If cats are a problem in your garden, you're not alone. My own dear pussycat will "bless" my garden he gets the chance. He usually tries hardest in the spring when the beds are empty. After digging and/or planting seeds, I cover everything with plastic garden netting until my plants start coming up. Dead twigs in the ground between small seedlings also make a good barrier. Once there are things growing, he doesn't bother with it.

Another thing I do if he has gotten past my defences is remove any solid waste, then flush the area several times with large amounts of water. He doesn't often revisit the scene of the crime after the evidence is removed!

To prevent it from happening in the first place, grind up orange peelings and scatter them among your growing plants. Cats hate citrus. I've also heard people suggest cayenne pepper and coffee grounds. I've never tried these either of these but I would think it can't hurt the garden. As far as harming the pussycats I'm not sure ... it might irritate their eyes I suppose. If you are tender hearted perhaps you shouldn't try this one.