You call it a garden. The cat calls it the bathroom. Can they safely be both?
- In a word, no.
- Cats will eliminate in areas where they feel less vulnerable, so squatting behind your tomato plant is appealing to a cat that won't go in the middle of the yard.
- If a cat has been using your planters as a privy, you're going to need to remove all the soil from the planter to remove any chance of catching a disease from what the kitty deposits. This is especially important if the cat eliminates near plants that you're going to consume.
- Don't let anyone who is pregnant or might get pregnant do this job to avoid the possibility of toxoplasmosis.
- If the cat went there once, the chance are the cat will return, so reconsider materials that might retain the cat's scent -- wood, for example.
- Add lots to mulch to discourage kitty. Create an area that cats don't care to walk upon with beach glass, rocks and such. Even upright sticks will discourage a cat.
- DO NOT harm any cat who may be utilizing your space for a litter box. NO trapping.
- Critter repellants are worth a try.