Janet Tweedy wrote:
To keep the thread helpful what do I have to do to 'deter' the cat from
depositing in my flower beds? can I spray something or will it be
attracted to a particular soil such as newly dug etc?

There's many things you can do - there's silent roar pellets made out
of tiger dung. They're useless to my cats and any of the 12 cats in my
streets alone. There's those scented lemon stick - they're useless. My
dogs chew them. There's pepper/chilli - eventually the rain wash it off
and the cats return. There's twigs that I put around newly planted
seedlings - it works but eventually the sticks get moved (wind, rot ...
pixies).

As Monty said, the only deterrent to cats is a Jack Russell )

I guess dog and cat owners will never see eye to eye as it seems that
there's one law for one type of pet and another for a different pet.

I have both, cats and dogs. I collect my dogs mess at the water park we
go and any other mess in my street (which is not my dogs) but I don't
want my kids and visitors to bring it to my house. I also don't want
people thinking it's my dogs. Cats - I haven't a clue where they go,
but for the amount I get around my apple tree, amongst my grasses and
usually anywhere I just dug, they go in my garden which I deal with
myself. However - any cats on my property get to be chased by one of my
dogs because I usually open the door and say 'go and get the cat'.

It's okay to decide that cats are 'wild' in nature but surely 'wild'
animals shouldn't be kept in homes?

Cats are domesticated. This 'wild' thing is ridiculous. I have one of
my cat fetching bits of wires and it brings it back. My other cat go
for walks as far as he can until we tell him to go back home. They
behave like my dogs. If they use next door garden, I am entirely happy
with the neighbours to deal with it as they wish. Though don't hurt the
cats. It's cruel. I go to one lady at the corner who has told me my
Lilly enjoys her wooden bench in the sun. I often clean mess I see for
her, but that might not even be my Lilly doing it.

We must control our animals. If your cats go next door expect them to
be scared off, screamed at, watered with pistols (which I do too on my
cats) when they fool your garden. It's only fair. If you don't want
this to happen to your cats, keep them indoors or don't have cats at
all.