Mine loll in the catnip and help me dig holes; my mother's neighbor's cats so enjoy littering my mom's yard that she began the modern equivalent of the Seven Year War. Felines are about as welcome as their furballs in her garden. I have had anywhere from one to seven cats at a time since I left home, and I fear that only the 500-plus mile distance between our gardens has kept my mom from disowning me. Hatred of cats all too soon transforms itself into hatred of the people they own. Especially if they mess in your garden.
If you are cat-owned, be warned that as far as your furry friends are concerned, the world is their litterbox. If you don't want neighborhood wars, you can either keep the cats in, or, if they're not amenable to confinement, give them a garden of their own so attractive that they aren't tempted to leave home. Find an out of the way corner of your yard, plant it with catnip and lay down some sand or kitty litter (non-clumping) nearby. If you're lucky the cats will prefer this special corner to your prize plants. They may even invite friends -- but they'll stay in their own little playroom.
If you're not cat-owned, however, and suspect that the neighborhood felines spend their spare time plotting ways to drive you nuts, sterner measures are called for.
If you're pregnant, or have a compromised immune system, then you have even more reason to be wary of felines, as toxoplasmosis is a very real danger. So you will need a strategy.
The gentlest tactics involve harmless but irritating remedies. Cats are not stupid, and are quite capable of being conditioned to avoid those things that create unpleasantness. Many are repelled by a good blast from the hose. It may take a few squirts, but they learn. Unfortunately, however, some of them enjoy water, especially in the summer heat. For them, you must get sterner still.
Try planting rue. The blue leaves are a lovely garden accent, but cats seem to hate the odor. They aren't terrible fond of rolling in roses, either -- the thorns do tend to muss their fur so!
If you think about it, cats rarely roll in plants of any kind.
Unless it's the drug-like catnips and valerians, most cats ignore growing things. It's the dirt they covet. Ready-made kitty litter! So the simple solution is -- don't leave any. Plant anything -- rue, or roses or whatever you fancy -- but don't leave room for rolling. My own cats are too busy napping in the catnip to bother the rest of the yard, but when they do emerge from their stupors they'd rather watch the goldfish than scratch in the few inches of soil I've left unplanted.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Carol Wallace's Virtual Gardening topic, please visit the Discussions page.