Cat Box Patio Space

Greetings!

I have a screened-in back patio, which has an 'atrium' of sorts (the patio is covered, but the 'atrium' is not - just screened in). The patio is home to two patio cats and a turtle pond (kiddy pool).

Problem is, is that the 'atrium' part is full of weeds, which the cats use as a litter box (despite fact that we provide two litter boxes out there). It's a southern/eastern exposure, so when the sun comes up or we get an even halfway-decent rain, the smell is nauseating!

What I'd like to know is:

A) Can it be rehabilitated, and how?

B) If I rehab the area, what should I plant there, as veggies out of question unless they're in containers and self-pollinating, and I would think flowers would be useless, as the pollinators that would be attracted to them couldn't get at them to pollinate.

I need to know how to do it properly, but I also need to do it cheaply.

thank you very much in advance.

I have cats too, so I think I have a few tips. First, yes, the area can be rehabilitated. Clean it out. To be safe, I'd remove the top 2-3 inches of soil, just in case there are parasites/eggs in it. Bag it and put it in the trash. You don't say how big the area is, but if it's not too big, my next step would be to lay in 2-3 inches of round pebbles...the kinds used in landscaping. If they are smooth and about 1 inch in diameter or bigger, the cats won't be able to dig at them. (You can buy bags of them at Lowe's or Home Depot). I'd go with potted plants...foliage plants like palms and ferns in big pots. Most houseplants have lower light requirements and will do well in an atrium. (CHeck out the plantings at local malls, etc.) You'll need to ask your vet about what plants are safe for cats; some can be poisonous. Don't allow any exposed dirt in the pots. Either cover the dirt with more pebbles, or use some crunched up chicken wire/wire netting laid directly over the exposed dirt in the pots. If the pots are set directly on the pebbles, you won't have a drainage problem, and you can keep the humidity higher around the plants by watering everything together. No muddy splashes either.

I don't think I'd try to plant anything directly into the atrium's soil. With potted plants, you can get a better variation in height and shape, etc. PLUS, your kitties will love being able to squeeze in between the pots and have hiding places.

Whatever you decide, make sure to check with your vet about poisonous plants. And be careful of any chemicals you might use on your plants too.

Good luck!

LOL! We had removed a lot of white river rock pebbles when we moved in 12 years ago. looks like we're going to be adding some more....

the area is roughly 16' x 10', but is irregularly shaped.

I think you're on to something with the potted plants and variation in height - perhaps that'll keep the cats from climbing on (and tearing up) my screens....

thanks.

We have a cat that actually found us, we advertised we had someones kitten and several people called but we had the wrong colour, wrong sex, wrong type of kitten or whatever, so we had to teach the kitten to use a litter tray (we have foxes etc here and they would love a kitten supper) anyway we were told to add toilet used soil (a little) and place it in the filled litter tray so the cat could smell it, she has used this ever since, she is now 14 years old, loves outdoors (in good weather) but comes inside to use the litter tray, so I guess it did work but too well some would say. actually it's good she uses it in a way because IF she's left indoors all day then we wont come home to a mess.
Hope this gives you ideas. WeeNel.

sofla,
Tearing up screens!!! De claw? I do not have pets right now because of allergies but used to when the children were little.Our daughter has 3 indoor cats and they are constantly going into her potted plants. one sleeps in one of the big pots although has heavy paper covering the dirt.

Somehow the urine smell stays forever. There is a natural mix for cats urine to spray for accidents on the floor or rugs. I would get rid of the smell first.


Belle

I would love to declaw those two cats, but my husband, who is the cat person among us is adamantly against it.

working on the smell.

I'm wondering instead of a round pebble mulch in the atrium part of the patio, if I could put in a heavy chunky wooden mulch with those things to deter digging....

DON'T DECLAW! This is the most painful, most inhumane operation that a vet can perform. It is illegal in most parts of the world. If you have cats, you need to provide them with something to scratch... this isn't a "bad habit" in cats. It is essential to them. The cat's claw has a "sheath" on it that has to be worn off by the cat scratching and pulling on things with its claws.

Maybe you could incorporate a big piece of driftwood into the planting scheme, to give them something to climb on and scratch at. Remember, cats are happiest when they can get UP HIGH. So provide them with ladders or shelves and they'll let those screens alone. This is the single biggest thing you can do to keep your cats happy...give them a high place to rest in.

I wouldn't use wood mulch. The cats will definitely be able to dig in it. You have to choose something they find uncomfortable to dig in. Instead of the bright white pebbles that you removed (I agree, I don't like those either), what about dark colored pebbles? They'd look better under potted plants too. Nothing is going to stop the cats from digging there except by making the place "undiggable." Those repellant/deterrent things don't work very well.
I'd even go so far as putting down the pebbles, then laying a piece of "chicken wire" over the entire area, before you put in the pots. The wire will rust a bit over time and become invisible. I use this method all over my gardens to keep out both cats and chickens.

If the area you're talking about smells after you dig out and discard the top layer of dirt, water it well and repeatedly with water mixed with a little vinegar (about 1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water) that may neutralize the smell. The normal soil microbes will do the rest.

I'll see if I can find something for the cats to climb, but it's primarily one cat (the smallest of the cats - a female) who climbs the screens, and nine times out of ten, she's chasing a lizard or insect on the other side of the screen.

now if i can just get convince my husband to get rid of the nine turtles in the kiddy pool..... :)

I totally agree that to de-claw a cat is a disgrace, why get a pet of any kind then want to change it's natural looks or habits, the claws are not there to destroy your furniture / plants etc, but for the cats defenses, why they dig their claws into the furniture or pee in your pots is because right from the start you never showed or provided them with something of there own to use as a scratcher, this they need to have healthy claws like we need to cut our own nails or file sharp bits off. as for toileting, it is unfair to the cats to live constantly where there is a strong smell of urine, all animals are taught by their mothers to go away from the den / nest etc for toilet as it causes vermin, bugs, flies etc that can bring diseases, then we take them home and don't keep up the training.
My own cat comes inside to toilet, don't like it but, she uses a litter tray half filled with wood pellets that prevent odors, we clean it out every few days, we never have a smell of pee and everyone is happy.
Chicken wire is the best defense for keeping your cat and neighbours cats out of the pots and beds, I hate digging my beds / borders to find someone else's cat has came calling and fouled the borders as I don't use gloves, so chicken wire is placed on top of soil (Plants grow through it) you can move it, cut it to shape, bend it, water through it and the cats cant dig to find a toilet spot.
I know what it's like to have a broken nail and I can only imagine how a cat must feel having all it's claws removed to suit the owner and not because the claws were damaged. thats like having a dogs teeth removed and expecting it to enjoy chewing a bone.

Hope you find a solution soon to have a happy home life. Good luck. WeeNel.

oh, I agree with the declawing of the cats - I know I'm ticked because they're scratching the screen (really, the littlest one is just chasing things and that's where she goes), but I do provide them with scratching stuff.

right now, we're working on what to do with the turtles. Hubby will not let them go into wild (they're native turtles). Some we've had since they were the size of a silver dollar, and once a raccoon got into the patio and tried to make lunch out of several of them, so some are swimming without full flippers (and one without a nose), so we are responsible for those slimy little blighters!

Since we don't have the money for a full premolded pond (usually $200+ at home depot), and hubby doesn't want to actually dig a hole and line it (the way they used to back in the day), I thought that if we get an 8' round kiddy pool and use a 24" round premolded pond I already have (looks like a big planter, to be honest), that we could make a hole in bottom of kiddie pond to accommodate the 24" round pond, dig the hole in the ground for the 24" pond, rest the kiddy pond on the surface, then line the whole thing with pond liner (after sealing the hole, of course), put a pump in it, some water, a few ordinary pond plants and big rocks that the turtles can bask under sun, and that SHOULD resolve the mosquito issue and stench that's coming from the pond.

we can always line outside with potted plants, too, to disguise the outside of the kiddy pond.

then, I'll create a space in the other half of the atrium for the cats to chillax in ......

I think it sounds like a plan! One thing I'd suggest is to join your local FreeCycle org. You might find a preformed pond liner or something you can use there too. (Just how BIG are those turtles??? *lol*) I think it's very neat that you're actually going to have a little "wildlife area" in the enclosed place, what with plants, turtles, cats, etc. Keep us posted with pics!

free cycle won't accept my request to join. i don't know if they've had some spammers or what, but no one replies to my inquiries. :(

we're probably not going to be able to do anything until after new year's, but will keep you posted.

HI I just stumbled upon this thread. Hope all the critters are doing well. Having several cats myself as well I agree will a lot of what LysmachiaMoon suggested. What about planting some nepeta (catnip) in the dirt area? There are many kinds and the cats will love you for it :)

No, not declawing. I've been periodically pouring vinegar over the dirt to dissuade the cats from digging in the dirt. I have moth balls placed all around the cement, since for a time when it was raining, they were going all over the place - even once ON my gardening table - ewww. they have left the cement alone ever since.

it's giong to be some time before we have the dough to do anything, but right now, trying to convince other half to take care of the turtle pond (which is in the same area). right now, he and I are arguing over whether or not we need that thick black rubber/vinyl stuff to line what's going to be the new pond (a deeper kiddie pool) and if we need a proper pump and water plants. can u believe my dopey husband actually just wants to put one of those ultraviolet filters in there to control the algae? the area gets 12 hours of sun a day - we need freaking plants!

Personally, I want to fill in the other side of the area, put down those big white cement pavers (24") to make a mini-patio and then build a salad table and put in some potted plants to block the screens.

That sounds like a relatively inexpensive solution...using pavers.on the ground. If you want to keep the cats happy and out of the majority of your potted plants, give them a few plants of their own. You could use containers to screen the cat boxes from everyday view...cats like privacy. They also love to climb, so maybe look for some drift wood to erect a place for them to climb and sprawl. It will also give them someplace to tend their claws rather than your screens. You can use a container to hold the base..just add rock or concrete to keep it steady and upright. Add a few branches with a "toy" for them to stalk/attack and they will be much easier to live with. Cats can become bored very easily.

Cats love grass and it is beneficial to them. Wheat grass is one suggestion

http://www.knowyourcat.info/info/catingrass.htm

Cats love catnip...and you can plant 2 or 3 pots and cycle them as the cats nibble on them to give the nibbled plant a chance to recover.

http://www.cat-world.com.au/all-about-catnip

Hi Sofla, just a thought, one of my friends kids wanted a small pond made in her garden for fish, toads etc, she is single parent and cant find the spare cash so she contacted a plumber / diy bathroom fitter and asked him for an old bath to sink into the soil, we all had a good laugh as we pictured her lazing out in the garden with bubbles, her mug of coffee and reading her morning paper.

I can tell you she sank a bath into the soil after she talked the poor plumber into permanently plugging the drain hole, anyway, she dressed around the edge of the bath with plants, bulbs and stoned, filled the bath and laid larger stones into the water along with small water plants, this is to allow escape steps for any little animal that may fall into the pond, it looks absolutely wonderful, I am so proud of her and her kids think she's the bee's knee's, they have frogs laying spawn (eggs) they in turn grow up to eat all the slugs and snails and she sits for hours watching damsel flies etc swooping over the water, now had a couple of Terrapin's that have to be re-housed into a tank indoors for winter but this is her 3rd season with her bath/pond it has grown into a natural looking wet garden that has always been there. hope you find some pleasure as my friend did and soon ha, ha, ha. Good luck, WeeNel.

The bathtub sounds like a great idea; I'll have to see if I can find one. :)

You may also want to ck with a stone yard. A truckload ( scoops) of gravel /stone may be less expensive than buying by the bag. At a big box store. Would the truck have someplace to unload the pile?