Cats hate lemon peels. Try puting some around the plants to keep them away.

Is it a boxwood? Here's a picture. A very common fountain planting with small,evergreen leaves? If so, it's not the cats. To some people boxwood smells like cat pee. It's a very common question here on GW so you're hardly the first to think so. I personally cannot stand the smell especially in full sun. Hope this helps. PJ

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1356508}}

seems like there's a narcissus or something that some people swear smells like cat pee, too.

Spray the plants with hot pepper tea;
you'll need to re-apply as it wears off, & you'll have to keep your leftover "tea" in the freezer or fridge, as it'll go bad if left at room temp.

Best luck!

I agree if its boxwood. Thats what I thought was happening with mine and it stunk every time I went outside. Ripped out the hedges and no more cat pee smell.

Don't they dislike marigolds as well?

Are they neutered? If not, try to find out whose cats they are and suggest they have them neutered. That goes a long way to cutting down on the spraying. If they're feral cats, some communities have a program that lends you humane traps so you have Trap, Neuter, and Release. If you just trap and relocate, another set of feral cats will fill the vacuum. If you're near Austin, let me know, I can give you more information.

Hyden

Thanks so much for all your help we are going to try the lemon peels. The cat is a stray that hangs around between my house and my neighbors. How or where do I get Hot Pepper tea? The bushes are not Boxwoods, though at my old house we had them and they do stink.

You could always catch the stray and have him neutered. There are several organizations that promote neutering feral or stray cats to control the wild population. Feral Friends, I think, is one. The SPCA and/or Humane Society sometimes have low-cost spay/neuter programs.

I have not ever noticed boxwoods smelling like cat pee, but currently only have one and have not noticed any smell, but I have noticed tam junipers that smell that way.

Sometimes getting a cat neutered won't stop the spraying, but it is definitely worth a try.

How about a pellet gun? Shoot it near where the cat when he is doing his business to scare him off. Or, how about one of those motion sensor sprayers like people can get for deer? Aim it at the area where the cat sprays and he will get sprayed, but won't get hurt, just wet.

Get yourself a dog, preferably one that really doesn't like cats. The shelters are full of them.

Your animal control will provide a capture trap for stray (or inconsiderate neighbor) cats, and will pick them up, when captured.

I've got a row of boxwoods on the south side of my house & they never smelled until last year. There was a cat that always came around there about sunset too, so I think it was the cat. But I've had a cat trap out for about a week and haven't caught anything. Wonder if boxwoods smell worse the older they get?

Its possible. Mine were about 20 years old when I ripped them out but they were here when I moved in. I think I smelled some at Lowes though that stunk too so who knows. Maybe its only certain kinds of boxwoods that stink. Surely so many people wouldn't have them if they all stink, lol.