Cat deterrent advice in Tiverton

### The Reality Check You Need

Let's be honest: **there's no perfect cat deterrent**. Anyone selling you a guaranteed solution is talking rubbish. Cats are intelligent, persistent, and they don't read the instructions on deterrent packaging.

But that doesn't mean you're helpless.

> 💡 **Pro tip:** The best approach combines multiple deterrents - cats learn to avoid one method but struggle when you layer several together.

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### What This Visit Gets You

| ✅ Honest Assessment | ❌ Magic Solutions | |---------------------|-------------------| | Walk through your problem areas | Promise to banish all cats forever | | Discuss what you've already tried | Sell you expensive gimmicks | | Recommend practical next steps | Give you one-size-fits-all advice | | Suggest where to buy locally | Leave you to figure it out alone |

This isn't a sales pitch. It's genuine advice from someone who's seen what works in real Devon gardens and what's a waste of money.

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### What We'll Cover

**🔍 Garden Assessment**

I look at: - Where cats are actually entering - Why they're attracted to your beds - Which areas are being used as toilets - What physical barriers might work - Whether your soil type matters (it does)

**💡 Practical Solutions Discussed**

| Method | Effectiveness | Reality Check | |--------|---------------|---------------| | Motion-activated sprinklers | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Actually work, but need power/water | | Prickly plant borders | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Effective barrier but takes time to grow | | Chicken wire under soil | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Works great, looks awful | | Ultrasonic devices | ⭐⭐ | Hit and miss, cats adapt | | Scent deterrents | ⭐⭐ | Need constant reapplication | | Coffee grounds/citrus | ⭐ | Cheap to try, rarely effective |

**🛒 Where to Buy**

I'll tell you which products are stocked at local Tiverton/Devon garden centres and which ones you'll need to order. No point recommending stuff you can't actually get.

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### Common Tiverton Garden Scenarios

**Raised beds getting dug up?** Wire mesh laid under mulch stops digging without ruining the look.

**Cats using borders as toilets?** Dense prickly groundcover makes the area uncomfortable. Takes a season to establish but lasts years.

**Neighbour's cat has a favourite spot?** Motion sprinkler aimed at that specific area. Works brilliantly, annoys the cat, doesn't annoy you.

**Newly planted beds being disturbed?** Temporary chicken wire until plants establish. Looks crap for 6 weeks but actually works.

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### Pricing

| Service | Time | You'll Pay | |---------|------|------------| | Garden assessment & advice | 1 hr | **£60** |

*If you want help installing deterrents (planting prickly borders, laying wire, setting up sprinklers), that's quoted separately based on the work involved.*

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### Good For Devon Gardens Because...

✅ **Honest about local availability** - I know what's in stock at Tiverton garden centres

✅ **Realistic expectations** - Devon has a lot of cats, you won't stop them all

✅ **Weather-appropriate advice** - some deterrents don't work in wet winters

✅ **Neighbour-friendly** - humane solutions that won't cause disputes