how can i stop cats digging up my veg patch?
United Kingdom 
hi, i just made myself a veg patch and on the first day of me planting in my veg, a cat had dug up my lettuce and my seeds and used it as a toilet. Next door have 6 cats (!!) who come into my garden, and unlike my cat, seem to have no regard for the fact that there are plants and sticks and canes etc, deterring them. yesterday they dug up my brocolli plants, a bean and all of my lettuces. i was fuming.
Has anybody any ideas as to how i can keep cats away from this bed, and if a cat urinating in there is seriously going to harm my soil/plants, and if its a big health risk? thanks!
14 Jun, 2009
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cats in the garden
Answers
Water pistols or an old washing liquid bottle full of water and kept by the door. They soon get the message. Its also harmless and humane.
14 Jun, 2009
My cat would't go on ground where I had used 6x fertiliser.
14 Jun, 2009
failing buying the coleus canina plant, you could try nepeta aka cat mint, if they are already coming to your garden then make them go where you want them too.
14 Jun, 2009
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Sorry to hear about the cats causing chaos in your new veg. patch. As soon as you can, get a couple of Coleus canina, a.k.a the Scaredycat plant. It has a pong that cats can't stand, although it is inoffensive to our noses. It does work. In the meantime, put some orange peels on the ground, real orange peels, not clementines or mandarins. As for the pee, I think they'd have to do an AWFUL lot to do any serious damage. My place is a stop-off for alot of the local cats, and I'm also a cat owner. Hope this helps. Keep trying with the veg.
14 Jun, 2009