How can I keep cats out of my flower gardens?

I live on a farm and we have barn cats. They love to use my flower beds as their "litter box". Eww! Aside from that just being gross, they stir up the mulch and make a general mess of things. I don't want to harm the cats but I do want them OUT of my flower gardens! Any ideas?

How can I keep cats out of my flower gardens?
There are lots of ways but unfortunately they are all illegal, feline human rights!!!!!!!
Reply:It,s said that they dislike citrus smell, so I cut up oranges/limes/lemons and put them on the area,s I dont want cats on.
Reply:put chicken wire down. they will stop.
Reply:Moth balls, also will keep squirels, rats away too and I think snakes. But replace after rain. Put around outter edge of perimerter of garden. Heard it at feed store. *mamatx
Reply:Yuck....I have had the SAME problem and it is so gross...and not good for the plants. They took a "shine" to my perrenial flower beds. If it's not the squirrels it the cats...(sigh) I have tried two different things to help combat both problems...Go to Sams and get the GIANT size red pepper flakes...and yes, you have to spread them all around and sometimes after it rains you have to respread them...it helps with both creatures....another thing that helps, but are not really "earth" friendly are Moth Balls...I did have to resort to those with the cats...they helped some too....blow up balloons until they are near the popping stage and place them all in the garden...tied about....sometimes they will unwittingly pop the balloons and it scares them--if you have a leisurely few hours and some fire crackers, sit very quietly close by and..you know what to do...not in an effort to harm them, but just scare them from returning. You could do the same with a BB gun, just fire it into the air when you see them get close to the garden so they associate the noise with the garden. In other words...anything that you can do to make the cats think GARDEN=HELL is a good thing....also often they are there because squirrels and other little creatures are there...so they are attracted to them too...(sigh again!) and they like my bird feeder...which makes me very upset...I have 2 dachshunds which I release without warning throughout the day...that has helped a lot too!!!! Good Luck!!!! And keep up the good fight!!! :) (the do have some Repel things at the Feed and Seed)
Reply:I have tried moth balls, cayanne pepper, and vinegar. None of these work on a cat that has probably seen it before. What I had to do was use fox urine purchased from a garden nursery. That cat walks by and keeps on going. He can't stand the smell. Of course, I don't smell it because I use it sparingly.





I have planted vinca, dusty miller and other deterrant plants and they don't work on cats in this area. Where I lived before it only took a few plants to deter rabbits, cats and dogs all without a fence.
Reply:try shaking some cayenne power in places you don't want the cats. this may also be i,proved to some extent if you crush some moth balls to go with the cayenne powder. one the cats learn they are not wanted they will more than likely stay away. It may also help if you have a spot you can plant that is away from your flower bed is to plant that spot with cat nip
Reply:Go here, please:





http://www.gardeners.com/Safe+Cat+Deterr...
Reply:There's a product in the hardware store that specifically keeps cats and/or dogs and/or deer out of areas you want them kept out of. It's right there with the pesticides but is harmless to the animal, it just repels them.
Reply:I would line up moth balls around the area you want to protect or you could also use chyenn pepper hope this helps.