Cat(s) using my SFG for a bathroom

Okay, so I was outside this weekend, since the weather was nice here in central PA and started clearing my garden of the cover crop I had put in there last year. As I'm cleaning the box out, I'm finding what I though at first was carrots. Breaking it open revealed that it was not a carrot, but poop (from what I am assuming is a cat). I do have a chicken wire fence up around my garden and noticed that some of the sides were bent outward. I also noticed before clearing, that the soil looked like it was dug through.

I really need to nip this as quickly as I can. I really don't want to be out there all summer cleaning up from a cat. I do like the animals, but I don't want them performing their business near my veggies. Any suggestions or how to stop them, keep them from doing what they are doing?

Someone on this forum used a Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler with great results.

http://www.amazon.com/Contech-CRO101-Scarecrow-Activated-Sprinkler/dp/B000071NUS/ref=cm_rdp_product

Build a PVC pipe cage like this one, making it any size you need. Cover with bird netting or tulle and no more problems. Cheap and easy.

I had this last yr and they only used the beds that were empty, so I just got a roll of cheap bird netting and put it over each of the beds. I lifted it to plant, then when the plants got a little size, it was removed.
Jo

I have barn cats so I have chicken wire critter cages on everything. I made them as described in Mel's book. Even on my 32 inch table top of strawberries because one of my "professional mousers" immediately thought this must be her new jungle gym. I still caught her hanging on the side of this box and peering inside even though she could not get in with the critter cage set on top. That darn cat.

This may sound silly but last year I had the same problem.
I took plastic forks and stuck them into the box tine up every couple of inches until the plants grew. Of course the neighbors thought it was funny!

llama momma wrote:I have barn cats so I have chicken wire critter cages on everything. I made them as described in Mel's book. Even on my 32 inch table top of strawberries because one of my "professional mousers" immediately thought this must be her new jungle gym. I still caught her hanging on the side of this box and peering inside even though she could not get in with the critter cage set on top. That darn cat.

but, but..... what we really want to hear is how you keep the llama's out

bnoles, You crack me up. Btw, llamas respect fences thankfully.
I shudder and would to see them or across my 8 boxes ...ok thats enough emoticons for one night

Keeping moggies out your beds is easy ...

There are battery operated infra red sensor devices on ebay etc that can be connected to a hose pipe , when triggered they spray the detection at area for a few seconds with water from the hose.
Cats hate them and soon learn to stay clear of the lovely toilet you so kindly made for them so go pee and crap elswhere instead.

look for .... infra red cat deterrents or infra red pest control .

My former neighbors would frequently comment on my marvellous crop of plastic picnic forks sprouting in my SFG!

I had a terrible time with my cats getting into my boxes last year. We tried every remedy we could find and nothing worked. We talked to someone local to our area about it and this was their recommendation:

They suggested that we install carpet tack strip all around the boxes and very GENTLY introduce each cat to them. I held them and lightly touched their paws to the boards a couple times and have literally never seen them anywhere near the boxes since.

I had the same problem. The cat or cats mistakenly thought my top hat box was created for their very own crapper. Earlier this year I planted some carrots in the top hat and some lettuce seeds in my boxes. Before anything had time to sprout I could tell the cat had been there. I sifted the entire box and decided to do something to deter the cat. I bought some garden animal netting I think it is about 1/2 inch squares. I cut this to fit over my entire box. Then when I used twine to make my squares I weaved it in and out of the netting to hopefully hold the netting in place. I stapled down the twine and added a few extra staples to hold some of the netting. I now have carrots and lettuce sprouting nicely and not a single hole dug into the entire box. I have heard cats don't like the feeling of stuff on their paws and I thought the netting would be something they wouldn't like.

I am fairly certain I have an armadillo digging holes in my yard and in my SFG box that is one foot away from this box but there have not been any holes dug into my box with the netting over it. I could tell that something walked on my box because of some depressions in the MM but there was not any digging so from what I can tell it seems to work on cats and possibly armadillos. When I was sifting my box I tossed all the grub worms that I could find so maybe the armadillo just doesn't have a reason to get into this box and it has nothing to do with the netting; I don't know.

I have pictures but due to restrictions can't post them from my office computer.

I also jokingly tell people that my square boxes are sovereign territory ruled by me and I exercise the right to eat, kill or destroy anything I find in that particular 32 square feet of planet Earth.

-Best if it is said without smiling or laughing while you have a bit of a psycho look in your eye.

H_TX_2 wrote:I had the same problem. The cat or cats mistakenly thought my top hat box was created for their very own crapper. Earlier this year I planted some carrots in the top hat and some lettuce seeds in my boxes. Before anything had time to sprout I could tell the cat had been there. I sifted the entire box and decided to do something to deter the cat. I bought some garden animal netting I think it is about 1/2 inch squares. I cut this to fit over my entire box. Then when I used twine to make my squares I weaved it in and out of the netting to hopefully hold the netting in place. I stapled down the twine and added a few extra staples to hold some of the netting. I now have carrots and lettuce sprouting nicely and not a single hole dug into the entire box. I have heard cats don't like the feeling of stuff on their paws and I thought the netting would be something they wouldn't like.

How will you harvest your carrots with the netting stapled over the bed? Also you will need to remove the netting to add compost and that may be a real pain to do if you have plants growing thru it in adjoining squares.

I have been thinking about that. I don't seem to have a problem with cats unless the MM is freshly turned over. I think once everything is growing and definitely by the time I'm ready to harvest anything I can simply cut away any netting that is in the way.

This was just such an irritating problem getting under my skin I had to do something. Now I will worry about this much smaller and less icky problem of the netting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Ur9v3qgAQ

looks like the infrared worked on this cat!! he about defies gravity! lol

southern gardener wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Ur9v3qgAQ

looks like the infrared worked on this cat!! he about defies gravity! lol

LOL, That's awesome!

I love it! .....lol...

hahaha. I love cats, I have four myself, but I don't want them in my garden. That looks like a great, humane way to deal with the issue.

I LOVE this solution! My cat AND dog get into my garden - but they both HATE water! This is a great, safe, effective deterrent to keep them out and I want one! :-D