Where do you live?

Are cats a problem or is it just the stigma of having the cat potty on your property?

Put down sod or mulch to prevent cats from mating or leaving presents on a lawn? Me thinks your neighbor needs to put down the booze and/or bong.

I guess I could understand if you grass or weeds are tall attracting cats hunting rodents. But you do not have to lay sod or mulch to fix that, a lawn mower will do the trick.

Your friend is right- rubber mulch is very low maintenance and will definitely repel cats. It may seem costly at first but if you think about it, it's a very worthwhile investment. Rubber mulch lasts for YEARS, so for the amount of times you would've replaced any other kind of surfacing, it's worth it. I love it, I think you will too!

Here is a link that might be useful: rubberecycle

That's weird. JonnyBZ signs on just to make a statement about a product that nobody has ever mentioned on this forum before. He even has a link ready to go. Weird.

Many years ago someone here at GW recommended "never put anything plastic in your garden." I would extend that to rubber. Natural stuff always works better.

Where do you live and what is the underlying issue?