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Overview:
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You may
think this is an unusual article to be writing for a cat
website but it is a question which frequently comes up.
Gone are
the days where we used to let our cats roam where they
chose. As a society, we have come to realise that it is
not safe to let our cats free roam, nor is it socially
responsible to do so. While we may think that Fluffy is
an absolute delight, the next door neighbour who's
having her petunias dug up may not see Fluffy in such a
glowing light.
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Cats are smart
creatures, if you spray them with a hose when caught in your
garden they will just avoid it while you are around, however
they may well still enter your property when you are not. The
trick is to use remote 'punishment'. That is, regardless of you
being there or not, something unpleasant (but not painful, cruel
or dangerous) happens to the cat. Alternatively, try to make
your garden unappealing to cats. This article looks at ways to deter cats from
coming into your garden using kind methods, do not resort to
cruelty.
Talk to your
neighbours:
If you know who
owns the cat, talk to the owner. Often they will be apologetic &
make an effort to rectify the problem by keeping their cat
contained. So this is always the first approach you should take.
Some councils have
a cat curfew, and the cat must be indoors between certain hours.
So it is worth calling your council & finding out what, if any
laws they have in regards to cats roaming. This information can
be passed onto the owner of the cat.
If you are the
owner of a cat which has been roaming into neighbourhood
gardens, I would seriously urge you to look into a cat enclosure
or cat proofing your garden. This will keep your neighbours
happy & your cat safe. If this is not possible then try to make
your garden as cat friendly as possible so he won't be as
inclined to roam. Do this by planting cat friendly plants such
as catnip & cat grass. Provide an toilet area your cat will find
attractive. An old sand pit for example.
Commercial Cat
Deterrents:
There are many
products available which are aimed at deterring cats. These
usually contain a scent which cats find extremely unpleasant.
These products are usually available from your garden centre or
even pet shop.
Home Made
Deterrents:
- Cats prefer
to dig in loose dirt. If you have a small area try placing
some pebbles in the garden beds.
- Pine cones
also act as a deterrent as cats don't like the feel of them on
their feet. So try adding some to your mulch & spread around flower beds to keep
the cats away.
- Depending on
where you are, you could try motion activated sprinklers.
However, this isn't recommended for Australia with our current
drought. The use of sprinklers in many parts of Australia is
prohibited.
- Citrus is
unpleasant to cats, so if the neighbourhood cats are zoning in
on a smallish area, you could try putting orange, grapefruit or lemon peel
in this area.
- Apparently
there are ultrasonic devices which are triggered by a motion
sensor. These emit a sound which is inaudible to humans but
able to be heard by cats.
- Place
netting on the ground, especially in areas where there is
freshly turned over soil & or seedlings.
- Chicken
manure around established plants can also deter cats as they
don't like the smell.
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If you have a bird feeder in your garden, make sure it is hung
up in a location which is difficult to get to for cats to
reduce their chances of catching birds. Which could be what is
attracting them to your garden in the first place.
Striking a
compromise:
If you really
can't keep cats out of your garden then maybe it is worth
considering designating a small area to attract cats so they
will be more inclined to stay away from other spots. Try
planting cat attracting herbs such as cat grass & catnip. In
areas you don't want the cat, look at plants which repel cats
such as lavender, Coleus canina (scardey cat plant), geranium,
lemon thyme &
pennyroyal. You may also want to try designating an area for the
cat to use as a toilet. While this may sound unappealing, it may
be better to make an attractive area for them so they avoid the
rest of the garden. Placing a sand pit close to the catnip
should do the trick.
If you have any
cat friendly ways to deter cats from gardens I'd love to
hear from
you.
There are many
websites which recommend the use of mothballs as a way of
deterring cats. This is something I absolutely wouldn't
recommend as they are toxic to cats. While a cat entering your
garden & digging up plants is no doubt irritating, using harmful
products as a way to solve the problem is not the way to go.
There are plenty of safe & humane methods for deterring cats
without having to resort to cruelty. So please don't use any
methods which will harm the cat.
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