Yes, unfortunately you need to 'spoil' the appearance of your beds and borders to prevent them being spoiled. We have a professional couple nearby who turf out their cats every morning as they leave for work and they generally head straight for my garden. After walking my dogs (on leads) this morning and being responsible by picking up and depositing their poo in the bins provided, I had the pleasure of sifting through the disturbed soil in my front garden to find the filthy present their pets had left behind.