I can think of no reason why anyone should want to encourage cats anywhere near their garden, horrible things.
Sorry cat lovers, but I'm sick to death of every day having to rake and clear up the mess that everyone elses cats make of my garden. If you must keep cats, kindly put a lead on them so that they stay in your property to do their toileting and spare a thought for your neighbours.

Anyway, someone else will answer your first question in an eco friendly slug pellet way.

The second part, probably cuckoo spit, any water sprayer attached to your hosepipe to wash it off.

We have had cats and used slug pellets for years with no problems. I wouldn't worry about it. You could always put the pellets under flat stones - the slugs will find them. Many people go out at night with a torch when the slugs are active and drop them into a bucket of salty water. There are eco friendly pellets - there has been some discussion about them on here recently, but I have found them ineffective, sadly. There seem to be two strands of research, one saying metaldehyde harms birds and one saying it doesn't as birds don't normally eat dead slugs.

So I regret to say I'm about to go out and buy some, though i shall probably get told off on here!

As Scrumpy says the white foam is cuckoo spit, which isn't what it sounds like but is a covering for a little grub. I've never noticed them doing any damage to plants and always just let it be.

You can wash off the cuckoo spit with a hose, or even a watering can. I agree about going out at night with tweezers and salty water - you can get rid of a lot of slugs and snails that way.

Just like to apologise if people find the first 2 paragraphs a bit strong, but I really have had enough of that ginger tom and his black and white mate....

I'm with you there, Scrumpy - if only cats would stick to their own gardens, life for other gardeners would be much nicer. I know it's the 'nature of the beast' to wander and hunt etc - but it's been my experience that SOME - not ALL - cat owners have cats because they're "much less bother than dogs." I think that says it all!

only 2 cats! my 'dotty' neighbour [her description of her self] has 5 moggies and says with a laugh 'I'm turning into that dotty old cat lady who will smell of wee soon!' But she has told me to just shovel the cat poo over the hedge into her garden. nice sentiment but I just wish there was a way to stop them.

the cuckoo spit insect is a frog hopper and it does suck sap so whilst the damage it causes is minimal it can lead to secondary infections.

I use slug pellets and had dogs with no ill effects, pellets are animal friendly now, anyway why would a cat or dog eat slugs or snails, especially dying gloopy ones :)
Re cats, if i catch the one pooping in my front garden im going to follow it home and get the owner to come to my garden and clean it up, (im not kidding) ive had this since march, spikes in the border worked for a while but i took them out to plant plants and now its scratching the plants out as it does'e what it does'e best!
Scrumpy, no need to apologise, i totally understand where your coming from :)))

I have 2 cats - and one of them took to using my long border to go to the loo - handy super soaker water pistol soon stopped that!! I have been picking off slugs and squishing them - but this weather is making them multiply....I really really want to avoid using pellets, but I think I may need to bite the bullet and purchase some...the slime army are winning the battle at the moment x

you made me smile Magnadoodle, fancy soaking your own cat, i bet she hates you lol..
Use the pellets, ive tried everything else, they dont work!

Had to be done DD!!! lol

Copper rings and tape have proved useful for me especially in or around pots. In the border too whilst the plants are small.