Cats can cause extensive damage to gardens by defecating in the soil and carrying parasites like fleas, mites, ringworm and even rabies that are transmitted directly to people. Luckily there are numerous strategies available for keeping cats away from your garden.
Rough mulches, pine cones, thorny branches and prickly sand barriers all serve to deter cats. Rue, rose clippings with sharp spines or Coleus canina (Scaredy Cat Coleus) also deter them.
Physical Barriers
Though cats can be helpful by killing mice, left unchecked they can wreak havoc in flower gardens by digging holes for soft napping spots or chewing up flowers. To protect the garden without harming these adorable felines there are various physical barriers you can use to keep cats out.
Laying lattice fencing over soil makes it more difficult for cats to navigate it, while prickly plants like blackberry bushes and holly help deter cats by making it uncomfortable for them to walk across its surface.
If you find an unfamiliar cat living near your home that is not your own, contact a shelter or rescue for information on free trap-neuter-release programs in your area. Spaying and neutering feral cats helps prevent unnecessary nuisance behaviors like fighting, spraying, yowling and littering – as well as provide more stability for everyone involved.
Electric Fence
Garden cats can cause significant damage quickly to your garden by digging up flowerbeds or urinating on prized plants, and there are various methods available to deter them without harming them in any way. Luckily, there are ways you can remove them without harming either party involved.
Low-voltage electric fences can be an excellent way to keep cats away from your garden. Any time an intruder touches the wire, they receive a harmless yet effective shock that teaches them not to come near your flowers again.
Motion-activated sprinklers offer another effective option, spraying a burst of water when they detect movement in your garden. As these only activate when there’s action happening around them, there is reduced likelihood that accidentally watered your plants or flower beds by mistake.
Water
Cats can cause all sorts of havoc in your garden, from digging up newly planted flowerbeds to fouling on plants. Their urine and poop may damage or kill your flowers while also carrying parasites which could harm humans as well as animals.
Deterring cats from your garden is key, particularly if you have sensitive plants like azaleas which could prove toxic to them. Instead of resorting to chemicals as a deterrent measure, try humane methods such as placing prickly materials that make walking uncomfortable for cats or planting fragrant rosemary and thyme with strong aromas; covering planters with chicken wire or lattice to keep cats out while still allowing your plants to flourish through.
Scents
Cats have an acute sense of smell, so it is essential to use scents which repel them. Scattering citrus peels around your garden or using a spray made up of rosemary, lavender and lemon oil will deter cats from your flower beds.
Planting fragrant flowers such as lavender or perennial geraniums can be an effective way to deter cats. Perennial geraniums have sharp leaves which make walking across their flower beds uncomfortable for cats while lavender has an aromatic fresh scent which deters sniffing from cats.
Create your own homemade spray from citrus essential oils to deter cats from your garden. Combine equal parts lemon, wild orange and lavender oil in a glass spray bottle and use as needed to keep cats away from your flowers.
Fences
Cats can be known to cause damage in gardens and yards by digging up flowerbeds and leaving piles of waste behind them. No matter if it’s your pet or an outdoor stray cat that causes problems, humane solutions must be found for ridding yourself of them in the yard and flower gardens.
The RSPB recommends using chicken wire or wire netting shaped like a cloche to discourage cats from roaming around your garden and accessing plants. You could also place some in certain flowerbeds or vegetable patches to provide protection.
Scent repellants can also be very effective. Ammonia is an inexpensive and effective solution, which you can use by filling old jars to the brim with solution before burying them in your garden beds. Other effective fragrances include citrus peels, rue (which can be planted live), peppermint lavender eucalyptus oils or lemon grass essential oils.