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Henry's Garden Hints & Tips 5

Guides to growing vegetables, hints & tips to help you get more from your plot from forum member mkhenry

Cats in the Garden and on the Plot

Cats do a lot of good for gardeners, keeping the rodent population in check but they do have one habit that infuriates growers, leaving their calling cards in loose soil. It's not just a matter of them relieving themselves, to them it's a method of communication and marking their territory to other cats. Really unpleasant when you are hand weeding.

Stop Cats from Establishing in your Plot

Over winter on allotment sites where the humans are rarely about the cats will happily establish their patch so it is a good time to deter them.

Save your urine and spray it around. Do this every 2 or 3 weeks and in spring you will not have a cat problem.( If there is heavy rain do it again asap)

If you do not want to do this then scatter Tea Bags on which you have placed a drop of Olbas Oil. The smell will make them feel a lot less welcome. Replace around once per week, or after very heavy rain.

By doing this you are discouraging them from roaming free and claiming your allotment as a toilet.

The method below for deterring cats is effective but please remember you are not looking to harm some old lady's only companion and joy.

Bury a mug size beaker in the ground where you are having soiling problems, so that the lip is about 2"from the surface. Three quarters fill it with Jeyes Fluid. Cover it with a saucer shaped plastic lid that is about 4"larger, that you have made holes in all around the edge of.

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Not the middle you want to let the smell escape but not let water in. The cover must not rest on the beaker, it should rest on the earth 1" above. Then cover with soil marking the spot so you can remember where you left it. You will still get some soiling for a day or two but it will soon cease. If you still get problems in another part of your allotment or garden, bury one there. Very soon you will cease to have a problem with cats. I hope I have made my instructions clear. Basically its a buried beaker pour in Jeyes Fluid and Cover. But leave a small gap. Cats hate Jeyes fluid.

Once cats have established a toilet, they re-use it to keep their message to other cats live. If you have some bramble or rose cuttings, lay them over the spot and the cat will find somewhere else.

Don't be Cruel!

Throwing stones at cats is illegal and cruel. Shouting will scare them away and shooting them with a water pistol, one of those big ones is ideal, will upset them but not cause any actual harm. Cats don't like water and this will deter them from returning.

Another tip that often works, fill a clear plastic pop bottle with water and leave it on its side on the plot. The cat sees a distorted reflection and probably will challenge it, thinking it is another cat. The reflection challenges back and will not give way! Off goes your problem to find somewhere else.

You can buy ultrasonic scaring devices, these do work but are pricey.

Training Your Cat Where to Toilet

If you have a problem with your own cat in your garden using a space you'd rather he didn't, then try this. Place a litter tray with some cat litter in it on the space you do not want them to use. Once they have used it a couple of times, move the tray a few feet away. Gradually move it further each day and the cat will follow the tray, forgetting the original spot.