Question: Will there ever be hope of growing vegetables in beds where neighborhood cats continue using the beds as a litter box? I could just grow flowers and I wouldn’t care. But I really want to use at least two of these beds for vegetables. I have done all sorts of “tricks” to keep them out, but to no avail. It is not just one neighbor’s cats, but a number of different cats. – Gladys M., Saskatoon, SK Canada

Answer: Hi Gladys,

Oh no! Now, I LOVE cats, but they can be such a nuisance when we’re trying to grow healthy food! For anyone who doesn’t know, cats can carry dangerous bacteria in their feces, so you should never compost cat or dog feces for your garden or harvest from a garden that a cat or dog has defecated in.

Let’s see if we can get you back on track, Gladys, and see if we can get those cats to go elsewhere, shall we? I know you mentioned you’ve tried all sorts of tricks, so you may have already tried these ideas, but just in case, let’s cover my top ways to keep cats out of the garden.

First, think about what’s drawing them to the garden to begin with. Most of the time it’s the soil… nice and soft. “Perfect for my poop time,” says the cat.

So, to remedy this, we need to do two things:

1) Make a poop area elsewhere. Now, they aren’t your cats, so I know this isn’t your responsibility… but it’s your solution. Choose a covered area (away from the garden) that will stay as dry as possible, even during rainy times. That might be under a dense tree or maybe under an overhang of a shed you have. You also want it to be a safe place where they won’t get chased off by noises like cars or neighborhood dogs walking by. Place a thick layer (up to 15″) of a soft material there, such as a soil mix. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to be soft.

As a bonus, you can lure the cats there by planting some catnip plants around the area. Plant the catnip in enclosed hardware cloth cages where the cats can get at the tips but can’t destroy the whole plant.

To further lure the cats there, sift the cat poop from the garden and move the poop to the new area. By doing this, you’re sending a message to them that it is a poop area.

2) The next thing you want to do is to make your garden area as uninviting for them as possible. Having a small dog that can access the yard through a dog door can help chase them off for sure! But not all of us want or have a small dog. So, you can make that soft soil not fun for them to walk on. You can use hard mulches (like a bark mulch) around the perimeter of your whole garden or in the beds for a time if the bark barrier isn’t enough of a message. You can also use natural resources like spiky shells from tree nuts and things… Don’t worry, the cats won’t accidentally step on them; they’re generally very aware of their surroundings when they’re outside. Just like the ground, they’ll simply avoid walking on the strange-looking spiky things. A few may test it out slightly, but they’ll quickly find that it is uncomfortable. So, you can place those around the bed as well to help deter them.

3) You can also request the neighbors provide an outdoor area for their cats. They may not, but some neighbors might if you explain that while you don’t mind their cats being free, they come to your garden bed, and if they would be so kind as to help participate in the solution, you would very much appreciate it. And if they’re agreeable, you can give them the instructions I left above for creating an outdoor cat poop area.

Well, those are my top suggestions for you, Gladys! I hope that helps keep those sweet cat babies out of your garden!