# Cats hate chicken wire, myth or real?



## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

Now that the season for planting annuals is here, I've been looking at ways to deter the neighbourhood cats from soiling in the flower bed. I've tried a few things and none have worked 100%. But recently I read this article: Cats Hate Chicken Wire - Cats Away | Cats Away

I'm thinking of trying laying chicken wire flat of the ground and securing it with gardening pegs (like in the link). Just wondered, has anyone else tried this and has it worked. If it did work, are there any tips (how thick should the wire be or does it matter?)

I want to mention that I'm looking for a deterrent and don't want to hurt the cats. Also I have no water tap in the patio (it's a small patio) so the water deterrents method of getting rid of cats isn't an option for me.


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## LynnM (Feb 21, 2012)

My Dad tried this last year but the damn cats still used to walk on it and crap on his plants. They even used to sleep on it in the sunshine.
If you could somehow suspend it an inch or two from the ground it would maybe work better.


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

we used a fine nylon mesh fitted over the raised bed around the tree outside our house last year and that seemed to work..Only problem you couldnt get at the plants to trim them ..

This spring OH took the mesh off went inside to get some tools came out and there was a cat having a cr*p !


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## Gemmaa (Jul 19, 2009)

I keep hearing things about slate chippings being good. We're going to put some down on the litter tray, I mean 'border' out the front. In the meantime I've been keeping the soil damp and the cats haven't used it .


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

> My Dad tried this last year but the damn cats still used to walk on it and crap on his plants. They even used to sleep on it in the sunshine.
> If you could somehow suspend it an inch or two from the ground it would maybe work better.


Really? I might have the same problem. The idea of fitting something over the flower bed sounds good so might do that as well. The cats do seem to be very determined

Not sure I want to put chippings down but I've heard if they are small then they are no good so they'd need to be big pieces to work. Gemmaa, let me know if it does work though.

Incidentally, we have pine cones covering the flower bed currently. It's too light and the cats can move them over but there's less poop than before. Yesterday though, we found a poop on the paving stone next to the flower bed So I'm guessing even if I deter them going in the flower bed, they'd still find a way to poop around


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## PetsBestBuddy (Oct 17, 2013)

I found that chicken wire, pegged to the ground, used over my lawn stopped cats from using the soil I'd used to level a few dips before re-seeding. My dog kept walking over it and catching her claws though.
Now that I'm completely rearranging my garden, which was all grass until now, I keep coming across areas that the local cat population like to use as their toilet.
I only have one flowerbed so far but my plastic mini greenhouses are sitting on it right now, full of plants I'm growing from seed.
I know that cats will make a bee line to that flowerbed though as soon as the soil is uncovered and my some of my plants go in.
Luckily, I have quite a lot of chicken wire that I can use not only to keep the cats out, but also to stop my dog from digging in and sitting on my newly planted young plants.
I have also kept trimmings from my holly bush to use as a prickly cat deterrent on the bigger flowerbed I'm going to make.
Yesterday, I turned round to see my dog scratching at the ground in another corner, then pick up something brown. I told her to leave it, went over to see what she was trying to eat...to find a fresh, smelly cat poo .
I covered the whole area (loose soil at the moment) with holly clippings and big stones...but I'm having 20mm gravel laid down and raised veg beds built there next week.
Short of sitting in the garden 24/7 on catwatch (the cats only come into my garden when I'm not there), all I can do is put physical barriers like the chicken wire and holly prunings down to stop them.
One of the cats responsible belongs to my immediate neighbour...who never lets him into her house. I'd imagine he hasn't ever been given a wormer in his life either...so his body will be a haven for toxocara cati...the feline roundworm which can cause Toxocariasis in humans through contact with infected cat poo.


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

PetsBestBuddy said:


> I found that chicken wire, pegged to the ground, used over my lawn stopped cats from using the soil I'd used to level a few dips before re-seeding. My dog kept walking over it and catching her claws though.
> Now that I'm completely rearranging my garden, which was all grass until now, I keep coming across areas that the local cat population like to use as their toilet.
> I only have one flowerbed so far but my plastic mini greenhouses are sitting on it right now, full of plants I'm growing from seed.
> I know that cats will make a bee line to that flowerbed though as soon as the soil is uncovered and my some of my plants go in.
> ...


What type of wire did you use. That link said 40mm mesh but I can't find that anywhere. Not sure if I needed the chain linked wire like this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

But it looks hard core and expensive. I only need 1.5 meters or so.


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## PetsBestBuddy (Oct 17, 2013)

Hi ALR, 
I have some of the plain, galvanised steel chicken wire with 1 inch round holes, (25mm)
Like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingfisher-...8&qid=1430142084&sr=8-1&keywords=chicken+wire

I also have some of the pvc coated chicken wire with half inch holes, (13mm)
Like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-BB-CW...2381&sr=8-15&keywords=pvc+coated+chicken+wire

It was the plain galvanised steel mesh that my dog was catching her claws on. She was fine if she walked over the pvc coated mesh though.


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

I'm glad both of those worked. I think I'll go for the second one, there is one with 25mm holes so hopefully less cutting around the plants


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## PetsBestBuddy (Oct 17, 2013)

Yes, I prefer the one with smaller holes too. The grass didn't get caught up in that one either once it had grown enough to remove the wire.
My roll of pvc coated 13mm chicken wire is 4 feet in height, but you can get smaller rolls which cost less.
I also use this wire to put a temporary fence in front of my flowerbeds to stop my dog from digging up and sitting on my young plants. i use those plastic posts you get for electric fencing to support the wire until my plants are big enough to cope with my dog's fat behind.


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## Gemmaa (Jul 19, 2009)

Quick update on the slate chippings....they've been down over a week and absolutely no sign of kitties!


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

Oh that's good to know. Do you know how big the chippings are?

My chicken wire has arrived so that's what I'll be doing during the bank holiday weekend But if I'm unsuccessful, I'll add chippings as well.


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## Gemmaa (Jul 19, 2009)

Not a very good photo, but there's some in our garden - the blue bits that the dog is standing on, I guess they're a couple of inches. Some are bigger than others. I think they're about £6 a bag in B&Q .


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

Oh thanks for posting the photo. Your garden looks very good. It has a bit of an oriental look with those bamboos

The chippings look good. I'll definitely take a look at B&Q.


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Gemmaa said:


> I keep hearing things about slate chippings being good. We're going to put some down on the litter tray, I mean 'border' out the front. In the meantime I've been keeping the soil damp and the cats haven't used it .





Gemmaa said:


> Quick update on the slate chippings....they've been down over a week and absolutely no sign of kitties!


My mum has slate chippings and the neighbours cats still poop on them


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

So I laid down a wire this weekend. Sorry it took so long to put the photo up.

I was very happy with the galvanised wire that PBB suggested ( the green blade one). It's strong and smooth - I don't want any cats hurt if they walk on it.

Hopefully that does the job. In a few weeks I'm planting my annuals so this is a test in the meantime.


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

MontyMaude said:


> My mum has slate chippings and the neighbours cats still poop on them


I've heard that the slate/pebbles has to be big enough. If it's small then it starts looking like a litter tray But I don't know the right size.


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## PetsBestBuddy (Oct 17, 2013)

That looks great ALR. The reason it usually works is that it stops cats from being able to scrape up the soil. As most cats prefer to bury their poo, having a physical barrier like the chicken wire makes the cat look elsewhere...although there are some cats who do poo on the surface and don't bury it.
The pvc coated chicken wire IME is better because there are no sharp or rough edges for cats or dogs to get caught up on.
I've also used bamboo skewers, but that was to keep my dog off a newly planted flowerbed. She likes to dig in loose soil then sit in it, but she was digging up and breaking my newly planted young plants. The skewers, stuck upright into the soil between the plants, pointed end down, kept both my dog and the neighbourhood cats off.
Re the gravel, I've had some gravel laid down one side of my garden just 2 weeks ago. So far, I've seen no evidence of cats digging or pooing in it...but my dog decided that SHE prefers to poo on the gravel instead of on the grass . She also likes to climb into and sit in one section of the raised beds I had built .
Luckily, there's no soil or plants in there yet...but I'll have to fence it off to keep Missy out once it's in use. 
The gravel I have is 20mm sized pebbles.


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

Thanks for that but unfortunately a cat did exactly what you suggested. Within a week,they pooped on top:Arghh. I've got bedding plants in now and have covered them with a propagator cover like this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Grow-P...sbs_lp_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=178FQDAY9ZWRZRH5V6ZK

It's a temporary solution until my begonias get bigger. But I need to find a longer term solution. May be go on a full offensive and use, pots of peppermint, ground coffee and citrus all on the bedding and see if that works.

I've got a cat of my own and I wouldn't have minded if he was the one toileting outside (because he's my responsibility). But my cat is an indoor cat due to health problems. But I know the cats that come to the garden by name - they are my neighbour's cat and very cute too. It's natural for them to look for fresh earth to do their business so I'm not blaming them. Although their presence do affect my cat so that's the other reason I'd rather they took a wider berth.


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## PetsBestBuddy (Oct 17, 2013)

Just a quick update regarding the chicken wire in my garden.
This is so far 100% effective in stopping cats digging in exposed soil. BUT...the culprit responsible for using my garden as his personal toilet is a very persistent little b***er :Banghead. I know which cat this is as he is the only one who goes through my garden every day. He is an un-neutered tom and belongs to my neighbour. He is obviously going through my garden on his patrol of his territorial boundary...and leaving scent marks en route :Yuck
No cat poo anywhere that's covered with chicken wire, but I have seen evidence of the cat trying to use any tiny area of uncovered soil that he can get to. One example was in a small area that I've prepared to use as a nursery bed to sow perennial seeds in. I have one of those tomato growhouses over this little nursery bed and have placed it so that the bottom 6 inches is buried under the soil. I have a piece of chicken wire across the front of it to stop my dog from getting in - she likes to dig in freshly dug soil then sit in it. I went out one morning to find a wet patch inside the covered nursery bed, the plastic cover at the back was no longer buried in the soil, and there were tell tale cat paw prints around the wet patch. Luckily, there is nothing growing in there at the moment, so I have laid some small bags of compost in there to cover the soil.
Other than that, on days when it hasn't rained and no rain is forecast, I have been soaking any exposed soil with a hose. That seems to be working so far.
So, with no access to exposed soil anywhere in my garden...when I let my dog out for a wee this morning, I noticed a freshly done cat poo sitting on top of my concrete coal bunker ! The cat was just squeezing through the fence at the bottom of my garden.
Today, I'm going to put some posts in along the bottom of the garden and fix 4 feet high chicken wire to the posts. I'll attach each end of the wire to my 6 foot fence. That will stop the cat from getting through there.
I had to fence my garden on 3 sides with 6 foot high fencing to keep my neighbour's brats out...they have caused too much damage already. The joys of having shared access to our back gardens 
I left the bottom of my garden unfenced because the lovely old man whose garden backs onto mine lives on his own. Fencing that bottom perimeter with chicken wire will at least still keep my garden open enough to make sure my lovely elderly neighbour isn't boxed in (there are high fences either side of him already) and that he doesn't feel isolated.
As for the cat marking his boundary on top of my coal bunker, before then nipping through my garden, I'm going to make use of my eucalyptus tree to make some eucalyptus oil. Cats hate strong smells, so he should avoid using my coal bunker to mark his territory once I've covered it with eucalyptus oil :Stop.
Meanwhile, until the home made eucalyptus oil is ready (crushed fresh leaves + cheap olive oil/sunflower oil/ rapeseed oil etc, either left in a sealed jar in the sun for 2 weeks OR heated gently on the cooker for 6 hours if you need it quickly  ), I'm going to make an infusion from some dried rosemary .


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