Cats urinating in my strawberry patch!!!!?

Question

Our neighbours cats, constantly pee on our strawberry patch, what is a good deterent (no cruelty please). Also is it safe to eat the strawberries if washed really well?

Answer 1

Mmmmm. Deliciosness.

Can’t wait to eat THAT cake.

I think washing really well SHOULD be fine but if the cats are outdoor cats you need to be concerned about Toxoplasmosis – a species jumping disease contracted from cats. It can make you very sick or if you feed those strawberries to someone who is sick or pregnant, the disease can be fatal to the person who is ill or to the unborn baby.

If I were you I would spray the area with white vinegar. It will not be enough to acidify the soil to any appreciable extent but will neutralize the smell of cat urine and most probably deter the cats. If you keep the spray bottle of vinegar handy you may be able to spray the cats – which will not cause them any damage but they sure won’t like it.

If you can’t keep the cat urine (they are probably defecating in the area as well) off the strawberries I would not only thoroughly wash them but cook them and use them as a topping on pancakes, ice cream and any other desert I chose.

EDIT - If the cats are using your strawberry patch as their litter box, any possible diseases they may (or may not) have are being taken up by the plants root system. If that should happen and there is disease - it CAN NOT be washed off. Any pathogens are systemic and in the tissue of the plants AND fruit.

Answer 2

Two possible solutions. Get some sticks or twigs that you can lay over the strawberry patch that will make it inconvenient for the cats to walk or scratch there. Loosen and rake a patch of soil away from the strawberries where the cats can go and pee. do both things for best effect. Cats usually go for the easiest option. The strawberries should be unaffected because the cats will pee directly into the ground and not all over the fruit.

Answer 3

extra flavour!

Answer 4

Cheezing!

Answer 5

Grow mint with the strawberries and the cats will stay away.

Answer 6

They'd be good if you washed them good but if it was me I would buy an elephant and have it pee on their porch

Answer 7

y wash them?  it ad to the flavor

Answer 8

not fair trick question

Answer 9

It might be a good idea to wash the strawberries one the cat has urinated on them. Make sure to wash them very well and if it smells or doesn't feel right even when washed correctly, don't eat them!

You might want to talk  your neighbors nicely about the problem. Make sure to keep an eye out every once and a while because that will certainly help.

Try to get a cat repellent, that might solve your problem.