Question about pets using the raised bed

KarenSB 11/5/2022, 4:54 pm

It looks like my cat (or some other animals) may have been using my empty raised beds as a litter box. Some of the squares are dug up. Do I need to replace the Mels mix in those squares? I'm going to get some sort of cover on the beds for winter but how do you keep animals out in the growing season?
Thank you.

OhioGardener 11/5/2022, 5:13 pm

KarenSB wrote:It looks like my cat (or some other animals) may have been using my empty raised beds as a litter box. Some of the squares are dug up. Do I need to replace the Mels mix in those squares? I'm going to get some sort of cover on the beds for winter but how do you keep animals out in the growing season?
Thank you.

If a cat was using the bed for its sandbox, you should remove the deposit it left behind. Not necessary to remove all of the MM in the square, though.

Years ago, when I first installed my raised beds, some neighborhood cat thought it would make a great sandbox. I spread coffee grounds on the soil, and the cat never used them again. I still use coffee grounds on the beds, but mostly for the nutrient value.

**sanderson** 11/6/2022, 1:26 am

My neighbor's cat has used the beds twice. Each time, I remove the offending matter and carefully take a few more scoops out in case there was an "after thought." The greatest chance of having the beds used is when they are empty or just planted with little starts. I used plastic forks planted upside down, leaving them fairly tall. No comfortable squat, no present.

**kauairosina** 11/6/2022, 1:32 pm

Try blood meal sprinkled over. Of course coffee grounds are cheaper and I would use them if they work

**sanderson** 11/6/2022, 1:35 pm

Oh my gosh! It's Rosina!! happy hi

dstack 11/17/2022, 5:53 pm

That's good to know about the coffee grounds. I made a short video on what I've done to keep my garden cat out of the beds. I wonder if the coffee grounds would help deter racoons.

OhioGardener 11/17/2022, 6:45 pm

dstack wrote:That's good to know about the coffee grounds. I made a short video on what I've done to keep my garden cat out of the beds. I wonder if the coffee grounds would help deter racoons.

No, raccoons do not seem to mind the coffee grounds. But, I did discover that deer don't like them. Since I started putting coffee grounds around the rose bushes and other shrubs, the deer have no longer bothered them.

**sanderson** 11/19/2022, 12:04 am

dstack wrote:. .. I made a short video on what I've done to keep my garden cat out of the beds. I. . .

Kiki is so cute. How old is she now? I made Sweetie her own bed, plus she had a 100 sleeping spots in the backyard, sun, shade, damp, dry, soft, hard. Chilling in 2015.

Question about pets using the raised bed Sweeti10

dstack 11/19/2022, 7:08 am

sanderson wrote:
dstack wrote:. .. I made a short video on what I've done to keep my garden cat out of the beds. I. . .
Kiki is so cute. How old is she now? I made Sweetie her own bed, plus she had a 100 sleeping spots in the backyard, sun, shade, damp, dry, soft, hard. Chilling in 2015.

Yes, she's adorable. She's 10, and recently became our bed cat. Every night she sleeps between us. Sweetie looks quite comfortable! She looks a lot like my Giovanni. (RIP).

**sanderson** 11/19/2022, 1:56 pm

So Kiki decided she does like the indoors afterall? Sweetie used to sleep with us. RIP

dstack 11/19/2022, 2:36 pm

sanderson wrote:So Kiki decided she does like the indoors afterall? Sweetie used to sleep with us. RIP

Sorry about Sweetie. Kiki use to be strictly an outdoor cat, but decided to be half and half when she had to be indoors during a hurricane that came through.

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