Key takeaways
- Cats pick soft, bare, freshly dug soil, so covering it is the key
- Chicken wire laid flat on new beds stops digging while seedlings grow through
- Prickle mats or twiggy prunings make the surface uncomfortable without harm
- Close ground cover planting leaves no soil to dig once it knits together
- A motion-activated sprinkler is the best active deterrent for a favourite spot
- Pepper, mothballs and home-made sprays can harm cats and are not allowed
Cats love a freshly dug flowerbed. Soft, bare soil is the perfect toilet, and a newly planted border can be wrecked overnight. The good news is that cats are easy to put off once you know what they’re after.
This guide covers seven kind fixes for flowerbeds and seedling beds. For cats fouling lawns, gravel and the rest of the garden, see the wider guide on how to stop cats pooing in the garden.
Why do cats dig in flowerbeds?
Bare, soft, dry soil. Cats like to scratch a hole, use it and cover it up. A newly dug border or seedbed is ideal.
Established beds with plants touching each other are much less appealing. So the trick is to protect bare soil until your plants fill out, and plant so the soil doesn’t show for long.
1. Lay chicken wire over new beds
This is the most reliable fix for seedbeds and new plantings. Lay chicken wire or plastic mesh flat on the soil after sowing or planting, and peg it down. Seedlings and young plants grow up through the holes, but cats can’t dig.
Chicken wire laid flat lets seedlings grow through but stops cats digging. Lift it once the plants fill out.
Leave it in place for six to eight weeks, until the plants cover the ground. Then lift it, or cover it with a thin mulch and leave it.
Keep mesh flat and taut on the soil. Loose netting held above a bed can trap birds and hedgehogs.
2. Use prickle mats on bare patches
Plastic prickle mats have blunt spikes that make the surface uncomfortable for paws without hurting. Cut them to fit around plants and press them into the soil. A thin layer of bark mulch hides them.
They suit gaps in borders, edges where cats step in, and the space between rows in a veg bed.
Prickle mats make bare soil uncomfortable to dig in. A thin bark mulch over the top hides them nicely.
3. Push in twigs and prunings
Free and surprisingly effective. Push short sticks or canes into bare soil about 10-15cm apart, so there’s no room to squat. Or lay prickly prunings from holly, roses or berberis across the soil between plants.
Short sticks and prickly prunings leave no room for a cat to dig. They cost nothing and come out in spring.
Remove them once the plants have filled in. This works well for spring-sown annuals and bulbs planted in autumn.
4. Plant closely with ground cover
The long-term fix. Cats can’t dig where they can’t reach the soil. Plant low, spreading perennials so they knit together into a mat, usually within a season or two.
Once ground cover knits together like this, there’s no bare soil left for a cat to dig.
| Plant | Height | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Hardy geranium ‘Rozanne’ | 30-50cm | Sun or part shade, flowers all summer |
| Bugle (Ajuga reptans) | 10-20cm | Shade and damp soil |
| Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) | 20-40cm | Sunny, dry spots |
| Bergenia | 30-40cm | Evergreen leaves for winter cover |
| Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor) | 10-20cm | Shady banks; it spreads, so give it space |
Space them about 30-40cm apart and mulch between them until they join up. The guide to ground cover plants has more choices for different spots.
5. Mulch with something cats don’t like
Coarse, rough mulches put cats off more than soft compost. Use chunky bark, pine cones or slate chippings around plants. Avoid fine compost or sand on top, which is just what cats want.
Keep beds evenly mulched after planting, so there are no soft bare patches to tempt them. The guide to mulching explains how thick to lay it and when.
6. Set up a motion-activated sprinkler
The best active deterrent for a favourite spot. A sensor spots movement and fires a short burst of water. Cats dislike being sprayed and soon learn to avoid the area.
Point it across the bed the cats use most. Set it so it won’t soak paths, windows or next door’s garden. It goes off for anything that moves, including you, hedgehogs and the postman. Turn it off and drain it in frosty weather.
Set the sprinkler on a stake a couple of metres from the bed, aimed across the spot the cats use most.
7. Give cats somewhere better to go
If a neighbour’s cat visits every day, a small patch of loose soil or sand in a hidden corner can draw it away from your best beds. Keep it well away from veg beds and where children play.
If cats are welcome visitors otherwise, check what you grow near that corner. The guide to plants toxic to cats covers which garden plants to avoid.
What not to use to keep cats out
- Pepper, chilli or curry powder. They can hurt cats’ eyes and paws.
- Mothballs. They’re toxic to pets and wildlife.
- Home-made sprays. Mixes used to repel animals still need to be authorised products, and they can harm cats.
- Anything that could injure. Cats are protected under animal welfare law.
If you want a shop-bought repellent, choose one that’s authorised for cats in gardens and follow the label. Most only work for a short time, especially after rain.
Common mistakes when protecting flowerbeds
Leaving new beds bare. Cover the soil the same day you plant or sow.
Spacing plants too far apart. Big gaps of soil stay tempting for years. Plant a little closer, or fill gaps with ground cover.
Using fine compost as a mulch. It’s soft and crumbly, which is exactly what cats like.
Relying on smells. Peel, coffee and scented sprays fade fast. Covering the soil lasts.
Cat-proofing calendar for flowerbeds
| Month | What to do |
|---|---|
| February to March | Lay chicken wire over beds before spring sowing |
| April to May | Cover new plantings straight away. Set up the sprinkler |
| June to August | Fill gaps with ground cover and keep beds mulched |
| September to October | Protect newly planted bulbs with mesh or twigs |
| November to January | Turn off and drain the sprinkler. Plan close planting for spring |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to stop cats using my flowerbeds as a toilet?
Cover the bare soil so there’s nowhere soft to dig. Use chicken wire, prickle mats or twigs on new beds, then plant closely. A motion-activated sprinkler helps on a favourite spot.
Do prickle mats really keep cats off flowerbeds?
Yes, they work well on bare patches. The blunt plastic spikes are uncomfortable but don’t hurt. Press them into the soil between plants and hide them under a thin mulch.
Do citrus peel and coffee grounds keep cats away?
Not reliably, and the effect fades fast in rain. Coffee grounds aren’t good for pets to eat either. Covering the soil with mesh, mats or plants works far better.
Are ultrasonic cat deterrents worth buying?
They work for some cats but not others. Try covering the soil first. If you do buy one, point it at the bed rather than a neighbour’s garden.
What plants stop cats digging in flowerbeds?
Low, dense ground cover leaves cats nowhere to dig. Hardy geraniums, bugle, lamb’s ear and bergenia knit together into a mat. Prickly shrubs such as berberis also help along bed edges.
Is it legal to deter my neighbour’s cat?
Yes, as long as you don’t harm it. Mesh, mats, planting and sprinklers are all fine. Never use poison, pepper or anything that could injure a cat.
Plan a cat-friendly garden too
If you’d like to keep your own cat safely in, or make the whole garden less tempting, read the guide to a cat-proof garden. If foxes are the ones digging, see how to get rid of foxes. For more humane fixes, browse pest control.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
