Cat Repellent or How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden

Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from usingburglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat
garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out ofenters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler
my garden. These are common questions of concernshoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It
to all gardeners but is there a real answer?is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the
The first line of defence is to ensure that your yardjet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.
boundaries are secure. Any gaps in your fence shouldUltrasonic devices emit a high frequency sound which
be blocked to deny low level access. But cats canis annoying to cats (and dogs) but is not audible to
jump so fix a taut wire or string some six incheshumans. There are various different models some of
above the top of your fence to deter this approach.which operate continuously and others which have an
Once inside your garden many people say that theinfra red detector and only emit a pulse of sound
best cat repellent is a dog who will soon see off anywhen the cat triggers the device. To be successful
feline invader. If you are not a dog lover then you willyou need to ensure that the model is powerful enough
have to resort to more passive methods. Since catsto cover the area you wish to protect. In addition make
like to lie on freshly dug soil you should lay mulch onsure that the sound frequency is designed for larger
your borders so that no bare soil is left exposed. Seedanimals since some models are intended to deter
beds should be covered with wire netting or twigsinsects and so would be no use for cats.
arranged as a barrier.There are also commercial scent cat repellents. Those
Young trees should have plastic guards fitted aroundthat use chemicals should be kept away from any
their trunks to protect them against use as afood crops but the essential oil based granule varieties
scratching pole. Your garden pond should be coveredact in the same way as orange and lemon peel
with netting to keep your fish safe.mentioned above. Another way to keep a cat out if
Cats are generally known to dislike water so a wellthe garden is a repellent evaporator which consists of
aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainlya container holding puffed rice which has been
make an intruder run. After one or two dousings itimpregnated with essential oils. These are effective for
may learn the lesson and stay away.three to four weeks and can then be refilled for a
To protect plants and borders both mothballs andfurther period. Another natural product which many
citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place thepeople claim really keeps a cat out of the garden is
mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders.lion's dung. You may need to visit your local zoo to
Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented airobtain this although some stores do stock zoo poo.
freshener and place the cloths around the plants youIn Ontario, Canada the local township provides a cat
wish to protect. Other known cat repellents aretrap service. Once the animal enters the cage it
cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco,cannot escape but is completely unharmed. The
lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oilowner has to pay to recover his pet and so should be
and mustard oil.encouraged not to let the cat stray in future.
Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rueApparently few owners bother to reclaim their cats
but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleusbut just obtain another kitten. However this sounds like
canina is another plant which is marketed by onea good way of dealing with a cat that cannot be
merchant as a cat repellent.deterred by any other method. If there is no such
The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treatingscheme in your area, just buy your own trap.
your yard with a tonic made from chewing tobacco,So, to recap, the first priority is to secure your
urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergentboundary fences. Then you have the whole selection
and beer. A smallholder has reported success usingof suggested cat repellents ranging from homemade
dried rabbit blood but you may feel that the ingredientsrecipes to expensive commercial gadgets. I would
listed in the previous paragraph should be tried first.suggest that you try the orange peel and prickly twigs
If you visit your local garden center or hardware storefor a start. If you are around when the intruder
you will find several cat repellent products on sale.appears, try the bucket of water or hose. Even if you
These range from electric water sprinklers andmiss, the shock may be a sufficient deterrent. If these
ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.do not do the trick, then you may have to consider the
Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as acommercial alternatives.