How to teach neighborhood cat that my garden is not its personal litter box?

[Anonymous]

I discovered that our neighbor's outdoor cat has been using our garden as a litter box probably all winter long. The garden was FULL of cat poo...like many months worth of cat crap! I tried to scare him away when I saw him digging around in there today but he is one of those oblivious cats who doesn't seem afraid of people at all. Short of sitting on my deck with the hose and spraying him every time he comes by, what can I do to help him learn that our backyard is no longer his litter box? Will it help to place a thick layer of mulch covering the entire litter box...I mean garden? Stones? Broken glass (just kidding...kinda)? Also, I don't know whose cat this is so can't return all the buckets worth of poo that their cat has left behind.

[Anonymous]

Idk, this happens to me too. The only solution I think is to move to a rich neighborhood because rich people don’t have outdoor cats any more.

[Anonymous]

Coyote pee? I would be tempted to bury steel wool or some equivalent in the dirt to bum it out when it scratches.

[Anonymous]

I started using a spray bottle of vinegar and water and squirted the hell out of our neighbors’ cat after they refused to keep him on their property. My whole garden smelled like cat pee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started using a spray bottle of vinegar and water and squirted the hell out of our neighbors’ cat after they refused to keep him on their property. My whole garden smelled like cat pee.

OP here. Thanks for the suggestions and the . I wonder if anyone has had success with something like this "scat mat" that you lay in the garden:

[Anonymous]

What is an outdoor cat?!

[Anonymous]

Cayenne powder

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cayenne powder

Has this actually worked for you? How much do you use per square foot and how long does it last?

[Anonymous]

Either the vinegar or the ammonia. Squirt the cat, and it will slowly learn.

You can also buy something like this: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/animal-repellents/7692353?x429=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fB-7__6AIVForICh0FDQnDEAQYBCABEgJq-_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We use it for deer, but would probably work with cats too.
There are also Orbit sprinklers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started using a spray bottle of vinegar and water and squirted the hell out of our neighbors’ cat after they refused to keep him on their property. My whole garden smelled like cat pee.

Just plain water is perfectly effective.

Also clapping your hands. Or install a motion activate sprinkler.

[Anonymous]

Shiny things like old CDs you’re going to throw away. Lay them out all over the garden bed. You could also plant things like geraniums, lilac, citronella, mint, rosemary, etc that cars dislike. Save your coffee grinds and sprinkle them on the flower bed - bonus it’s great for your plants!

A spray bottle of vinegar water is also a good idea while you’re outside if you happen to seen him in action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Either the vinegar or the ammonia. Squirt the cat, and it will slowly learn.

You can also buy something like this: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/animal-repellents/7692353?x429=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fB-7__6AIVForICh0FDQnDEAQYBCABEgJq-_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We use it for deer, but would probably work with cats too.
There are also Orbit sprinklers.

You would squirt a cat with ammonia? I would have you arrested. You are gross. Worse than a cat.

[Anonymous]

Motion activated sprinklers!

Also keep a spray gun of lavender water on your deck in case you see the cat. They hate that scent. They also hate citrous so that’s a good alternative if you don’t like lavender.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either the vinegar or the ammonia. Squirt the cat, and it will slowly learn.

You can also buy something like this: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/animal-repellents/7692353?x429=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fB-7__6AIVForICh0FDQnDEAQYBCABEgJq-_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We use it for deer, but would probably work with cats too.
There are also Orbit sprinklers.

You would squirt a cat with ammonia? I would have you arrested. You are gross. Worse than a cat.

I would be tempted to fill a supersoaker with vinegar water. Wild birds have enough trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either the vinegar or the ammonia. Squirt the cat, and it will slowly learn.

You can also buy something like this: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/animal-repellents/7692353?x429=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-fB-7__6AIVForICh0FDQnDEAQYBCABEgJq-_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We use it for deer, but would probably work with cats too.
There are also Orbit sprinklers.

You would squirt a cat with ammonia? I would have you arrested. You are gross. Worse than a cat.

I would be tempted to fill a supersoaker with vinegar water. Wild birds have enough trouble.

Do it!

If nothing else, it will alert the cat’s owner that they’re being a neighborhood nuisance. Maybe they’ll keep the cat indoors more often.