A Build-a-Garden participant recently asked:
My vegetables are starting to grow (which is great!) but the neighborhood cats (feral but fed by kindly people) are using the raised garden beds as a litter box! I've tried a bunch of different suggestions that I found online (bamboo skewers, foil balls, cinnamon, coffee grounds, citrus peels...) but nothing seems to help. I saw a device that is like a sprinkler with a motion detector that would probably work but it cost $53.00:( Do you have any ideas that are cheaper than this.
Reply by Kathleen
Cats can be a pain in the garden, as much as I love them!
When plants are little, you could use remay/row cover (a fabric that allows light and water in but keeps out pests and protects plants) - or set up hoops on the edges of the bed and then put the remay over the hoops. It's not that easy to find remay in small amounts (it's usually sold in big rolls for farms). We're hoping to sell small pieces of it at next year's City Farm Fest. For now, you could buy a small amount for a reasonable price from gardeners.com.
You could also see if putting up a small fence around the raised bed helps. Use fencing that does not block too much light, like a chicken wire fence. Here's a picture of a chicken wire fence on a raised bed: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3386791542_cdcb2b8629.jpg
Also, someone once told me that staking chicken wire flat around the bed keeps cats away because they don't like to walk on it but I've never tried it myself.
Please share your ideas if you have others!
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olbas oil crushed garlic orangepeel prickly twigs cats hate all if all else fails get a fast dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Joe,
Save some crushed eggshells and put them over your raised bed. Cats don't like sharp items.
Happy Gardens!
I have heard that people have had luck keeping cats away with either of two "tonics." The first, mix 1/2 C of tobacco tea (a handful of chewing tobacco in a gal of warm water steeped for a while) and 1/4 C of liquid dish soap in 2 gallons of water: OR puree 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp liquid dish soap in 1 qt. warm water. Put the tonic in a well marked container, and use it to saturate around the edge of your garden to make a "scent fence", replacing it as the scent wears away. Not too expensive and earth friendly - make sure you use a gentle dish soap, not detergent. Good Luck keeping the cats at away - a spray bottle with water works well too, but you have to be within range...
I have three cats and some strays in my backyard and four HUGE raised beds with no problems - here's the tip
Place twigs in a criss cross pattern across your beds in between plants while growing, also dampen your beds early in teh morning daily - cats hate the damp earth
Know it sounds crazy, but we've put pinwheels all around our raised beds. Originally they were just for a party, but I think they're keeping out the squirrels, cats, etc. we had last year. Plus, it makes your garden look super festive. :)
Yes it stinks literally and figuritively to have the cats digging in the raised beds. We seem to attract every cat in JP. We tried many things but now use lots and lots of twigs, poles, scrap wood, etc. Ugly, tiring to move around, but effective.
I'm going to try pinwheels and eggshells though.
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