Cats can be a real menace in flower gardens. Their digging (and depositing unauthorized deposits), using flowers as soft napping spots and chewing can all cause significant damage.
There are various methods available to you for keeping cats out of your garden, including using fencing, mesh cloth and repellent sprays.
Place a Scarecrow
Scarecrows can be an effective deterrent against unwanted cats in your flower garden. While other methods involve harsh surfaces or unpleasant odors, scarecrows are visually appealing and will send the message that this area is not welcome for them.
An easy way to make a scarecrow is using a broom and some scrap material for its body. Once attached, add features like faces or even hats for more personality!
To elevate the aesthetics of your scarecrow, adding something shiny may help as Northwest Exterminating reports that birds tend to stay away from shiny objects.
Place a Fence
Scarecrows can be an effective means of keeping cats away from flower gardens, serving as visual reminders that the area is off-limits to cats and discouraging them from entering it.
One option is to install an electric fence that emits small shocks when cats come near it; this should discourage them from entering your garden and may even force them away entirely.
Chicken wire can also be an effective deterrent against cats by making digging difficult for them in soil areas. Simply lay it across all areas where plants grow through openings between wires for maximum effectiveness as an inexpensive deterrent against cats.
Place a Mesh Cloth
If you don’t already have one and would like something simpler, try placing chicken wire around your flower beds as a barrier against cats reaching for your flowers. This will pose a challenge that might deter them from reaching out and getting into them.
Coleus Caninus plants may also provide an effective deterrent against cats using your flower beds as toilets, due to its unpleasant odor, which smells similar to urine and deters them from doing so.
Motion-activated sprinklers may also help deter cats from your flowers by spraying water at them whenever they approach, which should deter any future visits and decrease water waste. Furthermore, this approach doesn’t result in excessive wastage!
Place Objects with Strong Odors
Cats may be cute, but they can be difficult to keep out of flowerbeds. Whether it’s your own pet or stray cats in the neighborhood, safe odor and physical deterrents may help keep them away.
Some plants emit strong scents that deter cats, so try planting them away from your flower beds. Thyme, Russian sage and lavender plants with aromatic foliage are excellent natural cat repellents while globe thistle or sea holly have sharp leaves which work just as effectively.
Alternatively, if your cats are persistent in invading your garden, a low powered water gun that squirts near their position can be used as an effective deterrent.
Use Repellent Sprays
Cats are inquisitive creatures that often find their way into places they shouldn’t. Your flower garden could become one of those places, as cats will dig holes for use as litter boxes and chew up any plants they find there.
There are several methods available to keep cats away from your flower garden. Physical barriers or scent-based deterrence methods may work.
Many have found that spraying cat repellent throughout their garden and throughout it helps deter cats from entering it. These sprays contain ingredients that won’t harm plants but will make cats uncomfortable; or you could try natural deterrents like citrus peels, mothballs or fabric softener sheets for even more effective deterrence.