Cats...Grrrr!

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RiverRock

Guest
Does anyone have any good advice on keeping the cats out of my flower beds short of shooting them? I am getting so tired f them digging up my bulbs so they can have a hole to poop in!! My poor lillies...sniff:(

RR
 

sunflower3

Member
have you tried moth balls, or sprinkling cayenne pepper flakes around,found this on wikianswers, might just work;
Get a spray bottle and fill it with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar and spray the perimeter or around the garden and a few places within it. This is non toxic and cats cannot stand it. You may have to repeat this after a hard rain but I have 2 outside cats and they stay away from my garden. This works in flower beds as well. Don't spray it just before you plan to do any gardening though as it may run you out of the garden as well. Hopefully one of this will work for you RiverRock.
 

Annette99

New Member
chicken wire over where your'e bulbs are planted, then mulch over it to cover, the cats can't dig through it.
 
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RiverRock

Guest
Good ideas..I will try the apple cidar vinegar since i have a bunch of that. No I wont use the moth balls I cant take that chance wth somthing poinonous. Thanks for the ideas, I will use the chicken wire as a last resort if I have to but would rather do somthing a little simpler if possible.

RR
 

Jade

New Member
Yikes, I don't want you to shoot them. We have two kitties, one of them won't poop outside, she likes her kitty litter, the other one goes in the woods behind the house. Our neighbor doesn't like living next to the woods, but she doesn't want any neighbors either, hmmm...we do have animals from the woods in our yard occasionally. She is threatening to put poisen out to kill the animals. I asked her to warn me if she does this, as she will kill our cats if she puts poisoned meat out. Such a dilemma.
 
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RiverRock

Guest
I would never shoot them to hur them..but I would with an air soft bebe gun...cause i know the noise scares them and the plastic bebes dont hrt them. But I have to catch them to do that and most the time i only see whats left in my flower beds!

I am going to try the apple cidar vinegar. I have 2 kitties and i love them dearly and i have seen my own cats in my flower beds! I am an animal rescue worker I would never do anything to harm them or any other animal. BUT, I also like my flowers!!

RR
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'll bet that if your neighbor does put any poison out that there are laws against it. If you find a dead animal around with no apparent injury, you might want to notify the SPCA or fish and game department.
 

Jade

New Member
Randy,
I know it is illegal to poisen the animals. I wish that she wasn't a city person, but I don't know what I can do to change that.
We are hoping that she moves. She has trees planted on our property. Our lots are small enough, we don't want her stuff here.
Oh well, life goes on.
 

sassmuffin

New Member
try mixing a few tablespoons of ground ginger and water, and spray the plants. Or you can contact your local humane society, the should have helpful hints
 

Bernie

New Member
RR I've had the same problem for years. Feral cats dig up my crocus every year. I am not a cat person but I’d never hurt one. They are trying though. Moth balls keep them away but the smell makes me sick to my stomach so I can't garden in the area if I use that. Chili doesn't seem to bother them a bit here. I’ve never heard of using ginger or apple cider vinegar but I know vinegar can burn plants. I’ll try the ginger. I love the smell and taste of it, it will be wonderful if it works to keep cats away too.

Thanks for starting this thread very encouraging advice.
 

Blueaussi

New Member
Yikes, I don't want you to shoot them. We have two kitties, one of them won't poop outside, she likes her kitty litter, the other one goes in the woods behind the house. Our neighbor doesn't like living next to the woods, but she doesn't want any neighbors either, hmmm...we do have animals from the woods in our yard occasionally. She is threatening to put poisen out to kill the animals. I asked her to warn me if she does this, as she will kill our cats if she puts poisoned meat out. Such a dilemma.


That's appalling! Where are wild animals supposed to live? Be careful that she doesn't put out antifreeze. My neighbor wanted to put out some antifreeze to kill some rabbits that were living under his air conditioner. Someone told him that was the best way to get rid of any kind of pest. He likes my cats because they caught the rats that were in his shop, though, and I explained that the cats were more likely to drink it then the rabbits, and he agreed not to put it out. We put some of my dogs' poop around the den entrance and even in the den, and they vanished shortly thereafter.
 

DizzyDaff

New Member
Kitties

Cayenne pepper powder should do the trick, but you will have to reapply. Just remember it's there if YOU go to work that area as it is not fun to get in your eyes! :eek:

I plant ornamental HOT peppers in with my regular plants - cat's don't like the odor so they stay away and the ornamental peppers are really pretty when planted with flowers.

The chicken wire will discourage most animals from digging.
 

Mainegal

Super Moderator
Staff member
I've heard to put stems with thorns through out the garden and that will keep them away. When you trim the roses, keep the stems and place them through out the garden. Remember they are there though so you don't stick yourself with them.
 

Bernie

New Member
LOL Laurie you know I tried that and you know I got stuck more then once.

Blue antifreeze poisoning is a terrible way for animal or human to die. After a rash of people killing one another with that stuff a federal law was passed a few years ago that the manufactures must put something in it so it tastes very nasty. Apparently it tasted very good in the past. Hopefully anyone trying to use it to kill animals will be unsuccessful.

Gezz I have dog poop why didn’t I think to try that. It doesn’t smell near as bad as cat poop and pee and you wouldn’t need to keep replacing it every time it rains.
I suppose I could try the ornamental peppers as well I’d be less likely to get it on myself then the chili powder.

Okay cat’s come and get it! Ginger, dog poop and ornamental peppers OH MY. The combination should keep them away and not hurt them one bit.
 

bob

Administrator
Staff member
It's expensive, but they sell something at the pet store, I think it's called Repel. It comes in what looks like a milk carton, and it's little granules.

They're natural ingredients and they burn like mad if you get them on your hands and mistakenly rub your eyes, but they're non-toxic and won't harm your plants. I think it's made up of stuff like chili powder.

I've used it a few times and it does work. The scent keeps them away.

If you're seriously ready to shoot them, consider trapping them in a humane trap instead, sometimes the local humane society will have pet safe traps you can use. After all, keep in mind that it's not the animal's fault, they don't know any better.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
All great suggetions except the moth balls. I worry about (as Laurie said) the other effects they can have on wildlife. If anyone needs ideas on a cat containment fence that works with existing fence let me know. I have a proven remedy.
 

Blueaussi

New Member
I plant ornamental HOT peppers in with my regular plants - cat's don't like the odor so they stay away and the ornamental peppers are really pretty when planted with flowers.


My cats sleep under the pepper plants in my garden in the summer, so I don't think that would discourage most cats.

There is a motion detector sprinkler on the market -*google, google, google*
Ah, here it is: http://tinyurl.com/ddcj35

And at Amazon, which has some reviews. http://tinyurl.com/c95quf

You might google around and find a less expensive one, or some of you handy folks might be able to suggest how to build your own.
 

Annette99

New Member
Many years ago I got a new next door neighbor, they moved here from NYC. We laughed so hard,(behind their backs) when they complained about the birds waking them up in the morning, they decided to put a koi pond in their yard, and these wonderful frogs moved in I loved hearing them, they were not happy with the frob hurumps either. It was pretty funny.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
That is funny. We had a retired school teacher from Portland down the road from us that didn't care for the country sounds either and would complain. They don't live there any more though. I doubt I will ever get enough of those wonderful sounds.
 


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