Finding the flower beds dug up, or a neighbour's cat using the vegetable patch as a toilet, is one of the most common garden headaches. A physical deterrent is a simple, chemical-free way to make those spots less inviting without harming the animal.

The pack has six mats, each 49 x 14 x 2.8cm, made of bendable PP plastic covered in short plastic spikes. Lay them on the soil between plants, round the base of a pot or along the top of a fence. They can be joined into a bigger area or cut to fit, and they bend enough to wrap round a post or tree trunk to stop climbing. Indoors, they can sit on a worktop or windowsill your cat keeps jumping on.

• 6 mats per pack
• Each mat 49 x 14 x 2.8cm
• Flexible PP plastic, made for outdoor use
• Can be cut to size or joined together
• Garden or indoor use

Worth knowing: the spikes are blunt plastic, meant to make a spot uncomfortable to walk or dig on rather than to hurt, so a determined animal may still step across. Push the mats firmly into the soil or peg them down so they stay put.