Cats can cause havoc to flower beds by digging holes, using them as litter boxes, and nibbling at plants. If your own cat or stray cats in the neighborhood are ruining your garden, try safe deterrents such as physical deterrents.
Citrus peels may deter cats, while human hair clippings may help scare off cats as both have unpleasant odors that will put cats off the scent trail.
Sprinklers
No matter if it is one of your own pets or an entire colony of feral cats, felines can quickly cause havoc in any garden by digging up plants and using loose dirt as litter boxes. A motion activated sprinkler may be your best solution to deter them without flooding it on them directly (this will also scare away beneficial insects in the process!).
Some devices use ultrasonic sound waves that cats cannot comprehend while others emit an unexpected burst of water when they detect movement near them. Another method would be covering your garden soil with mulch, wood chips or pebbles; this makes it more difficult for cats to burrow their waste while being uncomfortable when walking on rough surfaces; an alternative may be chicken wire or lattice coverings over your soil to keep cats at bay while allowing your plants to flourish underneath it.
Tape
Domestic and feral cats can do considerable damage to flowerbeds by digging, turning the soil into their litterbox, leaving behind offensive odors and spreading diseases such as histoplasmosis, leptospirosis and ringworm. Odor and physical deterrents may help ensure you can enjoy your flowers without fearing stray cats urinating or defecating in them.
Covering your garden in coarse textures such as bark mulch or shredded leaves will make it unattractive for cats to walk on while also helping prevent weeds from taking root and improving soil quality.
Plant flowers that repel cats or make them sick, such as lavender, rosemary, the scaredy cat plant, marigolds and citrus plants. Not only can this deter cats from exploring your flower beds; it may also draw beneficial insects into them as natural “scarifiers.” It might even attract pollinators such as bees – all great extra benefits!
Chicken Wire
Cats prefer walking on smooth or prickly surfaces, making your flower garden less enjoyable for them can be done in several ways. One such way is using chicken wire buried in the soil or wrapped around plants before covering them with mulch to discourage cats from digging or walking there. Pinecones, thorny leaves from roses or holly and nettles also act as deterrents against cats as do plant materials such as marigolds or rue (though neither would make an attractive display in your flower bed).
Scent repellents are another effective way to deter cats from visiting your garden. Cats especially dislike ammonia scent, so fill small jars or baby food jars with it and place it around flower beds to deter cats. Since cats also dislike citrus smells such as orange or lemon peels, save these as compostable fertilizer to provide natural fertilizer while also keeping cats away.
Hot Pepper Spray
Cat repellent sprays that act as taste deterrents can help discourage cats from foraging in garden beds, saving your plants from being dug up or eaten by hungry cats. Homemade versions made with hot pepper or equal parts water and ammonia should also help, just be sure that any ammonia gets dilute before applying directly onto soil or plants!
Citrus peels buried in your garden will deter cats, as their citrus smell is offensive to felines. Rue, thorny plants and herbs (such as lavender or scaredy cat plants or lemon thyme) that cats find offensive can also act as deterrents without altering your landscape’s aesthetics.
Feral cats can be particularly problematic for gardeners. Not only can they damage flowers and seedlings, they can also leave behind defecated waste that introduces diseases such as histoplasmosis, ringworm, leptospirosis and plague into human systems. Safe physical barriers and repellents may help deter feral cats from entering your garden while simultaneously keeping germs and diseases out.