Are you looking for a simple solution to stop cats popping in the garden? Our feline friends are great at providing company, but it can be irritating when they use gardens as litter trays.
“Keeping unwanted cats out of your garden can be a challenge, but there are a few ways you can try to prevent cats from doing their business in your garden,” Dr. Ronngren from ManyPets, tells Country Living.
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“Tips such as not offering them food will discourage them from coming back, keeping your flower beds watered as cats don’t love wet soil and covering parts of your garden with rocks and pebbles as they prefer soft surfaces, can all be helpful.”
From water sprays to citrus scents, take a look at exactly how to stop cats pooping in the garden.
1. Odour repellent
Cats are renowned for exploring people’s gardens, looking for places to leave their mark when homeowners aren’t looking. One of the natural ways you can stop them from leaving deposits on your lawn is to scatter scents they don’t like.
Cats are incredibly sensitive to smell so strong scents such as lavender, peppermint or cinnamon are great for keeping them away. Choose one of these scents, mix it with water and spray it around the garden. While this is just a short-term option, it’s cost-effective and non-toxic.
2. Citrus peels
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Another natural and simple solution to deter cats from your outdoor space is to finely chop citrus fruits (such as lemons, limes and oranges) and place them around the garden. Similar to lavender and peppermint, cats don’t like the strong citrus scent.
You can also make your own solution by squeezing the fruits into the water if you’d rather spray it around the garden.
“Using natural scents as a deterrent can help to prevent cats from using the garden as a toilet,” an expert from Pets4Homes tells us. “The chopped up peel of citrus fruits is a good place to start, as the citrus oils in the peel will keep cats away from flower beds. Using organic matter also means that the peel will turn into compost, so there is no clean up required.”
3. Install a motion-activated sprinkler
This option might be more expensive than the others, but it’s incredibly effective. Cats hate getting wet, so a motion-activated sprinkler which turns on every time it detects the movement and heat of an animal is great to consider if you’re feeling fed up.
Every time a cat wanders into your garden the sprinkler will release a sudden burst of water, along with a startling noise, to scare them away.
4. Using sound motion detectors
Similar to how the water sprinklers work, ultrasonic cat deterrents will emit a very high frequency when they detect movement. Usually, the sounds are very off-putting to cats but can hardly be heard at all by humans. These only cover a small area of the garden, so it’s best to place them at entry points.
5. Cover your garden with twigs
Cats aren’t fond of prickly ground underfoot, so placing twigs or rough leaves on flower beds will help to keep them away. While it might not make your garden look pretty, it’s a simple solution to keep them at bay.
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Other options to consider also include placing down stone mulch, eggshells, holly cuttings or repurposed plastic carpet runners.
6. Bananas
Cats also don’t like the smell of bananas, so another way to stop them from pooping in your garden is to finely chop bananas and scatter them around your flower beds. Ripening bananas give off a strong smell that cats simply can’t stand. Want to scare them away? This could be worth a try.
7. Keep your garden clean
If your cat seems to always visit the same spot, consider giving it a hose down with soapy water. While this can throw cats off their own scent, it may simply make them move to another part of your garden.
8. Make flower beds less appealing spots
“Cats like soft spaces with enough space to dig around when going to the toilet, so there are a few things you can do to prevent them from using your garden for this purpose,” the team at Pets4Home explain.
“Placing twigs around your flower beds can help to make the soft soil a less attractive place to go to the loo, or you can use egg shells, which also become com post. Alternatively, you can try placing your plants closer together to give your cat less space to go to the toilet, although this involves a bit more work.”
9. Use an outdoor litter tray
If all else fails, you could try placing an outdoor litter tray in your garden for them to use. Of course, it’s not your job to clean up the mess from your neighbour’s cat, but it could be a smart way to stop them from pooping on your favourite flowers.
Pets4Homes say: “If making your cat give up al fresco toilet trips entirely turns out to be a losing game, you can try to contain their habits by using an outdoor litter tray. This gives cats the option to keep their habits tidy and the garden clean.”
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Garden news
