Cats

[jayemcee]

Please, please does anyone know of any, legal, effective way of stopping all the local cats using my front borders as the neighbourhood loo!! I know I can get rid of the borders and the earth they contain, but I'm old fashioned and I like flowers and bulbs and shrubs.
Wow! have just read all the similar questions from the last 12 months. So, what worked?
Seems to be a big big problem.

[Monika]

I use a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray of tepid water, which I spray around my plants.

It does seem to work but, of course, the rain dilutes its efficacy and you have to keep up with it.

Also, stuff some cotton wool into small open bottles onto which you put a few drops of eucalyptus oil and dot those around

[sir_real]

get yourself a big water pistol/hose pipe, and if you catch the cats in the act i can assure you they won't be back! Would you go back to a public toilet where you got soaked while you pooed?!

[MK66]

My sister's neighbour has a device that emits a high-pitched noise - it certainly does the trick because her 4 cats won't go near their house!

[shylock73]

Yes MK66 they work OK. I got one and was impressed with it until some little b.gg.r nicked it, as it doesn`t work if it`s not in view of the garden. It might be worth pulling it up high and pointing down out of reach of yobbo`s. I now use lots of small green treated canes pointing in all directions about six inches apart,as moggies like to have enough room to scratch up the soil.

[jayemcee]

Thank you all. I love the idea of a mighty hose but regret it's not practa(i)ble in this situation.
I shall go and purchase more green canes and also maybe use eucalyptus oil or jeyes fluid. Whatever, I shall continue the battle!!!!!!!

[Cheekystar]

my brother has a plastic bottle filled with water - placed near his plants - which he claims works

[egrow]

Lay orange peel on your soil.Cats don't seem to like the smell of oranges. I'm very glad you want to keep your plants. A wise thing to do. Best wishes. egrow. www.egrow.co.uk

[jayemcee]

Thank you also egrow & Cheekystar. Shall work through the suggestions over the coming weeks.
Things will improve anyway once this seasons growth gets underway.

[sambro]

The most effective deterrent to neighbours cats is to get yourself a male cat. I have 3 cats and the males will not tolerate any other cats being in our garden. They chase them off. My neighbours are not bothered by my cats at all because they are not allowed out of the garden.