Cats

My cats have taken a liking to my vegetable patch to do their business - rather offputting.

How do I stop it

Is there any harm done if I still grow vegtable there

I can remember hearing years ago Radio 4's Gardeners Question Time a gent on teh panel saying that the best deterrent he found for cats was a Jack Russell.  Failing that he used to sit in his bedroom window over looking the garden with his grandson's Supersoaker water rifle, and had become quiet a good shot with it !

I bought J,s fluid and put it in a spray bottle which I lightly used on the area the cats were using as their toilet This soon detered them as its quite strong smelling for them. This was on my flower boarders so I hope it may help on your veggie patch.

Thank you Norma I will try that

Does anyone know if the cats mess will have any adverse effect on the veg or shall I grow elsewhere or put in pots.

I had 4 cats until recently and like you my veggie beds were the favoured place to do their business. To date, my veg has been fine and there has been no real problem - apart from crooked lines of salad leaves where the lovely straight line I'd hoed had been meddled with!

What about the health effect - I couldnt tell dinner guests the fertiliser used!!

Will the veg have been contaminated?

I have 2 elderly cats and they also take to going to the toilet in my veggie patch.

I have tried all the cats sprays on the market but they don't work. I, like dg43, am worried about the health effects.

For the moment I have covered the whole area - about 10 by 10 metres in a layer of green fairly thick netting. I am hoping that by the time I am readt to plant my seeds and young plants that they will have found somewhere else around the garden to 'go'.

I too would be interested to hear if anyone has any good ways to deter the cats from using the veggie beds as a toilet!  I have 2 cats which insist on digging in my raised beds - I am currenly growing fruit bushes in them so the fruit doesnt touch the floor.  But this year I was thinking of growing salad veg too - I was concerned about the health aspect as I know cat poo can carry all kind of nasty parasites and with 2 small children I cant take the risk.  Can I use gravel around the fruit bushes to deter them?

I have nevr used it but Lion pooh is supposed to be a deterrent. I have seen it for sale in some garden centres.  Also try pepper.

toxoplasmosis can be a problem for people with impaired immune systems but all will probably be all right if you just rake it off.

Hi All,

I have found a possible solution for us all its the

<h2 class="posttitle icon">Coleus Canina (Scaredy Cat Plant)</h2>

this has a scent that is not liked by cats and foxes. it is suggested that you use these in pots as so if the cat moves to another part of the garden you can put it there after a while of this musical chair placement the cats will (fingers crossed) move somewhere else!!

hope this helps.

Vegetable plots and raised beds are open invitation to cats needing a toilet.  They just love the bare soil and easy tilth.   If you can't place cat proof nets over your beds, try scattering spiky sticks from your prunings.

A long term solution is a water scarecrow device which attaches to a hospepipe and has sensors that set off a spray when a cat, or fox or heron strolls by.  They don't like the wetting and go elsewhere.  The sensors beed to be moved regularly as cats learn where they are.  However, this may not be a possible solution for those in hosepipe ban areas so the well aimed water gun is teh next best option.

As for danger to health, I had 7 cats in Harrow and grew veggies and salads with no problems but they needed careful washing.  It wasn't till I moved to Belgium 20 years ago that I picked up the toxoplasmosis bug and that was 10 years ago.  It lurks on inadequately washed salads and veggies and meat cooked rare.  It's a bit like having flu and is not a a danger to healthy peope except pregnant women as it can damage the baby.  Here on the continent, pregnant women are screened for the anti-bodies and if they don't have them they get monthly blood tests through the pregnancy in case action needs to be taken.

You can also use coffee grounds (coffee shops will give them to you free on request).  Cats don't like the smell and the coffee grounds slowly rot down and add nitrogen to the soil.  I have a floating population of feral and stray cats and use coffee grounds everywhere but in their toilet area which I keep dug over for them.  It seems to work and by giving them a freshly dug area of their own at the bottom of the garden I don't get complaints from my neighbours either (except about the squirrel who doesn't seem to mind coffee!)