Keep cats away from flower gardens is essential to the health and growth of plants, whether that means your own feline friend or the feral population in your neighborhood. Safe odor and physical deterrents may offer relief.
Rugged surfaces such as chicken wire and fruit cage netting can help deter cats from digging up soil, while cut branches from roses, pyracantha or holly may create an effective spiky barrier for cats to dig through.
Spray Bottle
Cats pose a danger to flower beds by digging up plants, peeing on them and leaving their waste behind, which damages our garden and emits unpleasant odors for us humans. They also deprive flowers of essential nutrients while potentially exposing us to bacteria and parasites found in cat poop.
Some plant oils possess cat repellent properties, including citronella, peppermint, tea tree oil and eucalyptus oils. You can either purchase a commercial product or create your own homemade spray using these oils; just remember that any homemade spray won’t protect against rainwater; thus it must be applied frequently for best results.
Plant plants designed to deter cats, such as thyme, lavender, rosemary, Russian sage and lemon thyme. Prickly foliage plants like thorny roses and sea holly may also help deter them.
Sprinkler System
Cats may be cute, but they can wreak havoc on flowerbeds by digging holes to use as personal litter boxes. Cat urine’s ammonia content may damage plants while its waste products damage both flower gardens and vegetable plots.
Physical barriers like chicken wire or low fences can help deter cats from your garden. You could also consider burying materials that will irritate cats’ paws such as sticks, rocks or prickle strips (available at many hardware stores) as well as branches with brambles or spikey holly leaves that might deter cats.
Planting cat-repelling plants like lavender or Russian sage may help deter cats from visiting your landscape, while motion-activated sprinklers that spray a burst of water when cats approach can also provide extra protection for plants.
Tape
Unwanted cats can quickly ruin your flower beds by digging them up, scattering soil around, using them as litter boxes and chewing on soft plants. Fortunately, there are effective strategies to discourage cats from visiting your garden in future.
One effective and straightforward strategy involves the use of citrus scented cat deterrents. Simply save and scatter citrus peels such as orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit around plants – cats dislike their scent so stay clear!
Cats often gain entry to your plants through urns or window boxes, so lining their bottom with rocks, tin foil or pine cones is an inexpensive, non-toxic and effective strategy for protecting them. These materials confuse their sense of smell and prevent accessing soil.
Fencing
Fencing can help keep cats out of your flower garden. Before planting seeds, lay a section of lattice fencing over the soil – the gaps will prevent wandering cats from digging up your flowers!
One effective solution for keeping cats away from your flowerbed is using a cat-repellent mat on its surface soil surface. These plastic mats feature 3/4″ spikes that make walking across uncomfortable for cats.
Many flowers give off pleasant scents that help deter cats and other animals from entering your garden, such as coleus caninus which smells strongly of urine and therefore deters cats and other animals from entering. Furthermore, this plant requires minimal care and thrives well in most regions.
Water
Cats often use urine to mark their territory, and its scent is an effective deterrent. If you discover cat urine in your garden, wash and spray the area with a dilute white vinegar solution in order to eliminate its scent.
Similar strategies include placing down carpet runners containing plastic spikes that will bother cats without harming them, as well as devices like the CATwatch motion-sensor system that delivers low electric shocks to any felines that come near flower beds.
Planting natural cat-repelling plants such as mint, catnip and valerian in your flower beds may also prove helpful – these natural repellents can work either alongside other strategies or on their own to deter cats.