ferret Posted November 11, 2004 the cat next door wont stop shitting on my herbs and im sick of looking for an diggin his shit out of my garden every morning. :mad: ive got hundreds of skewers poking this way an that around all my plants but somehow he still gets in there and craps especially on my thyme and calamus . ive put my cactus in the trouble spot as some negative reinforcement but he even shits in the cacti pots. this morning he even scratched out a freshly planted T. spachianus cutting . he has no fear. :mad: ive seen some chemicals methyl nonyl ketone at the hardware store to deter pets but was wondering if there was any other alternative? ive seen a herb named "piss-off plant" does anyone know if its effective? the missus reckons i should just get a kitty litter tray but goddammit.... no way. it will stop. :mad: :mad: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted November 11, 2004 that's a case for dr. harry from tv. i would talk to the neighbour and, bring with you some catfood as a gift so they, can't project any negativ stuff onto you, like oh he does'nt like my cat! your neighbour is proly not able to see your problem at all, but sure "we" do. i never had cat problems, but i had dog problems and nothing is worse than to find turds in your herbal garden! those dog deturant's want work either, or would they? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hebrew Posted November 11, 2004 i cant quite remembebut i recall that if you spray chilli and garlic around the area they wont like the smell and not go there but i just cant quite remember if that is right or not worth a try? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted November 11, 2004 piss-off-plant doesn't work. "d-ter" does work, but not on all animals. chilli doesn't work cos most animals don't taste hot. mouse traps (or rat traps for repeat offenders) are somewhat cruel but work well. Ping string (mini electric fence) works 100% and is not cruel, but costly. This fence isn't used to run around the patch, but rather up and down the paths to stop them from moving around the area. Cats love open sand, so I presume you have sandy soil? Once you get a full ground cover they become disinterested. Maybe try a *thick* layer of uncomfortable mulch (eg tea tree). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Dunkel Posted November 11, 2004 The methyl nonylketone is reasonably effective (they recon it acts as a fear signal for cats). I have problems with blackbirds, damn things dig up all sorts of young plants looking for worms and things. I used to put a bit of touch powder (brown crystals from iodine/ammonia solution mix) on leaves and leave them in the garden beds. The random "BANGS" kept the blackbirds away. Unfortunately, they also went off during the night when a bit of wind russeled... [ 11. November 2004, 17:39: Message edited by: Ed Dunkel ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerbil Posted November 12, 2004 LOL ed haven't made those touch crystals in yonks, ah great fun, even my dad did it as a kid. Mouse traps sound harsh, but the cat should get the message pretty quick you'd think. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smogs Posted November 12, 2004 what about the PET bottle of water that works for dogs? dont know if it works for cats too tho def works for dogs the theory being they wont crap in their water suply Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gomaos Posted November 12, 2004 I own 3 cats... it was never planned but just happened... about 2 years ago I bought like 200 bucks worth of top ethnobotanical seed and sowed most of it in my shade house, in white styro-boxes... wondering for the next few weeks why nothing at all came up... only to find out that cats love sleeping on top of the seed mix... since then I always cover my seed boxes with mosquito netting or -wire... works well... I have no prob with them crapping on my plants, they have their fixed toilet area it seems... well the only real protection I can think of is fencing, netting etc.... like "real' farmers do... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ferret Posted November 12, 2004 thanks for all the responses everyone, ive talked to the owner and he used to have kitty litter but kitty just stopped using it a year or so ago. i think i try a combintation of some temporary netting to force him to go somewhere else, and probly some methylnonylketone too just incase he gets through. ill comtemplate mousetraps if hes still using the area in a month. hmm but i like an excuse to make some iodine crystals again :D cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterdragon Posted November 13, 2004 i'd go the 'leccy fence, set it to 'singe'. smart cats won't return for seconds. used to have the full set of cat vs garden probs as i have stacks of cats and other beasties. nothing worse than making up some potting mix by hand only to knead up a big kitty grogan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted November 13, 2004 What about sprinkling white or black pepper powder around the area? as they always have a sniff about before dumping the aforementioned 'grogan' :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Liteweight Posted November 13, 2004 I have found the best odor deterrent for cats is ammonia. I have used it in little cups under our Christmas trees, on the counters in the kitchen to keep them away, and it can be used in the garden, but it evaporates quickly, and will injure plants if the fumes gather to thickly around a plant--but it will send the cats running. I've also used it as a deterrent for my dogs when they've discovered a particularly delightful hole to dig in. Just a couple of tablespoons placed in the hole and pooch suddenly decides it isn't the fun it was before. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smogs Posted November 13, 2004 makese sense... can urine has lots of amonia... maybe they think its a really potent cat they are dealing with and dont want to piss in his spot or it will get its head bitten off Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
infinite_monkey Posted November 13, 2004 draging up from the depths of my brain i think i remember that both cats and dogs dislike the smell of citronella oil and that it makes a good deterint, but then again it could another one of those memories that my brain has chosen to fuse, that really has no basis at all Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spiders Posted November 13, 2004 i had the same problem for a while - i had catnip and valerian in my herb garden and they wouldnt leave that alone, then i had my dog laying a hot steamer every morning on my sage bush. In the end i just put a wire fence over the whole thing - looked kinda ugly and the stone that hit the cat's arse helped convince it to stay away as well... My cat kept on shitting in my mushroom tray - the perlite looked similar to cat litter i guess... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flip Posted November 15, 2004 I had the same problem with the several cats in the area. it seemed that all loved to take their releif in my best garden soil both in potted plants as well as he tilled earth. I like to work with my hands, those cat turds drove me into a rage when I had to go indoors to wash and pick the cat shit out from under the fingenails. What I found that worked (short of a shotgun) was laying bamboo rods across the pots so that they're criss crossed and can roll at the touch. Doesn't bother the plants at all this freaked the cats out and went elsewhere. same can be done in your garden if the sticks we're raised about 4" above the soil upon a grid and strewn about at odd angles. just so long as can move and roll (clicky clack) It stopped the cats and still can be quickly gathered up - when I want to dig I now I keep finding hairballs outside my door. (This is todays) :mad: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smogs Posted November 15, 2004 yummy i used to have a cat and someone nearby had a compost heap that wasnt properly tended and attracted many rats my cat being such a good mouse hunter there would always be at least 1 dead mouse on the doorstep each morning... for years one time there was just a head with spine attached i was told it was the cat offering gifts... i wasnt too impressed tho i would still prefer that to hairballs tho sounds like you need one of those mini electric fences aorund your whole yard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flip Posted November 15, 2004 It's enough to have me thinking about a "feline enrichment program " for my compost heap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
carlosox Posted December 3, 2004 One of the funniest post I've read in a long time. I've seen cats negotiate rolls of blade wire without suffering a single scratch, so ferret's stakes are nothing to cats. And crapping on top of your cactus!! well really. Didn't you try industrial strength ammonia or orange peel. Some have sworn by these; but then again who can thwart a determined feline. Thanks for making me laugh so much ferret. Could you post a pic of this cat? We'd love to see it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roker Posted December 15, 2004 I had the same problem a while ago with a cat that had been weened to early (don't know how to shit and bury) and a neighbours dog and tried chilli powder, black pepper, bamboo stakes and amonia. Powder pepper and amonia all get washed away after a decent rain. Amonia is effective but only if it is in a dry spot. Then I tried the water bottle trick (another failure). But (a bit of synchronicity kicked in) I was watching a "lifestyle" programme and they had a pet psychologist on the show - his advice (and it is the only thing I have found that works) is to put some cat food (I used the dried stuff) where the little bastards are shitting and as the song goes "don't shit where you eat" they stop shitting where there is food! this works inside and out if you are house training pets. Animals won't respond to verbal or physical dicipline but they are guarranteed to respond to this. good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
