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Gardening problem Help required.

  • Thread starter Thread starter catherinecherub
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catherinecherub

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Hi folks,
Have some gravel areas in my garden and they are fast becoming an unwelcome problem. I live in a detached house and my neighbour, the owner of five, yes five cats is quite a distance away. I expect the cat poo and clear it up regularly. I also use a super duper water pistol on occasions to deter them. Put a sonic cat detterent in as well and they peed all over it and took no notice of the noise it emitted. The problem is that although I put a double liner under the gravel I am getting weeds popping up in abundance. This didn't happen last year when I first laid this gravel. Someone suggested that the weeds are actually coming through from any cat poo that I may have missed. The weeds are manageable and their roots are not strong but it is an added chore. Any suggestions gratefully received before I revamp it at extra cost and put down some paving??

Catherine.
 
Catherine,if you are walking on this gravel at all,even with a double liner the gravel will pierce the liner letting weeds through.Also factor in bird droppings which contain seeds and which will grow wherever they do their business. Orange peel is a good ,non chemical ,deterrent for most cats ,they hate the smell of it!!
 
Thanks for the advice Sue, I am at my wits end as it is now becoming a pain in the proverbial.
 
Answers...

1. Buy a Jack Russell terrier.

2. Scatter the strongest curry powder you can find where the the cats like to poo.

3. Air Soft Guns are a lot of fun. More effective than water pistols, don't kill anything and scare the **** out of cats. (You may well be shot by the Metropolitan Police if you decide to take this route, so be careful.)

4. Mothballs are a great solution to cat-**** problems. The naptha slowly poisons the buggers to death and they can't tell anyone who's to blame.

5. Purchase some catnip seedlings and plant them in somebody else's garden during the small hours. (This really does work.)
 
Thanks Thirsty. I have been advised along those lines and one remedy included slug pellets.
I used to have two Staffies and never had trouble with cats in my other house. Sadly they died and I am reluctant to get another dog as I don't have time to commit to them. It is my dearest wish to pack up work and buy another dog. I am finding that I don't have enough time to work as well as live my life as I would like. Must be my age. :wink:

Catherine.
 
Another use for vinegar:

6. Cats - Vinegar will remove the odor of cat urine. Cats do not like the way vinegar smells. They will avoid urinating in areas that are sprayed with vinegar. A newspaper or rag soaked with vinegar will help keep cats out of your flowerbeds

Regards, Tubs.
 
On a more serious note, if you like the look of gravelled areas, you could try laying a couple of inches of concrete and then carefully covering it with stone chips before the mix sets. Inexpensive, easy to clean with a pressure washer, no cat poo and it's hard to tell the difference if you do the job right.
 
You can get a spray called 'Get Off My Garden!'. No, honestly...I think it's american!
 
Daily Mail today, p.63; Rid The Garden Of Cats! Ad for Coleus cania, an attractive foliage plant, 'the scent it produces is repulsive to cats'...'
 
Hi all thanks for all your helpful hints, I really am grateful to you.

Just one thing Grumpy, the Daily Mail? :roll: Let's have a bit of class on here please. :lol: :lol:

Catherine.
 
catherinecherub hi vivkaroo here have same prob put load of orange peel around today let you know if it work cheers hun xx
 
Thanks viv,
Look forward to hearing how it goes.
Catherine.
 
Generally if you chase cats out of the garden a good few times they will get the message that they are not welcome and go elsewhere.It's especially effective if you do it just as they are doing their business!!They do not like to be disturbed!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Why are people so intent on trying to hurt cats??

I'm sure if a cat lover who dislikes children suggested using an air soft gun or feeding the children moth balls there would be an outcry, yet it's perfectly acceptable to do it to animals.

A water pistol is one of the most effective ways of disuading a cat to use your garden as a litter tray, and most cat lovers are quite happy for others to do this as it causes no long term damage but does also solve the problem.

Another way to deter cats is to put bottles of water around the garden. Cats don't like water and will avoid going near the bottles as they don't like the noise they make. I know it's not overly attractive but it does stop the problem.

Cats also detest the feel and noise of tin foil. If they are using specific areas a few bits of foil under the gravel will soon see them off.

I'm lucky I have 6 cats and they all go next door for the toileting needs :lol:
 
Disgusting people are suggesting hurting cats...... Shame on all of you. Water guns are best as cats do not like to get wet. If you keep chasing them off some determined little b***** will go out of their way to **** in your garden just to prove a point. :|
 
I for one was not suggesting harming cats.I have just recently lost mine after 16 years.However if you actively chase them out of the garden they will get the message,this is not hurting them,just chasing them.Using orange peel is not harmful either as I suggested this to my neighbour when my own cat dug up her seedlings,and it worked.
 
Fuggsy said:
I'm lucky I have 6 cats and they all go next door for the toileting needs :lol:
Click to expand...

I used to be on the receiving end of that, whenever I dug a bit of flower bed the neighbour's cat immediately thought "New toilet!"

When the other neighbours got a couple of cats I thought if I adopted them they'd assume our house and garden was also part of their territory and **** elsewhere. Didn't work though.
 
Add a little baby shampoo to the water in your water pistol. Cats fur is pretty waterproof, but this will help wet them and won't cause any harm.
Now to those weeds.
A little salt sprinkled on them might help. Also, since it's a gravelled area, how about glyphosate weed killer? It becomes inactivated once in contact with soil, so won't kill your plants too.
 
I had my tongue firmly in my cheek when making my suggestions. For those who are concerned, mothballs do help to deter cats from soiling your garden as they don't like the smell, the same goes for curry powder or anything with a strong scent. Soft air guns fire small plastic pellets and you can shoot yourself with one at point blank range without being hurt.

If I seem a little jaundiced when it comes to cats, it's because I worked as a gardener/landscaper for a decade or so. Trust me, you soon lose any affection for our furry friends when you've put your hand in a stinking turd several times a day. At least dogs don't deliberately hide them!
 
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