There are a few feral/stray cats in my neighborhood which I just moved into last year. One of the peonies I planted last fall just sent out a shoot last Monday and was about one inch out of the ground Saturday when I last saw it. Then on Sunday morning, I was surprised that it was gone! Upon checking, a small hole was dug around the peony shoot about one inch into the ground and it appeared that an animal destroyed the shoot. It was snapped at the bottom of the small hole and chewed into several pieces nearby. Apparently the animal didn't eat the peony shoot but just destroyed it in the worst manner.

I highly suspect it was a cat as there are several of those stray/feral cats active in the neighborhood. If it was a skunk (though I haven't seen one), it probably would have eaten the shoot instead of just digging and chewing and left the pieces behind?

Some of you folks probably had similar problem before? What can I do to protect peony shoots from being eaten by animals? It'd be great if you can share what type of animal and what method was successful!

The only thing I've had actually eat or partially eat a peony is a deer. They'll eat anything when they're hungry enough. I have had damage done by turkeys, they'll dig around the soil looking for insects and break stems off. Could yours be something like that?

Consider voles.

That's so sad. There are plenty of critters that will cut peony stems but not eat them. I would consider some chicken wire around them.

I've had rabbits and ground hogs test out new peony noses to see how edible they are. Fortunately they've realized that these shoots are just not the best things in the garden to eat and don't usually do it again. Of course any of their relatives might also come over to test the potential 'salads' you are growing so the problem may continue Unfortunately even the birds can trash a clump of fragile new noses (males fighting at mating time) so our peonies are never really safe. How much do you want a garden covered in wire netting? I have too many and scattered peonies so not practical - the peonies are not killed and will live to bloom another year. Grow lots so there will always be peonies to avoid the foraging and bloom

Bummer. Around here skunks dig around the bases of plants for grubs. One might have "tasted" the sprout as described above.

In my experience, cats spray, poop, roll in catnip and chew grass, but what you're describing sounds like a different critter. I concur re chicken wire or you could try a heavy sprinkling of cayenne.

A spray of cedar oil makes things bitter for critters. Here there is a hare which bites off the daffodil buds. It stopped after the spray was done.