If you’ve ever been bothered by feral and outdoor cats ruining your yard and garden, help is on the way. Neighborhood felines instinctively seek out bare ground to use as potty space and that’s what makes your yard the perfect outdoor litter box. consider these ways to repel cats naturally that will make your property so unappealing to cats that they will find another place to hang out and relieve themselves.
acute sense of smell
Cats have a highly developed sense of smell that is about 40 times more sensitive than ours. many scents that we find pleasant actually repel cats naturally. the objective is to identify those that are so intense for cats that they become effective repellents to scare them away.
used ground coffee
Cats hate the smell of coffee, which has strong natural aromas that only get stronger after being ground and exposed to hot water. take advantage of this and use the coffee grounds after making that cup of coffee in the garden to prevent cats from using it as their personal outdoor litter box.
Next time you make a cup of coffee, scoop out the spent grounds (wet or dry) and sprinkle them around your property lines, on your lawn or in your garden and the cats will be kept away. Even better, coffee grounds are biodegradable and break down on their own, making them a great, eco-friendly way to keep cats off your lawn and garden.
lay chicken wire
a layer of chicken wire just below cat-attracting areas in your yard or garden. you can lay the wire directly in the soil or mulch it before planting. you can use wire cutters to open gaps in the wire large enough to accept plants. or skip the plants and sow seeds.
why is this a great deterrent for cats? cats hate walking on chicken wire, and so much so that they will stay away from “wired” areas.
- More: 7 Common Houseplants That Are Very Hard To Kill
- more: cat litter box care and cleaning you should know
motion detector sprinkler
Cats hate getting wet, so this harmless option is super effective and possibly the best way to keep stray cats away. Motion-activated sprinklers, like the Orbiting Yard Sprinkler, use the motion sensors in your sensor housing unit to detect the presence of intruders, shooting a blast of water at the animal.
Search in stores and online for a motion-activated, solar-powered animal repellent. These things run around $30-$70, depending on features. solar power will make it convenient to place anywhere it gets sunlight.
coleus canina plant
Coleus canina (Plectranthus caninus) is the best plant choice to discourage cats from using your yard for their community litter box. Also known as the scared cat plant, planting it strategically around your yard will repel feral cats and other cats. while coleus canine has a beautiful purple flower, it gives off a strong stinky odor if touched. keep that in mind when deciding exactly where to plant.
repel cats with lavender
Another option if you decide to plant as a deterrent is lavender (lavandula). these plants look beautiful and have a lovely fragrance. for some reason, cats don’t like lavender. the strong lavender fragrance will also help repel gnats and mosquitoes.
Plant these pretty shrubs along the perimeter of your yard to keep cats out. if you choose the tall variety of lavender, a good option is to plant it around the perimeter to prevent cats from jumping into the garden.
rue plant
rue (ruta graveolens) is an effective way to naturally repel cats, dogs and Japanese beetles, says tera sinclair, professional residential gardener in fort collins, colo.
“rabbits and deer won’t eat it either. Rue is easy to grow, enjoys full sun, is drought tolerant, evergreen, and semi-woody. that means it can be trimmed into hedges,” says sinclair.
homemade cat repellent recipe
give cats what they want
Just like “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” build an outdoor litter box to give cats a new place to go while also solving the problem of them pooping on your flower. bed. Choose an area at the back of the patio or garden to place a large plastic container with a lid. cut an 8” x 8” door. now fill it with litter box litter to naturally repel cats away from your lawn and garden.
Because cats enjoy privacy, this will encourage them to eliminate where you say they can, while at the same time protecting your yard and garden.
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