If you live in a community where there are a lot of neighborhood cats, you may have observed a few of them in your garden. Plus, not all pet owners are responsible, so this may lead to stray cats strolling around your yard.
As a result, understanding how to keep them away is crucial. There are several home remedies to keep cats out of your flower beds and vegetable garden.
Here’s how to get rid of cats naturally:
1. Remove Food Source
One of the best ways to deal with a stray cat or feral cat issue is to eliminate their food supply.
Garbage cans should not overflow. Also, their lids should fit snugly to prevent spills.
You don’t want to invite these animals into your home by leaving food leftovers out in the open. Maintaining a cat-free environment is difficult since these animals can survive on very little.
Refrain from feeding them as well.
2. Chicken Wire
Lay the chicken wire on top of the soil before planting and cover it with more soil or mulch. The cats will likely stay away due to the rough texture of the wire.
Another method is to make a fence out of chicken wire and surround your garden beds. An effective barrier does not need a particularly high fence. To climb over fences, cats often need a significant incentive, but this isn’t the case with most cats.
3. Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Install a sprinkler system that detects movement. When a cat attempts to enter your garden, the motion-activated sprinkler will squirt them with water, scaring them away.
With these sprinklers, you’ll also be watering your plants as a side benefit.
4. Citrus Peels
Some people find that their cats hate the scent of citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges. Therefore, toss some citrus peels into your garden and see if it works for you.
Cats will likely steer clear of your garden if there are enough citrus peels tossed about.
5. Repellent Plants
Some plants emit a scent that cats find repulsive.
If you’re looking for an effective cat repellent plant, the Scaredy Cat Plant (Coleus canina) is a good choice. It repels cats outside and also helps keep dogs away [1].
Lavender, lemongrass, oregano, rosemary, and geraniums are other plants that repel cats. Plant these around your garden.
6. Urine of Predatory Animals
Keep cats at bay by sprinkling the perimeter of your property with products containing the urine of coyotes or foxes. Cats are afriad of these predators and will think they are in the area.
You can buy these products online. However, this may not be the best method to deter cats in your yard. You may have to reapply it frequently for it to be effective.
7. Clean Up
Wash away cat urine used to mark their territories.
Additionally, declutter to eliminate any hiding spots for mice. Sweep away food waste and secure garbage cans as well.
8. Get a Dog
Another sure-fire way to keep stray cats off your property is to have a dog. Most dogs are ready to greet passing feline guests with an eager bark.
9. Ultrasonic Devices
Usually combined with motion sensors, ultrasonic devices generate a high-frequency alert that helps reduce incursions by unwanted cats [2]. This sound is undetectable to most humans but very irritating to cats.
10. Cat-Proof Fencing
To further help keep cats out of your yard, install a cat-proof fence. However, make sure the fence’s sloping top is facing out instead of in.
Vinyl is a good material to use, as cats will find it difficult to get a good grip of it if they try to climb over.
11. Prickly Surfaces
Cats try to avoid prickly surfaces at all costs. These animals prefer to tread on soft soil.
Therefore, add pine cones, eggshells, twigs, or other prickly yard trimmings to your garden.
You can also make garden stakes out of chopsticks. Put them close to each other, and the cat will have a hard time getting through the tight space between them.
You can also lay bird netting or chicken wire (discussed above) on your soil and cover it over.
12. Wind Chimes and Motion-Sensitive Bells
A simple rock or pebble in a jar that rattles when the cat approaches would work, as might wind chimes and motion-sensitive bells.
The cluttering sound of these devices will likely frighten the animals, keeping them away.
13. Essential Oils
Another home remedy to get rid of cats is to use certain essential oils in your garden. Again, this relates to cats’ particular aversion to certain scents.
Essential oils are fantastic since they are widely available. Moreover, it only takes a few drops to be effective.
Oils such as lavender, orange, peppermint, lemongrass, grapefruit, citronella, or lime work great at deterring cats.
Make a homemade cat repellent for the garden and yard by mixing 3 parts water with 1 part essential oil. Next, add it to a spray container and shake well.
Finally, spray your whole yard and around the garden. Pay particular attention to any spots where cats like to hang out.
14. Coffee Grounds
When it comes to keeping cats off your lawn, coffee grounds do double duty as a cat deterrent and fertilizer.
Cats are repulsed by the scent of coffee grounds. Coffee grounds also work great as lawn fertilizer.
To stop your cat from pooping in your flower beds or vegetable garden, scatter some coffee grounds around your plants.
Collect used coffee grounds from your neighbor or store them up from your daily use. Use this to cover the area you want to protect.
Moreover, when combined with cayenne pepper, this solution is even more effective.
15. Ripe Bananas
Ripening bananas provide a pungent odor that cats despise. So, chop up some ripe bananas and scatter them over your garden beds.
Takeaway
You don’t have to harm stray cats to keep them out of your yard, as there are many humane natural solutions to the problem. Consider one or more of the natural remedies we’ve highlighted.
Thank you! Good stuff!
You are right. It is the combination of deterrents that keeps them all out.
Bananas. I always leave the peels to go black and then scissor them into inch+ squares. I toss them into the far reaches of the garden. They are good potassium fertilizers. and Time-released.
The subject of coffee grounds in the garden might be worth a few paragraphs. In addition all that you have mentioned, coffee grounds have reduced the deer intake of my hosta. Even in the Fall. Again there are additional repellents that I have used. But for two winters now, they have not been by.
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