scat cat OR cat scat!!!

though i have always had a big place for animals in my heart, it is no secret that i just haven’t ever been too fond of cats. likewise, i believe they return my sentiments. i worked at a vet clinic in high school when i once aspired to become a veterinarian. this class-A job was basically working in the kennel downstairs - cleaning up the dog runs, giving meds, baths and, yes, expressing anal glands (that is all you will hear about that, promise). i always hated when the time came to tend to the cats because whenever i would walk by, they would hiss – it is like they could sense my distaste (and for a rainy day i believe it started when i was 7 and a kitten hung from my neck by its claws...)

some of you may be familiar with our recent trash debacle with our neighbors. and now this is where i tell you they also have a big, fat cat (the name is slipping my mind but i believe it may be named “schwartze katze” for “black cat” in german). they told us on our pre-trash visit to their house that SK loves being outside and enjoys the “catnip” plant they planted in their front landscape.

well, yesterday i (more so milo) noticed some cat feces in our landscape. as i hunkered down to inspect the piece of yard milo was sniffing so fondly, i noticed those cat-like turds all about our new mulch. well doesn’t this just add to our neighborly love…i mean, now their cat scat will add to our huge piles of trash.

i understand both my sister and sister-in-law will be angry at me for my anti-cat post and the ideas that follow below, but it just has to be said - i will have no mercy if that cat meets milo in the backyard…

below are some ideas i found on a website to get that kitty out of our hard work. i personally like the super soaker idea through our front window.

Sometimes, to keep cats away from a yard, you have to think like a cat. Put yourself in the cat's place. Observe cat behavior. For instance, they're pretty fussy creatures, aren't they?

1. One of the things cats are fussy about is getting wet. Water is "kryptonite for cats." Getting wet seems to be almost a phobia for them. Use that phobia to your advantage in trying to keep cats away from yards.
When you catch cats in the forbidden area, you can try hosing them down with a Super Soaker or similar water gun. Such action may reinforce the notion that they are unwanted in your planting bed.

2. Thinking like a cat again, another thing we can say cats are fussy about is how something smells. You can use feline fastidiousness to keep cats away from your yard in a number of ways:
a. One of the commercial cat repellents available is a powder called, "Shake-Away." Shake-Away bears the scent of the urine of predators that cats fear, namely, the coyote, the fox and the bobcat. This commercial cat repellent comes in a granular form, which you simply sprinkle around the problem area. The product is advertised as being organic, making it an acceptable option to use around children and pets. Nor will it harm your plants.
b. Some plants give off smells that cats dislike. One such plant, Coleus canina, goes by the common name, "scaredy cat plant." As the second term in the Latin name indicates (think "canine"), it is also effective if you have trouble landscaping with dogs. Other plants often recommended for keeping cats away from yards are: rue, lavender, which deer pests also dislike pennyroyal