Since I have 4 cats, I wanted to know. Thanks, I may look into those repellers for next spring.

RE: you wrote âActually, I wish there was some way to keep them out of my flower gardens. â â By they, did you mean the rodents or did you mean your 3 chickens, 3 ducks and a cat?

I had always had 3 to 5 indoor/outdoor cats which kept most of the vermin at bay. Hwvr, w/ attrition, I found myself w/ just 3 indoor cats and suddenly my garden became a smorgasbord! 1 yr of that was all I could take so I taught the male, Cian, to go outside, responsibly while Iâm home. Worked pretty well. Just his part-time presence reduced the carnage. Last fall I ended up with a kitten from a litter I fostered, then Cian died, so I got the kitten a same-age buddy from another rescue and they are now indoor/outdoor when Iâm home. The two 7 yr old girls whoâve been indoors since they were rescued as kittens in the woods are now spending some time outside too.

The standard thought these days is that cats should stay indoors; that outside, their lifespan shortens dramatically. In my experience, indoor/outdoor gives them the best of both worlds, a better quality of life, and they live just as long as indoor only cats. And my garden is safer, which improves my state of mind.

Kitty