Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.
You can stop the neighbor’s cat from wandering into your garden to harass the songbirds and use your garden for a litter box.
I’m a cat lover that keeps my cats indoors and understand your frustration. Here are a few things that may help you with this problem
Cover bare soil to discourage cats from digging. Mulching with a coarse material or growing groundcovers may be enough. If this doesn’t work, cover problem areas with a prickly mulch like sweet gum fruit or beechnuts or a mat face down and soft points facing up.
Add rue to your garden. The University of Vermont reports the smell of this garden beauty repels cats.
Or try other scare tactics like blasts of compressed air and noise, or water to send these beautiful animals back home. Citrus, grapefruit rinds and cayenne pepper may also work. Or try a natural repellent like Cat Stopper that smells good, so it repels the cats, but not your guests.
A bit more information: Here are some ideas for keeping your cat in your yard and out of the neighbors’ landscapes. Create a sandy spot in the yard for your cat to snooze. Leave some open space where they can dig and plant catnip or other favorites in an out-of-the-way location.
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