Sorry, there's a long ramble ahead.
I moved late last summer and I wasn't able to do any gardening at our new home before the weather declined. So, my cats had to be allowed out whilst the garden was not, in my opinion, ready for them/suitable for them and they have developed undesirable habits during the winter. Now that it appears to be spring (YAY) I am hoping to improve the situation and would really appreciate some advice.
I have a large patio and the problem here is a long, walled bed (about 3m by 1m) containing a deep layer of soil (possibly as deep as 0.5m) which is directly opposite the back door. The back door has a cat flap in it which opens into the kitchen. My cats not only use this bed as a way in and out of the patio, since there isn't any other route to the alley behind, but they also insist upon using it as a toilet despite their litter tray being available inside. They *may* use their tray if, for whatever reason, I need to keep them inside (stormy weather, for example). But they appear to be able to hold it in for a shockingly long time, about a day in fact, before resorting to the litter tray. This was exactly the same situation at our old home but thankfully, the muddy parts of the garden were much further from the cat flap!
By the way, they are siblings who get along well, and in other isolated circumstances - such as when we first moved and they were not allowed out - appear to have no problem using the same tray. I have even tested this out by adding a second tray to make sure that wasn't the problem, but it makes no difference. They just love going to the toilet outdoors, preferably in the very wettest patch of soil.
Whilst I don't want to bother with a litter tray, its cost and hassle if there's a cheaper alternative that they prefer, the problem is they are constantly wandering around this bed, digging into it, and then coming into the kitchen and through to the rest of the flat with muddy paws, trailing lumps of soil. They're longhaired cats and it's a nightmare. I put a massive rug in the kitchen which I don't actually like having there - I don't think it's hygenic - cause I hoped a rug would help dry their paws, but it doesn't work very well.
So, at the end of this ramble, I want to ask people what they think I should do in terms of cat friendly gardening. Ideally, I would just remove some of the top soil, put down a weed barrier sheet and cover it with pebbles, since this end of the patio is in the shade and little appears to grow there anyway. And it would certainly be easy to remove poo from the pebbles if my cats continued to use it as a toilet, though I think it's possible that pebbles would entirely disuade them. BUT the area is so large, I cannot afford that many bags of pebbles!
Another, cheaper option is a deep layer of bark, with or without a weed barrier sheet beneath. Trouble is, I read that a lot of garden bark is dyed and that the dye bleeds out, which would obviously stain their paws and my floors too. And I think it's unlikely that a layer of bark, however deep, will do much to stop them from using that area as a toilet or trailing the bark inside. It might not improve the situation at all.
The only remaining option I can think of is gravel, which lies between bark and pebbles pricewise, but I think that not only would it look rubbish, it would probably cause the same kind of problems as bark (or many types of cat litter) because it is so lightweight.
I don't think that simply planting things would work what with it being totally in the shade, and my cats would still use it as a toilet, possibly unrooting the plants in the process. They have been purposely destructive towards new plants in the past and no amount of firm discouragement or commonly cited cat deterrents (citrus peel, for example) have made any difference. They are a smart but naughty pair.
Are there any other options I haven't thought of?
The muddy paws and lumps of soil all around the flat are driving me mad. I am desperate!!
Thank you for reading xx
I moved late last summer and I wasn't able to do any gardening at our new home before the weather declined. So, my cats had to be allowed out whilst the garden was not, in my opinion, ready for them/suitable for them and they have developed undesirable habits during the winter. Now that it appears to be spring (YAY) I am hoping to improve the situation and would really appreciate some advice.
I have a large patio and the problem here is a long, walled bed (about 3m by 1m) containing a deep layer of soil (possibly as deep as 0.5m) which is directly opposite the back door. The back door has a cat flap in it which opens into the kitchen. My cats not only use this bed as a way in and out of the patio, since there isn't any other route to the alley behind, but they also insist upon using it as a toilet despite their litter tray being available inside. They *may* use their tray if, for whatever reason, I need to keep them inside (stormy weather, for example). But they appear to be able to hold it in for a shockingly long time, about a day in fact, before resorting to the litter tray. This was exactly the same situation at our old home but thankfully, the muddy parts of the garden were much further from the cat flap!
By the way, they are siblings who get along well, and in other isolated circumstances - such as when we first moved and they were not allowed out - appear to have no problem using the same tray. I have even tested this out by adding a second tray to make sure that wasn't the problem, but it makes no difference. They just love going to the toilet outdoors, preferably in the very wettest patch of soil.
Whilst I don't want to bother with a litter tray, its cost and hassle if there's a cheaper alternative that they prefer, the problem is they are constantly wandering around this bed, digging into it, and then coming into the kitchen and through to the rest of the flat with muddy paws, trailing lumps of soil. They're longhaired cats and it's a nightmare. I put a massive rug in the kitchen which I don't actually like having there - I don't think it's hygenic - cause I hoped a rug would help dry their paws, but it doesn't work very well.
So, at the end of this ramble, I want to ask people what they think I should do in terms of cat friendly gardening. Ideally, I would just remove some of the top soil, put down a weed barrier sheet and cover it with pebbles, since this end of the patio is in the shade and little appears to grow there anyway. And it would certainly be easy to remove poo from the pebbles if my cats continued to use it as a toilet, though I think it's possible that pebbles would entirely disuade them. BUT the area is so large, I cannot afford that many bags of pebbles!
Another, cheaper option is a deep layer of bark, with or without a weed barrier sheet beneath. Trouble is, I read that a lot of garden bark is dyed and that the dye bleeds out, which would obviously stain their paws and my floors too. And I think it's unlikely that a layer of bark, however deep, will do much to stop them from using that area as a toilet or trailing the bark inside. It might not improve the situation at all.
The only remaining option I can think of is gravel, which lies between bark and pebbles pricewise, but I think that not only would it look rubbish, it would probably cause the same kind of problems as bark (or many types of cat litter) because it is so lightweight.
I don't think that simply planting things would work what with it being totally in the shade, and my cats would still use it as a toilet, possibly unrooting the plants in the process. They have been purposely destructive towards new plants in the past and no amount of firm discouragement or commonly cited cat deterrents (citrus peel, for example) have made any difference. They are a smart but naughty pair.
Are there any other options I haven't thought of?
The muddy paws and lumps of soil all around the flat are driving me mad. I am desperate!!
Thank you for reading xx