Any ideas on keeping the neighborhood cats from using my garden for a litter box?

You can break bamboo barbecuing sticks in 1/2, poke into the soil with the sharp point up, numerous enough so cats can't find room to hiney-down in your garden. Have also read that hot pepper will repel them, and also citrus peels (twist or grind to release oils). Good luck!

Julie,
I have the same problem. My mom told me to plant a lot of mint (but be careful, because it's invasive... best to sink a pot in the ground.) She also said to sprinkle cayenne pepper around problem areas (she gets it in bulk at a warehouse store.) I'm going to try both out this summer and see if I can't get that poop to disappear!
Danielle

Ooh...Sylvester...the bane of my existance!!! He's my neighborhood cat. Thinks my veggie and perennial gardens are his litter box...grrrr.
I've ground home grown chili peppers and made my own spray...works when I can get close enough.
I've used commercial, police-type pepper spray. Sylvester's fur is so thick I'd have to spray until I saturate him...so I only hope he licks himself. I know that sounds cruel..but it's legal and BB guns are not!
This year, a gardener buddy gave me her rose bush stem trimmings....things seem fine so far...I'm thinking of keeping them on the veggie bed even
after I've planted my Jenny Lind melons, lettuce and other early spring crops.
Oh, I've also tried plastic forks; tines pointing up. It takes too many plastic forks to make it worthwhile.
I'm sticking with my home made pepper spray and the rose bush stems...Good luck.
Sylvester....get out of my garden!

I have used the perennial, rue, ruta graveolens. It needs full sun, grows to 3-4 ft and likes loamy soil. Cats dislike its odor. Also, I use a Havahart, model 1045, trap with dry cat food as bait. Animal Control takes them for adoption. I have a *large* concern about food poisoning due to toxoplasma gondii found in cat feces and lives in the soil for 18 months, see www.cdc.gov/incidod/eid. Hope this is helpful.

Pepper spray on the ground, not on the cat! The cat doesn't like the smell and finds more hospitable surroundings. Also dislikes the smell of citrus - so any orange peels, grapefruit rinds, etc chopped up and spread in the area will work as a deterrent - and will provide on-site compost!

(Head hung down) :-( I apologize...sincerely. I won't spray my neighbor's cat, Sylvester, again. And, I'll use the citrus peels.
Gardenmom...

We use a squirtgun full of salt water from the Bay -- not too nasty on the garden as it was once UNDER the bay! Have you ever seen a cat try to lick saltwater out of its fur? They *hate* it!

First they run when they hear you...after a week or three of squirting 'em they don't even come by. Muah hah hah haaaa.

I've had the most success with fresh citrus peel. Every time you eat a grapefruit, orange etc., cut the peel up in small pieces and distribute in the garden. Smells great, adds organic matter and no risk in burning the gardener. Works like a charm. Another deterrent I've read about but not used myself is a sprinkler with a motion detector. Every time one of your furry friends gets within range, the sprinkler activates for a short period. Not only beneficial to the garden but could prove to be quite entertaining! Just be sure to deactivate it before YOU decide to take a garden tour!