I've been adding coffee grounds to the soil as I clean up areas of my garden. Aside from any nutritional or textural benefits, they make my soil a more attractive colour. I was just admiring the bed I've been working on as I looked down from a second story window. I noticed how great it looked, and then I shuddered as I thought that it would certainly entice me if I was a roving cat looking for a spot to dig myself an all purpose hole!
Can anyone enlighten me on this, or must I just wait for nature to take it's course?

Coffee grounds do NOT repel cats.

Chili-peppers, ground and poured on top of the dirt, do repel cats and dogs. they sniff the area before they use it, and one snoot-ful of capsaicin usually sends them elsewhere.

Please do not use any kind of pepper to repel cats. They get it in their eyes and will gouge out their own eyeballs to try to get rid of the pain.

I just had to stop and make an observation. As I look out the window, while typing this, my cat is sleeping under a rose bush which has this morning's coffee AND coffee filter under it. He's no more than 6 inches from them. So, I don't think I'd use it as a repellent....
merj

Hi. Sadly, no, coffee grounds and filters do not repel cats. Hot, boiling coffee might work if you could get close enough to kitty but you would probably wind up hurting yourself. The only truly effective cat repellant is a rifle. Cats quickly learn to not trespass where other cats have been slain. It's instinctive. Just remember that practice makes perfect so be sure to site in that rifle and verify your target carefully before squeezing off that shot to avoid hurting any other animal that you don't intend to kill. Head shots are the most effective. Most gardeners get proficient at using a rifle after 2 weeks of practice on stationary targets. Cats are much harder to hit when running. I like to get them as they squat. Have a great week.

I love humor from the 'dark side'. Sorry cat lovers.

Best regards'

Sam

It is a misdemeanor in the state of Virginia to shoot or otherwise harm any domestic animal. You may live trap the animal and take it to the pound, or call your local animal control to do it for you. Me, I'd rather shoot nasty neighbors, but unfortunately that's against the law too.

Did you say live trap it and take it to the pond or pound? Pond sounds better. Some sawed off piece of crap dropped off an abused cat with a dead leg at my house. I payed $175.00 to have its leg removed just so it can piss on the front porch. Not to mention the fact now that hes a 3 legger he cant bury his own flop so its there for a yard ornament.Hopefully the neighbor will step in it when he trys to get his big carcass own the mower and shoot rocks all over my car.

Hi... After reading your post on the gardenweb, I just could not resist sending you this: http://www.deadendweb.com/jokes/catcarrier/index.shtml

Enjoy! OlReb

gotta check out that web site

Hanako 2, coffee grounds may not work but citrus rinds do. I always save all my lemon, orange, grapfruit (etc.) rinds, cut them up in little pieces and spread liberally. You'll enrich the soil and annoy the cats. This must be done continuosly to be effective but eventually the cat will instinctively know it's a spot to avoid.

L

I was just going to post and ask if anyone has used citrus rinds and if they work because I had heard that they do when I saw the last post stating that they do work.
I have a terrible time with stray cats. I have a neighbor who is in his 70's and thinks that it is just oh so wonderful to feed anything that happens along (which usually includes at least 5-10 stray cats). At least we have gotten him to stop putting food on our property!! We have flocks of birds, dozens of squirrels, as well as sometimes raccoons, possum, etc. My problem is with the cats!!! Don't get me wrong, I do not hate cats per say, just what they are doing to my property. I have a cat, but she stays inside.
They spray my front porch, my basement windows (and then the smell leaches into the basement), the front of my house, my kids toys, etc. etc. I cannot let my kids out in the front lawn without first looking for and removing any cat dung. I cannot let my little kids help me plant flowers because my flower beds are filled with cat dung.
By the time I call the animal control officer and they come, the cats are nowhere to be found. I live in a very small city, so the rafle it out of the question:)
As you can tell I am at my whits end. I NEED HELP!!! I am tired of smelling cat spray constantly. I cannot go out the front door or into the basement without getting a whiff of it. GROSS!!!
If anyone has any other suggestions, please post.

The hot pepper procedure as posted earlier is effective against dogs, cats, squirrels & other mammals. After using it for 10 years, I have yet to see any one eyed critters about, as also posted above. I grow my own habaneros for this as well as culinary purposes. It works pretty well.

When I have a specific place I don't want cats, I put a couple pieces of carpet tack strips down. Carpet tack strips are about an inch wide and 3 feet long with hundreds of little nails sticking through one side. I keep them in my daughter's sand box with excellent results. My girls have learned to handle the tack strips and replace them when they're finished. The tack strips can be nailed to a fence or tree or whatever.

Why not use the traditional "dog" method?

Heavy ground covers and green mulches work very well for me (the cat in question is my wife's, other cats are kept away by my chow-chow). They look for bare soil, so even clover or ajuga will be a good repellant.

Well, it's a bit drastic, but you could get a humane trap and call animal control after you've trapped each stray. Sadly, the fate of the animal will likely to get euthanized, but it's possible someone will adopt it. You might have a talk with your neighbor, describe your problems, request that he slowly cut back on the feeding, and mention that you may have to resort to humane trapping if the problem doesn't get better.

Meanwhile citrus does seem to work pretty well - cats hate the smell of citrus oil in the peels. You might also try some of the commercial repellents - but they seem to smell pretty bad themselves. I would also recommend the odor-removal products, such as "Kids and Pets". I put it in a spray bottle and dose the areas where a cat has sprayed. It combines with the urine/proteins and deactivates them, making the spot less attractive to the next cat. It helps.

We had a similar problem here - a house a block away was feeding strays. The house was known as "The Cat Factory". You could tell them because they'd all be in pretty bad shape, and mostly white fur. It was kind of sad. Either the people have moved or been talked to by animal control, as the problem seems to have gotten better. Maybe the fact that a neighbor who probably was feeding them as well has moved away is part of the reason for the improvement.

shooting a cat? You have issues!!!
I have two great cats my daughter took in as strays, they are the best, keeping them out of the garden is not easy, i use red pepper, they seem to get the hint

Absoulutly nothing works on all cats. Some of them are so persistent. I saw one using a rose cane as a scratching post. Some of the people who own cats are just a stupid as their cats. Like they will pay $300.00 to get thier dear kitty back from the pound and guess what. It gets to go right back again.

There's nothing like delving into your own good soil and finding a reeker from these idiots.

Brrrrrrrr!

My cat likes cold black coffee to drink.... . :-)

Don't know about dogs, but cat suggestions:

Cat Deterrents for your Garden:

* blood's meal fertilizer
* purple foutain grass (link below - just imagine it purple) to hide a pool pump that the cat LUVVVVVVs it and lays in the long leaves all day. So my thought is maybe put something in that the cats really like and - you know cats won't winky were they like to hang out.
* chili powder, red crushed pepper , cayenne pepper
(Beware for reasons posted above)
* toothpicks
* coffee grounds (highly recommended)
* black pepper
* aluminum foil
* cinnamon
* bramble cuttings
* heavy bark mulch
* water bottle on "stream"
* motion sensor sprinklers
* chicken wire
* gutter covers
* rose bush clippings
* crushed rock
* donate catnip into your neighbor's yards
* citrus peels
* cedar compost
* river rocks over the exposed soil
* garlic
* squirt gun with water
* six-inch bamboo skewers (pointy side up)
* short twigs throughout the planted area about 6" apart
* thorny berry, lilac, hawthorn, clippings
* holly leaves
* Essence of Orange. Essence of Lemon, Lime, Citrus Essential Oils...
* pinecones
* lavender
* keep your area damp, they like dry soil
* Carefresh - "recycled" wood pulp
* spray on your leaves (not the cat): fill a spray bottle with 1/2 t chili powder, 1/2 t cayenne pepper, 1 t dishsoap and water
***cayenne pepper (not recommended), it gets on the cat's paws then they wash themselves and they get it in their eyes, beware cats have literally scratched their eyes out because of this
*** moth balls (not recommended), avoid these in your garden because they are highly toxic

Give them their own areas (to keep them out of where you don't want them):
(if you don't mind them protecting your garden from other critters)

* give them their own areas to dig in: loose soil and mulch like small bark mulch
* give her her own plants - ie., pots of grass for her to chew on and a place in a large planted container on her balcony with some miscanthus grass in it (the cat likes to curl up in that for some reason)
* pick the cat up and bring it to eye level with the plant to see and smell it up close. She noted that once her cat has seen and sniffed at the plant, she usually doesn't bother with it later.
* Barley Grass
* Oat Grass
* Wheat Grass
* Flax
* Wheat Berries
* Catmint cultivars
* Carex elata 'Bolwes Golden' but put it in some shade
* Valarian
* Jacob's Ladder
* Lemon Grass
* Striped Ribbon Grass (can be invasive)
* Cat Thyme (Teucrium marum)
* Silver-vine (Actinidia polygama)
* Mints
* Sweetgrass
* Various Varieties of Cat Mints (Catnips)

WOW :: There really seems to be many levels of keeping cats away from your "garden goodies". I have taken the liberty to break them down. The levels follow a Homeland Security type format.

YELLOW ::

The level includes non violent agents. This includes lemon, orange, grapfruit, cacti, cut them up in little pieces and spread liberally. Many US citizens will take this level to heart.

ORANGE ::

This level kicks it up a notch with HOT peppers, en fuego for those of us who take spanish to their soul. This includes: chili, habenaro, cayenne and red peppers. ** This level does include a warning of possible gouging of the animal's eyes trying to rid of the pepper on their claws. BUT one person has observed that many animals in his neighborhood do NOT walk around with one eye. **

RED ::

This level is for those of us who want to build a mini POW camp for your cukes. This level of protection includes point up bamboo sticks, thorned clippings, chicken wire, and possible water gun turrets spaced evenly along the garden perimeter. Granted will probably keep cats out, but it may keep YOU out too, well, if done correctly.

BLACK ::

This level is not for the faint of heart. This level is for the small percentage of people that are actually waging war against the feline species! This level includes trapping and evacuation to holding camps (the pound), enlisting children to set tack straps on their sandbox (woah!) and then the ultimate, SHOOTING cats. People who pick this level may or may not be the best person to ask to babysit your children.

I hope you enjoyed your trip down "cat proofing your garden" lane. I know I did.

my god, i'm glad i don't live near some of you, but i think you must know my neighbor who trapped and had euthanized at least 3 animals before i figured out what was happening to them. (she said they killed 'her' hummingbirds, ha! like any of my lazy boogers could even catch one!)

i do know that citris works, and doesn't harm the animal in question. (remember, this critter could belong to a little girl or boy who'd miss it terribly if it were gone.)

just my ranting two cents.
shelly

Hee hee hee. Still laughing at the dark side reference. It's a joke, people!

FWIW, I have a flower bed that's half covered in coffee grounds and half in orange peels. Every other day I find a couple of holes dug in the coffee ground half and the orange half has footprints, but no holes. So, I've come to the conclusion that coffee grounds DO NOT work! At least not on the cats in my neighborhood.

I think I'm going to modify the experiment and add a crushed red pepper section. I wish I had left an untreated section as a control. Oh well.

Last year I was given a mixture of lemon juice, Murphy's Oil soap, hot sauce and I'm not sure what else. This mixture was guaranteed to stop critters, even elephants. Well, so far haven't seen any elephants digging in the flower bed, but the cats love it. So much for guarantees...

My cat loves coffee... wants to drink mine cold!

My mom has like a herd of cats... they are everywhere! They like them for mice etc.

They were digging in her impatience so she layed down a layer of chicken wire and for some reason elevated it slightly, and they are baffled. Every once in a while they will try it at the edge, but she does this every year and they have learned to leave it alone.

We have never noticed cats being a garden problem in any other way... what in the world do they do that's so bad?

Catch the cat, spray paint a bullseye on it, release.

Hopefully the owner will get the hint.

What do they do that is so bad? They leave their waste everywhere. If I choose not to have a cat, why would I want to clean a garden bed that they have made into a litter box?
Cat waste stinks--and goes on stinking, seemingly forever.
And it can carry pathogens such as roundworms, which I certainly don't want my kid in contact with.

Pet owners who let their pets wander free are irresponsible. There are many kinds of trouble pets can get into that can harm others or themselves. For example, pets can get run over by drivers who don't see them; they can get caught in fencing; they can catch diseases such as roundworm, rabies, and brucellosis; they can get rocks thrown at them by people who are scared of them or simply don't like them; they can be attacked by other animals and be hurt or killed...People can get diseases such as roundworm and rabies from pets; they can get bitten by them; they can be allergic to them and have breathing or other problems...

So if you love domestic animals and want to own one, you have a responsibility to keep it safe and prevent it from being a nuisance.

Vicki

To the sick individual that advocates using rifle head-shots to 'repel' cats, I've forwarded information to some nice gentlemen that will be acquainting you with federal firearm regulations in your New York area. Your attitude might tempt some of us to 'pick off' your children when they stray into our sights, that is, if you had children, which you obviously don't; and apparently neither did your mother, at least 'not any that lived'. Pretty screwed up for someone using a nickname containing the letters d-a-d. Further, in reading your self-proclaimed 'humble' bio information, you misspelled the word 'vigorous' and also seem to have accidentally omitted accurate descriptors, 'Blithering Jack*ss' and 'Senile Old Crank'. Happy to help!

"Your attitude might tempt some of us to 'pick off' your children"

I think that you have crossed a very thick line with that statement.

a good link on cat repellents

Thank you Pablo. I wholeheartedly agree.

To anyone who is allergic to cats, as I am to the extreme, who has a neighbor with "an outside cat" who they can't even play with because he scratches and hisses, this thread has been a barrel of laughs. I think the statement regarding the dead animal repellent could be extrapolated from the "Dead crow not an old wive's tale" posting in the other pest forum. In all seriousness, to put in all the effort to design, plan and install the many garden beds I've worked on over the years only to know that the feline in question will assuredly either crap in the bed the minute it's done and I walk away from it or SPRAY MY BACK DOOR the minute I go inside (sometimes daily for weeks on end) it is astonishing to me that anyone could say "what harm do they do?" My back door is about 2 feet from the dining table - there are some days we have to leave the house in order to be able to eat as the smell is so overpowering. Ever go to smooth some mulch you spread just 10 minutes before only to run your hand over a huge gooey steaming pile of cat poop? The cat is alive today because I had on my rubber coated gardening gloves that time. And that's the only reason. I don't hate cats, I hate morons who own cats and don't prevent them from being vandals. Similarly, I don't hate delinquent teenagers, I hate the parents who never had the backbone to say NO! and put some teeth into it. Thanks for letting me vent.

Now, seriously folks, I really haven't seen anything here that A)works AND B)is attractive (chicken wire mesh overlaying the mulch?)(6" bamboo spikes all over the garden? Nice material for nightmares for my kids). I'm concerned about the hot pepper variation - won't that burn some of my more tender plants? Coffee I know will acidify the soil beyond tolerability for a number of my plants so I won't bother with that; won't citrus do the same? Hubby likes the look of having some room between plants so a full-on groundcover is out; rocks would heat up too much during our real short hot period of the summer and toast many of my plants. Motion sensing sprinklers are too expensive and I'm afraid with all the wildlife around here my garden would end up flooded.

To Loniesmom: Wow. Reading your post, I would suggest a six-foot electrified fence, w/barbed wire at the top, attractively covered by clematis (silver lace vine is nice), roses, and an array of other climbing perennials. My deepest sympathies in regard to the allergies and the highly inconsiderate neighbor w/the useless cat. We have always had a cat or two (tho' we now keep our only cat indoors due losing a couple of kitties to cars &/or ??), plus various strays(?) and neighbors' cats that roam our country sub-division; and I have never had the problems described above. Makes me very thankful. Hope you find a serious working solution. If I learn of any, will forward asap.

As for shooting cats, I really wasn't taking the people seriously. My husband used to say silly things like that; but he's actually even more humane than I am. As for shooting children, people ought to know better than to even suggest such a thing. As for insulting people in general, isn't this a gardening forum?

Terry

I just had an idea, and I would like to know what others think. AMMONIA....sprayed undiluted on areas that you are trying to protect from the creatures claws and defecations.

It's not really a cat problem. It's a misconception that cats are domestic when they run wild and free. If the supposedly owners of free ranging cats had any compassion at all, there would be no problem. If your dog runs loose over the neighborhood here it is picked up by the pound and eliminated. If you drop a cat off at the pound the area animal leauge "adopts' it out so you can repeat your efforts again. Thus you find people whom advocate the head shot solution.
So Viki you are right on.

I thought that I was alone in the world with problems with cats until reading the many replies to the problem with roaming cats and gardens.

While I have little real interest in gardening and less in cats, I do have a home with a corner location and take much pride in a good summer lawn - which I resented seeing contaminated by multiple cat droppings and severe damage by claw scratching.

I tried "Silent Roar", small pellets manufactured from Lion droppings - no effect.

Tried a product "Scoot" - mixed with water and sprinkled - no effect.

I bought an electronic "Cat Scarer" - high frequency sonic device - very successful - but cats moved to another unprotected part of the lawn!

I now have 3 active sonic units, one permanently radiating and two others working on movement activated P.I.R. switches. Two are located at each extreme end of the property and the third in the middle. I now seldom see a cat al all!

In incidences where there has been occasional fouling, I have had success by locally applying "Scatter Cat" - supplied in small tubs, pea sized granules with a strong citrus odour. The cat did not return to that location.

Over the winter months, the batteries on the units were neglected, and cat problem slowly returned. Subsequent maintenance of the units once again reduced the problem to virtually zero!

I appear to have no problem with garden beds. Last year prior to planting the flower beds, I dug in my smelly (slimey) composted lawn cuttings and planted African Marigolds - while this may not be a deterrent, there was no scratching in the cultivated soil. Could the combination of the fragrance of both the soil and plants have an effect! Believe me it would have taken a desperate cat to scratch that soil, plus the plants were fantastic! Perhaps others may wish to experiment.

With respect to the lawn, it is noticeable that cats do appear to return to the same "spot", enabling some targeting of a respective localised area should it be necessary. Perhaps once deterred, a cat will seek another “spot” in an alternative location.

A final note of caution, with respect to P.I.R. motion switched units when used to protect lawns, try to locate at low level for maximum effect (say 20 inches above ground level) and allow no space behind the unit. Also be aware of blind areas – a cat will soon learn a safe passage! Some experimentation may be required and it may be worth while to consider periodically relocating the units and changing the output frequency. It is unlikely that a cat with a hearing deficiency will be effectively deterred. Do check each battery on a regular basis, I had a problem with one (of four) rechargeable batteries that had (invisibly) failed. I wondered why the unit did not work effectively!

Hope this bring relief and success to other frustrated gardeners

As far as coffee grounds acidifying the soil, a friend of mine-wonderful gardner from the ozarks- once told me to put egg shells and coffee grounds together in the soil she seemed to feel that the egg shells nuetralized or balanced the coffee grounds.

There has been a foul smell coming from my basement door since late summer. Given that the number of cats has increased exponentially within the last year in my street, I am suspecting the door is being "marked". Does anybody know if this could be caused by another animal and I am blaming the large numbers of poor little kittens? I tried using vinegar in the cement part, but no luck. The smell I sense when I go to do laundry is so gross....

I dumped some coffee grinds on top of a houseplant tree and that's when my cat decided to start peeing in there. She loves the coffee grinds.

Now I gotta figure out how to keep here out of there. She still poops in her litter but she pees only in my tree.

She's a piece of work!

Cats spraying on doors are usually done by unfixed male cats. I would suggest a live trap and a free trip to the vet. Worked for me.

but even fixed male cats can still spray. my mom who owns lots of cats, told me vinegar adn water should take care of the smell.

Not all pounds are the same apparently. Our closest one about 30 miles away, is apparently trying to discourage folks from bringing in unwanted critters. There is someone who sits in a judging position and decides after hearing your case whether your animal is allowed admittance, and if the animal is accepted then you have to pay a fee of 20-$25 to have them do so. Not the way one would like to dispose of stray cats assuming you could catch one. I haven't tried this pound myself but this is the local talk about personal expericnes.

NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Scatter several cups of naphthalene flakes or
granules over the seed beds to protect the seed
until plant emergence.

I don't think coffee grounds repel cats, but I do know, for a fact, that they keep chewing insects, ie., snails and slugs, from chewing on the leaves of my plants, especially on the leaves and the fruit of my strawberries.

I too have a kind soul that lives next to me. She feeds all the strays that live in the drainage system in front of our homes. They breed faster than rats. All of my gardens, including my babys sand box are nothing more that big litter box's to them. The smell overpowers any plants I put out there (if the plant lives long enough to flower), I have a cat who is not allowed outside.

There is nothing out doors that a cat needs. If you have a cat and allow it to roam freely, then you are not a good pet owner. It should be removed from your care!!!!!Or should I say lack of your care.

I have tried the forks pointed up. They find that place I just didn't get them close enough.

Hot peppers here I come. My thinking at this point is, I have tried the nice way. Now if the pepper makes one eye out of them, then maybe they won't be able to see my yard and stink up only hers.

I have heard it said that if a non-cat-lover drinks a quart of antifreeze before bedtime, he/she will no longer be bothered by cats.

Here's my .02's worth. I like the idea of chicken wire or hardware cloth placed in an area where they would like to walk. Cat's have very sensitive feet and don't like walking on rough surfaces and I'm sure that it's pretty unpleasant to them when they start to scratch and find that pokey wire just under the soil. I have two cats, both indoors, and yes, I too have one of those neighbors who has a cat that prowls the neighborhood and sprays on my front door. Both of my males are fixed, but this didn't prevent them from spraying back (cat pissing contest maybe?). And this all over my brand new rug. Now that I've learned about the citrus trick, I'm going to use it all over my house. Thanks guys. By the way, I love the sick humor, too. I really don't advocate killing cats or dogs that run the neighborhood. Just recently, one neighbor had a raccoon walking through their yard, which upset a few neighborhood dogs and another neighbor used a compound bow and shot one of the barking dogs. This didn't kill the dog, but she's suffering terribly from the injury.

Unfortunately, if it walks through my yard more than once, it becomes the next family pet. I take them in if they are strays and then find good homes for them. As for the neighbors' cat, I'd like to paint a bulls eye on him...(O: Just to give the owners' a little hint.

Thanks for all the laughs, y'all. Now, I'm going to go try that citrus thing since I have a fixed male who does still spray and he has 3 favorite spots in my house. Does anyone know if this will damage (real) wood floors?

Please email me your responses since I don't always get to check back on the forums.

Thanks,

Deb...(O:
<><

I always used to like cats until I had children. Now I'm constantly plagued by other people's felines and if I was some old lonely lady maybe, i wouldn't mind but I'm not. I hate cleaning up after the horrid things especially as it can be a serious health risk to pregnant women and children. I'm talking about Toxoplasmosis. I'm sorry but when it comes to the health of my children, then the welfare of other people's cats is way down my list of priorities. That being said, i haven't (yet) resorted to pepper dust.
Also, a cat came into my garden and my 2 yr old son was out there and it scratched him really badly. He came down with a temperature and was quite ill for days.

I like the chicken wire idea. Cats have specific ways of behaving. You wont see a cat dragging say, a tarp, out of the way so it can dig. My cats love to claw upholstery. I put cheap Sure-fit slipcovers on my furniture. It would be easy to claw thru the thin cover, or reach under the loose fitting skirt to claw. They won't do it. As soon as I pull the slip cover off they dig in. Cat brains are very hard wired. If you can find out their pattern you can work with it. We have a lot of critters here all of whom leave droppings. No cats now probably because of the larger predators. The foxes periodically leave large droppings on locations where the birds feed. That is, where the tasty birds feed. Guess they are putting dibs on the birds. They place it carefully including on top of the rustic log cuts I use for bird seed. For some reason I just dont have an interest in euthanizing the foxes. Sometimes there is even a dropping war, where various other creatures deposit 'counter claims'. I just leave it there. Guess it wouldnt work in a small yard. Glad I have enough space to accomodate non humans too. I do get a lot of blood, guts and gore, especially in the winter when it shows well on the snow. They spend a lot of time eating each other

Ammonia will attract them, so don't use that.

"Nature's Miracle" works great for getting rid of cat smell, and makes them stay away from that spot. Try using that on anything that gets sprayed. BTW, male cats might keep spraying if they get castrated AFTER puberty, so make sure to get them done before then.

Most people have developed immunity against taxoplasm, so I wouldn't get hysterical about that.

I'm sorry that your kid got hurt, but you might want to teach him not to touch unknown animals (once he gets old enough to understand it).

And I have to say that I am shocked at the level of wrath in this forum. Clearly, it's stupid to feed stray cats and attract them to your and your neighbour's yards. Stray cats should be turned in because they are miserable and carry disease and will just keep on breeding.

Having said that, we have lots of cats in the neighbourhood that are well-loved and well cared for. If they poop in my yard once in a while, why would I care? If they annoy me, I spray them with the hose, works well. I also have a catnip patch in a corner, that they shred apart on a regular basis. I think that keeps them away from other spots.
After all, you have a GARDEN, that includes animals, wanted and unwanted. Frankly, I wouldn't waste any energy getting so upset about a cat or two.

Also, I think that most cat owners don't have a clue what their cats are up to. Have you tried telling them?

I like the humor here, cats are a very sensitive subject. I will never own a cat again, because of clawing my furniture, cat hair flying through the house, getting on the counter tops, I will not have a cat's toilet in my home, etc.. But will always miss having one. I choose NOT to own a cat so why should I put up with a cat sh***** in my flower beds where I dig or catching birds at my feeder. I stopped them from using my flower beds for their toilet with mothballs. AND I know what a lot of you think of mothballs, but it worked. I also trapped a cat and took it to the animal shelter, because talking to the owner did no good at all. At first the workers at the shelter were glowering at me until I explained how I talked to the owner first. She picked it up before the 3 days were up and he is often in my yard. He is leery of the trap, but I will trap him again. As I said before, I miss having a cat and have had cats in my yard all of my life, but never a cat like this one, it is a dedicated killer. I found dove feathers on my deck beneath my feeder this week.

On Patricia43's post,not only that but they wouldnt be bothered by anything else either.

NEVER use citrus when dealing with cats. Citrus is VERY toxic to felines. It can cause vomiting, nerological damage, blindness, and death, just a wiff of it. Find some other means, but don't use citrus.

Seems like nothing is safe. Years ago cities used waste oil to control weeds on city property, so did a lot of home owners. Now it seems to be "unsafe" so we use chemicals. It makes me wonder which is the most dangerous.

Cayenne pepper has been the most effective for me so far. I'd just planted a new area with grass...came out the next day and found holes. Re-smoothed it, sprinkled with cayenne...no more holes. I may try mixing up some citris as well.

I think some people are forgetting that we're not just talking about nuisance animals digging a hole in the dirt. I have the problem of having to worry about leaving out outdoor furniture with fabric...one chaise lounge has already been sprayed. My front door gets sprayed, as do rocks nearby. I'm hoping some citris oil in these areas will help.

And to those who say peppers and citris is potentially dangerous....tough. Letting your cat roam around the neighborhood is potentially dangerous period. I have an indoor cat who I'm very fond of, but I don't have much sympathy for people who let their pets (dogs, cats, whatever) foul other people's property.

by the way, I really despise cats any way but I happen to live in a house hold where my famil happens to be very fond of cats. Frankly cats should have never become a popular pets. They're prolific, they kill birds, and they aren't very useful like dogs or live stock.
However, the best thing for many cats is to be out doors. We have two cats which we have kept as house cats. They are very misrable indoors. They never stray very far from home. As far as knowing citrus poisens pets and not caring is a problem. It's like putting down anti-freeze or giving the kid next door poisen candy because he keeps hitting his ball into your yard. Cats are annoying but it is legal to have a cat out doors and intentionally causing harm to them isn't legal and isnt right.

Cats are very sensitive to many chemicals. It is best to avoid any oil containing phenols: oregano, thyme, cinnamon (cassia), clove, savory, birch, and melaleuca (Tea Tree oil) or ketones: sage. Another group to avoid are the citrus and pine oils: lemon, orange, tangerine, mandarin, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, pine, spruce, and any fir oil. Many household cleaners and even pet products have these latter substances in them to make them smell nice to the owners. Symptoms of a toxic buildup include being despondent, clumsy, uncoordinated, partially paralyzed, vomiting, drooling or in a daze. The diagnosis for toxic poisoning is a blood test that shows elevated liver enzymes. It is best to seek a veterinarian's care if toxic poisoning is suspected.

Other human foods that can cause health problems for cats include nuts, alcoholic beverages, yeast dough, rhubarb, tomato or potato leaves, coffee and coffee grounds, tea and foods containing citrus oils. So be cautious next time you think about feeding your cat something from the table. You never know what can happen.

Anti-freeze and poison candy are one thing. Obviously, the primary intent there is to cause harm.

Spraying the heck out of my plants with neem oil, peppers, citris has another primary purpose; to keep pests away. No one is going to question the legality of that.

I stand by my assertion that allowing pets to repeatedly roam on other people's property is irresponsible. They are at risk of being hit by a car, being injured or killed by other animals (domestic or wild), spreading disease, etc.

A dog getting loose occasionally or a child's ball going into the yard is an accidental and infrequent occurence; no harm there. Allowing an animal to habitually roam and foul other people's property is a completely different story.

I hope all you idiots that think cats are better off outside have them all spayed and neutered! Or do you even know what that is or why it is best to have it done? Educate yourselves!

ohnoitsjamie, I agree completely. I will do what I can to discourage that cat. Everytime I see him in my yard, especially seeing feathers on the ground, I want to be the killer, but I won't, I won't, I won't.

Andrea, it doesn't do any good to educate them. It's a mind set and they are not going to change. I don't like to keep a cat in the house, so I choose not to have a cat.

I find that my Beagle and my gun keep cats out of my yard. NP's here. They take their kitty litter to another area. The pussys are not allowed here..and thats a factjack..

yes, all those who own cats in this house hold have had there cat neutered! Just because I believe cats should be out doors dosen't make me irrisponcible. I blieve first of all, there should be a law making it illigal to feed strays unless one is going to take care of that stray (get it fixed, given shots, etc) If strays aren't fed well chances are they will procreate less because they know they have less to give there young. Also the majority of the strays, like in the wild, would die out. Also, any one feeding strays would be fined and the money would go to a local animal shelter.
Also, I believe all animals should be registered and tagged, and have a bell on there colar for bird protection. I also believe there should be a limit on how many cats a person may own. Also, if a person would like to breed there cats the amount of litters should be limited and there should be a good reason to breed them.
Those are my thoughs. But still, as much as I do not like cats, crying about it, shooting them, and poisening them, isn't right. Plus, it really isn't going to change any thing unless people fix there animals and the government becomes firmer on pet regulations.

I agree with all the posters who say that having a cat and letting it roam freely all over other people's property is irresponsible. I have the same problem with my neighbors. They have who knows how many cats that just roam around the neighborhood doing their business anywhere they want to. It's to the point where I can't even sit on my front porch in the summer because the smell of cat spray is just too overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that if I choose not to have a cat....why should I be out there picking up cat poop. Does anyone go following their neighbors around when they take their dogs for a walk just so they can pick up the dog poop after he/she goes??? I don't think so!!! Well, I don't want to be picking up my neighbors cat poop either. I think that if you are going to live in an area where you have neighbors close by.....you should keep you pet indoors for alls safety. In the 3 years that I've lived here I have seen 2 of their cats hit by a car and killed. I felt really bad for them but on the other hand....if they would have kept their cat inside, it never would have happened. Do you think it stopped them from letting the other 100 cats (slight exaggeration) they have roam freely????? NOOOOOO!!!! Everyday and night they are walking around doing their business or sleeping on someone else's porch seats taking a nap. Quite a few times I've come home from work at 3:00 a.m. and 2 or 3 cats would take off running from my porch as I approached. I've tried talking to them (the neighbors) and telling them that my brother-in-law was going to set up a trap if they don't start keeping them indoors. They bought them in for about a week and then they were all back outside again because i'm assuming they drove the owners nuts trying to get outside. Once they've had a taste for the outside.......they don't want to be cooped up inside a house anymore. Well.....I guess i'm done venting for now. I also found this thread to be quite amusing and it kept my mind off the aphids that are eating my millions of bells for awhile.....lol. Too bad we couldn't use a rifle on aphids!!!! Take care all and keep up the humor.......Patty

P.S. I really am quite fond of cats. Just not the ones that choose to use my flowerbeds as their litter boxes. Or kill my grass with their ammonia smelling pee.