"perigrine" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?

get some lazy cats. By this I mean the experience I have with my moggs. The
lazy shits don't actually bother digging a hole, they just poop on top of
the soil. If they do bother to try and cover it the 1/2 hearted scraping of
some soil invariably results in soil being relocated everywhere but on top
of the poop. Perhaps a more useful suggestion may be to set up a mound of
earth elsewhere for them to use. I put a load on soil in the corner of may
garden and the cats got used to going there.

rob

Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?

On Nov 17, 3:33 pm, "perigrine" wrote:
Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?

Yes, they really do love it when you work the soil up for them, huh!
I've had good success with just laying rabbit wire on top of the ground
until the plants get up to about 4-6 inches tall. The wire I use has
openings about 2" x 4" so the plants just come right up through the
wire. The cats don't like walking on it and can't dig up the seed bed.
I just lift the wire off after the plants are well established, and
the cats don't seem to bother them. I have a small garden, so this
works well. It might not be so practical with a larger garden space.
Hope this helps,
Gary

George.com wrote:
"perigrine" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?


Sprinkle moth balls around the plants,of course you will have to
replace them as they melt from the rain.

Or,orange peel,i've also heard that if you have an old hose to spread
that between the plants,cats think it's a snake.
Hope this helps.

Von.













































































get some lazy cats. By this I mean the experience I have with my moggs. The
lazy shits don't actually bother digging a hole, they just poop on top of
the soil. If they do bother to try and cover it the 1/2 hearted scraping of
some soil invariably results in soil being relocated everywhere but on top
of the poop. Perhaps a more useful suggestion may be to set up a mound of
earth elsewhere for them to use. I put a load on soil in the corner of may
garden and the cats got used to going there.

rob

On 17 Nov 2006 14:33:41 -0800, perigrine wrote:
I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Better dug soil elsewhere, plus a little old litter or some ammonia.

Or citrus peels around the new plants.
Or some of the more "stickery" pine cones liberally strewn over the area.

"perigrine" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?


Fence wire, bent over the top of the garden row, in a tunnel shape. You'll
need to cut small pieces to make the ends of the tunnel.

Ba da bing. End of problem.

eggshells on top of soil.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltechs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


"perigrine" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?

On Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:29:56 -0800, "Starlord"
wrote:

eggshells on top of soil.

Orange peels. Cats hate citrus.

Thanks for all those suggestions. I came up with a brilliant idea of
using the old wire bed base that was on the back porch instead of going
out to buy wire. The parts that went into the frame brackets lifted the
wire off the ground. It also happens to be just the right size for the
corn patch. When this lot get a bit bigger I might dig up another bed
sized plot and plant some more seed.



perigrine

On Nov 18, 9:33 am, "perigrine" wrote:
Hi,

I have just planted out some sweet corn seeds in a newly cultivated
patch of dirt and after watching one of my five cats closely have been
trying to work out how to keep her [them] from using the area as a
toilet - at least until the seedlings are big enough to handle
trespassers.

I thought about a lattice fence - decided they would jump over that.
Then thought of a chicken wire fence, but thought that would need a
'roof.' Thought of keeping the sprinkler nearby, to either keep the
soil damp or to turn on when one approached the area but then I would
have to watch it 24 hours a day.

Any other suggestions?