48 PM (#676127) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Bobert Now, if you are real serious, there is a device which is made that you hook your garden hose to that has a motion sensor. Ahhh, you guessed it. Now nothing makes a cat madder than getting squirted witha hose. And, heck, the garden will get a few exrta drinks before the cat figures it out. If you are interested, PM me and I'll get you the details on ordering one... |
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25 Mar 02 - 05:09 PM (#676139) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Sorcha Love the garden hose one! Mothballs will help, but they only last a few days. Nothing really helps except a cat proof fence.......(oxymoron??) |
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25 Mar 02 - 05:10 PM (#676141) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Terry t.kingston@post.com Thanks Bobert, I presume that you mean a device such as this one Unfortunately, neither my budget or the size of the garden could justify it. Are the 'traditional' orange peel/curry powder type solutions completely useless? How long do cats take to 'get the message?' Will throwing stones at them work? Terry (In case I'm taken the wrong way, I only mean tiny pieces of gravel that wont hurt them. You have to be so careful in the Internet age)
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25 Mar 02 - 06:33 PM (#676179) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Mark Clark Okay, help me out here. As a native Iowan, I've seen my share of gardens, even won a blue ribbon at the state fair as a boy. So what I don't understand is why cat poop would hurt a garden. Before farmers started using toxic chemicals for fertilizer, everybody used manure. An Italian gardner my dad knew used to put a dead fish in the hole with each tomato plant. If cats don't eat the vegitables, why do you care if they add nutrients to the soil? In my neghiborhood, the problem is deer. Keeping the deer out of ones garden is a much bigger problem. - Mark |
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25 Mar 02 - 06:34 PM (#676181) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Bobert Yep, Terry, that is the device. Throwing rocks, no matter how small, will only teach the cat what your working hours are and not much more. Actually, back to the water torture treatment that cats hate, a squirt gun is a purrr-fect low budget cat deterant. Good luck. |
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25 Mar 02 - 06:44 PM (#676187) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Gareth Actually - would it not be more effective if it was an automativ "Spayer !" Gareth |
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25 Mar 02 - 06:50 PM (#676193) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Liz the Squeak Cat and dog poo has little or no vegetable matter in it, which is why it doesn't do the garden much good... all the nutrients in it are meat related, and not so great for feeding up plants.... that's why it's not nice in a garden LTS |
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25 Mar 02 - 06:53 PM (#676195) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Terry t.kingston@post.com Mark, It's not the 'poop' that's the problem. It's the digging up of seedlings, and the digging up of everything in sight... Some people love cats better than dogs because they cover their 'poop' Dog 'poop' is easy to clean up, a ruined row of lettuces isn't Terry (somewhat anti cat today, I'll take deep breaths and try to be better in the morning) |
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25 Mar 02 - 07:03 PM (#676199) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: artbrooks There are some answers here: Cats in Garden I like the one about Zoo Doo myself, but haven't tried it. |
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25 Mar 02 - 07:25 PM (#676210) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: CarolC When you say this: Unfortunately, neither my budget or the size of the garden could justify it. Are you saying your garden is too big or that it's too small? If it's small, you maybe could put wire mesh down on the ground around the plants. I'm guessing the cats would prefer to do their business in loose dirt rather than on wire mesh.
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25 Mar 02 - 07:41 PM (#676215) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: raredance A couple possibilities: Add dilute ammonia to the squirt gun. Effective against most any animal. I knew someone years ago that carried one on bike rides in the country to repel chasing dogs. Get a live trap and bait it. Maybe your city or county will even loan you one if you tell them you have a nuisance raccon to remove. Catch the cat then either take it to the pound where the owners will have to pay to get it back or get the garden hose, turn it on full blast up close at the cat for 15 minutes. then let the cat go, it likely won't come back to your yard. The even bigger problem with wandering cats (bigger than digging in the garden) is the extraordinary number of song birds that they kill. rich r |
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25 Mar 02 - 09:18 PM (#676279) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Anahootz Us Alaskans have our own unique set of problems protecting our gardens from marauding pests, including deer and bears. I have tried a few things, such as the hose-sensor thingie and netting over the seedlings, but they have not met with the success of my latest deterrent, which are land mines. Sure, you get a neighbor kid now and then, but nothing keeps pesky fauna out of the beanfield like a well-placed claymore. 'Hootz |
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25 Mar 02 - 09:35 PM (#676288) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Lynn Invest in a supersoaker. Then stake out a post near the garden in some unobtrusive spot. My wife will throw clods of dirt at any of our 7 cats that trespasses on her garden. It gets them out for the moment, but a more permanent solution is a puzzlement. |
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26 Mar 02 - 12:05 AM (#676345) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Lin in Kansas My herb garden (4 raised beds) belongs to the three cats and the dog as much as it does to me. They love to keep me company out on the garden bench, and as for squirting them with the hose, they consider that great fun and have a ball playing in the water. The only plant any of them have ever bothered was the catnip (DUH!) and Woofie ate the tops off all the asparagus. Don't ask me why, he can't stand cooked asparagus... I thoroughly enjoy having the furry children share the shade, and the plants with me. AND they help me dig when I'm adding new plants. Good kids, good company, good fun. Lin |
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26 Mar 02 - 04:36 AM (#676424) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST Catwatch |
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26 Mar 02 - 06:42 AM (#676459) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Cayenne pepper. I get the cheap stuff at the dollar store, sprinkle it around the beds about once a week until the cats have learned. Sprinkle it AFTER you're done weeding, or you'll be sneezing it, too! |
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26 Mar 02 - 07:06 AM (#676467) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
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26 Mar 02 - 08:00 AM (#676481) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: jimlad I have been plagued for years now by bloody cats.I am watching this thread with interest.Many of my neighbours keep cats,or is it the other way round,most are almost sane in all other respects,so why keep a creature that is suited to hunting in its native SE Asian jungles?.In urban areas like the one in which I live hunting is too easy for the buggers.We once had song birds,frogs and field mice now it is a wasteland thanks to the verminous creatures. Another thing is that they don't crap in their own garden,or that of any of their cronies,oh no! they congregate in my plot. I have tried everything from sneaking up on them and emptying a Water Pistol on them (they have amazing hearing you know) to Tiger S*** and nothing works so keep your suggestions coming folks |
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26 Mar 02 - 08:13 AM (#676485) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Dave the Gnome To turn the thread to song - Perhaps you should find out what the line is Spanish Ladies means? "Let go your cat stoppers and let go your shank painters..." Cheers:-) DtG |
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26 Mar 02 - 10:03 AM (#676563) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Mr Red Red setter - well I would say that wouldn't I. FWIW cats don't bury their poo if it is at the territorial boundary. Then every cat in the neighbourhood tries to claim the boundary and don't I know it? Fortunately the next door siamese (twins probably) have moved away but the dogs seemed to have filled that hole & become competetive! I wouldn't mind so much but this is on the grass and it is only postage stamp size. |
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26 Mar 02 - 10:06 AM (#676566) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Grab Kevin, if an owner can't control their pet to stop it being offensive to other people then they have no business owning that pet. If you let your cat out of your garden, you are explicitly giving it permission to shit in other people's gardens and dig up their plants (never mind the health risks of kids playing in gardens full of cat shit). That means you may as well go and shit in the garden yourself, you've got that level of responsibility. The cat doesn't know any better, but the cat owner bloody well should. I really want to find who owns the cat which shits on our garden. If I do, they'll have every cat shit I find deposited on their doorstep. I think that's the best solution - make the owners realise how antisocial they're being, and maybe they'll come up with a solution themselves, ie. keep the cat inside. It's certainly more humane than the non-lethal option I'm very tempted to resort to, which is lying in wait with a powerful catapult loaded with clods of earth. Short-term, just keep watch for the cats and throw things at them - we have a rubber ball kept near the back door to throw at them. You don't have to hit them, you just have to scare them. They may learn that they can only come in during certain times when you're out, but at least they'll stay out of the garden for the rest of the time, and that cuts down on the amount of cat shit you have to clear up. Just be sure to never let a cat come into the garden unchallenged, or they'll think you're allowing them to be there. Graham. |
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26 Mar 02 - 10:57 AM (#676609) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: InOBU Playing Wyane Newton CDs loudly in your back gardin will keep the cats and most everything else away... though you may get an infestation of wealthy American dowagers... then switch to Sorcha Dorcha CDs for a while to send them packing... when that attracts cats (Mcats for example...) switch back to Wayne Newton. Cheers and good luck,Larry |
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26 Mar 02 - 01:10 PM (#676703) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Morticia Orange and lemon peel does work,I've used it for years.It's also a damn good excuse for another gin and tonic, |
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26 Mar 02 - 01:10 PM (#676704) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Mrrzy About the deer - if you eat meat and then pee around your periphery the herbivores won't cross the line into a predator's territory - doesn't work with vegetarian pee, and doesn't work against cats, either. And it isn't just that cat poop isn't good fertilizer, it contains things which are highly detrimental to human health and in which you ought not be digging. I have heard good things about cayenne or black pepper, both of which will deter anything which sniffs its way around. Wash your hands before touching your face (or other sensitive body parts) if that is what you use! |
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26 Mar 02 - 02:52 PM (#676768) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Paddy Joe One thing a Cat can`t abide is good old Horse or Cow Manure, and my wee Jack Russell eats the ass aff the Cats . And my own wee Ginger Tom has the good grace to dung in next doors Garden. Paddy Joe |
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26 Mar 02 - 03:26 PM (#676787) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Lyle The best thing I've found is to go to a sporting goods store that sells hunting and trapping supplies and buy a small bottle of Fox urine. It is concentrated, so it only takes a few drops on the edges of the garden, and will almost always keep cats away. The only trouble with it is that you need to re do it after each rain. Skunk urine will also work, but not as well as fox. Lyle |
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26 Mar 02 - 03:29 PM (#676788) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Lepus Rex Won't you have foxes pissing all over your garden, though? :) |
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26 Mar 02 - 03:34 PM (#676790) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: MMario the horse and burro manure never seems to have bothered our cats! They are of the opinion (being cats) that the only reason we mulch our gardens is to give them spots to "go". they do NOT use the main pile of mulch - becuase they prefer to sunbathe there - but any mulch that's been spread seems to be fair game. |
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26 Mar 02 - 06:01 PM (#676901) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Áine Hey there Terry! I can guarantee that the cayenne pepper and fox urine works! I've used both with great success to discourage not only the neighbor's cat, but the neighborhood skunks, squirrels, gophers and other assorted varmints. Both the pepper and the fox urine are relatively cheap kitty cures. It really depends on how much time and money you want to spend on the problem. If you have another spot in the yard -- far enough away from your garden -- you could plant some catnip just for the kitties. Besides keeping them away from your flowers, it will serve to calm their little fuzzy bums down. Good luck to you and your garden, Áine |
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26 Mar 02 - 06:41 PM (#676933) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: lamarca I have had some success with a noxious smelling compound called "Ropel" which is sold at our garden stores. It is a pump spray bottle that is designed to spray onto bulbs before planting to prevent the squirrels from digging them up and snacking on them (the name stands for ROdent RePEL,lant). Because you don't want this crap on your lettuce, vegetables, etc, what I've done is soak some cotton balls in it and placed them in strategic spots around the garden where the neighbors dog or cat has been digging. You need to renew the treatment every week or so, but it seems to keep the buggers away. (BTW, don't get a noseful of the stuff yourself - it sortof burns in the back of your throat...I wear gloves and do my flower bulb or cotton ball treatments outside) |
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27 Mar 02 - 05:06 AM (#677219) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: lady penelope Don't, whatever you do, use amonia based liquids to keep cats away. It won't! Anything with a chlorine or amonia base just tells kitty that another cat has peed there so they must go and re-spray that area! Bit of a viscous circle! Lemon peel, paprika or cayenne pepper or a 'supasoaka' full of water with a dollop of lavender oil in it. I don't know any cat that likes the smell of lavender all over themselves. It can be amusing to watch a cat try and run away from itself! And of course it tastes awful if they try and lick it off. The fox urine sounds fun! TTFN M'Lady P. |
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27 Mar 02 - 05:18 AM (#677230) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Nigel Parsons The comments on deer being a problem brings to mind a short article in the Telegraph recently. A couple in England were having trouble with deer trampling their garden, and were advised that Lion shit would keep them away. Having obtained a supply from a local zoo, they found the solution worked and kept the deer away. Unfortunately, it did not repel their pet Labrador, who insisted on rolling in it! |
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27 Mar 02 - 05:19 AM (#677231) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Guessed FWIW In the UK cats are legally wild animals and as such the owners are not legally responsible for their shitty antics. Dogs, on the other hand, as pack animals are trainable and obey the pack leader. They can also be more danger so their owners are responsible in law for anything a dog does. I was told that the RSPCA were asked by an irate garden owner what was considered humane. He was told "water" so he rigged up an automatic sprinkler system (water pressure unspecified) and apparently there was much fun to be had when a new cat triggered the jets and turned summersaults as they triggered the adjacent one, and the nest one, and the next....... His garden was, by and large, cat free. |
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27 Mar 02 - 05:30 AM (#677232) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Menita I've just very quickly come into this thread and haven't time to read all the comments but have you tried a water pistol (please forgive if someone has already suggested it) It's great fun and harmless!!! |
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27 Mar 02 - 01:47 PM (#677502) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Cat deterrent? Who needs to deter cats? I've lived in places with gardens and have never found cats to be any problem at all. Dogs are a problem! Cats have the decency to bury their droppings in soil, thus providing some handy fertilizer. This is a problem? Not for me. Dogs drop it everywhere and anywhere in plain sight. That's a problem. Dogs are far more dangerous and destructive (some of them). Dogs are noisier (aside from the odd cat fight at night). Dogs are pestier. Man, I could go on forever. I have never complained about neighboring cats, and I think that people who do have WAY too much time on their hands...! Now that I've pissed off the cat-haters and dog lovers, I will go and lie in a nice sunbeam and regard you all with the bored ennui and lofty disdain typical of a sophisticated feline, nature's fairest creature. :-) Oh, and if you really want to keep cats irrevocably off your property...pave it over with asphalt, spread noxious chemicals around, and saturate it with radioactive material. Either that, or spread pig manure everywhere. Cats are smart and have good taste. They will not go near the place. The pig manure method, however, will attract every dog for miles around... - LH |
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27 Mar 02 - 02:01 PM (#677511) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Mac Tattie Far better than a water pistol....a wsed washing up liquid bottle. Fill with plain water and have a bit of target practice, you should mannage two possibly three powerfull long range squirts. A couple of direct hits (especialy if they are running away from you )should see off most cats. Is this unfair to cats? I would far rather have no cats and be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of birds in and arround my garden. cheers. |
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27 Mar 02 - 02:08 PM (#677523) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Well, of course, the shocked and aghast look on the cat's face makes the water pistol method almost irresistible, I suppose! :-) - LH |
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28 Mar 02 - 08:48 AM (#678036) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Fibula Mattock Backing up what Nigel said about lion shit: BBC News online. I like Morticia's gin-and-tonic solution though. Besides, after a few gin-and-tonics cat shit just won't matter anymore - a win-win situation! |
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28 Mar 02 - 09:09 AM (#678049) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Les from Hull Better than lemon peel is lemon essential oil. Cats hate that smell. |
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28 Mar 02 - 09:18 AM (#678060) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Terry t.kingston@post.com Thanks for all your thoughts, people. I think I'll take a 'belt and braces' approach and try a few methods concurrently. Thanks again Terry |
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28 Mar 02 - 10:09 AM (#678100) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: lady penelope I like the high pressure sprinkler answer, I nearly wet myself with the images of a soggy feline flipping through the air. I don't know that I'd blame cats for a lack of birds in your area though. There seem to tons of cats up my street and no shortage of birds ( it's bloody loud round here at dawn! ). The recent study into the London sparrow have shown that pollution killing off the myriad bugs sparrows feed on and people cutting down privet hedges etc. and replacing them with fences ( removing the cover that sparrows nest / hide in ) have done far more to curtail the sparrow population than any moggy. Carion birds ( crows and magpies especially ) will also tend to drive off smaller birds by mobbing them and knicking their eggs etc. My cats seem far more interested in frogs and moths, so much so, they keep bringing them in to show me! Yech!
The mighty hunter ( From Morty's list of cat haiku she sent me, from whence she got them I don't know ) TTFN M'Lady P.
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28 Mar 02 - 03:32 PM (#678404) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Yes, cats catch the occasional bird, but man destroys them by the millions, in pursuit of some worthless thing he invented called "money", which cats are completely uninterested in. We need a "people deterrent", not a cat deterrent. - LH |
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28 Mar 02 - 05:04 PM (#678473) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Penny S. I had the problem once. I noticed that the local cats picked out my recently dug seed-bed for their deposits, so I dug an area away from the veg - this in a large shared garden which no-one else was gardening, and out of the way, and then put cut nettles over the veggies. These were a particularly ferocious type which had flourished where a neighbour had fertilised their patch with the treated sludge from the local sewage works. I expected to have to keep replacing the nettles with fresh, but the cats changed their habits fairly quickly, and I only needed to do it once. Penny |
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29 Mar 02 - 12:26 AM (#678765) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: E.T. Cats used to use the house plants instead of the litter box - so we used a plant mister on "stream" and also HISSED dissaprovingly (SSST)! They got the idea with the verbal addition a lot faster. I had read using sycamore balls to mulch works but that won't do unless you have a tree. So what about trying the other repellent - oyster grit. Iit's used for slugs because it's sharp and unpleasant to crawl/walk on. Should work for cats too. You're smart enough to use a knee-pad or shoes. Luck! E. |
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29 Mar 02 - 06:39 PM (#679097) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST moth balls |
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29 Mar 02 - 07:20 PM (#679123) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Gareth Mmmm! Moth Balls - is that why Moths fly with their legs so far apart ? But try This a a cat (moggy) deterent ! Gareth |
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29 Mar 02 - 08:07 PM (#679145) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Yes! Cats detest moth balls. I had a crazy girlfriend once who put them all over the carpets "to kill fleas". I don't know what the fleas thought, but the 2 cats we had didn't come in the house until at least a week after the moth balls were gone. They were horrified. - LH |
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30 Mar 02 - 07:29 PM (#679769) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST skunks also detest moth balls |
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31 Mar 02 - 10:33 AM (#680125) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Geoff the Duck I have been in need of a solution to cat crap on out back lawn. Noxious substances are not an option, as I wish to have the lawn available as a play area for the two year old twins. I like the idea of fox urine, but how do I persuade a fox to come round to the house and piss in a bottle? :~) I might try Les's suggestion of lemon essential oil, or the lavender. Morticia's gin and tonic sounds like a nice idea to improve the day's child minding! Quack GtD. |
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31 Mar 02 - 01:52 PM (#680226) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Adopt a great horned owl, Geoff, and roost him in the back yard. He will eat the cats. Guaranteed. - LH |
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31 Mar 02 - 02:27 PM (#680245) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Geoff the Duck LH - What about the twins????? |
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01 Apr 02 - 06:47 AM (#680624) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Menita I heard on the radio that fruit tree grease is a good deterrant-smear it all over the top of your garden fence I think, they don't like it. |
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01 Apr 02 - 10:23 AM (#680679) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: jimlad I don't know about fruit tree grease,but my late Uncle Joe got hold of some caustic gel used in the textile business.He smeared it along the top of his 2 metre fence.We were legless with laughter as a cat came into view.The bugger started lifting its paws in sequence going faster and faster until it had 4 paws in the air at one time .It disappeared from sight at this point. Uncle Joe called it "cat-on-the-moon". |
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05 Apr 02 - 07:36 PM (#684108) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: ciarili That's actually pretty damn mean. Plus, when the cat goes to clean hiw feet, he's eating it. I'd like to know how you'd feel if you lost a kitty to poison. A much better alternative would be something uncomfortable but non-toxic, like tobasco sauce. ciarili |
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05 Apr 02 - 08:23 PM (#684159) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Geoff - Oh. The two-year-olds... Ummm... Okay, that might be a problem. How about this: you put in a very extensive outer perimeter minefield with small anti-cat mines planted an inch below ground level at 4 inch intervals, surrounded by a wide, deep moat stocked with piranhas at the perimeter itself. A barbed wire inner barrier can then suffice to keep the kids clear of the minefield and the moat. You can exit this protected property through an underground tunnel, with a room containing several pitbulls to prevent cat penetration of the property via said tunnel. Much lovely gardening can be done within the barbed wire enclosed area nearer to the house. That should do it very nicely! My consulting fee is on the way. - LH |
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05 Apr 02 - 10:49 PM (#684245) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Dani Thanks for the good humour in this thread. I've been struggling with a neighbor and cat problem. I DEARLY love this neighbor's children, who collect stray cats, feed them, put flea collars on them, and call them pets. Where do they eat/shit/menace small creatures?? In MY yard!! I've asked them to at least put bells on them, but they seem unwilling. I'm ready to trap 'em and get rid of them. Why on earth do people think such an animal is a pet, if it wanders around living a wild life and interfering with the happiness of non-cat owners, responsible pet owners, song birds, field mice and other creatures?!?! Gosh, thanks. I don't usually indulge in non-musical threads, but that felt good. Dani |
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05 Apr 02 - 11:17 PM (#684268) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Well, actually, cats are more in the nature of friends than of pets, if you ask me, and I don't bell my friends or restrict their movements. Cats are free spirits. Likewise, the birds in your yard and the squirrels in your trees are happier moving about freely, than they would be ensconced safely inside a cage. They also drop their droppings wherever they please, and are equally charming in themselves, behaving as free creatures, same as the cats do. That's life. Live with it, I say, and enjoy it. - LH |
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05 Apr 02 - 11:41 PM (#684283) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: E.T. One thing no one has noted is that cat feces are a possible source of (do I get this right) toxic plasmosis which IS transmissable from cat to human. It is nasty stuff and especially not-good to those pregnant gardeners. Another reason they tell you not to compost pet waste. No it's not carried by every cat but the few carriers don't exactly post warning signs either. Have to say they haven't bothered my garden much. The red-tail hawk that drops in occasionally and the neighbor's dog probably do as much as anything. For population control - one neighborhood block club decided to help solve the problem - they took in strays from the street, fed them and took them to the vet to be neutered (did fundraisers and got the vet to donate some time) - then notched an ear of the ones neutered so they could tell if caught again. Worked pretty well, they said. |
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06 Apr 02 - 01:05 AM (#684319) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST piss on the soil , the cats and dogs also will leave it alone. It is good for the plants, especially, if you have been taking Bvitamins |
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06 Apr 02 - 02:55 AM (#684348) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: treewind My father told me of a friend of his who had this problem and solved it with Nitrogen Tri-iodide. You make it by putting ammonia on iodine and letting the liqid evaporate. When it's wet, it's harmless. When it's dry, it'll explode if a fly walks on it. So here's how you use it: make up some in a watering can, sprinkle all over the garden when you're expecting dry weather. When it dries, your feline vistors will be welcomed with lots of tiny sharp crackling noises under their paws. They never came back! Anahata |
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06 Apr 02 - 12:34 PM (#684540) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Hey! My father knew a student who made a bunch of that stuff in university. He impregnated it into paper, then scattered little bits of the paper all over the halls, and it would make little tiny explosions when stepped on, startling people. He also used it to assassinate flies. He must have had a rather sick sense of humour. It should work superbly on routing both cats and dogs, but not do them any real harm. When animals run into something inexplicable like that, they always make sure to stay completely away from the area afterward. - LH |
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07 Apr 02 - 06:44 AM (#684890) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST Please print the full instructions for the crackle pop stuff. |
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07 Apr 02 - 01:39 PM (#685005) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST What many of you are suggesting are CRIMES against the pets which others own.
Even if they are ferral you cannot treat animals that way.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will vigorously prosecute cases which are confirmed. |
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07 Apr 02 - 03:00 PM (#685042) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: katlaughing No one has said how well a soda pop can with 2-3 pennies in it, and the opening taped over, will work, when rattled at them or thrown just to the back of their hind legs. It is recommended as a training aid for dogs and cats in a book by a woman vet, called The Invisible Leash. I use that and a squirt bottle to break up fights among my cats and to keep them off things in the house. There are several fecning systems designed to keep cats in or out. One could probably cobble together their own version, less expensively. Here are a couple of examples: A couple's do-it-yourself with pix, scroll down; and, Do-it-yourself cat fence by Alley Cat Allies
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07 Apr 02 - 03:30 PM (#685054) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: JeZeBeL A DOG? A SHOTGUN??? well, it was just a suggestion!! Jez ;) |
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08 Apr 02 - 06:32 AM (#685372) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST Dig a nice soft place in a warm corner of the garden. Clean it daily and the cats will prefer it over your vegitable. There is room on the earth for all. Just keep YOUR own little ones out of the cat place. |
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08 Apr 02 - 07:53 AM (#685393) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Catherine Jayne I'm sorry for my comment, me and catsPHiddle have 3 cats but they are indoor cats unless i take peanut for a walk on her lead!! It was only a joke about the gun or dog. I like guest suggestion....an outdoor cat litter tray....good idea JeZeBeL on cats cookie |
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08 Apr 02 - 01:22 PM (#685544) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Grab LH, they may be your friends, but many of us can't stand them bcos of the mess they make of our property. It's OK for your neighbours to invite friends round and have a party in their back garden, but it's not OK for them to come round and puke in your garden, no matter how free-spirited they are! Re Guest, if they're a pet then they're owned by someone, and that owner is fully responsible for every action that pet takes. Which means someone in my area owes me money for the time I spend cleaning up cat shit, and for the damage caused by digging up plants. They want to argue over the way I treat their pet when it trespasses on my propery, bring it on... Graham. |
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08 Apr 02 - 02:44 PM (#685600) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Dani Amen, brother. Can't we all just get along? Dani |
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11 Apr 02 - 02:15 AM (#687666) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST My Prayer For You Dear Friend is to Find beauty in all you see - you can't change cats - accept and live a happier - more fulfilled life - for you and the felines. |
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11 Apr 02 - 12:59 PM (#687974) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk One GUEST said that many of the things recommended here are CRIMES against the cats in question. Damn right! Specially the minefield and the moat full of piranhas that I recommended... It's all really quite upsetting, and it's incredible to me that people would actually be cooking up nasty schemes to drive off cats. Few things add the grace and beauty to a garden that a cat does...stepping lightly among the flowers, cleaning her fur whilst lying in a sunbeam, etc. Cats are cool. A garden can always be improved markedly by the presence of a cat. Admittedly, there are some cats who are slovenly or troublesome in nature, but they are in a minority, I find. Most cats are attractive and entertaining. Do cats restrict your movements? No. I say do them a similar courtesy, and don't restrict theirs. - LH |
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12 Apr 02 - 08:38 AM (#688448) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Geoff the Duck The problem in My garden is not so much restricting their movements as restricting their MOTIONS......... Thoughts please! GtD. |
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12 Apr 02 - 09:26 AM (#688467) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Grab Yes, cats do restrict my movements, by having to avoid their shit in the garden, or cleaning my shoes when I fail to notice a turd on the lawn. Few things add the grace and style to a garden that flowers and songbirds do. Unfortunately cats are inclined to destroy both. To quote Terry Pratchett, "If cats looked like frogs, we'd see them for the evil little buggers they are"... Graham. |
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12 Apr 02 - 09:58 AM (#688488) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: Little Hawk Oh! The blatant prejudice and hate propaganda we must endure in this vile thread! Now frogs are being insulted. You imply that frogs are ugly. This is simply not so. Frogs have beautiful eyes, amazing iridescent skin colors, delicate little toes ending in round suction cups...frogs are marvelous looking creatures. I once worked with a Polish woman, who was really a very nice and likeable person in most respects and a good worker...but...I discovered over some period of time that she seemed to hate virtually ALL animals and consider them disgusting! She always had a load of good logical reasons for feeling that way. I believe she would have been happiest in a world which contained nothing but human beings and manufactured goods. She seriously hated frogs. I found this out when she reacted to a stuffed Kermit the Frog doll... This is what happens to some people when they grow up in cities and know little or nothing about nature. I think it's a mild form of insanity. - LH |
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12 Apr 02 - 02:08 PM (#688679) Subject: RE: BS: Garden cat deterrent From: GUEST,Nicole C. (where IS my cookie?) Personally, I think the kitty litter box outside in your garden would be a great idea, too. Since my past gardens have always had problems with rodents and bugs, I would have been delighted to have some feline garden patrol. And if they hunt and eat there, they won't poop there. Cats are extremely intelligent creatures, and they aren't gonna fall for the pennies in a can or the squirt gun trick. They'll just learn to avoid YOU and go on about doing what they want to. I love dogs, but they are dumb enough to fall for that trick every time. The cayenne pepper and associated suggestions are extremely cruel, since cats have no way of getting rid of the burning sensation, they aren't adapted to handling hot foods like us, and water will only make it worse. I understand your frustrations though, as my kitty LOVES plants. There's a concoction available here called Bitter Apple, which is a foul tasting, foul smelling spray. I finally tried it out of desperation. (Last time I bought a bottle for a chewing dog, my dog ate the bottle.) It worked like a charm. Kitty took one smell and won't go anywhere near my plants, although I do catch her staring fondly at my giant palm from time to time. I don't even spray the plants anymore (it washes off with water.) If you spray your garden perimeter, maybe they'll stay out? |
