Cats are often depicted as mischievous, cute, and adorable. However, they are not always wanted in gardens. They can attack wildlife or pets, cause damage to furniture and garden plants as well, and leave copious amounts of mess in the garden. Therefore, many people are looking for a cat deterrent in the garden.
An outdoor cat deterrent can be very effective at keeping cats out of the garden. And there are numerous options available. In this article, we will be looking at some of the cat deterrent device options and other deterrents that you might be able to use to keep cats away from the garden.
Understanding Cat Behaviour
To deter cats, you need to understand their behaviour. Cats are predators and often utilise a wide area to hunt and protect those territories from intruders like other cats. Research done in the UK has found that cats will regularly enter other cats' territory to take food left out for them or other sources of food.
In one part of the research, the cats were seen entering the homes of other cats to eat the food that owners had left out for them.
Options for Using a Cat Deterrent in the Garden
There are several options when it comes to deterring cats in the garden. Some of these options include the following.
Keep a Dog
One thing that can deter cats from an area isn’t a device but rather keeping a dog. Dogs are naturally curious about cats and often chase them from their territory. However, dogs aren’t as feral as cats and spend long periods of their day sleeping and inside. Dogs are only a good deterrent when they are outside.
Due to the dog’s behaviour, the cat usually has ample time to run across gardens or even remain in them.
Cat Proof Fences
Cat-proof fences have defences on the top to prevent the cat from accessing the garden by going over the top of the boundary, which is one of their preferred methods of entry.
While it can reduce the options for gaining access to the garden, it is not foolproof. If you have a tree that goes over a fence, or hole in the fence they can be used by the cat. So, it isn’t the best cat deterrent to rely on, but if you want to make the garden fool-proof, you might also want to add these.
Remove Attractants from the Garden
Cats are attracted to gardens for several reasons. Sometimes it's because of the long grass. This is the perfect spot for them to lie down in and is great for pooping, which can be tough to see or remove from the garden.
Another attractant can be pets. Cats can be attracted to captive birds, guinea pigs, and even some rabbits. Therefore, if you keep any of these animals unattended for long periods of the day, the cat might stalk them.
Removing anything that might attract the cat can be very important. It will reduce the time the cat will want to spend in the garden.
Cat Deterrent Odours
There are some options to add odours to the garden that can deter cats regularly. For instance, lion urine or poop can often deter cats because they are scared of the larger feline’s scent.
One of the biggest problems with odours is that they can be relatively expensive to continuously apply to the garden, not to mention that smell can sometimes be unpleasant for the garden owner. Finally, cats can sometimes learn that while there is a smell present, the lion is not there. Therefore, the cat learns to ignore these warnings, making it harder to deter the cat.
Use a Cat Deterrent Device
Numerous cat deterrent devices are available. One of these is the Sentinel device from Envirobug. The Sentinel device uses a combination of effective deterrents to create an excellent way to completely deter cats from an area of your garden. One can cover a wide area, but you might need several to cover numerous areas, such as large vegetable gardens.
The cat deterrent device has several parts for it. The cat deterrent sensor monitors for movements within a detection range. Once there is significant movement, the sensor will release a sonic sound. The cat deterrent sonic noise is not detectable by humans but can be annoying for cats.
However, this is not always effective. Research has shown that cats can become used to sonic noises, eventually learning to ignore them. Other deterrents such as dogs and large birds are more likely to keep away from the sonic noise.
However, when combined with the cat deterrent spray and a movement element, the Envirobug Sentinel system can be very effective. When the sound doesn’t work, the motion and the spray will scare the cat into moving away.
The Advantages of the Cat Deterrent Device
While the cat deterrent device is excellent for preventing cats from entering the garden, it is also an excellent device for other reasons. For example, it can deter birds and other nuisances from the garden in an environmentally friendly way.
The cat deterrent uses water, which is an acceptable liquid to spread across a garden that doesn’t cause any damage to the soil or environment. In addition, the device can also be solar powered, therefore, there’s no potential carbon footprint increase.
In addition, the cat deterrent device is relatively inconspicuous, not looking out of place in the environment while also offering protection over a wide area. You can locate the device on the edges of the garden.
Final Word: Cat Deterrent Options in Australia
There are numerous cat deterrent options in Australia. Many of these can be very effective at ensuring that a cat cannot access your home’s sanctuary and not create a mess. The Envirobug’s Sentinel unit is a significant part of the process because it offers a wide range and multiple ways that the cat can be deterred from the garden.
You can find out more about the device here.
