The idea is to create a contained area where cats will do their business without disturbing your plants. Choose an out-of-the-way spot in your yard, fill it with oh-so-tempting catnip, and add a sand-style litter box.

Cats are supposedly turned away by the sharp smell of citrus peels, such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit. Toss the peels around your raised beds and plantings, and let the cat’s powerful sense of smell do the work.

You can plant wildly fragrant herbs around your raised beds and most prized plantings, or grow them in containers so they’re portable and easily moved when you have a new cat problem.