I used them years ago to keep the dog out of some areas in the garden when she was a puppy. Seemed to work fine, but they're obvious and they're ugly. I still have them laying around somewhere in the barn, should I ever need them again. Did I mention they're really ugly?

Yes, that's a fair point, about them being ugly. That's also a good point about dogs. Dogs are bigger than cats, and if they keep dogs away, they'll probably keep possums and coons away. I should say that pest controllers recommend them for possums and coons, but I'd like to get an assessment by people who aren't selling them.

Important point, that I just realized. Some of these are made with polypropylene. Now PP is attacked very strongly by UV, so these should not be used outdoors. Those are indoor scat mats. Others are made with PVC, which should work fine outside. Be careful to buy the right kind!

I got mine from Gardener's Supply. IDK if they still sell them or if they do, whether they are the same quality they were back then.

Those are currently advertised as being polypropylene and "weatherproof", which has to mean just that they can get rained on. But they will get brittle quickly if sunlight hits them. Both Temu and Amazon have PVC ones.

Kind of funny. These are intended to keep cats and dogs from pooping on veggies. I don't care about that. I don't want animals taking bites out of my veggies! Cats and dogs sure won't.

Putting down chicken wire might deter animals, but you can't just lay it on the ground. It needs to be supported a few inches above the ground, and that's a PIA. This stuff you just lay on the soil and the spikes are self-supporting.

I should say that my possum pests come straight up from a nearby creek, and so I'd like to believe that that I'd only need this discouragement on the side of the bed facing the creek.