[mac5977]

My neighbor's cat are always in my yard! I have nothing against cats, i just don't want one and I don't like to see them making "cat piles" in the yard, ESPECIALLY my garden. I worry that ds and dd will get toxoplasmosis by contact with cat poo. Anybody have any thoughts about keeping them away?

 

[Soontobe3]

we've always used moth balls. I personally cant stand the smell of them, but I'd rather that than cat poop!

 

[hlr]

Here's a website that sells stuff that can be used to deter cats/dogs etc.. I've never used it so I don't know if it works or not. I've bought other stuff from the catalog and it's always been true to the description. Good luck

Heidi

http://www.gardeners.com

 

[seedgirl]

I once used a citrus based product. So expensive though. It did work. But because my dear neighbor has so many cats and they love my yard, I do what she does:

1. Put small sticks upright in the dirt
2. In uncultivated areas, (where they love to pee) I lay chickenwire, plastic trellis, anything to keep em from scratching)

Ive heard about mothballs (mostly from the older generation on the block) but I wouldnt put em around vegetables and kids.

Good luck!

 

[Book Addict Jen]

http://www.thefrugallife.com/catsout.html

You can also buy repellant that is made of coyote urine. http://www.critter-repellent.com/cat/cat-repellant.php Cats stayy away since territory is "marked".

Human hair clippings work. Call a local beauty shop, explain that you want discarded hair clippings for your garden compost, and ask if you can have the sweepings from the day. Of course this will need to be "replenished" fairly frequently, especially if it rains, but scattering the hair in your garden is not only great compost (my mom used it, and not to discourage cats!), it also discourages the cats.

 

[mom at home]

A couple things I do: Lay down wire fencing until my plants get big enough to cover up most exposed dirt, keep the soil wet as the cats don't seem to like that, and have the dog chase them out of the yard so they learn to stay out. If I just whisper the word cat my dog takes off like a shot to the back yard. Now I'm battling my own cat, but for the most part the above things work.

 

[mac5977]

Thanks so much for all the replies, I'll have to try some of those ideas. In the long run, I need to get our fence completed so we can get a DOG!