Cats can do considerable damage to your garden. Luckily, there are ways of humanely keeping them at bay without harming them.
Introduce thorny plants such as roses, pyracantha or holly as barriers or use chicken wire or fruit cage netting over the area in question to physically block out potential invaders.
Spray Bottle
Utilizing a spray bottle filled with scents known to deter cats can be an efficient and cost-effective solution to keeping them out of the garden. Peppermint, citronella and eucalyptus oils all work well as repellents; simply combine with water before spraying around their entry points or specific locations that you want them to avoid. Or alternatively you could install motion activated sprinklers that release bursts of water when activated.
Another solution is to use bird netting over flowerbeds and window box perches that your cats like to hide in. Anchor sheets of plastic bird netting over newly planted beds to prevent cats from digging in the soil, or create an outdoor litter box from an unassuming bin filled with sand to hang from a tree or fence for them to use as an outdoor toilet.
Sprinkler System
Cats can be an unpleasant presence in flower gardens, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Luckily, there are ways to deter cats without hurting either them or your plants in any way.
Try using natural and fragrant deterrents such as rosemary to keep cats at bay. Plant some in your garden or hang sprigs from strings to scare away cats.
Many gardeners rely on animal-based fertilizers to keep cats away, but these products may attract even more. An alternative would be a motion-activated sprinkler which sprays cats when they come near to flowers with a burst of water – or simply use motion detectors that spray when cats come near.
Chicken wire can be an effective deterrent against cats for gardeners. Installation is quick and can easily stop cats from accessing your yard. A low voltage electric fence may also work.
Tape
Cats can be an absolute menace in the garden, digging up newly planted flowerbeds to use as litter boxes and destroying garden ornaments and trampling the lawn. Luckily, there are multiple methods available to gardeners for deterring cats without harming them directly.
One simple method for keeping cats away is placing pine cones or branches around your garden, creating an impenetrable barrier which will deter cats from digging up flowers or defecating in them.
Scent repellants can also be effective. Ammonia smells deter both cats and dogs alike, as does citrus scent. Small jars filled with diluted ammonia may be buried underground alongside orange peels for extra effect. Cats generally dislike being caught unexpectedly raining down on them unexpectedly so motion-activated hose attachments may also help to keep them away from flower gardens.
Electric Fence
Domestic, feral and stray cats may enter your garden for various reasons – mating, hunting for food sources or marking their territory are among them – and keeping them out is vital in order to safeguard flowerbeds and ensure no damage occurs to plants. You can try physical barriers, unpleasant scents or even using water guns to deter these animals.
An electric fence is designed to deter unwanted felines, and is typically installed above your usual backyard fence. It consists of an energizer that emits current pulses, conductors that transmit electricity between earth rods on both sides and insulators that prevent voltage drop; any time cats brush against it they will receive an unexpected shock that repels them; alternatively you could install a motion activated sprinkler which squirts out short bursts of water at them to further repel them.
Oscillate Fence
Cats can be an invaluable asset in the garden by keeping mice and other pests at bay, but they can also wreak havoc by digging holes for litter boxes or using them as napping spots. No matter whether it’s one of your own pets or one from outside your neighborhood, there are ways you can protect your flowers by keeping cats out.
An effective way to defend your garden is with physical barriers like wooden lattice or metal fence. If any attempt is made at jumping over it, it will spin in their attempt and deter further attempts from jumping. In addition, this method doesn’t require electricity or ongoing maintenance and maintenance costs are reduced significantly as well.