Uprooting the Cats: A Survival Manual for Gardeners - Garden Pest Tip

by Carol Wallace

I love cats. My mother hates them.

Mine loll in the catnip and help me dig holes; my mother's neighbor's cats so enjoy littering my mom's yard that she began the modern equivalent of the Seven Year War. Felines are about as welcome as their furballs in her garden. I have had anywhere from one to seven cats at a time since I left home, and I fear that only the 500-plus mile distance between our gardens has kept my mom from disowning me. Hatred of cats all too soon transforms itself into hatred of the people they own. Especially if they mess in your garden.

If you are cat-owned, be warned that as far as your furry friends are concerned, the world is their litterbox. If you don't want neighborhood wars, you can either keep the cats in, or, if they're not amenable to confinement, give them a garden of their own so attractive that they aren't tempted to leave home. Find an out of the way corner of your yard, plant it with catnip and lay down some sand or kitty litter (non-clumping) nearby. If you're lucky the cats will prefer this special corner to your prize plants. They may even invite friends - but they'll stay in their own little playroom.

If you're not cat-owned, however, and suspect that the neighborhood felines spend their spare time plotting ways to drive you nuts, sterner measures are called for.