Problem with cats.

[starone]

I'm trying to make a large bed of dwarf daffodils for the Spring but am having a problem with the local cats who insist on using it for their toilets. I'm quite fond of cats so wouldn't hurt them, just want to stop them doing their business where I want to put my daffodils. Here's my problem - someone told me to sprinkle pepper round the edge to stop them. I had a large pot of white pepper which I decided to use but unfortunately as I was sprinkling it the top came off and deposited rather a lot of pepper in one place. What I want to know is will this affect the soil? Does anyone know? Will it make the soil there sterile. I suppose I could take it off with the soil and perhaps replace it with some compost. Or can I just spread it around and ignore it? Hope you can understand this, I have wandered a bit in order to describe what has happened. Thanks everyone.

[flump1]

Hi Star, I was going to suggest pepper , or anything that cats dislike , garlic slices popped onto soil, lavender sprinkled , hope a gardener/ botanist can answer your soil query . I would be surprised if pepper did any harm x

[annadomino]

The pepper wont harm the soil, it is organic after all. People say pepper, and olbas oil on a tea bag, even mothballs, a better way of dissuading cats from your beds are prickly twigs laid on the ground.
Got any bramble nearby? Or holly?

[Maydup]

I've heard that coffee granules work well. People I know collect them from coffee shops who would otherwise thow them away, and spread them over their beds. They provide good nutrients for the soil too.

(Our local Starbucks has people collecting on certain days of the week and has a waiting list now!)

[starone]

Thanks everyone. Must admit I heaved a sigh of relief anna - I hadn't thought of it being organic. Haven't got any bramble myself but I have a friend with a very large garden who might be able to oblige me. In the meantime I shall save my teabags and buy some olbas oil - sounds a lot better than pepper. Nearest Starbucks is in town so not practical maidup. Good idea though, if I find myself near a coffee shop I can but ask. Anyway, thanks again everyone. I knew you would come up trumps.

[firewatch]

peppers and prickly things, but i would avoid brambles as they can self route, try holly or if you can get some burbris they wont go near it after they have sat on it once! We use pepper to stop squirels as well!