Always finding your neighbour’s cats in your garden?
Even though we all love animals, we are not always fans of other people’s cats doing their business in our gardens. Luckily, there is a handy, and animal-friendly, trick for this!
Cats are wonderful and cute animals, of course, but they’re a bit less cute when they pee, poo and dig all over our garden. This can cause a lot of trouble for you and your garden, so you might be looking for some tips to help prevent this! Because we are animal lovers, we don’t like the idea of scaring off cats with chemicals or nasty methods that aren’t animal friendly. We believe keeping cats out of your garden can also be done in a natural way.
There are several ways to discourage cats from coming into your garden that are in no way harmful to the cat but do give the required result. For instance, cats don’t like certain scents, which means you can use those to keep them out.
After asking around for a bit, we found out that a lot of people have trouble with neighbourhood cats in their garden. Some people love seeing those cute animals wandering around their garden, but other people would rather chase them away immediately. Everybody has their own methods for this as well. The most common method seems to be trying to scare the cat by yelling and waving your arms. Others go outside with a glass of water to try to pour over the cat. Of course, these methods don’t have the desired result. Some people get so frustrated that they end up in the newspaper because they tried shooting at the cats! That’s not what we want, so we’ve got a few tips for you instead.
Cats don’t like the smells of vinegar and citrus peel.
So, you can keep cats out of your garden pretty easily by putting bowls of vinegar or citrus peel in various places around the garden (in particular those places the cat likes to visit). The cat will then definitely stay away from those places. Another thing cats hate is cayenne pepper. So, it may be worth scattering a generous amount of cayenne pepper in places the cats like to visit. Then again, this may cause the cat to start sneezing violently, which make us feel a bit sorry for it.
If you don’t have any of these products at home and don’t feel like going to the supermarket, you could also try using garlic, ground coffee or chili pepper. Did you know about these natural, cat-resistant tips? Share them with your friends!
Poll: Is it rude to talk on the phone on a bus?
Buses can be a relaxing way to get home if you have a seat and enough space. However, it can be off-putting when someone is taking a phone call next to you.
Do you think it's inconsiderate for people to have lengthy phone calls on a bus? Vote in the poll, and add your comments below.
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64% Yes
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33.7% No
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2.3% Other - I'll share below
What would you do if it was your job to fix Hamilton's CBD?
More alcohol restrictions, more lighting, busking rule changes and a whole lot of lobbying - these are some ways Hamilton leaders want to sort out the CBD.
Crime and anti-social behaviour in the area has been in the spotlight after recent news of a man defecating in the street near a city pub and another who flipped tables out the back of a bar after being found scrounging cigarette butts and asked to leave.
What would you do if it was your job to fix Hamilton's CBD? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
Have you picked up your tickets to our 80th anniversary party yet?
Kia ora neighbours, here is the cover of our amazing 80th anniversary special edition! There's just enough time to book your ticket to join editor Jo McCarroll at Hamilton Gardens on November 11. Ticketholders will get this special (RRP $16.20) in their goody bags. Each goody bag is also packed with gardening paraphernalia and a brand new Jack Hobbs-bred Hebe 'The Gardener' plant, released to mark this amazing milestone. Plus you'll also get all-day entry to the Enclosed Gardens, canapes and bubbles
, and spot prizes. We'd love to see you there.