Anyone know a non-shotgun way of keeping cats from pooping in my planter beds?

[Throd]

Atomizing Mr. Kitty with a double barrel 12 gauge, while effective, is probably imprudent.

[hedgehog]

1. Squirt gun?

[Throd]

2. I don't know, throwing rocks at them doesn't seem to deter them.

[MicaelS]

3. Shake Away

http://www.shake-away.com/

[link:http://landscaping.about.com/od/pestcontrol/a/cat_repellents.htm|
10 Cat Repellents: How to Keep Cats Away From Your Yard]

[Throd]

9. Thank you!

A few cats in California may owe their lives to you.

[progressoid]

13. I might have to try their deer repellant.

We're infested with deer.

[Xyzse]

4. Hmmm... Sprinkler system you can turn on and off?

Might be fun.

[TwilightGardener]

5. I don't know. I can't keep my own cat from

pissing on random objects in the basement. Two clean litterboxes but he wants to pee on my son's guitar case.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. sticks.. lots of little sticks

6-10 inches long, stuck in the dirt every several inches (too close to give them a comfortable squat space).

We have several neighborhood cats, and this is the only thing I've found that works. It's usually only nec. till plants fill in the spaces, or during the winter when it's bare.

[Helen Reddy]

14. What an organic solution!

Thank you!

[GoCubsGo]

17. The "balls" from sweetgum trees work really well, too.

Anything that is not pleasant to step on or dig in that won't hurt them.

[Kaleva]

7. Adapt to the animal

I've had problem pets in the past but it was a whole lot easier for me to adapt to their ways instead of trying to make them adapt to what I would have liked.

[Helen Reddy]

15. I like this.

We can all live and (poop) harmoniously.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Get some small sharp pebbles at a garden center.

I have a cat who likes to use planters as a litter box, or sometimes just digs in them for fun and scatters the dirt around. A layer of sharp pebbles on top of the soil seems to deter her pretty well. If that doesn't work, try aluminum foil. Cats hate aluminum foil.

Oops, I just realized you were talking about outdoor planters. That would rule out aluminum foil, but sharp rocks might still be an option.

[In_The_Wind]

10. Hardware mesh.

Available at most hardware stores. Shape it to fit over the areas you want protected. Keeps cats, squirrels, bunnies outta the dirt while letting in the sun and rain.

Good luck.

[Hula Popper]

11. Moth balls

have done the trick for me. Have also used them in boats to repel mice.

[GoCubsGo]

18. I hope you don't plan on planting food crops in those spots.

Moth balls are made of some really nasty, very environmentally unfriendly stuff.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

20. and it's toxic to animals

you can put a few in a glass jar with holes poked in the lids.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. In a salt shaker or similar container

mix one part hot pepper spice and two parts ground black pepper. Shake about in areas you want the creatures to avoid. A friend gave me this advice to keep cats out of my box planters along the railing of the deck and it worked.

[yawnmaster]

16. a dog? eom

[grasswire]

19. hazelnut shells

You can buy them for garden purposes. A layer on top of your planter beds will keep kitty from digging there.

[PD Turk]

21. Mouse traps

The old fashioned spring-snap mousetraps , line them up and space them to where kitty can't get in there without tripping them. I've used them for training puppies to stay off/ out of things for years. They might be worth a try for training a cat?

[Coyotl]

22. Did you try marking your territory first?

You know, in the tried and tested animal fashion.

[hamsterjill]

23. Alley Cat Allies

There are some suggestions here:

http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=375