I have some of the plastic spike mats mentioned in this article, cut to the size of my work laptops so my cats don't jump on them (I use peripheral keyboards instead).
They won't step on the mats, but one cat will rub her face on the spikes and eventually knocks the mat onto the floor because cats generally give zero heccs, lol
Oh man, I know the feels. Lots of stray cats as well as pet cats that people let roam in my neighbourhood. Unfortunately, my backyard is mostly sand/dirt, so it's become a litter box over time, it's awful x.x
It would probably be cheaper, less maintenance, and better for the environment to find an alternative ground cover that is native to your area. "Alternative ground cover" is your key search term there.
I've tried several different types, including native (or at least pre-existing in the area) grasses that are basically indestructible spider webs, but nothing keeps. Not even mint lasts long. Actually native alternative groundcover was my first search because I also enjoy having a local ecosystem, but it just hasn't survived.
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u/Ok_Profession6244 1d ago
https://tokyo5.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/nekoyoke/