Cats might be the best friends and fun-loving family members for some people, but for others, they can be a real pest. Not only that, cats are known to cause significant danger to local wildlife. Knowing how to deter cats from your home can be a critical way to protect your garden from the damage they cause to furniture/garden areas. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways you can get rid of cats from your garden.
Identifying the Issue: Why Cats Enter Gardens
There are many reasons why cats will enter gardens. Cats, by nature, are curious explorers who like to roam a wide area in search of companions and food. A small garden is just not enough space for many cats and therefore they feel compelled to roam.
Cats are also natural predators and scavengers. As such, it doesn’t matter how much food they are provided by their owners, they will always seek out more, because there is an instinct that compels them to worry about where the next meal is going to come from.
Therefore, they will seek more food.
In addition, like many predators, it is hard for them to resist hunting, especially if they see a prey item (bird for instance) in the local area.
Cats might also enter other gardens to create territories to ward off other cats from entering the area. This might be the biggest problem because a cat would poop and spray in the garden to create territory rules.
The cat droppings can be a significant cause of problems. Those who don’t like cats are unlikely to want to clean up after other people’s cats. And without the proper equipment, cat droppings can cause illness, especially upset stomachs.
Cats can also rip through bins in the hunt for food. This can cause a significant mess that needs to be cleaned up.
Humane Approaches to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden
Product on the picture above: Envirobug Motion-Activated Pest Repeller Sprinkler
To help prevent the unpleasantness of cats within the garden, it is important to find humane ways to keep cats out of the garden. Some inhumane ways to get rid of cats in your backyard are on the market, but these aren’t suitable because no harm should be applied to keeping cats under control when there are more effective options that are deterrents and cause no problems.
Creating Physical Barriers
One of the first things to consider is that you need to protect the property through the use of physical barriers. There are numerous physical barriers that you can use on property that can help you deter cats. Using anti-cat spikes on the top of fences can prevent the cat from using them as walkways or by going over the top. As well as helping to get rid of cats from your yard, these additions can also prevent possums from using your garden.
However, that doesn’t mean this is the only option. Ensuring there are no gaps in the property’s boundaries should also be done at the earliest convenience.
Natural Repellents and Scents
There are also natural cat repellents and scents that can be used to ward off cats. These are often applied to areas of the garden, such as flower beds to create odours that cats don’t like. You can buy fox and lion scents from many locations and this can sometimes be a big deterrent to cats.
You might also want to use certain plants like lavender and rosemary lots in the garden as the odour they produce irritate cat senses. Other options include curry and rue.
Designing Cat-Unfriendly Spaces
When creating your garden, it is important to design a cat-unfriendly space. One aspect that often attracts cats is long grass. It is the perfect space for them to lie down in. And often it is a great location for pooping.
So keeping your lawn well-maintained can be a great deterrent. In addition, cats don’t like to stand on small stones, so using small shingles around the borders of the property can keep cats away from your garden, especially the central areas.
You might also want to consider letting your dog out at random times. Cats can learn routines pretty quickly and they will know when a dog is let out to play or go to the toilet. So if you have a dog, try randomising their routine to confuse the cat.
Proactive Steps for Garden Cat Management
There are numerous proactive steps for managing a cat’s presence in your garden. Here are some of the ways you can prevent a cat from entering your garden.
Encouraging Cats to Leave
The first thing to do is to encourage cats to leave your garden. There are numerous ways to do this, but using the motion-activated pest repeller Sentinel device is a great option. This is a motion-detecting sensor that uses ultrasound, movement, and water to scare away unwanted guests from an area in the garden.
It is a great device that can run on solar panels and is effective at keeping numerous pests such as rabbits, birds, possums, and cats out of a garden and away from vegetable gardens and other locations within the garden. They can be used in series to cover a wider area.
Engaging with Local Animal Services
You might also consider engaging with a local animal service to catch the cat if it appears to be a stray. Stray cats can sometimes be the worst offenders because they’ve left a home, so have no access to regular food, toileting areas, or healthcare.
Therefore, they can be considered more of a threat.
Local animal services can catch the cat and then reunite it with the owner or find it a new home where it can have a better life.
Seeking Professional Assistance
You might also want to consider talking to professional pest controllers. They will have a range of tactics and devices that can help get rid of feral cats from your garden.
Final Word
Cats can either be a loved pet or an intruding neighbour. If you want to know how to get rid of stray cats permanently from your garden, then using environmentally friendly and humane tactics to protect your garden is legal. Just be sure that you’re not harming the cat.
FAQ about Cats
Are there plants that repel cats from gardens?
There are several species of plants that cats do not like. Using them along with other options can repel cats from gardens.
How do I distinguish between stray cats and neighbour's cats in my garden?
Stray cats often look less well-kept than a neighbour’s cat. You might, for instance, notice its coat is less clean or that it is thinner.
What are the legal implications of deterring cats from gardens?
You cannot harm a cat while deterring it from a garden. So using ethical, non-harmful options is the best choice.
How can I get rid of neighbours' cats in my yard?
Using safe and environmentally friendly options might be your only option to get rid of cats in your yard. However, you might want to discuss the issue with your neighbour, to see if they can help.
