Keeping Cats Out of Beds!

[Gardeneer]

Another simple solution would be ; 'just get rid of the cat !".

[MuddyToes]

Originally Posted by shule1

She didn't eat whole tomatoes or anything (as far as I saw). She drank the juices from a few squished ones, at least. Sorry if I exaggerated. So, she was being helpful to the tomato patch at this point.

Your cat must have been reading Bunnicula.

Originally Posted by MuddyToes

Your cat must have been reading Bunnicula.

I did have a few white tomatoes in the garden. I thought they were supposed to be that way, though, growing White Tomesol and all.

I used to have a pet Dutch Dwarf rabbit (black and white), and coincidentally was a fan of Bunnicula.

[Spike2]

My neighbor has a cat. She thought it was hysterical that her cat used my yard as a litter box. I ended up putting chicken wire over my raised bed and tubs etc. That worked amazingly well for me. Neighbor finally decided to plant her own garden. YEP she actually complained to me how her cat was messing in her beds. >,<

[somegeek]

I like the mouse trap idea. I never told my neighbors their cat could crap in my beds over carrots I will feed my family. Their fault, not mine.

[MissS]

Originally Posted by Spike2

My neighbor has a cat. She thought it was hysterical that her cat used my yard as a litter box. I ended up putting chicken wire over my raised bed and tubs etc. That worked amazingly well for me. Neighbor finally decided to plant her own garden. YEP she actually complained to me how her cat was messing in her beds. >,<

My neighbors had a cat that they allowed out and thought it was so funny that it would eat my Koi and use my gardens for........ Until I told them that I miscarried from Toxoplasmosis which is only passed on through cat feces. Then they stopped laughing and put their house on the market.

[WLeClair]

Wow, this sure has sparked some interesting discussion. Thanks for all of the replies. I think some thick mulch and catnip might be in order this spring...even though our cats are pretty useless. I kid you not, a gopher came above ground once last year and had a showdown with one of the cats. They stared at each other, the gopher hissed and the cat walked away. Now, birds (including hummingbirds)...they'll hunt them and bring them in the house every day of the week...feather explosion everywhere.

[gorbelly]

I was going to say that there's no way to keep a cat out of your bed unless you don't let the cat in the bedroom, because the cat eventually breaks you with its persistence and retrains you until you enjoy having it there... but then I remembered, hey stupid, this is a gardening site--people are talking about garden beds!

I think those who suggested laying chicken wire flat on top of the soil have the best solution. It's the most reliable method because it's a good barrier to scratching and digging which the cat can't destroy.

Plastic mulch, aluminum foil, etc. can also work because the feel under the feet doesn't feel bathroomy to cats, and most cats hate the sound that foil makes. But some cats are creatures of habit, and if they really like a spot in your garden, they can dig through most mulch.

Odor-based repellents can work... on some cats. Cats are pretty individual, and they all have their different tolerances and priorities.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I had an orange tabby that would eat anything yellow or orange.
Loved corn and squash.

Worth

Many cats enjoy cooked squash and pumpkin.

I had a cat who liked corn, and he also loved fruit and sweets. He'd occasionally take a nibble of a sungold, although even a sungold was a little tart for his tastes.

They say that cats don't have tastebuds that can sense sweetness, but I'm pretty sure this cat could. I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually discovered that a small minority of cats do have the ability to taste sweetness.

[jmsieglaff]

While we don't have cats, our old neighbors did (very glad I can now type old neighbors). They let their stupid cats out to roam around and they often would ruin things in our garden, including laying down to nap and ruining emerging seeds, newly planted seedlings, etc. I put spinning kids plastic windmills in the garden as well as forks into the ground pointy ends up and it seemingly did the trick. Just thinking about it makes me

[Worth1]

None of my cats ever hurt anything in the garden or did anything in it for some reason.
Sometimes Smokey wont go outside in the morning.
She sees something out there I cant see and wont go out.

Worth

[Down_South]

Cats can be a problem...but nothing like that Forest Ranger Squirrel who's managed to plant a forest of oak acorn's that's just now emerging in my raised bed and pots.

[dmforcier]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

I was going to say that there's no way to keep a cat out of your bed unless you don't let the cat in the bedroom, because the cat eventually breaks you with its persistence and retrains you until you enjoy having it there...

Here are examples of direct confrontation and of bribery. Wanna guess how long the bribery will be effective?






Also notice the "reward of the uninvolved".

[Starlight]

I had a major problem with feral cats. Found out they don't like the smell of Sweet Grass. germination of the seeds is low, but a few plants around will grow and do the trick. Buying and laying out Sweet Grass braids works too. I put a few under my trailer as the cats would rip holes in under lining and make a home and have kittens all up under my home.

[MissMoustache]

Originally Posted by WLeClair

Hi, everyone. We have three cats and they notoriously use our beds (especially the raised ones) for litter boxes -- right after I loosen it up and plant the seedlings, of course. I have tried pest deterrents (I'm currently trying Bonide Repels-All) and none of them have kept them out. Are there any tried and true methods out there? Maybe a sensor sprayer?

Sensor sprayer (motion activated sprinkler and air blasters-I use the air blasters on my countertops for the indoor cats) has worked best for me. I also mulch heavily with spoiled hay or dry grass clippings and that deters them. This year as I'm digging new beds I'm covering them as they're prepped with a tarp.