How to Drive Away Cats

Secure the Trash. Stray cats often search for food in your home. Although it may not be appetizing to humans, freshly discarded trash or items left out for some time can be a tasty treat for cats. Always ensure that your trash bins are properly secured to prevent cats from rummaging through them.

• Keep the trash bin lid tightly closed.
• Dispose of all garbage in a sealed bin.

Talk to your neighbors. If you're dealing with stray cats causing damage to your property, having a conversation with your neighbors can help solve the issue. Talking to your neighbors allows you to uncover the reasons behind the cat-related problems and work together to resolve them. Collaborate with your neighbors to tackle the nuisance caused by strays.

• If there are many cats in your neighborhood, work together with your neighbors to make the area less appealing to them.
• Your neighbors might be leaving trash or food sources outside for the cats. Ask them to securely close their trash bins and avoid leaving food out for strays to help reduce the problem.
• Ask your neighbors to inspect and seal off any hiding spots where stray cats may be sheltering, like old sheds or porches.

Block all entry points to shelter areas. Like other animals, cats need shelter, and they may be drawn to your house while searching for a place to take cover. By blocking all access to sheltered areas, you can make your home less attractive to stray cats passing by.

• Build a fence around your porch or ground-level areas.
• Seal up any gaps and small openings in your home or garage.

Fence off access areas. If you notice that stray cats are approaching a specific area, build a fence to prevent them from getting inside. Cats will struggle to climb or squeeze through the fence, and this will discourage them from lingering near that area.

• Use thin wire mesh to create a budget-friendly, easy-to-manage fence.
• The fence should be angled outward to make it difficult for cats to climb over.
• Close off garden areas so cats cannot use them as a shelter.

Install motion-activated sprinklers. Cats are generally afraid of water and will avoid getting wet. By setting up motion-activated sprinklers or water features in your yard, you can prevent cats from getting close to your house in the first place.

• The motion-activated sprinkler will spray a burst of water when a cat approaches, scaring it off.

Use Ultrasonic Devices. Ultrasonic devices emit sounds at frequencies higher than the maximum audible range of humans. However, cats can hear these sounds and find them unpleasant, which causes them to avoid the area around your house. Try using ultrasonic devices to drive strays away.

• Place the ultrasonic devices near areas where stray cats often roam, such as your yard or locations where you've seen them lingering.

Protect Flower Beds and Plants. Cats often treat plants and flowers like trash bins, damaging your garden and ruining the plants you’ve worked hard to grow. Protecting your flower beds and garden will keep them safe from destruction and prevent strays from causing harm.

• You can set up a thin wire fence around the garden or plant it directly into the ground.
• Place pine cones, gravel, or cedar chips to make the area less inviting to cats.

Use Commercial Cat Repellents. Commercial cat repellents create an unpleasant scent around your home that cats find uncomfortable. You can purchase and use these repellents to make your yard less appealing to passing cats.

Use Natural Scents to Repel Cats. If you prefer not to use commercial repellents, you can use natural or homemade repellents instead. Scatter the following natural deterrents around your home to keep cats at bay.

• Lavender.
• Lemongrass.
• Citrus juice.
• Garlic.
• Dog urine.

• Don't leave food or trash bins exposed outdoors.
• Seal off any entryways to preferred shelter spots.
• Consider using deterrents to make your home less inviting to cats.