Keeping Cats out of your Garden
Keeping Cats Out of Your Garden
Sometimes it seems that cats enjoy a garden as much as we do.
This can be a problem because cats enjoy gardens for far
different reasons. They seem to think a garden bed makes a
perfect litterbox or play area just for them, and they are not
at all concerned with our own plans for the garden. Independent
creatures that they are, how can a gardener repel cats from
the garden?
Finicky cats will avoid areas that smell bad to them, they don't
want to walk on anything bristly or prickly, they want nice loose
soil for digging, and most cats despise getting wet. So think like
a cat to find methods to repel them.
Citrus is a strong cat repellent, so try scattering orange or
lemon peels around your plants. Bloodmeal will repel some cats,
as will ammonia. Fill small jars with household ammonia, then
poke a few holes in the lids before partially burying them in
the garden, refilling as the ammonia evaporates. The ammonia
smell will make most cats think that the garden is another
cat's territory and they'll tend to stay away. There are also
products available that, to a cat, smell like predator urine.
If a cat thinks a fox, coyote or bobcat has been visiting your
garden, the cat will stay away from the area.
If a cat cannot easily dig in the soil, it will go elsewhere to
find an outdoor litterbox. Adding a layer of mulch or stones
to a garden can be enough to repel some cats. Or before
planting a bed, lay chicken wire over the soil, then use a wire
cutters to open holes in it large enough for the plants.
Cats will be unable to dig through the wire and will go
elsewhere to do their business. The chicken wire will be hidden
by your plants as they grow.
Most cats don't like to get wet, so if you catch cats in the act
of defiling your garden, they can be chased away with a spray
from the hose or a water gun. There are also motion-activated
devices available that will repel cats with a spray of water when
you're not around.
A repellent that works for one cat may not work for another. Some
cats are more persistent than others and will be reluctant to give
up their favorite outdoor litterbox. Try several methods to shoo
cats from your gardens to find which works best for the
local kitties.
