Gardening, Plants, and Agriculture.

I bought my house a year ago. I love my garden and I love my birds. My neighbors let their cats roam free. I have identified the owners of 3 of the 4 kitty culprit and both acted concerned and sorry and proceeded to do nothing other than put sand in their own garden to “encourage them to do their business there instead.”

That didn’t work. I’ve put chicken wire down, overcrowded my garden to eradicate every nook and cranny, I have put wooden skewers in the beds. But I have found cat poop on top of the chicken wire and on top of my plants. These cats don’t care if they can’t dig. They also spray my porch and the side of my house to the point I can’t open my own windows from the smell. I have spent so much money on enzymatic cleaners; they keep coming back. The one time I put a trap out the neighbors wept and said I’ll catch one of their pets instead of the one homeless cat so I put it away and tried coffee grounds and orange peel. Surprise— it didn’t work.

I have a dog and have even let her scare the day lights out of them a couple times but it doesn’t have lasting effect because they just wait til she’s inside and I’m at work. I am at my wits end. If I smell pee one more time, see one more dead bird, or find one more turd in my well tended, beloved garden I’m going to lose it.

I thought my efforts had finally worked last fall, but it’s only been warm for a couple of weeks and I’ve already pulled a whole shopping bag worth of poop out… so clearly it’s the indoor/outdoor cats not the stray doing most of the damage. I honestly cried when it all started up again it’s so frustrating and the cat pee smell is awful and embarrassing.

I have grown to hate the cats and my neighbors because the things I find the greatest enjoyment in are being destroyed by someone else’s carelessness. At this point I will never personally own a cat, but if I did I would do the right and safe thing of keeping them inside. For their own health and safety but also for my neighbors sake.

I am about to buy an automatic water sprayer, is there anything else I can do? My state law gives no help and I’m not within a HOA.

Also because it’s Reddit — I have not nor would I ever use cruel methods. I do not personally wish to own cats and am a bit traumatized from this situation but I believe all animals deserve safety and protection. Can’t promise I won’t hurt the owners though lol

Thank you in advance for sharing your success stories, I really need some inspiration and support !

Edit: I removed curse words as I recalled the family friendly rule. I apologize if I caused any offense.

Also a message to all those downvoting, presumably because you have cats you let outside. If I didn’t leash my dog I would get fined and in trouble. I always pick up her poop from my neighbors yard and she has never hurt a wild or domesticated animal because I keep her leashed and fenced. If the roles were reversed and my dog was killing things and peeing on porches and pooping in gardens animal control would be called and she would be taken away. I have seen countless posts from cat owners angry about loose dogs because it endangers their cats. What about the birds, chipmunks, snakes ?? Please see your hypocrisy and if you don’t like the fact that your carelessness is hurting the environment and your neighbors’ property, feelings, hobbies, etc. then move on over to an echo chamber subreddit of people agreeing that a cat “wanting to go out” is more important than literally everything else.