Good cat dirt?

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Michael - 09 Sep 2004 01:53 GMT

I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.

Is there something I could do to make a 4 ft by 5 ft plot of dirt
attractive to these little guys?

I was thinking of a couple of things, dunno how to go about any of
them.

1) Attractive textured dirt. I could turn it over every few weeks
with a shovel or add another layer.

2) Some spray or substance either to put on the cats plot to attract
them or the neighbor's plot to repel them. Maybe black pepper
liberally strewn about the neighbor's garden?

I'm open to suggestion and am willing to spend some money if I have
to.

Michael

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Ruby Tuesday - 09 Sep 2004 01:57 GMT

> I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
> a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> them or the neighbor's plot to repel them. Maybe black pepper
> liberally strewn about the neighbor's garden?

I had a plastic container of this stuff years ago which I think was called
Critter Ridder or something like that. You sprinkled it around the
periphery of the garden to keep out creatures like squirrels. For that
reason I think it contained cayenne. I don't know if it was good for cats.
Just my two cents.

- Ruby Tuesday

> I'm open to suggestion and am willing to spend some money if I have
> to.
>
> Michael

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Sherry - 09 Sep 2004 03:13 GMT

>> I'm open to suggestion and am willing to spend some money if I have
>> to.
>>
>> Michael

Michael, I'd try the freshly-turned soil. Cats here can't seem to resist that.
I *don't* think I"d use anything with cayenne pepper in it to discourage them
from the neighbor's. It seems excessively cruel. Imagine what it would feel
like to get a snout full of cayenne?
Sherry

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Karen Chuplis - 09 Sep 2004 04:09 GMT

>>> I'm open to suggestion and am willing to spend some money if I have
>>> to.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> like to get a snout full of cayenne?
> Sherry

Ask your vet about a product called "Cat Attract". It supposedly makes the
cats interested in using the area where it is sprinkled. The neighbors could
make their plot less interesting by putting mesh under a layer of soil or
using motion activated sprinklers.

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MaryL - 09 Sep 2004 04:36 GMT

> I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
> a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Michael

Do dogs have access to your yard? If so, my suggestion would *not* be a
good idea. However, if the area is fenced so that only cats manage to
travel between houses, then you might try sprinkling/incorporating some
blood meal into the little plot of dirt where you *want* to attract the
cats. I haven't seen this with cats, but I used some blood meal some years
ago in a small rose garden. Soon, dogs were digging in the arealike they
had found a new playground. I had to give up on using the blood meal, but
this "might" be useful in your situation.

MaryL

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Ellie Pea - 09 Sep 2004 07:01 GMT

>I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
>a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
>Michael

There is a section in the leaflet about making a kitty toilet area in
your garden.

http://www.cats.org.uk/html/pdf.php?file=leaflets/530-cats_and_gardens.pdf

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Alison - 09 Sep 2004 10:02 GMT

Hi Michael,
Cats like very finely dug over soil that they can rake easily . In my
cats litter box I use Pettex Clean Paws , its very fine sandy like
litter. Kim doesn't really like crystals or heavy litter.
Cats don't like citrus smells . Pets at home or Pets mart have
somehting called Get off my garden , It's green non toxic crystals and
its effective. You could also go round to your neighbours and clean up
anything they do .
Alison

> I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
> a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Michael

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rachel polanskis - 09 Sep 2004 10:52 GMT

> 2) Some spray or substance either to put on the cats plot to attract
> them or the neighbor's plot to repel them. Maybe black pepper
> liberally strewn about the neighbor's garden?

Grab a bit of soil from the neighbour's garden, where you know your
cats have been. Add this to regular cat litter and they will
use it. You only need to use a cup or so and only for
a few days. Once they get their scent into the litter box, they
will associate it with their turf.

rachel

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Sunflower - 09 Sep 2004 16:03 GMT

> I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
> a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Michael

Keep the dirt in the center freshly turned over (and scooped) just like you
would a litter box. Plant some catmint and catnip around the edges. You'll
probably want to protect the plants with chicken wire the first year so the
cats don't squash them out of existance.

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Judy - 10 Sep 2004 08:32 GMT

> I have a problem. Two outdoor cats, one that never really adjusted to
> a litterbox. I live in a duplex, and they like my neighbors garden.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Michael

A couple of years ago when my neighbour let me know that my Matilda was
doing her business in her yard - a large pot with a tree in it, to be exact.

I bought two bags of topsoil and dumped them into a corner of my yard. Then
as I picked up Matilda and dropped her on it, I said, "Here Matilda, this is
for you! Go to Rita's again and you're in big trouble!"

She said, "Oh Oh!" and used it immediately. :c)

A month after I introduced Matilda to "her" outdoor facilities, I asked
Rita whether Matilda had pooped in her pot again and she said, "No." :c)

So, perhaps try some top soil. I "fluff" it up every now and then. Works for
me!

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