Cat Deterrent

[BMac]

Have any of you used one of those motion detectors that activates a water spray when a cat comes within range?

I am trying to keep our two cats (a moment of insanity when my wife said "Yes please" to the offer of kittens) off my raised vegetable beds and I don't want to use a sonic type alarm because it would chase the cats off my property (which I think would be a wonderful thing). Are the water-squirting type any good or do I just keep using nets as barriers?

Thanks, Brendan.

 

[monkeybiter]

I once heard that a line of chopped onion can act as a barrier to cats.

 

[Chems]

You can buy these little sticks you stick in the ground. We use them and they do seem to work.

http://www.presentsformen.co.uk/product ... 5&src=base

 

[monkeybiter]

At that price for just 1m2 I think alternatives should be explored, how about a workshop project to build a low profile hair-trigger 'cat'-apult to introduce the felines to air flight, unhindered by ash clouds.

 

[Russ]

We use orange peel/skin, they hate it!!

 

[BMac]

Thank you.

Onions - our retarded cats love onions and try to get at them all the time.

Sticks - I am trying to protect an area of about 120 sq metres.

Cat-er-pult - super idea and one I find very attractive.

Orange peel - I'll try that.

I have used some Holly and twiggy branches with success today. The cats don't like the Holly and won't try to cross the twiggy stuff - so far.

Any more suggestions will be appreciated greatly.

Brendan.

 

[Matt_S]

We use a really cheap net from the garden centre. About 40p a metre of a roll about 2m wide. Stretched across the beds then onto little screw in hooks. We leave in place until plants begin to fill space and then remove. Works for us but then the area is much much smaller!

 

[Tom K]

Hi Brendan,
As you are in Bandit Country can you lay hands on an AK47? Its a permanent solution but tough on the veg :lol:

 

[WoodAddict]

I'll second orange peal. it really does work! you can even buy spray that smells of oranges to deter them but go for the peal option! it's worked for us in the past!

 

[billw]

a dog?

 

[studders]

A Hungry Dog?

 

[Beowolf]

Cat's aren't all bad. We just had some neighbours move in with a cat, and the mole population has plummeted!

 

[Benchwayze]

A Hungry Dog?

A fast, mean and hungry dog.

:wink:

 

[BMac]

Thanks again.

Net - I'm using nets stretched over hoops and it does help but they still got a shallot out of a bed and somehow managed to dig in the middle of the beetroot. I saw how they did the digging, they walk up the net and it sags enough to give limited access to the soil.

AK47 - we aren't allowed those now and have been relegated to baseball bats and hurling sticks. Punishment beatings seem to take ages.

Dog - our two dogs died last year and I'm not really able to give a dog the exercise it needs so would need a really lazy dog, but then, it would probably be too lazy to chase the cats.

Hungry dog - now you're talking but the Animal Police might consider it cruel to let a dog depend on catching cats to get food. The other minor issue is that of my dog eating Rosemary's cats.

Has anyone had success with the half-full plastic bottle of water?

Brendan.

 

[Benchwayze]

Yes Mac. I find the old Fairy Liquid bottles worked well. But even that was frowned upon by one femme neighbour who was a cat lover.

'How would you like it?' She asked.

'I wouldn't.' I replied, 'That's why I don't c**p in gardens.' :wink:

regards

John

 

[SammyQ]

I find it disturbing that there is a "hug your pet" ad, prominently featuring two moggies, right at the bottom of this page where you can't miss it....Tony, are you a subtle felophile?


Brendan, No 1 son has found half a bottle of water works beautifully. He leaves it in the freezer for a couple of hours and then..........beauty of it is, provided he aims high enough above their heads, there is always a solid wall in our garden and the spicular shrapnel from the impact really seems to psyche cats out!!

Try smashing up some ice cubes in a plakky bag and then walloping them with it? Rosemary wont'd see the evidence 'cos it'll melt...........

I just hate it when I'm weeding the strawberries and I end up with my finger through a particularly loose 'cats' calling card.....think about it.

Sam