A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Sometimes, my nemesis..

Bad Bubba...


He really belongs to the neighbors, but you wouldn't know it. He hangs at my house, and runs in my door, to eat my cat food..lol. But, he likes to hang out in my flowerbeds too!!! I got that stinky plant.. the coleus whatever it is.. and does that stuff stink if you touch it!! But.. he doesn't touch it.. he avoids it, and sleeps right next to one, with his back turned to it. ACK!

Meg

hehehehe, you've been adopted and he is so cute. You can't really be mad at him can you?

Do you have an catnip planted? Maybe a patch of that somewhere there are only hardy plants that would stand up to some kitty resting?

He is cute.. but sooo bad! He's a birdy & rabbit killer! (And of course, little rodents too.. so that's ok! except he likes to leave them where I'll find them on my sidewalk, or in my lawn close to the house..) And he tramples my gardens terribly bad. He broke my bleeding heart, just where it started to flower. He broke bulb plants that were just coming up. He's left big fluffy furballs stuck to my mum & mulch. He's come inside my house, after sleeping in the mulch, and went right on my bed to sleep.. still full of mulch. Steve weren't too happy about that, and Bubba is the one cat that he's liked. LOL.

Meg

He's a long hair and needs a good brushing. That would handle alot but not all of the fur ball problems. At least enough of them that they wouldn't be a major problem for him or you. It's odd that he likes the mulch better than the lawn. That is unusual.

The big bark mulch would probably be off putting to him. It breaksdown slower and you have to use a heavier nitrogen fertilizer if you do it. And you might try some kind of border plant that is prickly to help discourage him. And other than a screendoor so you can get fresh air but he can't get in I don't know what to do about him pre-empting your bed when he has gotten all dirty.

Good luck with him he sounds like a naughty darling my favorite kind lol. Loads of personality.

He's something, that's fur sure. I thought of putting in prickly stuff.. but no room for them now, and that would mean, completely rearranging the bed now, and I just can't do it. He hangs out under a low shrub, for the shade I bet. He's got the mulch all packed down real flat there..lol. He follows me around the yard, whereever I go, and if I stop at a baby tree to check it out, he'll rub against the tree! I keep thinking he's going to snap it off. *shakes head* I try to take photos & he's rubbing all over me, practically knocking me over as I try to snap the pictures..lol. Oh, he's so bad. LOL.

Meg

Sounds like you have a soft spot for him. I think I would too. He sounds like a character. It sounds like he wants to be someones lap cat. Which would be hilarious because he looks to be a very big boy. Cats will always rub alittle bit but if they know they can get a good rubbing by their favorite human they will usually choose that instead. Then go find a place to laydown and go to sleep lol.

Will catnip grow in a shady place? I'm thinking that might be your best bet at this point. Although some cats completely ignore it. Cats can be trained but not the same way dogs are. They learn routines and what gets them attention and food.

Walter my neighbors cat learned that we ate at the dinningroom table and the chairs had wheels on them. So when I was in the kitchen preparing dinner he would get up on the chair and push it out so he could see the table. It was soooooo funny. He was trained not to get on tables except the coffee table on top of the magazines. So he would sit at the table until I had his dinner ready and then would come eat when I put it down on the floor for him. I loved that cat. Hated to move from that apartment complex but sometimes you don't get a choice.

That being said I would stake out a shady area for the cat and when he comes over go to that spot and give him a good petting an a treat he likes. After awhile he'll probably beat you over there lol.

Here I go stuttering again darn!
Jimmy

Cat Tamales come to mind. Prickly plants don't always work my dog spot gets right ontop of my cactus to potty. Must have the tuffest rear end ever on a dog.
Jimmy