I let my cats out (supervised) into my garden and the only plant I've had them close to knocking over are my lilies - so I put a bamboo stake next to each one (they'll need to be staked eventually anyway) and that seems to deter them because they avoid the stake. Maybe some low bamboo stake around the plants? Something that's not too obtrusive?

Of course, the cats are drawn to the catnip - alot of people keep it potted indoors for their kitties to munch on. So that probably doesn't help. ;-)

My guess too would be the catnip. Once it is gone from the garden, I suspect the cat(s) also will be gone... or at least the cat damage will disappear. My own cat, as well as 3 neighborhood kitties, move about my gardens without trampling a single leaf, but I bet if catnip were added it would be a different story.

Hi Jane,
For keeping both cats and dogs out of certain areas I will often lay down the clippings from my roses it may sound harsh but they are smart enough to avoid the thorns and it doesn't take long before they have moved on to another favorite spot (hopefully your neighbors).
That said growing catnip and expecting cats not to roll in it is a lot like having a bowl of candy with a free sign and expecting the neighborhood kids to stay away from it.
Before you dissuade your visiting kitty from hanging out in your garden you might ask it's owner what kill he is bringing home, if it is mice, voles or as in my case rats you may find yourself thrilled that he is working in your garden. Good Luck, Katy

O,K, you're all going to jump all over me, but I DETEST cats in the garden. . .
now calm down: here's the specific situation. . .all the cats are feral cats, crossing through my garden from one feeding post to another. Yes, it's
illegal to feed feral cats in my town. . .people do it anyway. . .wonder how these same folks would react if I started feeding woodchucks or voles? And does anyone actually enjoy putting their unsuspecting hand down on a messy
cat-poop, cleverly left just out of sight under the leaves of the perennial
that you're trying to cultivate?

Oh, well, it's one of those battles that will never be resolved, so I do my best to live with it. . .it's the loss of the birds, which I deliberately attract, that disappoints me the most. There's just nothing so disheartening as coming upon a shredded mourning dove in your garden. . .if at least they would finish the meal, or at least take the carcass elsewhere !

Anyway: there are several healthy specimens of catmint in the garden, and
rather than use rose thorns as kt does, I place a trio of sharp rocks, about
the size of a large fist, around the base of each plant. Since I started doing
this, I have never had a Nepeta flattened since. . .

Carl

Carl, I agree with you. Personally I don't believe cats should be outdoor cats unless they're barn mousers on a farm. That's why mine are only allowed out supervised and they're not allowed to leave my garden. I let them get their instincts satisfied for an hour or so at a time and that's it LOL. They have very jingly bells on their collars to scare off any birds they might think of attacking - though I've never seen them come close to getting one. (And I'd stop them if I saw them doing it. I don't even let them go after the butterflies lol.)

The only "damage" I've seen them do to my garden is to eat the large grasses...which they don't even make a dent in so I can live with it. If they were flattening my plants I'd have to rethink their privileges. haha. If someone else's cat (or dog) was damaging my garden I'd be pretty pissed about it.

Feral cats...well, that's another story. I love kitties though, and would probably try to trap them and take them to a shelter if they were a nuisance.

Janeb, if you put a small ring of wire fencing around the Catnip in the Spring, that will prevent the cats from rolling all over it and flattening it. They can still nibble and enjoy the catnip as it grows through the wire. I usually grow the catnip someplace off the beaten path and let the cats do what they want to it.

Carl, if you are finding just a pile or ring of feathers leftover from the bird, then the culprit is likely a hawk. A feral cat who is hungry will eat the whole thing and there won't be much of anything left. I find it disheartening when my cat catches a bird too, but I've figured out how to site the feeders and bird baths so the birds are relatively safe from predators. Last summer, she caught several birds, and it took me a while to figure out she was hiding under the Peonies and ambushing them when they landed on the bird bath. I moved that bird bath to an open area where the birds have full visibility, and she hasn't caught one since.

I live on nearly 3 acres. I have 3 cats, all are allowed unfettered access to the great outdoors during the daylight hours.

They kill things. They're predatory creatures; hence the conical ears whose direction is easily controlled, incisors specifically designed to sever rodent spinal cords with a single bite, and large eyes that provide advantage at times of low light.

But, most of the "kills" I find are rodents. Yes, there is the occasional bird, but as Terrene pointed out careful placement of feeders/birdbaths minimizes the opportunity for a kill. For several years now we've had Phoebes nest under the deck on the west side of our home. In all that time I've never found a dead Phoebe.

I love cats. Clearly. But feral cats... while I support spay/neuter efforts locally... frankly, I'm not entirely sure euthanizing them would be that bad.

thanks for all the thoughts! i'll try the rose clippings. The catmint is easy to grow / move, etc, mostly it's the sedum laying over in the garden that just gets me mad! I do know the cats are getting some mice, so i'm happy to have them around - they don't linger that i notice otherwise (which is good since I'm allergic to boot!)