Buzz
You cherish your garden – but unfortunately, it seems every cat in the neighborhood shares the same sentiment. If you’ve noticed cats using your garden as their personal litter box or nibbling on your plants, you might be eager to find ways to deter these mischievous creatures. Options include installing barriers, making your garden less appealing to cats, or scaring them away. If all else fails, you might need to negotiate peace by designating a specific area for their use.
Steps
Set Up Obstacles
Create barriers using plastic forks or wooden sticks. If there’s insufficient space to scratch, dig, or move around, cats will seek another spot for their needs. You can use sticks, forks, skewers, or similar items (about 25 cm long) planted into the ground about 20 cm apart to deter them.
- Ensure they are inserted a few centimeters into the ground to keep them upright.
- The materials shouldn’t be sharp enough to cause harm but should be sturdy enough to discourage feline visitors.
Place wire mesh on the ground. Lay wire mesh (available at hardware stores) on the soil before plants sprout and emerge. Plants can grow through the gaps, but cats find walking on wire mesh uncomfortable. The mesh isn’t sharp enough to harm them but is sufficient to prevent digging in your garden.
- If plants need more space to grow, use wire cutters to expand the gaps around them.
- You can replace wire mesh with plastic garden grids designed for this purpose.
Lay chicken wire on the ground. Place chicken wire on the soil before planting seeds. The gaps in the wire will deter wandering cats from entering the area.
- Press the wire gently into the soil so it’s partially covered.
- Plant seedlings and sow seeds through the gaps. Most garden plants will grow around the wire without issues.
Cover the ground with materials cats dislike. Cats avoid digging or playing on rough surfaces. Spread a thin layer of materials like:
- Coarse mulch
- Pinecones
- Gravel or stones
Use a "scat mat" as ground cover. Scat mats (available at garden supply stores) feature flexible plastic spikes. While soft and harmless, cats dislike the texture and will avoid it.
- These mats are sold in packs of 2 or 5, often pre-cut for easy customization to your garden’s size.
- Ensure the mat is firmly pressed into the soil, leaving only the spikes exposed. Otherwise, clever cats might flip it over.
Install a fence. Cats are persistent and can squeeze into tight spaces. However, a 2-meter-tall fence with 5 x 5 cm mesh can effectively keep them out. Adding a 60 cm outward overhang provides extra security.
Use a low-voltage electric fence. An electric fence surrounding your garden can effectively deter cats. The low voltage won’t harm them but will keep them away. The fence only needs to rise about 10 cm above the ground to prevent cats from entering your garden.
- Purchase electric fencing from hardware or home improvement stores. Follow safety guidelines during installation and use.
- Keep children away from the electric fence.
Repel Cats with Scents
Plant aromatic herbs. Certain plants are disliked by cats and will keep them at bay. Planting these can make the area unappealing to neighborhood cats. Try growing one or more of the following near your garden, between plants, or in areas you want to protect:
- Lavender
- Rue
- Geranium
- Wormwood
- Lemon thyme
- Rose bushes
- Coleus canina, also known as the "scaredy-cat plant"
Use dried herbs or essential oils. If you prefer not to grow herbs or other cat-repellent plants, you can scatter dried herbs or essential oils from these plants around your garden for a similar effect.
- Dried lavender and rue are available online or at garden supply stores. Essential oils like lavender, lemongrass, citrus, and eucalyptus can be found at supermarkets or health and beauty stores.
- You can also apply essential oils to the edges of plant pots.
- If these herbs or oils are unavailable, try sprinkling cayenne pepper for a similar deterrent effect.
Scatter citrus peels around the garden. Most cats dislike the smell of citrus. An easy and quick solution is to sprinkle fresh or dried lemon, orange, grapefruit, or other citrus peels around your garden. While harmless, the citrus scent will encourage cats to seek a more appealing spot elsewhere.
Try using coffee grounds or tobacco strands. Most cats dislike the smell of coffee and tobacco as much as they dislike citrus. Simply sprinkle a thin layer of coffee grounds or tobacco strands directly onto the soil.
Use cat repellent products containing predator urine. Cat repellent sprays are available at many garden supply stores. Look for “natural” options containing fox urine or other predator scents.
- These products contain natural ingredients that can also deter other animals like squirrels and rabbits. Always use them cautiously and follow the instructions.
Scatter hair around the garden. In theory, many wild cats dislike the smell of human hair. You can deter neighborhood cats by spreading your hair around the garden.
- Collect hair from brushes or ask your barber for clippings. Scatter small handfuls around the garden.
- This method may not work on house cats (including your own) as they are accustomed to human scents.
Remove all traces of cat scent. If a cat has marked its territory in your garden, you need to eliminate its scent to prevent it from returning. Spray or pour white vinegar around the area where the cat has tried to “claim ownership” to discourage it from coming back.
Scare Cats Away
Use a water hose to spray cats. If you’re vigilant, you can simply spray cats with a hose whenever they invade your garden. Cats are trainable, so consistent effort may permanently deter them.
- Be gentle when spraying cats. Most cats dislike water, so a quick, light spray is enough—no need for a strong jet or soaking them.
Use motion-activated sprinklers. Motion-activated sprinklers are available at hardware stores. When a cat passes by, its movement triggers the sprinkler, releasing a burst of water. Since cats generally fear water, this can be an effective deterrent. You can set up multiple sprinklers to create a protective barrier around your garden.
- These sprinklers can be installed permanently or temporarily, depending on your preference and needs.
Use ultrasonic devices to repel cats. These devices emit high-frequency sounds that are inaudible to humans but frighten cats. Activated by motion, they startle cats with the sound, causing them to flee. Purchase these devices at pet stores and place them around your garden as a barrier.
Get a dog. Cats avoid areas where they feel unsafe due to predators. A dog that chases cats can effectively keep them out of your garden.
Opt for Peaceful Solutions
Create a sandbox for cats. You can make an outdoor “litter box” for cats using a sandbox at least as large as a big cat litter box. Fill it with soft, fine sand (available in bags at hardware or home improvement stores) that cats love. If you’re lucky, cats will prefer the sandbox over your garden and use it for their needs.
- Remember to change the sand regularly; otherwise, cats might return to using your yard.
- Keep children away from the sandbox and teach them not to play with the sand.
Attract cats to a designated cat zone. If you want to keep cats out of your garden but don’t mind them in other areas of your yard, try creating a cat-friendly space. Cats are drawn to areas with certain plants, and they might leave the rest of your yard alone. Prepare a small patch of land and plant one of these non-toxic plants:
- Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
- Catmint (Nepeta mussinii)
- Cat thyme (Teucrium marum)
- Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Relocate bird feeders. If bird feeders are near your garden, move them to a more distant area in your yard. Ideally, hang them high where cats can’t reach. Otherwise, the birds visiting for food may face more danger than your garden.
