Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

I have cats and have had to put straw (like from a bale of thick straw - not
pine needles) across the top of the soil where I didn't want them to go. It
is very fluffy when it stays dry so no mulching problems that might come
from a lot damp material breaking down. They don't like to walk on the straw
since it is not stable. Works well for me.

Something you could also opt to do is to find a netting cover that lets
light in and only keeps the critters from getting to the soil.

Also, have you considered chicken wire around each container?

Just some ideas. Hope it helps.

Best Wishes,

Faye

From: MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of elijahapril
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:26 AM
To: MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [MittleiderMethodGardening] Cat problems!

I'm just at my wits end with the cats in my neighborhood. They have decided
that my 10 container gardens are the perfect place to do their business and
I cannot keep them away. There are at least 5 or 6 that I see every day, and
though we chase them off they come right back as soon as I walk away. I
planted seven rows of sunchokes last night, and came back this morning to
find at least three of the rows trampled, dug around in, and used for a
bathroom. My lettuce garden was destroyed, and my poor beets aren't going to
make it either. I have 6 foot fences around the entire yard but they just
hop up and over.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS THAT CAN HELP ME!?

I could cover my gardens with burlap or something to keep them off until the
plants pop through, but after they are up the cats will still come back, I
lost a whole bed of peas thanks to a cat last year after transplanting them
carefully. Once the plants are full mid summer they stay away, but in the
mean time I'm just completely out of luck.

I would appreciate ANY ideas!! I've talked to the neighbors who have told me
I'm out of luck because they aren't putting their cats on a leash (although
it's the law in the town, I've never seen a cat on a leash EVER!), I've
tried spreading ashes around the perimeter because a friend said they really
dislike ashes. I don't want to hurt the animals just because they have lazy
owners who refuse to take proper care of them and let them wander all day,
but I'm about at the end of my rope.

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