Not sure how practical it is for your garden, but you could try some cheap plastic netting around the bed. Raised 10-20cm on sticks or the like I’ve never known them even try to go on it! The only problem I found was the time it took to put them off their favourite loo! It was weeks, even might have been months.
Nide
My rose bed is continually used as a toilet by a cat/cats even directly in front of an electronic scarer. I’ve tried every recommended deterrent I can find.
Don’t really want to cover bed in stones. I have put large pieces of slate on edge. Looks quite decorative but cat manages to poo in between
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I don't know if you have them there or not but crushed nut shells such as pecan or walnut work very well when used as a mulch. When they walk on it or dig in it, it is painful to their feet.
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Welcome Nide.
When I moved two years ago my new garden was used the same way as yours by eleven neighbouring cats, it was like a minefield. I've now reduced that to no more than two with ground cover plants. I've put pieces of broken slate around plants in pots for the same reason.
If you have access to any, Pyracantha cuttings or the like will also deter them
I have used berberis cuttings and they are really spiky but it didn’t stop the pooing
... put more of them down. We have both Pyracantha and Berberis, prefer the former, but found the latter to also help.
I agree Nide. I've tried thorny rose stems before and the cats just get in between them. Netting, gravel/slate or ground cover plants are the only things that work. Cats don't like anything that's unstable so netting and chicken wire in particular are a good defence.
Netting stops the cats, blackbirds (from the blueberries) and the squirrels (number one enemy ).
I've let wild violets run riot in one of my beds around the base of shrubs. It's now 100% cat free.
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