Hello,
Does anybody of you have an idea how my neighbor could keep our (three) cats
away from her garden? I'm sure I recently read about a tip, but I forgot
where it was.
Thank you in advance.
Helga Crabus
Another option is to create a good space for them in your yard -- nice, fluffy
ground for them to use, a few good resting places for your cats...shady spots and
comfortable warming spots. Combine that with using cat deterrents in her
garden...and how much that helps depends on what kind of attraction she's providing.
A bird feeding station might promise too much fun for them to ignore, but plain
garden beds might turn into unfrequented territory, especially if other cats still
see her gardens as part of your cats' territory.
Keeping your cats inside is a good option...but other cats will probably move into
the territory they vacate. My lady friend is an indoor cat, but I still need to
protect my garden beds. I use a combination of cayenne pepper sprinkled over some
areas, rose branches and other thorny materials laid over vulnerable spots...and
long twigs laid on less vulnerable spots. (Cats start to scratch, get hit with a
few sticks, and move on.) Some largish spots get covered with thicket-type brush
prunings...or, in the early season, light cloth covers. All that helps reduce
damage. (Did I ever mention the cat that decided my cold frame was a nice warm
spot...managed to wiggle inside, and was stretched out in full bask mode when I
discovered her?)
Barb in Southern Indiana Zone 5/6 dorsettm@scin.quik.com
Time is what keeps things from happening all at once.
You could keep your cats indoors, which is the preferred method given cat
predation on songbirds! Absent that the usual suggestions are to put
material that is aversive to the cat lying, squatting, or digging in the
beds (like material with thorns or short sticks, or covering the empty space
with hardware cloth). There are repellents, some of which I think work for
cats. Seems like the neighborly thing to do would be to supervise the cats
when they are out or offer to purchase and spray the repellent for the
neighbor as long as the cats are still going over there.
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
-----Original Message-----
From: Gardens & Gardening [mailto:GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu] On Behalf Of Helga
Crabus
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2001 7:26 AM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Cat in the neighbor's garden
Hello,
Does anybody of you have an idea how my neighbor could keep our (three) cats
away from her garden? I'm sure I recently read about a tip, but I forgot
where it was.
Thank you in advance.
Helga Crabus
We solved the loose cat thing a couple of years ago here. Did it without having to cook any of them
too. Bunch of folks, me included, went to city council and asked to have cats included in the
existing leash law. Large outcry from folks in audience about independence of cats, can't leash
them, etc., etc. Two ladies in the pro leash bunch walked in with their very well behaved cats on
leashes and the noise stopped. Addition to leash law passed unanimously. I no longer have cat poop
in the flower beds or gardens, they're not screaming under the windows at night, they don't walk on
our cars anymore with their dirty feet, and, yeah, it's true, the cat owners seem to be happier as
they don't have those problems either. As a plus the song bird population has increased
dramatically.
George, who is very fond of responsible pet friends (do we really own our pets or is it vice versa?)
Deborah Green wrote:
Helga,
Three of my favorite methods are
1) Meyer Lemon and Pepper Cat. Here succulent pieces of lightly
battered and fried cat are covered in a Meyer Lemon sauce and served over a
bed of Argula, white and wild rice. Complete with a White Zinfandel.
2) Cajun Style Cat fillets with sweet onion, sweet pepper, garlic,
cayenne pepper and thyme. Serve with dirty rice and a good Marlot.
Or if you are not culinary inclined I suggest
3) Catskin gloves. These wonderful gloves, a la, Martha, remain
warm and supple even on the coldest of days. If you have a lot of cat, I
suggest catskin long underware. Keep you loved one warm all winter.
Lastly, remember steamed cat bone meal is a wonderful source of
potassium ecologically sound, good for yout flowers, and safe from mad cow
disease,
Except for these methods, there are no ways of keeping cats out of your
garden.
-John"Who does not have a cat problem anymore but did gain 20 pounds this
summer"Mertus@Brown.EDU
Good grief, John, I hope you have your *flameproof* underwear on!!
I have been on this list a long time and know that John is KIDDING. He
would not actually harm a cat in any way, except perhaps to wither it with
sarcasm.
Sue
ScarletSage@att.net
Zone 6, south-central PA
cats
a
In a message dated 9/28/2001 7:51:03 AM Central Daylight Time,
John_Mertus@BROWN.EDU writes:
John,
This is possibly one of the most offensive things I've ever read. That you
would spend time composing such a sick missive is highly disturbing -- even
if you were trying to be humorous. There is nothing humorous about this and I
am sure some of our fellow list members shall agree. Not the least of which
would be Helga, who is referring to her OWN cats.
Helga, I do hope you might consider making your cats indoor cats for your
garden's sake, your neighbor's garden's sake, but mostly for your cats'
well-being.
Jennifer
As the owner of four cats, I feel it is *my* responsibility to keep my
cats out of my neighbors' gardens, just as it is *their* responsibility
to keep their dog out of mine.
Barbara A. in southside Ole Virginny, Zone 7b, who is actually very much
owned by her cats.
George Shirley wrote:
That's amazing George - I can't imagine cat owners agreeing to a leash
law...you must live in a town filled with reasonable people.... is it a
small town?
Karen, NJ
having to cook any of them
> too. Bunch of folks, me included, went to city council and asked to have
cats included in the
> existing leash law. Large outcry from folks in audience about independence
of cats, can't leash
> them, etc., etc. Two ladies in the pro leash bunch walked in with their
very well behaved cats on
> leashes and the noise stopped. Addition to leash law passed unanimously. I
no longer have cat poop
> in the flower beds or gardens, they're not screaming under the windows at
night, they don't walk on
> our cars anymore with their dirty feet, and, yeah, it's true, the cat
owners seem to be happier as
> they don't have those problems either. As a plus the song bird population
has increased
> dramatically.
> George, who is very fond of responsible pet friends (do we really own our
pets or is it vice versa?)
> Deborah Green wrote:
> You could keep your cats indoors, which is the preferred method given
cat
> predation on songbirds! Absent that the usual suggestions are to put
> material that is aversive to the cat lying, squatting, or digging in the
> beds (like material with thorns or short sticks, or covering the empty
space
> with hardware cloth). There are repellents, some of which I think work
for
> cats. Seems like the neighborly thing to do would be to supervise the
cats
Helga
cats
About 15K in population and probably 1/4 of that is transient, ie transfer in with one of the
plants, transfer out in two to three years. That's how we got here but we liked it so stayed. Lots
of reasonable people here, even reasonable cat owners. I think they realize their cats are safer
this way as there were lots of cat deaths on the streets prior to adding them onto the leash law.
We've finally got our own carefully designed animal pound and animal control officer too. Used to
call the parish (county) to come get them until we found out what was happening to them. Public
donations built the pound and the control officers truck and we voted for and got a millage on the
taxes to pay his salary and all costs of running the pound. Now if your dog gets out and gets caught
they will actually call you and let you know they've got the dog if it's wearing its tags. Sleepy
only wears her collar when we're out walking as she is trained not to go outside the fence without
Miz Anne or I with her. We have a very active group of pet owners around here. Lots of us old
retirees with loved pets.
George
swaine wrote:
Many years ago I traveled in an RV thus never had a permanent land of my own
and the views varied weekly if not daily.
My Poo-bear was so used to, and felt secure, that when I opened the door he
would go down the steps and sit at the bottom waiting to be hooked up. Only
then would he venture out about 15' once again sit and view the scenery.
When I settled into a home he continued the same. He felt safe, I felt he
was safe as I stayed out at the same time. When he wanted back in he simply
went up the steps and waited for me to open the door.
It would never occur to me that someone else should have to adjust their
life to fit what is my responsibility. Sydney
Damn Jaime! I just blew perfectly good iced tea all over the monitor when I read about dragging the
kitten around. I have to agree with you about training cats to the leash. We've had several cats
over the year who've owned us and my daughter and eldest granddaughter have cats they keep up now.
Never saw one on a leash until that night except on TV and I'm not sure the TV one wasn't faked. The
point the ladies were making is that cats should be kept at home for their own protection or leashed
when outside the house. I've not seen one leashed since that night and now very seldom see one
roaming free as they used to. The leash law was originally meant only for dogs and worked. Hopefully
the leash law as applied to cats will mean that more cats get to live longer and some pet owners
will at last learn responsibility. Other than that I can't see a market in training cats to the
leash. Well, unless I buy stock in BandAid first.
George
jaime wrote:
I'm not gonna get sucked into this argument like I usually do, except
to make a quick comment:
Comparing leashing cats to leashing dogs is a ... (oh hell, what's the
word for faulty logic?) it's not an apt analogy. Passing a law that
requires cats to be leashed is equivalent to passing a law that
prohibits dogs from barking.
There will always be a few people that can get a few cats (especially
of certain breeds) trained to a leash, just as there are people whose
dogs will cease barking on command.
The rest of us spend several hours each day for weeks dragging
around kittens lying on their sides, in harness and leash, before we
give up ... and have to take the kitties to the vet because they are
hairless & brush-burned on one side.
regards,
jaime
Other than that I can't see a market in
I have a 15 pound cat that I tried to train to walk on a leash, because I'd
love to be able to take him to the pet store with me, like people do their
dogs. I got him a harness and a leash, put the harness on him, then almost
died of hysterics. Remember the old Rowan and Martin Laugh-In, where Arte
Johnson would ride out on his bike and then fall over? Well, that's what my
cat did, sans bike. I sat him down on the floor, and he just fell flat over.
Thud! It was like he was suddenly paralyzed. I picked him back up and sat him
on his feet, let go.....thud. After about an hour, he apparently decided he
still had working legs, and tried to move. It was like he had a 90-pound
weight tied around his middle. He only stood up high enough to get his belly
off the floor and then slithered across the room, yowling piteously the entire
time. When I put the leash on the harness, over he went. I tried this many
times, and the response was the same each time. Thud. I finally gave up.
Robin
Alexandria, VA
I love cats but also keep mine inside. Last weekend I was sitting on my screened porch and the
neighbor's cat jumped onto one of my bird feeders to get one of the birds. I love watching my birds
feeding and have never feared them being attacked by a cat. This same cat killed the baby robins this
spring. I have little sympathy for cats who are allowed to run.
Jackie
Iowa
George Shirley wrote:
ROTFLMAO. You nailed it, alright.
Barbara A. in southside Ole Virginny, Zone 7b
jaime wrote:
ROTFLMAO again. I sure can picture this. Yep, just like I was there.
Barbara A. in southside Ole Virginny, Zone 7b
RobinM wrote:
> This is possibly one of the most offensive things I've ever read.
Aw shucks, you flatter me.
> That you
> would spend time composing such a sick missive is highly disturbing -- even
> if you were trying to be humorous.
But I waste my time doing much sicker posts, such as
http://www.cog.brown.edu/~mertus/gardening/yuppie.htm
> Not the least of which
> would be Helga, who is referring to her OWN cats.
True, I didn't realize it was Helga's cats, for that I ask her forgiveness.
-Jam"Who lied in his post, I only gained 10 lbs this summer, most of it
from eating crow."
> But I waste my time doing much sicker posts, such as>
> http://www.cog.brown.edu/~mertus/gardening/yuppie.htm>
Oh, John, you are baaaad! :)
Jo
NJ
I replied to Jamie's post off-list, but since so many of you have had cats =
that refused to accept a leash or harness, I have to tell about my =
experiences. I've had five cats, and three of them took to their harness =
and leashes like ducks to water--no struggles, no refusing to move, no =
trying to wiggle out of them at all. They all walked quite well, too, in =
the sense that they were happy to walk by my side until a bush, parked =
car, light pole or fence came along, at which time they immidiately decied =
to go through or under or around the obstacle, resulting in terrible =
complications of tangled leashes and my standing on one foot in the middle =
of the shrubbery. One of the others had hysterics when I put a harness =
and leash on him; and the other I just never tried it on.
I just adopted an adult male cat who was supposed to have been an indoor =
cat all his life. I bought a leash and harness, put it on him, and tied =
him outside, and he might have done it every day of his life. He does =
tend to get his lease tangled in anything handy, but when he does, he just =
sits quietly until I get him unwrapped.
So it can be done. I would never tie a cat outside where it couldn't get =
into shelter if a dog or stupid or cruel person came along, and I really =
prefer to let mine roam loose for a couple of hours in the morning and =
evening. Naturally, they have their shots and flea and heartworm =
protection.
Gerry Strey
Madison, Wisconsin
