Gravel Front Garden Appears To Be A Giant Litter Tray!

[ganesh]

I have recently bought a house, and has a 'what I thought would be a lovely'low maintenance front garden which is laid to gravel over matting so no weeds, with a few conifers and shrubs dotted around. Unfortunately it seems to be the local toilet for cats ,(and dogs, maybe) every night. I have tried all the deterrents, but to no avail. Is there a better material like larger stones, forest bark or something that animals wouldn't use but would still look pretty?. I don't really want a lawn, maybe some kind of fast ground cover? HELP!

[mallyh]

what about battery run cat deterrant ,makes a high pitched noise to keep animals away

[mallyh]

oh yes and jeyes disenfectant sprnkled over stones etc lol

[ganesh]

That's about the only deterrant I haven't tried, do you know if it works, and I don't want to frighten the neighbours pets in their own garden so don't know what 'area' it covers.

[mallyh]

we bought two for our back garden on opposite corners facing in ,cats still walked through but didnt stay to go to the loo.

[ganesh]

Oh ok, might try that then, thanks.

[gingejbee]

Is it quite small gravel? I have larger stones and don't have a problem. (I wouldn't have bark...it blows away from larger, exposed areas too easily).

[in a mo]

there is a house near ours where they have laid brooken slate, really small pieces and it looks brilliant ,It has been down approx 2 years and it still looks the same as when they first laid it .
We have Tree Bark in our garden but we still have some animals scattering it over the lawn or path ,I was told a good idea is ZOO Poo I have not tried it though although people who live by use have and it was very good not sure how long the aroma takes to fade ,the other idea is Pepper unless you can purchase Pepper Dust which is the stuff that is left when they process pepper it is difficult to buy large amounts I could not find anywhere that sold wholesale size.Hope this might give you some ideas although keeping the gravel is a good idea as if you ever had anyone uninvited coming to your house they would not want to walk on Gravel or Slate for that matter so in that sense it is a good security measure.
Mr In A Mo

[Old_Geezer]

Battery ones go flat and you don't know because you don't hear the high pitch noise. Ones running from mains get their cable cut when your partner says, "I'll trim, your garden for you while you get on with ....". In any event nothing deters every feline.

Maybe if you laid an electric fence over the lot and switched it on ?

[ganesh]

Nah Oldgeezer, end up with fried cats all over the garden-even more unsightly. Just bought the battery one, expensive AND doesn't come with batteries. Will try that, and then if that doesn't do it, will think of longer term answers like slates or pebbles, rather than this fine gravel. Thanks guys.

[SlackAlice]

One of the problems is that your gravelled area has become a toilet area. You have to 'break' that habit by changing the permanent smell. Jeyes fluid and camphor (think mothballs) type smells regularly applied would help.

A larger size of gravel would help as well.

[rsvp]

Depending on the size of the garden is it possible to lay some prickily branches down for a while? Maybe hawthorn or similar.