Angie83, thanks for the hint. I have a similar problem. I only want to discourage the cat (feral, cut and released) from pooing on my beds, or disturbing them. I am tired of spraying cayenne to no avail. Otherwise he (they) are welcome, since my squirrel population is too high and they eat them (sorry, nature...). I wanted to ask you, do you dry the peels first, then pulverize them? or grind them while still fresh? then you get some sort of paste? citrus peels paste? or drying works better? if you dry them first, then grind them you get a powdery product. I have lots and lots of citrus, and even a food processor. Can you describe how densely you put them on the bed (s)? My dogs (smaller than average cats) also get into that bad habit, they do not seem to like citrus at all either (good thing).

Admitting to doing evil things to animals is something I just can't understand. I think of it in about the same light as I would if someone admitted to doing bad/illegal things to little children. Animals often don't have any way to know that what they are doing bothers us. They are just doing what they do naturally. I know some of the comments I sometimes see on Gardenweb are just joking around, and that's alright as long as the poster ensures that the reader knows they are just kidding. But, admitting to torturing animals or needlessly killing them is something that speaks extremely poorly of the person making the claim. Sometimes we are forced to deal with animal issues that negatively impact us. When this happens there are usually many varied solutions. Civilized people will solve the problem in a way that doesn't involve torture or needless slaughtering. People that do evil things to animals are one of the very lowest elements in society (a.k.a. scum).

In the spring, I actually collect our dogs' poo and bury it about 6 inches below the surface in my tomato beds. Plants love it and I feel there is no additional risk because our dogs are regularly wormed and sleep with us anyway but more importantly, plants do not uptake pathogens through their root systems. It is one thing to be dumping carnivore waste directly onto a leafy green that you will be eating and another to feed a fruiting plant with waste that will never contact the fruit you eat. Stray cat poo is a little different because you do not know the health status of the animal but I still don't think it would be a problem if there was no contact between the poo and the fruit. Americans can be a little squeamish about nature and make generalizations about benefits not worth risk but with reasonable care, I really don't think anyone can draw up a specific scenario that could lead to a harmful result.

My question is if anyone knows if the cat poop will negatively affect the soil (dirt+compost+a little composted manure), and if I should be worried about parasites in it. ***** No, the cat poop is not going to affect the soil and the only parasite that I'd worry about is Toxoplasmosis gondii. I've linked to the life cycle below but the shed oocysts need very warm temps and high humidity for them to morph into a form ingested by humans that's infectious. And you don't have those conditions where you live and garden. If it still bothers you make sure you wash the tomato fruits well before eating them. Carolyn Here is a link that might be useful: Toxoplasmosis Life Cycle