I reluctantly took in a stray cat. My boyfriend loves him; I hate him. He waits until the wee small hours and digs up my garden plants. I thought he was just digging, but this morning I found a 'deposit'. I'm about to put up a chicken wire fence that may keep him out. My question is, should I now dig through the garden to remove all the cat crap (I'm sure there's more), or should I leave it. Removing it could be tricky, he has perpetual diarrhea due to a nasty hookworm infection and possible car accident before we took him in. What I found this morning was purely by chance. It looked just like a smear of grey clay. Any suggestions or offers of adoption would be greatly appreciated.:/
compulsive jerk of a cat
- Thread starter kinnip
- Start date
nccountrygirl
Garden Ornament
Your garden to the cat is like one big litter box and really the only way to stop it is to put up a fence around your garden, and while you are at it you might as well put a top on it because if it is not tall enough they will jump over the fence and your back to square one. I have caught neighborhood cat using my garden to and unless I fence it in I really can't stop them, I run them out when I see them in there but I can't watch it all day. Good Luck with this one.
Tutter
Deeply Rooted
The cat still has hookworms?
Hookworms penetrate the skin of people, so doing things like walking barefoot, or handling contaminated soil, can result in you getting them....
It's not the cat's fault, of course, whether the 2 of you see eye to eye, or not, but cat's do bury their fecal matter, and if he's decided the freshly turned earth of the garden, which cats naturally love, is nice for a place to use, then yes, he's been using it all along, probably.
Can you find it all? I don't know.
I'm sorry this has happened, and hope that you can find a good home for him, since it sounds like he's been through a lot. If he's not been there long, which is what it sounds like, maybe your bf would agree that it's not optimum to have a pet which you don't love equally, if a good home could be found, and then a cat you can both agree on could be adopted from a pound, or other place where cats need a home. That would actually serve to place 2 cats.
Mind you, any cat you get who is allowed access to the garden will probably use it for litter. It's just a tempting place for them. So the fencing's still a good idea.
Good luck all around.
Hookworms penetrate the skin of people, so doing things like walking barefoot, or handling contaminated soil, can result in you getting them....
It's not the cat's fault, of course, whether the 2 of you see eye to eye, or not, but cat's do bury their fecal matter, and if he's decided the freshly turned earth of the garden, which cats naturally love, is nice for a place to use, then yes, he's been using it all along, probably.
Can you find it all? I don't know.
I'm sorry this has happened, and hope that you can find a good home for him, since it sounds like he's been through a lot. If he's not been there long, which is what it sounds like, maybe your bf would agree that it's not optimum to have a pet which you don't love equally, if a good home could be found, and then a cat you can both agree on could be adopted from a pound, or other place where cats need a home. That would actually serve to place 2 cats.
Mind you, any cat you get who is allowed access to the garden will probably use it for litter. It's just a tempting place for them. So the fencing's still a good idea.
Good luck all around.
aquarose
Garden Ornament
I had decided to tolerate the feral cats around here to keep the mouse population that lives in the garage down. But hookworms that penetrate human skin!?!? EEEEEWWWWWW!
I just caught my siamese kitty Niki in the garden "depositing" this morning! If you live close by I would take the cat. We welcome all sorts of strays, in fact , now that I think of it, I think thats how hubby ended up with me!
OaklandCityFarmer
Deeply Rooted
Coyote urine seems to work well to help control cats in the garden. It's commercially available and is easily applied.
Also, my cats don't seem to like walking on coarse mulch, like shredded bark and straw. If placed on it they jump and run away. Find out what yours doesn't like and use it!
I know blood meal works for a lot of animals, I think cats too.
Also, my cats don't seem to like walking on coarse mulch, like shredded bark and straw. If placed on it they jump and run away. Find out what yours doesn't like and use it!
I know blood meal works for a lot of animals, I think cats too.
Tutter
Deeply Rooted
All cat's are different, but unfortunately, mine not only don't mind bloodmeal, but will eat it, given a chance. 
(I have several cats, as people think the "country" is a good place to dump a cat they are tired of. Especially pregnant ones. *sigh*)
Some crunchy mulch will bother them, some not. Plus they can become used to it.
I don't know about the coyote urine; it would be worth a try. We have coyotes here, but they no longer come up to the yard with our dogs.
The best thing I've ever known to work, is an auto sensor sprinkler. When a small animal goes by, they have sprinkling water turned on them. They really do hate that. Even cats who like water dislike the suddeness of it. But how well it would work for you would depend upon how much area of garden there is, for one.
(I have several cats, as people think the "country" is a good place to dump a cat they are tired of. Especially pregnant ones. *sigh*)Some crunchy mulch will bother them, some not. Plus they can become used to it.
I don't know about the coyote urine; it would be worth a try. We have coyotes here, but they no longer come up to the yard with our dogs.
The best thing I've ever known to work, is an auto sensor sprinkler. When a small animal goes by, they have sprinkling water turned on them. They really do hate that. Even cats who like water dislike the suddeness of it. But how well it would work for you would depend upon how much area of garden there is, for one.
Grow 4 Food
Garden Ornament
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Here is how I cure problems cats.
He likes them as much as I do.
He likes them as much as I do.
- Thread starter
- #9
We've had the cat for nearly 4 years, so he isn't going anywhere (we have 4 others anyhow). He no longer has hookworms, but he had them long enough on the rough streets of Auburn, AL to do some damage. My reasons for disliking this cat are many and varied, but I do feel sorry for him, so he still gets a home (but not inside--he's incontinent too). This thing with digging in the garden is relatively new. It started with potted plants which isn't a problem once the plant gets big enough to cover the mouth of the pot. I'm erecting a chicken wire fence today. Hopefully he won't try to climb it, but smart money says he'll try to dig under it. Over the years, I've found that once he gets fixated on a thing, he doesn't stop, especially if he gets a reaction by doing it. I like the sprinkler idea. I'm also considering a 'hopefully' one time dirty trick of lining the edges of the bed in low adhesive contact paper. He shouldn't have a problem getting the sticky off, but cats don't like it when things stick to their feet.
I'm also considering a 'hopefully' one time dirty trick of lining the edges of the bed in low adhesive contact paper. He shouldn't have a problem getting the sticky off, but cats don't like it when things stick to their feet.
Beekissed
Garden Master
Grow 4 Food said:
Too funny!!! I have found, if all the garden is mulched pretty heavily, it seems to be too much effort for the cat to dig into for "deposits". I leave the area around the flowers unmulched....so he naturally chooses that area. I won't be working in that area with bare hands at all. Cats will be cats.....and apparently dogs will be dogs!
