Protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, any harm to domesticated or feral cats can land you a hefty fine or prison sentence.
One frustrated neighbour, Linda Chambers, posted to the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook group: “I’m sick of other people’s cats’ poo in my garden.”
Cats’ faeces may contain parasites, so should brown lumps be found on a produce patch in your garden, your concerns are justified.
Nobody would really want to bite into a fruity tomato that has grown near cat faeces – it’s not very appetising or safe.
Sharing the same issue, but on Reddit, a thread was made dedicated to this subject alone as many people faced the same problem.
One user posted: “If anyone ever figures this out let me know. Large garden and just go in the grass.”
cflia94 added: “They poop on my grass as well! Absolute nightmare when I come to mow it.” Another added: “I hate it! It stinks! There are 15 cats in my small close and my garden is full of stinking cat [poop].”
Thankfully, there are humane ways to deter cats from ruining your garden – and one solution has had people nodding in agreement.
Rita Flower replied to Linda Chambers’ distressed message on the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook group.
Rita shared: “I tried everything you could think of… [then] I tried fresh branches of Holly; I put it in between where the soil was and on top of pots – that was six months ago; never had cat poo since.”
In agreement, Susan Knowles said: “I’ve found this works!” Jean Williams shared the same advice: “Spread Holly leaves around.”
On Reddit, a member stated: “Mulch with Holly leaves or stick a forest of twigs 5cm apart in the ground. I’d then go for an evergreen shrub of some sort.”
Other plants that could deter cats from the garden include the Scaredy cat plant, lavender, rosemary, pennyroyal and chives.
Additional deterrents include citrus peels and coffee grounds, which are the least offensive smells to people but are off-putting to cats.
