How can I stop cats from using my garden as their toilet?

My mother in law would put mothballs around.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper, chili powder around your garden. One sniff and they'll remember. May need to reapply. Won't hurt the cats or plants.

Tried both the above remedies. Remember, these are tough city cats, so neither worked. I still have plenty of product so I'll try them again. Thanks. Any more suggestions?

I've heard of putting prickly pine cones in your beds. Also if the area is full of plants with no freshly turned dirt that is a deterrent. If you have access to those prickly "bullies" that trees like Liquid Amber drop, I've read people find success surrounding plants with these prickly seed pods and the cats can't walk on them. Best to you.

How bout good old Irish spring soap? Works great for deer etc.

Thanks, Gwen. I'll see if I can dig something like that up, over here on the other coast!

Just took down the cloth bags I rigged up around the garden last year, Holly. City cats. Think they got a good laugh out of that effort!

Hi, Unfortunately I had the same problem. I've tried many eco friendly ways and found a few ways that work for me. In the fall, I spread pine cones where they like to do their job. This lasts until I do my gardens mid to late May. Then I visit my mom and scoop some samples from her litter box and place it in the same spot as they like to go. I guess its the scent of " territory is taken. stay away". I also purchased from the pet store "Biter" which you have to spray again after a rain. If you decide to go this route please read instruction. Do not get this on your fingers. Biter is not the word if by chance.........

Please Do Not use mothballs or any other harsh chemical.

Try used coffee grind. Thats how the Greeks keep cats away from their restaurants.

Tsikanis. I will! That sounds like good history to back it up.

I have news for you, even though the cats go outside and roam the neighborhood, they still use their box at home. I know, as I have 6 rescue / semi feral cats. Luckily they like their home yard the best, so I get to pick it up, Coffee grounds seem to work for the one neighbor that doesn't want them in their yard. I always get the blame, but we have a lot of feral cats in the neighborhood and we are getting them all spayed and neutered so they do not reproduce. Unfortunately many are not adoptable due to their lifestyle.

Try coffee grounds as a mulch. And also plant peppermint . They don't like it

I'm sure that's the case, Naomie. But I'm not quite sure why semi-owners would want their feline friends outside, and exposed to all the vagaries of the wild world. I had two cats that were abandoned as kittens after a lifetime of dogs and liked them enough to keep them in the house. Your efforts to keep the population of unwanted cats down are appreciated, and not only to harness the ire of gardeners who find a pile of fresh poop under a fine layer of soil.

In Atlantic City, the Boardwalk is being reconstructed following hurricane Sandy. There were maybe a couple hundred feral cats that were dislocated by the demolition of the old structure, such that the tenants in beachfront apartments were devastated to find an influx of rodents of every sort that were previously kept in check by the resident feral beasties. Not everything is exactly as it appears at first glance.

Thanks, Sally. I'm on it with the coffee grounds and I'll get some peppermint seeds. Only peppermint, not spearmint, right?

mothballs do the trick for me I put them in little plastic containers stick them on a skewer stick and stick them in the ground around my garden and flower beds and also in my flower pots to keep the squirrels out!!

Have tried the red pepper flakes with no luck at all. Will try planting peppermint👍

I didn't get the expected reaction either, Deb. Peppermint is on my shopping list.

If you look in gardening catalogs, there are little square devices you can lay in your garden that have pointy spikes coming up from them. They won't hurt the cats, but the cats won't like to walk on them and will stay out. I saw them in Garden Supply. You can look online.

I'll be heading to Lowe's and Home Depot this weekend in search of that mat. Thank you!

Cayenne Pepper works great but after it rains you have to keep putting it down. Most Dollar Stores carry this item for $1.00. Only problem is it does not take the odor away. If you know the areas they are spraying, try to find Odor Mute. If you google it, it works great. But you must make a solution and then pour it on the areas and let it dry (hopefully no rain) completely. Works on dogs and cats if a skunk gets them. But like I said you have to let it dry on the animal, no towels to dry them or it will not go. Good Luck!

I'll have to pick some more up and try it again. Didn't seem to work at all last year on these city cats but I hadn't considered so much the rain either! Thanks, GB.

I've made arrangements with the local café owner to save me a couple days' worth of coffee grounds. If it works, that ought to create another source of revenue for the shop and better for the 'grounds' around here in general. Thanks for the recommendation, Naomie.

Do any of these ideas work for chipmunks too???