About cat feces, perhaps there is someone more expert out there, but I assume an occasional old, dried-up dropping will not kill you. This is, after all, dirt--which is made up of decomposed matter and worm poop, bug poop, etc.

unles you are pregnant(possible toxoplasmosis), and if we are talking about a little old poop, as long as you wash the produce well, should not be a problem at all.

Reminds me of when i offered a friend some leftover composted horse poop. She asked if it was sterilized :D

When it comes to animals and gardens there is only so much you can do. The rest we just have to leave up to Mother Nature, good garden hygiene, and well-washed and properly prepared produce. Somehow we all survive just fine. ;)

Alternating veggies and flowers? Sure, no problem. Just recognize that they have very different nutrient needs and different soil prep requirements.

Dave

i am mostly wondering.... after the poop is dried up is the contamination risk over... does the bacteria/parasites die? i know they haven't been in the garden in a few weeks so there are no fresh messes... i just wanted to make sure there was no residual contamination leftover, like bacteria now infested in my soil...

Not all bacteria are harmful; many are beneficial and essential to good quality soil. But if I'm correct, cat feces can contain some pathogenic bacteria that could make you really sick. But if it's old, dried up poop and you wash your vegetables before eating them, you shouldn't have a problem. Just keep the feces away from touching the plants you will be eating. Cover them in mulch if you use any - it will keep mud from splattering up onto the plants when it rains or when you water the plants.

If you keep your garden well and don't let the poop become a mess, it should provide beneficial nutrients for the plants. Composted manure (cow, horse, sheep, chicken, etc) is commonly sold as an organic fertilizer for plants.

You could always make them their own soft dirt 'garden bed' away from your main beds, then mulch 'your' garden with large, chunky bark so they will be less inclined to go there. You could also plant some catnip near their little garden to entice them to that area. That's what I would do, but then I spoil my little bratties :D

I'd only be concerned if someone was pregnant because of the toxoplasmosis as susanedan pointed out, and I'd be more worried about them working in the garden than eating something from the garden. That's why pregnant women are told to not clean the cat box during pregnancy. Unless one of your kitties poops right on something you're then going to pull and eat immediately, I wouldn't worry. But I know what you mean! We had a stray have 3 kittens under our deck and with the entire yard to pick from, they dug right in the veggie patch!!

Two of those kittens are now housepets and they aren't allowed outside anymore and I haven't seen any more strays in the yard (altho I've discovered 3 dead mice around the yard just this past week!!), so hopefully I won't have the same problem this year!

Lisa

I guess I thought the contamination would get into the soil and the plant's roots would "drink" it up and somehow produce contaminated veggies.... so the real problem is getting it on the veggies and contaminating that way... I always wash everything well, whether from the garden or the grocery store. I guess I thought it would somehow make the plant diseased or the veggies bad. thanks!

Where I live, cats are a matter of necessity. Living out in the boondocks, next to a big old hay field, with a chicken coop near the house, I need cats to keep the critters down. No house cats - barn cats.

Cats love bare ground. Mulch, not so much. And they don't bother established plants. So I keep my garden mulched with grass clippings and the cats find someplace else to do their business. But for this time of year, I just accept that it is gonna happen until the garden is fully planted and mulched.

They are smart enough to not do it while I am around to witness it and chase them off.... or hose them off... but I am under no illusion that they are as polite when I am not around.

And here I thought I was the only one with this problem. I never thought about making them their own little bed... thanks for the suggestion!

Worms in a healthy garden will eat microrganisms and should actually help.

my cats actually LOVE the mulch as well, it is soft and easy to dig in it... i only mulch my flower beds and i am constantly finding holes they have dug. i am less picky about their droppings there since I don't eat anything from it, so i guess i am picking my battles. i am thinking of getting a couple bags of play sand and putting their own little "outdoor litter box" at the back of our property. i guess over the years i have always encouraged them to join me in the garden because they are great company. using the beds as a bathroom never crossed my mind, my oldest cat used to love to sleep under my tomatoes in the heat and humidity of late summer because the ground was cool and moist. i bet they've been using the beds as a bathroom all along and just are getting less sneaky in their old age.

how about putting down black plastic? I can't imagine they'd like that.

I wouldn't intentionally add cat poop to the garden but I wouldn't worry about an occasional "present". Mine don't seem to use the raised beds but I have found presents in the wood mulch between them.

Bacteria and pathogens are all around us. I think we can try to minimize our risks but we can't really eliminate them. (Assuming you are in good health) do what you can and don't worry about the rest.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

Hi, I'm new here, but I read some where that cats don't like Ceyenne pepper. Stray cats visit my yard and go through my garden so I put the pepper aroud the boundry of my garden. Hope that helps.