Run that gauntlet!

There's a narrow strip of sidewalk about 12 feet long that runs beside the west side of our house, which sits between two long flowerbeds. It's the only way from the back yard to the front yard. You go this way to do things like move the recyclables and yard waste to the curb, as well as just moving between back yard and front yard in general.

Enter our problem: two really stupid cats. You see, the oldest cat (who is at least 13 years old, probably older) is a little light in the head. Okay, a lot light in the head. In all her years, she's never learned to do her privy duties the way a cat should. Instead of digging out a spot for pooping, she gives the area one (or if she's really feeling energetic, two) light swipes of the paw (as if she's worried about getting the paw dirty or something) and proceeds to do the business. Instead of covering it when finished, she may decide to make a couple of lame paw swipes, or she may not. After all, she might get her paw dirty, and God forbid that should happen.



The guilty pair. Oh, you may think they may look pretty, but pretty is truly skin deep in this case.


She taught this latrine laziness to her offspring, our other cat, who is now about 6.

Between the two of them, they manage to hit a lot of the flower beds I work in, leaving me with dirty little surprises. Sometimes I see them, occasionally I don't. Thankfully, I work in gloves most of the time, but still - it's nasty when you come across one. Let's just say that these cats' bowels are about as good as their bathroom habits and leave it at that.

At any rate, I have tried many things to keep them out of certain areas. I've used pepper (which is only good until the next time the automatic sprinklers run), I've tried repellents (again, the sprinklers wash it off), and when I can catch them in the act (almost never), I have shooed them out of those beds, but to no avail.

They have managed to make a completely disgusting mess of the two flower beds on either side of that sidewalk I wrote of earlier. As a result, the smell is truly overwhelming as you make your run (and yes, you must run) along the side of the house to the front yard. On a hot summer's day, it's actually horrible.

I've decided to call this area Catshit Gauntlet. During the summer, I think I'll sell tickets to neighbors and let them attempt to make the run without throwing up. Whaddya think?