topic Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden in Garden

How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

jaxs mom — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:10:35 GMT

He's using it as a litter box. I like him, he's cute and everything but I don't want him using my vegetable garden as his litter box. My chihuahua did corner him the other day LOL but I'm not going to leave her outside all the time on guard duty.

ETA our garden is fenced, he just jumps over of course.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

voyager1980 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:15:43 GMT

jax mom I don't know a solution but if you don't mind a suggestion why not also start a thread in Pet Lovers? I bet you'll get great tips here & there too. Sounds like you have a great guard dog-- I love chihuahuas (:

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Kachina624 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:20:43 GMT

Roaming cats are one of my pet peeves. They do as much or more damage than dogs. Pooping in flower beds, yowling at night, walking all over cars and I had one that broke an expensive fountain trying to get a drink from it. I'd start by talking to it's owner; if that doesn't work I'd trap it (our animal control loans traps) and take it to AC.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

grandkidsrgreat — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:27:44 GMT

Kachina624 I don't have any outside cats but I am still very thankful you are not my neighbor. It is not the cat's fault. He is doing what cats do. Every bit of the blame here goes directly to the owners. Please don't punish the poor, defenseless animal. It must be very frustrating for the gardener but have a heart and please don't hurt the cat.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Buck-i-Nana — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:30:15 GMT

Cats generally won't poop where they cannot scratch or dig. You can pick up some cheap chickenwire and peg it down flat to the ground between the plants.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

voyager1980 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:31:30 GMT

On 6/20/2014 grandkidsrgreat said: Kachina624 I don't have any outside cats but I am still very thankful you are not my neighbor. It is not the cat's fault. He is doing what cats do. Every bit of the blame here goes directly to the owners. Please don't punish the poor, defenseless animal. It must be very frustrating for the gardener but have a heart and please don't hurt the cat.

Very nice post GKG.This is why I thought a thread in Pet Lovers would be good too (:

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Scooby Doo — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:45:05 GMT

On 6/20/2014 kachina624 said: Roaming cats are one of my pet peeves. They do as much or more damage than dogs. Pooping in flower beds, yowling at night, walking all over cars and I had one that broke an expensive fountain trying to get a drink from it. I'd start by talking to it's owner; if that doesn't work I'd trap it (our animal control loans traps) and take it to AC.

Totally agree. We have a colony of feral cats in the neighborhood. Once they choose your yard it's nearly impossible to keep them out. They have cost me a bundle of money and work this year to repair the damage. Over the winter they completely destroyed the dirt in my flower beds. I had to shovel out about a foot depth throughout the beds and throw away the dirt. Then buy more to replace it before I could plant again. I've tried all the deterents people say keeps them out, but none of them worked. I did citrus peels, moth balls, coffee grounds, etc. The only thing that worked was to roll out chicken wire.

I would talk to the owners first. They need to know that there's a problem so they can control their pet. If that doesn't work I'd trap the cat and either take it to the owners in the trap and let them see it if they need proof, or take it to animal control. It usually costs money to get the animal back and that may be all the neighbors need.

The ten plus ferals around here have tried my patience. The dirt is just one issue. I'm in the process of replacing all my basement window screens because they sharpen their claws on them. Fix the problem before it gets worse.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Sister Golden Hair — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:49:18 GMT

If you have a smaller garden, you can put down weed-proof plastic with decorative rocks on top between the rows. My brother-in-law uses mulch in his flower beds to keep the animals from digging.

Buck-i-Nana has a great idea too.

I have also read that you can use egg shells because cats don't like to walk on anything rough.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

ToastyToes — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:53:16 GMT

I was watching this video from the small town gardener and he placed popsicle sticks in to keep his new kitten out of the garden bed. He claims they work.

In his youtube video for how to plant cilantro from seed, you can see him putting in the sticks with his kitten hanging around at around minute 2:07.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh5bGcYyfp4

For larger areas you might try making a portable netted hoop to fit the area. Here is a video on how to make one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWdVEmbqDQs

Wikihow also has some other good tips.

http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Cats-Out-of-a-Garden

Happy Gardening and please don't hurt the kitty.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Lorik62 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:56:42 GMT

I use a granular product called Critter Ridder in my garden to keep the neighbors cat from using it as a litter box. It is an organic product so it won't harm your vegetables. I got mine at Home Depot but any garden center should carry it.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Kachina624 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 02:01:38 GMT

Sorry folks but I don't expect my neighbors to put up with inconvenience from my three dogs and I wouldn't put up with a roaming cat. When the owner has to pay a fine to get it out of AC, maybe they'll keep it inside the way our local ordinances say they are supposed to do. Our leash laws cover both dogs and cats. They're breaking the law, I'm not.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

jaxs mom — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 02:10:45 GMT

On 6/20/2014 kachina624 said: Roaming cats are one of my pet peeves. They do as much or more damage than dogs. Pooping in flower beds, yowling at night, walking all over cars and I had one that broke an expensive fountain trying to get a drink from it. I'd start by talking to it's owner; if that doesn't work I'd trap it (our animal control loans traps) and take it to AC.

I'm certainly not taking him to AC. Here, if an animal isn't claimed in 3 days they are put down. I won't do that to this poor kitty. He does have tag, but I haven't gotten close enough to be able to read it, and I'm not sure exactly which house is his.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

jaxs mom — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 02:13:00 GMT

On 6/20/2014 kachina624 said: Sorry folks but I don't expect my neighbors to put up with inconvenience from my three dogs and I wouldn't put up with a roaming cat. When the owner has to pay a fine to get it out of AC, maybe they'll keep it inside the way our local ordinances say they are supposed to do. Our leash laws cover both dogs and cats. They're breaking the law, I'm not.

Enough already. This isn't an acceptable solution to me and please don't turn my thread into a debate about outdoor cats. I'm looking for practical ways to keep him out without risking his life.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

jaxs mom — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 02:15:40 GMT

On 6/20/2014 Lori K said: I use a granular product called Critter Ridder in my garden to keep the neighbors cat from using it as a litter box. It is an organic product so it won't harm your vegetables. I got mine at Home Depot but any garden center should carry it.

Thanks, I'll look for it!

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

goodstuff — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 03:56:41 GMT

On 6/20/2014 kachina624 said: Sorry folks but I don't expect my neighbors to put up with inconvenience from my three dogs and I wouldn't put up with a roaming cat. When the owner has to pay a fine to get it out of AC, maybe they'll keep it inside the way our local ordinances say they are supposed to do. Our leash laws cover both dogs and cats. They're breaking the law, I'm not.

Just for the record, in many jurisdictions (including ours) there are leash laws for dogs but none applying to cats. Cats can be picked up by AC if they become a serious problem (biting, attacking pets, damaging property, disturbing the peace, etc.) Otherwise, the law allows owners to let them roam. Neutered cats generally stay closer to home, are less aggressive, and less likely to get into fights with other cats. Digging in gardens? I don't know......... Ours usually dig in the pine straw in our wooded back yard.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Helping — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 04:07:37 GMT

On 6/20/2014 jaxs mom said:
On 6/20/2014 kachina624 said: Roaming cats are one of my pet peeves. They do as much or more damage than dogs. Pooping in flower beds, yowling at night, walking all over cars and I had one that broke an expensive fountain trying to get a drink from it. I'd start by talking to it's owner; if that doesn't work I'd trap it (our animal control loans traps) and take it to AC.

I'm certainly not taking him to AC. Here, if an animal isn't claimed in 3 days they are put down. I won't do that to this poor kitty. He does have tag, but I haven't gotten close enough to be able to read it, and I'm not sure exactly which house is his.

Good for you, jax's mom! Kachina seems to be pretty hard core.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Katmary — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 13:55:01 GMT

My neighbor feeds the ferals in the neighborhood, then they come over to my yard and go to the bathroom. It IS frustrating, no matter how much of an animal lover I am! We're up to at least 10 ferals now, it breaks my heart! I don't have a garden this year due to water restrictions, but the side of my house has a nice dirt bed that they love, along with the grass.

I HAVE seen on Cats from H double LL where an empty bed outside the house that's being used as a litter box for ferals (making the indoor cat go to the bathroom on the walls on that side of the house to mark his property) has been filled with rocks and that has deterred cats from using it as a litter box. They weren't pebble rocks, but not real big either, around the size in the center of a rock "river" bed. Let us know if you find something that works and best of luck!

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

Campion — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 14:08:18 GMT

Yes, had this problem with a neighbor's cat and other strays. My cat stays in but gets scared by cats coming up to the porch and garden.

This cat deterrent motion detector scared them off. Wish I'd found it sooner--my cat destroyed the entryway carpet being upset by the intruders.

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

stevieb — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 14:16:59 GMT

On 6/20/2014 kachina624 said: Roaming cats are one of my pet peeves. They do as much or more damage than dogs. Pooping in flower beds, yowling at night, walking all over cars and I had one that broke an expensive fountain trying to get a drink from it. I'd start by talking to it's owner; if that doesn't work I'd trap it (our animal control loans traps) and take it to AC.

The things you mention are minor annoyances not major life events.

Sorry folks... but people who lack compassion for animals, trap cats and take them to animal control are one of my pet peeves...

Re: How to keep neighbor cat out of my veggie garden

151949 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 14:27:40 GMT

We have feral cats here at our campground. The owner of the campground does not allow feeding them and they do keep the mice population down but they are a problem all on their own. We use a product from home depot and sprinkle around our house to keep them away.