Keeping low birdbaths might help with the moisture diggers. And will invite a wider variety of birds. I keep one on the ground, one elevated about a foot and one at three feet and I see different birds at each one. The one on the ground drains faster, partly due to all the bluebirds and warblers that visit in the morning and late afternoon. But it also drains overnight, suggesting I have other visitors and I have never seen my newspapered beds dug up, aside from squirrel diggings after fresh plantings.

Excellent for birds (and you) - a diversionary tactic that meets their needs. I own a cat who suns outside, so have given up on birdbaths. Long ago lost the squirrel battle; they are now the yard gods whom I appease with sunflower seeds. Leaving water out is good, just have to keep up with the mosquito threat...and the raccoons that come after midnight to the yard cat's water dish outside the sliding glass door and scare the !@#$ out of the 2 other, indoor-only cats.

I hate it when a visitor comes in th night and either washes their food (coons?) or does a poop in the cat's water bowl....(possum?)....sally

It's funny how often there is a simple solution to a problem. I was listening to a show and someone had written in with a problem, birds were constantly poking holes in her tomatoes. The host gave a very simple, and familiar, solution: Put a birdbath near the tomatoes. The birds were poking holes to get a drink. With easier water available, they would (should) leave her tomatoes alone.

OK! If I "plant" newspapers again, I will leave a tray of water or wet dirt nearby. Thanks, LMan!

OK! If I "plant" newspapers again, I will leave a tray of water or wet dirt nearby. Thanks, LMan!

Sorry if you took my second comment as somehow pressing the birdbath idea on you. That was not my intention, I was just reinforcing the idea that sometimes there are rather simple solutions to some of our biggest headaches.

As you say you have an outdoor cat, I agree that a birdbath might not be the best idea. I also have to ask if maybe it was the cat digging up your papered beds? When my old neighbors had cats (four of them) they made a huge mess of my beds. They also killed many birds at their (neighbors') birdbath which was on a picnic table surrounded by shrubs. Perfect ambush conditions. My own birdbath at the time was in the open so the birds had plenty of time to spot the cats and escape. At my mother's house there was a neighbor's cat that would use her lantana beds as a litter box, giving her two messes to clean up on almost a daily basis. And watching my daughter's kitten, I am reminded just how much cats LOVE the sound of rasping paper. Paper bags anyone?