How To Keep Cats Out Of Your Garden: 6 Amazing Tips

Keep Cats out Of your Garden

The UK is one of the top ten countries with the highest numbers of pets, with households having at least one pet. While there are many benefits of having a cat or dog or any other pet at home, you can’t let your four-legged friends use your garden as a toilet. 

Besides, it’s unacceptable if your neighbour’s cat or homeless strays start destroying your garden. Since you want to keep your garden clean and shining, you need to do something to keep cats out of your garden. Cats are incredible animals when it comes to jumping and climbing abilities. They move around quickly and often destroy gardens for fun. 

Fortunately, there are some easy techniques to keep cats out of your yard responsibly and harmlessly. You can use one of these tricks as a part of your regular garden cleaning activities. 

1. Clean up     

A clean, clutter-free garden might be a less attractive place for cats. Why? Because cats love to play with toys, waste bins, and stalk prey for fun. So, clean up your garden and remove food waste, toys, any existing cat poo, and other objects that might attract cats. 

Also, clear away objects that harbour mice and small animals that cats love to chase. Fill up all holes that can be used by small animals to seek refuge. One more tip: consider using a cat-proof waste bin.                            

If your garden has too many unnecessary, unwanted plants and weeds, consider hiring a garden clearance service to keep your garden organized and clean. 

2. Natural repellent

To keep cats out of your garden, you can use physical and odour barriers. As we know, a cat’s nose is super sensitive to different smells – some of them are attractive and others are offensive. Consider using a natural repellent that makes your garden smell in a way that is unattractive to cats. 

You can easily find commercial cat repellents that discourage cats from entering your yard or any other area. Some natural repellents contain the scent of predators such as bobcats or coyotes. And cats fear those scents. 

All you need to do is sprinkle a natural repellent around your garden. Make sure the repellent you’re using is non-toxic and has no negative impact on your plants. Some people also use peels of lemons and oranges in their gardens to repel cats.

Vinegar, cayenne, and eucalyptus can also be used to discourage cats from entering the garden. However, don’t use any method that could harm cats or cause pain. Also, don’t let these tricks increase your garden clearance tasks. 

Here are some garden landscaping ideas in case you want to uplevel your garden and make it look more attractive. 

3. Install a motion-activated sprinkler

A motion-activated sprinkler is another amazing way to deter all kinds of animals from your garden. If you like to use technology to protect your garden, consider installing a motion-activated device. 

Water sprinkler in the garden

Cats and dogs often like to dig under fences to play and find food. To keep them away from your fence and garden, a motion-activated sprinkler is probably the best option. These devices have an infrared bulb inside the housing. When an object passes in front of the bulb, the device gets activated and water starts flowing out of the sprinkles, scaring animals away from your garden. 

Motion-detecting devices are animal friendly as water doesn’t cause any harm to animals. Instead of using some chemical-based repellent that is unsafe for plants and animals, consider installing a motion sensor. 

Cats don’t like to get wet. After getting sprinkled once or twice, cats will not enter your garden again. If you have a large garden, you can install two or more sensors in different parts of your garden. Don’t forget to place the sensor in the right place in your garden. 

A quick tip: ensure the sprinkler faces outward from the area you want to protect and toward a point where animals enter your garden. A regular motion-activated repellent can sprinkle up to 35 feet away. 

Read our blog for more gardening tips

4. Sounds

Cats have better hearing range when compared to that of humans. To keep cats out of your garden, you can also use an electronic cat deterrent device that creates sounds. These sounds are inaudible to humans but unbearable for cats. 

It’s super easy to install these devices. Just make sure the device faces the garden. When a cat enters your garden, the device detects the motion and starts giving off a high-frequency sound. Some devices use both spray and sound to repel intruders. 

5. Grow Cat Deterring Plants

Let’s take a quick look at a more natural way to repel cats! Grow cat-deterrent plants in your garden. While it’s not a guaranteed way of keeping cats out of your garden, try growing some of the cat-deterring plants. 

Cat dettering plan in the garden

Cat-repelling plants have some similar features. For example, they produce a strong scent that may be pleasant for humans but unattractive for cats. Here are some common plants that can help you keep cats away from your garden: 

  • Geraniums (Pelargonium)
  • Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
  • Coleus Canina
  • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
  • Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
  • Lavender (Lavandula) 
  • Ruta graveolens
  • Lemongrass (Cymbopogon)
  • Curry Plant 
  • Citronella (Pelargonium graveolens citrosa)

Consider growing one or more of these plants if your garden allows you to do so. Cats simply hate these plants. For example, Coleus Canina, also known as the scaredy-cat plant, gives off smells that cats dislike. 

We understand how hard it is to keep your garden in order, and PI Gardening can provide you with the best garden maintenance services.

6. Get a Dog

Cats are fearful of dogs. If you love dogs, get one and there will be no more cats ruining your beautiful garden. However, you might need to do some extra garden cleaning work as pet dogs can affect your garden or artificial grass

If you don’t like the idea of installing a motion-activated device or growing cat-deterring plants, consider getting a dog. 

Final thoughts

You should have in mind that it’s not always the best decision to keep the cats away. They are natural predators and often keep the rats out of your garden. But in case you are determined to do so, as you already read – all you need to do is use one of these methods that fit your preferences. If you don’t like to get a dog, install a sprinkler. Or, if you hate to install a device in your garden, just grow some cat-deterring plants. 

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