Cats in flowers

Does anyone know of a fool-proof
detterrant for cats in flower beds?

Thanks,

Taramark

Keep cats inside!

I would LOVE to hear the answer to this question also. I've tried a granular cat repellant that didn't work. I have a neighbor who prides herself on nuetering two feral cat litters and feeds them but now I have 10 cats who think my shade garden is their personal litterbox and playground. GRRRRRRRRRR

I, too, tire of the litterbox attitude. And my intruders are the neighbors cats... I keep my soil soft enough to be attractive I guess. Don't know anything that'll help so I'll watch this thread for suggestions.

Darnit I like working the soil with my bare hands and it's yuccky.

Yuck, I wouldn't like to work in that soil either! We spray 100% lemon juice on pieces of furniture our cats take a special liking to - if you're looking for something that won't hurt the environment. But even indoors it has to be resprayed monthly, so outside it wouldn't last very long.

They have at Gardeners Supply and probably other sources the plastic spikes you can put into the garden that make it impossible for the kitties to find soil soft enough to scratch and do their dooty in...

let's see . . . get a dog that chases cats. shoot them. no, those ideas are too antisocial. i have a large neutered cat that just seems to know not to dig in my gardens. the lemon spray will work if you are diligent with reappling. i'd add to the lemon the hottest hot pepper you can find. good luck

Yes!! I forgot about that one. Hot pepper sauce works too - again, friendly to the environment, but still needs re-applying after inclement weather. Anyone into whipping up some lemon habinero sauce???

I use pieces of chicken wire, cats hate walking on it and it prevents digging. If you get the green coated kind it doesn't show as much. I've found it to be pretty effective and a roll of chicken wire is pretty cheap.

I *have8 used bread racks and such to keep them out of the seed beds, but this sounds like a kind of thng that would be a permanent part of the bed. would work tho, thanks

I get big jars of red pepper flakes at Costco and sprinkle it on, but you have to reapply every so often.

I use coarse ground black pepper....but it does have to be reapplied often

Find out where the cats are coming from and inform the owners!!! Do people realize what happens when they let their cats run around? Thankfully I don't have flower beds ruined but I pride myself on my yard being a haven for wildlife and a neighbor moved in with two cats and ever since we've been finding little dead animals around. I'm very sensitive about that, their death is pointless b/c cats kill them for fun and drop them. Wild animals would at least eat them.

I have outside cats too. I have an outside litter box for mine.

How clever of you, bluegrass. I think that is thoughtful of you too.