We have several island type flower beds in our landscaped yard. Unfortunately, the squirrels (tree rats) and stray cats make a mess of the flower beds with their digging holes. Is there a non-toxic mixture that we can make that would deter these pests from digging in the flower beds?

I used to keep a hose handy and would squirt them.
Many people have has good luck putting down lava rock or lava gravel, trimmings of blackberry or rose bushes, or pecan shell mulch. Al of them have sharp edges which make digging uncomfortable. Liquid fence also sells a product to deter cats and dogs from the garden.
Tony M

This may sound cruel but I've heard about using mouse traps. The cats & squirrels don't get cought in them but they snap & scare them away-supposedly.

Patty

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Plano Patty & Jim

It seems to me that I either heard Howard, or maybe it was Bob Webster, mention a spray that could be made and sprayed on the area, and it would deter these varmits (my terminology). I have mixed up some of the garlic spray this morning (combo of garlic buds and jalapeno's) and sprayed; could it have been garlic spray, maybe. And, cruel or not, if necessary I'll get me some pecan-shell mulch and go with that. Thanks for the info though.