How do I keep my neighbor's cats from using my vegetable garden as their litter box?

Question

I heard something about moth balls but I'm reluctant to put any chemicals around the plants I'm growing for food.

Answer 1

Oh free fertilizer...

Here are some links;
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/healthy/820

We love our next-door neighbor, but I think she’s trying to tell us something: she put moth balls all along the line between your yards, I guess to keep our kitties out of her garden. But moth balls are toxic!

Here are several easy, safe, and effective ways to deter cats from using your neighbor's garden as a litter box, but, unlike moth balls, they don't pose a health hazard to cats or humans. Or, heck, you could do what my boss suggested and try releasing a whole herd of gophers or mice. Then your kitties will be the guests of honor! (Just kidding!)



Simple Solution:
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1. There are many herbs that cats don’t like to be around, including lavender, rue, geranium, absinthe, and lemon-thyme. Also, a German professional gardener, Dieter Stegmaier of Essingen, has created a hybrid so repulsive to cats, they stay a yard away from it. It smells like schnapps to us, and is actually a pretty and hardy plant with blue flowers that bloom throughout most of the summer. Its Latin name is Coleus canin. You can order it through various mailorder services in Germany, for example here: here.

2. This mixture is easy to make and can be used anywhere you want to repel cats (or groundhogs, for that matter):

2 parts cayenne pepper
3 parts dry mustard
5 parts flour

Simply mix together and sprinkle.

3. Use large flat river stones in your garden beds to make the soil less diggable, and so less attractive to cats. Besides, river stones are pretty. You can also use them in houseplant pots to keep the furry little darlings out of those.

4. Cats don’t like tea leaves, so empty your used ones onto the garden soil.

5. You could also try using a sprinkler that is activated by a motion-sensor. All it takes is a time or two of getting dowsed with water to deter any cat. It can work for intruders, too.


I found this sprinkler for you, here's the link;
http://www2.yardiac.com/long.asp?item_id=885&promo=google

Good Luck! (Please don't hurt the kitty...)

Answer 2

Everyone seems to have advice regarding what sort of chemicals or herbs to use, however there is one question which needs to be addressed:

What are your neighbor's cats doing in your garden?

Have you spoken with your neighbor about this? The cats are not your responsibilty, and you shouldn't have to go through the extra expense and time to create a "cat-proof" garden.

Your neighbor needs to keep his or her cats away from your property.

"Oh, but cats need to be free, they're free creatures" blah blah blah.

Yeah, well I could say the same thing for people in prison. They can be free if they can prove they aren't going to harm anybody or anybody's property.

The trick is that you have to approach the situation with care- don't sound as if you're blaming the cats for anything, and don't sound as if you're issuing orders. Simply express that you've noticed the cats getting into your garden, and wouldn't mind if the owner kept them away.

Communication is simple and effective. Much easier than planting herbs and cat nip and all that jazz.

Answer 3

Crushed red pepper or sliced lemons both work. That's what I use in the house to keep my cats out of my house plants. Walmart sells the crushed red pepper for .50 cents. And a lemon is only 4/$1 Much cheaper than anything from the pet store and works just as good. good luck!

Answer 4

I love my cats but my neighbors cats use my flowers as a litter box. yuk, I know what you mean. My grandma told me to put powdered hot pepper in my garden. She said to sprinkle it on the ground around flowers and other plants. The next time the cat came. the smell made it run away. and it did not hurt the animals.

Answer 5

Kick the... just kidding. Just wanted to say I own a cat(actually it's more the other way around ) and if they really have their minds on something it's hard (well ok imposible) to change it. talk to the owner, if that doesn't cat get a dog(:D) or just teach the cat to potty(set up a litter box)
hope it helps

Answer 6

Hi! I have a friend that is an organic gardener. She bought some ground hot red pepper and sprinkled it around the edges of her gardens and it seemed to work...however, you'd have to reapply often, especially after a rain. It'd be worth a try!

Answer 7

I have a thing called the Scarecrow. Its a motion activated sprinkler. It scares the cats away in a humane way. The only problem I have is that it also scares people when they walk by and it can get you wet if you aren't careful in how you set it up. I bought two on eBay for about $80.00 each.

Answer 8

I think that you could just put a fence around your garden. That way the cat is unable to get into the area.

Answer 9

First tell the owners, if you know who they are. Ask them to kindly keep THEIR cats at home. If they don't (and it has been my experience they won't) then borrow a trap from animal control in your city. Trap them and have animal control pick them up. Shame to have to go through all that just to keep someone else's pets away from your property, isn't it? Don't have that problem out here in the country. Coyotes decimate the cat population quickly!

Answer 10

Buy them a tent and put cat toys and catnip in it to distract them. Play some soothing music, not rock or R&B, something by Verdi. That always keeps cats off veggies.