Cats can do considerable damage to a garden by digging, eating plants and using flower beds as their own personal litter boxes. There are various natural and electronic deterrents available that may prevent cats from accessing your flower garden.
Try creating “barriers” by incorporating plants such as blackberry bushes, pyracantha or holly that feature spiked leaves as “barriers.” Or scatter crushed eggshells or finely chopped banana peels among your garden beds for cats to find unpleasant; their scent won’t harm flowers either!
Mesh Cloth
Covering flower beds with mesh cloth is an efficient and cost-effective way to keep cats out. Not only is it inexpensive, but its aesthetic won’t compromise either!
One other solution would be to erect chicken wire or plastic fencing over your soil, with many plants still growing through, but more unpleasant for cats to walk on and thus may serve as a deterrent against future visits by them.
Some pet parents swear by laying pointy chopsticks on the ground at various distances (but not so close that kitty can push them over). Repurposed wooden chopsticks or pieces of lattice may also work; though these could pose danger if twisted by cats.
Installing a cat fence, featuring slats that cats cannot easily climb over and prevents them from digging underneath, is another viable solution to protect your flowers and garden from feline visitors. These systems typically stand three feet high, and can even be placed over traditional fencing for extra layers of security.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can be an effective deterrent against cats, and likely already lie within your home. Spread a layer of wet grounds over your garden’s soil surface or bury them as an effective method – but keep in mind this solution may need to be updated periodically as its effectiveness fades.
An alternative option for protecting gardens and flowerbeds from cats is using cat repellent sprays in your garden or flowerbeds. Most of these emit odors that don’t harm cats but make them uncomfortable enough that they want to stay away.
As another solution, there are also mats that contain sharp spikes to make walking across them painful for cats. These come in various sizes and are ideal for use in gardens or flower beds as long-term solutions – some can even be filled with other materials to further deter cats, such as moth balls or citrus peels.
Moth Balls
Moth balls may deter cats from your garden with their unpleasant odor, but these toxic chemicals – naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene) can harm humans as well as young children, soil, plants and water supplies.
Instead of moth balls, try filling jars with diluted ammonia and burying them in your garden to deter cats while protecting your flowers or vegetables. The ammonia will serve to deter cats without having adverse impacts on them.
Citrus peels and coffee grounds can also serve as humane fragrance repellants; others suggest placing ripening bananas in flower beds to repel cats who dislike their odor.
Your other option is to train your cat not to come near your garden. While this will require time and consistency, it could prove successful. Just ensure that all training methods used are safe – do not force or coerce it into being uncomfortable for either party involved! If at first this does not succeed, try something else until something does work for your feline friend!
Motion Sprinklers
Spraying cats with water using a motion-activated sprinkler will make them uncomfortably uncomfortable in your garden, and is both non-harmful and straightforward to set up. It is an especially useful strategy if dealing with large populations of feral cats.
Set up a cat repellent spray that emits an unpleasant odor for cats. Planting lemon thyme, rue and lavender as well as plants with prickly leaves such as sea holly and globe thistle may also help. Alternatively, try an ultrasonic device which emits an audible yet disturbing sound for cats that is inaudible to people but highly repellent for felines.
Haddon suggests installing “flimsy plastic roll-up fencing or bending wire netting into a cloche shape to guard specific flower beds or vegetable patches.” Additionally, she advises placing pointy sticks throughout your garden or tying up unwanted CDs as visual deterrents that might make cats reconsider entering your space.