Cats can do significant damage to flowerbeds. They dig, scratch, and devour your plants – which results in huge expense in repairs.
Unfortunately, cats have access to your garden. But there are ways you can deter cats – just be creative in applying these strategies consistently and creatively!
Install Motion Sprinklers
If cats are frequently visiting your garden, there are multiple strategies you can employ to deter their intrusion. One such device is motion sprinklers. These innovative gadgets use infra-red technology to detect animal presence and release a burst of water when an animal comes within range.
An effective deterrent and quick way to teach your cat not to mess with your flower beds, this method is both safe and cost-effective.
Mulch is another effective method for keeping soil hydrated while improving overall soil health, as well as keeping out weeds and grasses that would otherwise invade flower beds.
Add pine cones or rough stones as a cushion around your plants and in the soil, to discourage cats from exploring your garden and digging up soil. Cats don’t like walking on these uncomfortable materials and may stop coming.
These methods of cat deterrence can be highly effective and more cost-efficient than others, which require costly chemicals or sprays to work.
Alongside using motion sprinklers, another great way to discourage cats from coming near your garden is with sound systems triggered by movement such as wind chimes or other noise-making objects such as bells. Wind chimes work particularly well and should ideally be activated upon movement – wind chimes may work especially well!
As well as these techniques, keeping your garden neat and clean will help prevent unwanted cats from accessing it and keep the flower garden looking neat and presentable for everyone to enjoy.
Finally, it’s a good idea to give your cat plenty of other places in your garden they can explore so they won’t feel forced into coming near your flower beds. This might include providing them with shaded areas, play structures or any other areas they can go when feeling bored or dissatisfied.
Place a Scarecrow
If you need to protect a large flower garden from cats, placing a scarecrow may help. Farmers have used them for thousands of years.
A traditional scarecrow can be created with a long wooden frame and two long sticks crossed and tied together. For added effect, they can even be designed to look like farmers or other figures to draw customers in.
Your scarecrow can become an exciting and creative project by adding items found around the house – like old pillow cases, hats and clothes you no longer use – into its construction.
When designing your scarecrow, be sure to give it large eyes with wide openings – birds are extremely sensitive to anything that resembles eyes and their wings and beaks may react in unexpected ways if anything resembles eyes.
As for the head, try using either a milk jug or used plastic water bottle as this will add texture and make the piece appear more realistic. Furthermore, you could draw a face on it as well!
To keep your scarecrow in place, tie some twine around its frame. This will keep its pants up while making it harder for cats to reach its bottom side.
Create an odor that cats dislike by planting cat-repelling plants such as rue, lavender, lemongrass, pennyroyal grass, geraniums and coleus canina as natural repellents.
If you prefer something with more hi-tech solutions, there are various bird-repelling devices you can purchase – solar-powered and electric options are both available; some look like owls while others emit high frequency sounds that will keep them away.
Install a Cat Fence
if your flower garden is drawing unwanted visitors, consider installing a cat fence to keep cats away and prevent them from using your flowers as litter boxes. It’s an affordable and effective solution that will safeguard plants.
Cat fences can be constructed using materials like wood, plastic and metal; usually at least three feet in height with slats to prevent cats from scaling the fence and climbing over.
Create or revamp an old garden with ease by installing a cat fence to keep your cat away from flower beds and protect plants against insects and animals.
Cat fence kits or DIY solutions are readily available, or you can create one yourself using simple wire mesh fencing or by adding extensions to existing fencing systems.
Add a sheet of hard plastic at the top of your fence, whether straight up or at an angle of 45-degrees; this will prevent your cat from climbing over it or standing on top.
Add an overhang to the top of your fence to discourage cats from jumping over it. This can be achieved either with an extension that extends into your garden at 45-degree angles or by adding horizontal sections jutting out into it at an angled position.
Make Your Garden Smell Unappealing
Use fragrance deterrents like lavender and peppermint as one way to keep cats from sniffing around in your garden beds. They have very sensitive senses when it comes to smell, so strong scents such as these can work to keep cats at bay!
Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges also give off an unpleasant scent that cats find repulsive; therefore adding shredded citrus peels to your garden may help dissuade felines from approaching too closely.
One way to make your garden less appealing and deter cats from browsing your flowerbeds is to sprinkle coffee grounds around. This natural deterrent won’t harm any plants in any way!
Use this technique in combination with other deterrents or use it alone if time and budget are both tight. Simply spread a mixture across flower beds to keep cats away.
Urine from dogs or human male urine mixed with water can serve as an effective deterrent against cats, while sprays available at many pet stores also have this effect.
Cats love gardens; here is one natural solution that’s both cost-effective and safe: plant smelly stuff around flowerbed edges to make your flowerbeds smell unpleasant! Sprinkle it around or use an effective repellent product such as citronella to deter cats.
Cats can be an issue in your garden, with one of their primary functions being digging holes in the soil. Physical barriers like chicken wire or wooden lattice may discourage digging while discouraging cats from coming back – other solutions include river rocks and heavy bark mulches which also work great!
Give Your Cat Other Places to Explore
An effective way to keep cats out of your garden is providing them with places for them to explore. Cats are naturally curious animals with an instinctual need to hunt and investigate their environment; though domesticated, many behaviors from their wild ancestors still remain.
Cats enjoy hunting; their instincts remain unchanged from when they were wild cats. To encourage hunting in your cat, provide plenty of indoor toys (e.g. aluminum foil ball and paper bag) or outdoor options like a kitty jungle gym.
Create a cat garden complete with climbing structures, hiding spaces, and shade from sun on hot days with shrubs or trees; be sure to include various evergreen varieties for maximum effect.
Some flowers, plants and herbs can be harmful to cats, so it is wise to avoid including them in your garden. Please refer to our list of toxic plants so that any that could potentially harm your feline are removed before it causes harm.
Cats enjoy many plants as well. Catnip and honeysuckle are two popular choices for creating an environment friendly to felines.
An alternative way of providing your cat with an outdoor playspace includes scratching posts, perching spots and resting areas crafted out of branches, tree stumps or old logs.
Encourage your cat to go outside by providing a designated place for them to do their business – loose sand is ideal, or use a small trough or cat box for collection of waste.
