Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

Albert Fiantaca wrote:

Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

The only sure thing I have found to keep cats out your beds is to cover
them (the beds, not the cats!) with crumpled chicken wire. Cheap, easy to
mold to shape, lightweight and with large enough openings so seedlings can
poke through. Make sure it is crumpled a bit - flat chicken wire doesn't
seem to have the same powers of deterrence. Once seedlings have emerged to
a reasonable size, you can use the wire as a sort of tented mulch to
protect the surrounding soil.

I haven't described this well - too tired - but I hope you get the picture.
:-)

pam - gardengal

Xref: news7 rec.gardens:217168

Randomly buried bamboo skewers with about 1/2in above ground. (don't step on
them)

Laura B.

What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

We love using Cocoa Mulch to keep the cats out of our planting beds! It's
super easy to work with, looks good, and smells great!
http://store.yahoo.com/emerysgardens...ocoamulch.html

I don't know how large of an area you have but if Cocoa Mulch doesn't work
for you, you may need to put up a chicken wire fence that the cats would
have to climb over to get in. This is just a guess but if you build it so it
has a lot of flexibility the cats may not want to go through the hassle.

Thanks,
Burl

Safe and Natural Gardening
http://www.emerysgardenstore.com


"Albert Fiantaca" wrote in message
...
Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

and there is a thing called a "Motion Activated Sprinkler" that might be
fun.

"Burl" wrote in message
news:4Evia.39666$OV.140290@rwcrnsc54...
We love using Cocoa Mulch to keep the cats out of our planting beds! It's
super easy to work with, looks good, and smells great!
http://store.yahoo.com/emerysgardens...ocoamulch.html

I don't know how large of an area you have but if Cocoa Mulch doesn't work
for you, you may need to put up a chicken wire fence that the cats would
have to climb over to get in. This is just a guess but if you build it so
it
has a lot of flexibility the cats may not want to go through the hassle.

Thanks,
Burl

Safe and Natural Gardening
http://www.emerysgardenstore.com


"Albert Fiantaca" wrote in message
...
Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

Scatter orange peels


On 02 Apr 2003 05:51:01 GMT, Albert Fiantaca
wrote:

Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
jammer
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸

Rose bush or sticker bush twigs scattered about.

A marigold border around the perimeter also works.


--
.... __~o
.. \ -\,
......(_)/(_)....................... http://www.VoodooInk.net

te amo mucho mi amor

Albert Fiantaca wrote:

Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this?

Know your enemy: Cats have a keen sense of smell, tender feet,
and hate to get wet. They also sniff the area they plan to dig
in.

Use a motion-detector sprinkler (there is a battery-operated one)
aimed at the garden. Surprise them a few times and they will
avoid the area.

They usually despise citrus peel - scattering it liberally can
help. Scattering a liberal dose of cheap HOT chile powder helps.

Laying a moat of thorny branches around the perimeter helps, as
does covering with a vinyl trellis (plant in the holes)

Pretend they are rabbits and make a hoop house with bird netting
over the veggie beds.



Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré

"Burl" wrote:

We love using Cocoa Mulch to keep the cats out of our planting beds!

Mulch? Keep a cat out of any area? Unless the mulch is made of
cholla pads, it's not going to work.


super easy to work with, looks good, and smells great!
http://store.yahoo.com/emerysgardens...ocoamulch.html

And you just happen to have a warehouse full.


Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré

You may want to try a product that is sold in garden centers that repels
cats. It may be called Chase Away or something close to that. Also, check
to see if it's safe to use on edibles. I can't be sure, but I think it's a
granular product that has a predator's urine in it so cats will not go near
it. It's usually fox or coyote urine. Many landscapers are using products
similar to these to keep animals out of planted flower and shrub beds. May
be something you can check on. I believe you sprinkle it around the
perimeter of the garden and not on the actual garden. Good luck.

Penny
Zone 7b - North Carolina
"Albert Fiantaca" wrote in message
...
Hi

It's springtime. The garden soil is soft and has been turned once. The
gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in. It stinks to the heavens and I particularly don't
want it where I grow food. I have to search out the spot where they
their bury it and dig it out to dispose of it. What can I do to put a
stop to this? No, I can't shoot them. Poison is out, I have a dog, and
young children around.

Thanks, Al

Somebody has a warehouse full! We just sell it - and we sell products that
we use.

From observing my cats around the product it seems like they are mostly
detererred by the odor however, the Cocoa mulch documentation says that it's
the texture that does it.

I think that another aspect of this product helps, and that is, "after
watering Cocoa Mulch a natural gum is activated, which binds the shells into
a loosely knitted porous mat that holds the moisture in the soil, suppresses
weed growth and holds in place during normal rain or wind storms."

Thanks,
Burl

Safe and Natural Gardening
http://www.emerysgardenstore.com

"Tsu Dho Nimh" wrote in message
news
"Burl" wrote:

We love using Cocoa Mulch to keep the cats out of our planting beds!

Mulch? Keep a cat out of any area? Unless the mulch is made of
cholla pads, it's not going to work.


super easy to work with, looks good, and smells great!
http://store.yahoo.com/emerysgardens...ocoamulch.html

And you just happen to have a warehouse full.


Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré

On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 06:43:12 GMT, "Burl" wrote:

Cocoa Mulch to keep the cats out of our planting beds!



Bullshit and spam to boot!



"As crude a weapon as a cave man's club the chemical barrage has been hurled at the fabric of life."
Rachel Carson

On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 12:16:15 GMT, "Burl" wrote:

Cocoa mulch documentation

propaganda!



"As crude a weapon as a cave man's club the chemical barrage has been hurled at the fabric of life."
Rachel Carson

The gang of neighborhood cats have decided that my vegetable garden plot is
the place to crap in.
What can I do to put a stop to this?
I have a dog, and young children around.

If these are feral cats, speak to your local animal control warden. If they
have owners, remind the owners that their cats will be safer & healthier if
they are kept indoors.
Keep your dog and children out in the yard as much as possible. It is healthier
for them anyway.
There is a motion sensor sprinkler you can get to attach to the hose, which
will chase them away harmlessly. There are non-toxic repellants you can get in
the pet store. They need to be applied after every rain.
If these cats are so fearless they come around when you are there, a water
pistol loaded with ammonia solution will act as a deterrent without doing any
serious harm.
Consider using plastic mulch after you set out the vegetable plants.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

In article , Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 12:16:15 GMT, "Burl" wrote:

Cocoa mulch documentation

propaganda!

I didn't have the desire to read the advertising, but I assume it failed
to mention that cocoa mulch though it starts out pretty & nice-smelling
very soon gets all moldy & dusgusting?

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/