How can I keep cats from digging up the bulbs in my flower bed?

Question

I am planning on planting bulbs for spring flowers in my flower beds. However, there are neighborhood cats who would most certainly dig them up when they use the flower bed as a toilet. Any idea how I can keep the cats out of there? Does garlic really work? Or cinnamon?

Answer 1

I don't know about the garlic or cinnamon. But try this get some chicken wire, and cut a small round area where the bulbs will be located then place the wire over the areas. The cats will not be able to dig in the area due to the chicken wire, the holes are too small to allow them to do that. The wire can be pinned down with little metal stakes so that the wire can not be moved at all. This was the easiest thing I found to work with, and it deters pets!

By the time the plants grow up the wire can be cut very easily away from the plants/ground and they will be already grown up.

You will be happy and the cats will have found other areas to dig in. Your plants will have the chance to grow up and become beautiful flowers.

I had to use chicken wire in my yard after putting sod down to keep my puppy from digging it up. She hated the chicken wire, but it didn't hurt her since it's small and thin and lays flat to the ground. My lawn grew and the puppy gave up digging, every one ended up happy.

Answer 2

There are repellant sprays that you can buy, but they are rather expensive. I bought a spray that repels animals (raccoons, deer, squirrels) because every year when I plant bulbs and in the spring when I plant annuals, those pesky squirrels dig them up like they're gold! These sprays typically cost around $12 - $14 but some of them last for about three months. It worked, but the damage had already been done by the time I thought of it. If you plant just before it gets really cold, and then spray that area, it should last long enough until the ground freezes. You could also put a ton of leaves on top of the ground where you've planted the bulbs, then wet down the leaves well and then spray the product to keep them out. Or...you could buy a small section of chicken wire, lie it flat and stake it to the ground over the planted bulbs until the ground gets cold or freezes, then pull it off. Or wait until the time the plants are pushing through the ground in the spring and then pull off the wire. It may be cheaper than the spray and more effective - cats can't dig where they can't get enough ground!

Answer 3

There are quite a number of people who've tried putting foul smelling chemicals or substances in their flower beds to ward off cats or dogs digging, but the most effective method is a physical barrier like wire screening buried underground, which also protects from squirrel and chipmunk damage.
As for neighborhood cats or dogs who use your garden as a toilet, you have to assert dominance. A good BB gun shot in the *** should deter this outrage! Cats are smart, once will usually suffice, with dogs it's another story and might require more effective measures like a Winchester pump 12-gauge with rock salt pellets.

With garlic you might have more luck warding off vampires!

Answer 4

I had cats digging in my beds too. I bought a large can of black pepper at Sam's. I sprinkled out a large amount in the area they dug......this needs to be repeated every 2 weeks to be effective. By the time you use up the can...they will have found a better place to go and left yours alone.

About 6 months later another one dug in the area and I sprinkled out some more pepper. No more cats after that.

Answer 5

If you have a holly or berberis bush cut branches and stick them in the ground over the area you wish to keep the cats away, also lay over ground.

I think garlic will work if you cover the entire area 5 inches deep but you may find you have lots of garlic plants growing next year.

Not sure of cinnamon.

You can buy cat deterrent's (high pitched sound) that are quite affective but can be costly too.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Cat+deterrant&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SKPB

Answer 6

Cats don't like walking over anything sticky or gritty so sprinkle chopped up pine cones or used coffee grounds around your flower beds. You can also put strips of contact paper, sticky side up, or pieces of bubble wrap around your flower beds until they get the idea to stay away.

Answer 7

the problem could be the bone and blood meal that you are putting down with the bulbs!!... interesting smell for cats and dogs!!... and the squirrels have learned that it means tasty bulbs, too..... if it's a real problem, not just one cat, then skip the meal with the bulbs, put down a U-shaped cage of chicken wire over the bulbs, add a layer of large chunk bark mulch over the area... with nothing to scratch in, it's a far less interesting place....

Answer 8

Don't waste your time on garlic or cinnamon - just shoot them or get a big dog that hates cats - who wants the odor that cats leave behind when they use your flower bed as a potty!!

Answer 9

You can use chicken wire or something similar to make cages for the bulbs. That way the cats and rodents can't get to the actual bulbs, they can only go as deep as the outside of the cage. I did this last year after losing all my bulbs to squirrels and it worked like a charm.

Don't forget to mulch.

Answer 10

Use a medium metal mesh, like they use in pet cages, just place it on the gound over the garden, cats hate it and the plants can stiill come up though it.