those darn cats

any idea how to keep kittens out of my big planters? they decided it's a litter box. yes,i've got mothballs in there and squirt them w/ a water bottle but they still get in when i'm not around

Hi Gypsysagod, the only foolproof way I know to keep cats and the like out of your earth/pots etc, is to lay chicken wire over the soil and let the plants grow through this, the cats, squirells etc, cant scrape at the ground as they get sore or fright with the wire, I know you can buy sprays, throw pepper and heard orange peel was good too, but when it rains or you water, you have to do it all again, My good old Dad swore by an old peice of plastic (GREEN) hosepipe zigzaged around the pots and the cats thought it was a snake, you have to move it from day to day or the cats end up playing with it. Hope some of this might point you in the right direction, good luck. WeeNel.

So you're finding out just how much you adore those kitties, huh? LOL Been there, done that!

What worked for my kitties was a product called "OUT" and I was only able to find it at K-Mart. It's safe to use on and around plants. I would soak a paper towel w/ it and lay it over the soil and the cats hated the smell of it, but it smelled like nice fresh oranges to me. (Maybe it would just be cheaper to try orange peels first?)

Knowing my kitties as I did I also put fresh soil in the pot because I knew that once they had gone somewhere they'd go there again...the little baddies that they were!

Also, depending on the size of your kittens you may want to be very careful using chicken wire. The kitties may have a tendency to get caught up in it or hurt themselves on sharp edges. You would know best, I'm sure, by how rambunctious they are! Sedate furballs or flying trapeze artists?????

There's also a product you can buy called Cat Scat, which is a little mat with some spikes on it (the spikes are flexible plastic so don't worry they won't hurt the cat, just annoy it so it won't want to walk on them)
http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/ViewSimpleSearch2-Start;pgid=.B0vopt000000000000000000000HJCYBUAo;sid=vruBAVFh9eK0ARcDknygA1FrufRlnwYRIXg=

Hey, ecrane, those are really cool! Never seen them before. I think I'm going to get some (eventually). My Sheltie has a bad habit of nibbling on and sleeping in my Daylilies...of course I've had the bad habit of letting him because when he's doing that he's not doing something worse!

Shelties are so cute, I bet he looks adorable sleeping in the daylilies! I have a Sheltie too and he's pretty good about the garden, he knows he's supposed to stay out of it and he doesn't chew on the plants or anything, but if I'm out in the middle of the garden bed planting or weeding then he thinks it's OK to come in the garden (since I'm there), and he'll lie down in the dirt and roll over on his back for a tummy rub, of course getting all sorts of weed and dirt in his fur in the process!

Were all nuts!!! can you imagine if that were our kids or some visitors layng on out plants, we'de be screeming blue murder, but give us a lovely cute fluffy pet, and were turned to mush, we used to have Chow chow's, (look like lions) and the one that had the most health probs, would follow me into the garden and not only was he happy laying on my beds beside me, he would actualy lay on my feet, and I had to nudge him when I had to move further up the border, he was almost blind, so I made the excuse that I was his eyes and ears, yeh right, he could find his food bowl no prob's, I never saw any injuries on my cat useing chicken wire as you hve to tuck the ends in, it sinks/moves when they walk on it so they dont go back there , they wont walk on unsafe earth, well always an exception Eh. Grow catmint, as they love it and it is a medicine to them, they will leave your other plants alone, well thats the plan anyway. good luck, WeeNel.

I used to have that problem and solved it by putting pine cones in the pot. Guess they didn't like stepping on the pointy things.

ya my cat shadow is the most cuts fluffy cat you will ever find. but she think that my flower bed is her sleeping bed! we have like 32 acres of land and thats the only place she will lay. lol

WeeNel, you are right about anyone else even coming close to stepping on our plants. I'd try the pinecones for my Sheltie but he'd just eat them and get them all stuck in his fur! Chows and Shelties must have some of the worst fur for being in the garden though...everything sticks to them like it's glued on! We have a Lab/Chow mix too. Garden all day and brush the dogs all night, lol.

thanx. btw it's not "chicken wire" anymore.. it's now called poultry netting (@ tsc).. go figure........

I have 6 cats and they sometimes want in my houseplant pots . I use orange peels ,lemon would probably work too. They are cheep and cats don't like the smell. I also always put a lemon slice in my ice water to keep it ''cat tongue free''.

WeeNel & Heathrjoy
I've got 4 Chows with varying degrees of gardening skill! LOL All 4 LOVE to supervise -- just to make sure 'mommy' is doing everything correctly. My one girl actually likes to help. I was pulling out a particularly nasty patch of weeds and when I looked over at her she had a big 'ol stalk in her mouth and was trying to yank it out of the ground! Wish I'd had my camera that day!! Can't get the furballs to come when called, fetch a ball or just about anything else -- would have liked proof of them doing something useful ;)

Hi chatnoir, your so right about these chows, they will never do a darn thing they are asked, with the exception of eating, sleeping and general watching the world go by from a distance, our mail man seemed to think he could train my chows to fetch, he threw sticks every morning for years, the dogs stood up imediately, looked at the stick and then lay down again, this mail man never did get the message, "he threw the darn stick so he should go get it himself" I had one that was black, he was a real beauty, our other two were red, I live overlooking the ocean and the red bitch just loved the water,(only up to her tummy mind you) sometimes she would take a wander and in for a paddle, the black one would come into the house and talk to us, we had to follow him outside, and he would lead us to where the bitch was in the water, would she come when called, no way, you had to get shoes off and go in and bring her back, they were called Bonnie and Clyde, the blind baby was called Rambo as he had to fight for survival when born so I guess he deserved to be loved and cared for. but they are such loyal, trusting companions, very rarely bark and such great tempraments, a darn pest when gardening though, and so nosey. happy days. WeeNel.