Sorry all the cat lovers out there!!;)
But, I have several neighbourhood cats patrolling my garden - they scent various areas [&:] besides digging and doing whoopsys here and there :). They also lay in wait under bushes (on top of low growing soft plants!) for wild birds attending my feeding station - I've got to the point where I feel I shouldn't be putting food out for the birds as I'm "setting them up" for the cats! 🙁
So, does anyone have any (tried and tested) good ideas to keep them away - cat friendly please [sm=cat.gif], don't mean em any harm, just don't want em in my garden [sm=scratchchin.gif].
Tried citronella around their regular routes - doesn't work.
Someone once suggested moth balls - anyone tried them? (Never got round to getting any)
RE: cat repellent for garden
Hi Vetiveria,
As an owner of 5 cats that are constantly pooing in my garden, which I obviously put up with, I can understand where you are coming from. I actually worry when they don't do it in our garden as they must be doing it in a neighbours garden.
Our youngest cat (now 6 months) was very difficult to train to use a litter tray and would piddle and poo anywhere and I mean anywhere!! We would walk in the front door to tread straight in it!! Any way, I tried all the regular off the shelf formulas, but although they would deter him, he still went back again and again once left for a while. It was when I was rubbing some vick on a cold infested child that I noticed the cats would not go anywhere near it, they hate any type of strong smell!!
I then daubed vick discretely in the places our cat did his business and - guess what, no more whoopsies!!! I know it is rather difficult to put vick all over your garden, but if you can think of any strong smelling substances you could place around the garden it may well deter them. Another idea is to plant some of the more strong smelling shrubs around strategic places, (or prickly bushes!)
Hope this helps.
Crabapple
Oh, my husband (Oakapple) has just told me there was another post on here that suggested getting Lions poo and spread it around the garden, apparently the cats feel rather intimidated!!
RE: cat repellent for garden
I am sorry Vetiveria, I don't know about any cat repellents. Just wanted to say though my old cat used to LOVE Vicks, although I must admit he was really strange! If we left the lid off the jar, he would eat the whole thing! So Vicks might not work for all cats and might even have the opposite effect for some of them!
RE: cat repellent for garden
Hi,
I am a cat lover too, but i also love to garden. I read somewhere that Citronella is off putting to cats. It prevents them from laying their own scent apparently. If you have a Citronella based insect repellant try spraying an area near or around your potplants to start with. If it works extend it to other parts of the garden.
Best to spray at least 3 days before an expected rain though.
RE: cat repellent for garden
Hi Vetiveria,
I have 2 cats myself and try to stop them from going into my neighbours gardens but also try to stop 3 huge tom cats from entering our garden as they attack my cats! I have put down roar (lion poo) and both parties walked all over it whilst poking their tongues out at me!!
I have heard there is a plant that cats do not like the smell of called scardey cat! but i havent tried it.
I found this link which might be of some help to you
Love and light
caroline 😀
RE: cat repellent for garden
You might find some more hints in this thread in the Pets, Animals & Wildlife forum:
[link= http://www.healthypages.net/forum/fb.asp?m=326196 ]http://www.healthypages.net/forum/fb.asp?m=326196[/link]
it was last year, but cats in gardens do seem to be a perennial problem, don't they? Pun quite deliberately intended here ;):D
Holistic
RE: cat repellent for garden
Hi Vetiveria
My friend swares by lion poo, apparently it scares them off as they are firghtened that there may be a bigger cat there.
x
RE: cat repellent for garden
Thanks for the replies, some good ideas. Thanks for the links - I'll look into it before starting planting my bedding plants.
RE: cat repellent for garden
Hi! My neighbour puts lemon slices in her garden and I hear curry powder works very well too!
from experience as a cat owner, every cat Ive had, despises the sound of tin foil!! Ive heard of this, laid on the ground by your plants,weighted down ...it repels birds too!( you might get funny looks from neighbours!!!!)
good luck!
kathy
RE: cat repellent for garden
Just to let folk know - I got a motion sensing ultra sonic devise off one of the links given - makes high pitched squeely noises when a warm animal comes within range. Not cheap, but has been very effective - 1 cat (perhaps he's deaf [8D] ) occasionally still wanders through, but I haven't seen any other cats in the garden since putting it in place. There's no sign of squashed plants, sprayed on shrubs (smelly [:'(]) or woopseys. So it would seem even my deaf friend isn't lingering despite passing through. Might try the tin foil in the pathway the deaf chap uses - as that area is behind the shrubs and hopefully it won't upset the birds at the feeding table and bath - it's the only other method I haven't tried in the past!
Thanks again to all replies.
RE: cat repellent for garden
What's this Lion's stuff? I've tried everything but once it washes away,the cats come back. You can buy some sort of pepper dust but the rain washes that away!
RE: cat repellent for garden
The plant which is recommended for keeping cats away, commonly called 'scaredy cat' is actually a coleus, but I can't remember the variety. Haven't used it my self as I have a cat, but if you are around when the unwanted cats appear - a well aimed wet sponge or quick spray with a hose certainly deters them.
RE: cat repellent for garden
Thanks Marjycat. I do like cats but just hate the mess they make. Which is why I hesitate to turn the garden hose on them.:D
But got to do something before the whole area smells of cats.
RE: cat repellent for garden
I've had to resort to the wet sponge/hose method to deter a new cat to the area which comes in our cat's catflap and eats his food! Minereally is a 'scaredy cat'.
RE: cat repellent for garden
The worse I had with cats (mine included) when the remains of a joint of lamb left overnight (by hubby) on the top of the fridge was secretly dragged (yes,dragged) through the cat flap,stripped to the bone by my cat and next door's cat and the remains were left deposited in the garden! [sm=fit.gif]
RE: cat repellent for garden
My cousins neighbour has 8 cats (rescued)!! and they all seem to go into my cousins garden.
She has tried various methods and says the gel you get from garden centres is best, but everytime itrains it needs replacing and it costs her £2.50 a week!!. She also has two sonic devices, one at the front and one at theback. She says shes fighting a loosing battle!.
The cats owner does nothing with theirgarden and its just all grass so I guess thats why they go next door, plenty of loose dirt!.
RE: cat repellent for garden
I have three and my neihbour had problems as my cats used to like using her beds for toiletting and generally basking and causing mischief - read an article about citrus, so she tried putting a few drops of lemon or orange essential oils in their favourite areas, or she would use lemon or orange peel. Both totally natural and degrade into the soil. Worked pretty well, plus they both smelt far more favourable than the presents my cats used to leave her.
RE: cat repellent for garden
Yes, I understand they much prefer recently dug earth. I avoid digging and hoeing, but they still leave their calling card unburied instead! I have found the sonic devices are working for the most part, but there are a few parts of the garden which don't seem to be covered by them - as they only emit the noise when they pick up the animal with the infra red motion sensor, so whilst I don't get as many visitors, one or two are determined to return.
I water my plants during the time they will most likely appear since they hate getting wet.
I have heard that small pots such as 'pill pots' filled with Ammonia works well.
We have two cats and they keep away the unwanted guests. 😉
Sorry all the cat lovers out there!!;)
But, I have several neighbourhood cats patrolling my garden - they scent various areas [&:] besides digging and doing whoopsys here and there :). They also lay in wait under bushes (on top of low growing soft plants!) for wild birds attending my feeding station - I've got to the point where I feel I shouldn't be putting food out for the birds as I'm "setting them up" for the cats! 🙁
So, does anyone have any (tried and tested) good ideas to keep them away - cat friendly please [sm=cat.gif], don't mean em any harm, just don't want em in my garden [sm=scratchchin.gif].Tried citronella around their regular routes - doesn't work.
Someone once suggested moth balls - anyone tried them? (Never got round to getting any)
There are many commercial scent cat repellents. Those that use chemicals should be kept away from any food crops but the essential oil based granule varieties act in the same way as orange and lemon peel mentioned the above. The way to keep a cat out if the garden is a repellent evaporator which consists of a container holding puffed rice. These are more effective for three weeks and can then be refilled for a further period.