Keeping Cats Out of the Garden

How do you keep neighbourhood cats out of the garden? It's fenced and they keep coming over.

Hardiness Zone: 7a

By shi from Ireland

Answers:

Keeping Cats Out of the Garden

My sister in law is allergic to cats and gets very upset at the neighbor's cats coming over the fence. Squirting water when she's outside is her default defense.

There's not a lot you can do; if you do something in one spot, they'll come to another. At one time all of us, people and animal, roamed the curves of the earth without sidewalk or fence or road and the only paths were the paths that made sense. I don't think our fences make sense to cats. (04/05/2010)

By PENNY K

Keeping Cats Out of the Garden

Catnip Idea: Plant some Catnip in an area of your yard far away from your garden. The catnip will attract the cats to the area and they will start hanging out near the catnip and away from your garden!

Other ideas: Get yourself a dog or rescue a large male outdoor cat from the pound, Cats and dogs are territorial and they don't like other cats coming into their yard. But a rescued dog or a cat will keep these cats from you yard.

I would talk to the cat's owner about the problem. If you don't know who the owner is, you can attach a note to their collar. If the cats don't have collar, buy a clip-on collar at the dollar store then put a little note in a baggie on the collar.

I have an indoor-outdoor cat and if he ever bothered a neighbor I would definitely want to be told about it. My biggest fear is a neighbor hurting my cat (because he digs somewhere or "act's like a cat"). So if they took the time to tell me what my cat was doing to upset them, I would be extremely grateful!

Here's a wonderful Chemical Free Option: $50: http://www.critter-repellent.com/p/2CE103CS.html

They have several other cat repellent products, too: http://www.critter-repellent.com/c/cat_products.html

Scare-crow Sprinkler: $75: http://www.critter-repellent.com/p/2CE101SC.html

Also: Because Cats and Deer are "prey"animals (meaning they are hunted by other animals) "prey" animals are afraid of any animals who hunt them. You can buy the powdered synthetic urine of coyotes, raccoons and foxes. It also comes in pellet form. Pellets last longer and can be placed into a leg from a pair of pantyhose to last even longer. Check out these sites:

Wildlife and Animal Control: http://www.pestproducts.com/wildlife.htm#Repellents

Fox Urine Powder: http://www.pestproducts.com/fox_urine.htm

Coyote Urine Granules: http://www.amazon.com/Shake-Away-8003520-Repellent-Granules/dp/B0002U2TV6?tag=thriftyfun0b-20

Formula made especially for repelling cats: http://www.critter-repellent.com/c/cat_products.html

Warning: Don't listen to anyone who says to put pepper-flakes or any type of hot-pepper in your garden, because animals can get this pepper into their eyes and this has caused some animals to dig out their eyes because of the intense pain. Also the wind may blow the pepper into you own eyes!

Keeping birds away from your garden:

http://www.pestproducts.com/bird.htm (04/05/2010)

By Cyinda

Keeping Cats Out of the Garden

I have a neighbor that swears by filling 1 gallon milk jugs with water and setting them in her flower beds. Don't know how well it works but she has done it for years. (04/06/2010)

By Deanna