Last year I was devastated when my newly planted Crocosmia did not bloom. Back at the farm,I'd planted a ton of these outside my office window so I could watch the hummingbirds go crazy, so when a vile neighbor of ours across the street let his cat roam the neighborhood and shit in everyone's yards, including ours (something I personally witnessed and chased it out on multiple occasions), where as anyone who has watched it the past 2 years would agree. I'd poured my blood, sweat and tears into transforming it into something beautiful, I was furious. He then literally told my husband it was "our fault" his cat would shit in our flower & vegetable beds, and instead of taking accountability, apologizing and promising to find a way to keep their cat out (where it would consistently go right where I'd planted a ton of new Crocosmia corms), his girlfriend filed a false report to the City claiming we let our dog off leash.
The concept that many cat owners (and city councils) have that it's perfectly OK to let cats go into your yard, while dog owners are literally legally bound to keep their pups on a leash? It's sick, especially considering that outdoor cats kill over 3 billion wild birds each year, and are considered an invasive species that endanger the survival of a multitude of wild bird and mammals.
"In a ranking of alien species threatening the largest numbers of vertebrates worldwide, domestic cats came in third. Only two other species are ahead of them: rats and the chytrid fungus that is wiping out amphibians around the world." (University of Texas at Austin Biodiversity Center).
In addition to that, cat poop is extremely harmful to plants, as it contains bacteria, excess nitrogen, and attracts vermin. So when you live in a big city, where rats are a big enough problem as it is due to people leaving trash unsecured, food out for animals, and more, cats are essentially partnering with rats. And no, they "don't keep the rodent population down", not even close - it's been proven. If they did, cat owners would see hundreds piled up on their front porch rather than one every once in a while.
Anyhow, I invested in some serious deterrents (something that pissed me off to have to do on my own property!) also known as Cayenne Pepper from the bulk aisle of the grocery store, and my dog who was more than keen to chase any feline out of our garden. I also refreshed the soil around it, and with that combination - even with their retaliation with the City, they appear to have corralled it a bit, at least from what I can tell. And this year...the crocosmia has come up - and is thriving as it should!
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