Even with a fence, a neighbour’s cat can still sneak into your garden. They can lounge around and chat with you, but they might also choose to chase birds and use your garden as a litter box. Yuck! Here’s how to stop cats from pooping in the garden.
Personally, my cat Magic is one of my best garden pals. Rats won’t eat my vegetables because of him, and he’ll laze in the sun or the dirt while I work in the yard.
Magic knows to use the litter box inside the house instead of my garden beds, but I know that not everyone is that lucky. Neighbourhood cats can be a nuisance at times!.
Dealing with a cat that keeps crapping in your garden can be incredibly frustrating. Not only is it unsightly, but it can spread harmful bacteria and parasites. However, there are several effective ways to deter cats from using your garden as their litter box.
Use Scents Cats Don’t Like
One of the easiest ways to stop cats from pooping in your garden is to use scents that cats don’t like. Cats have a very strong sense of smell, so strong odors will deter them from entering certain areas.
Some scents that cats dislike include lavender, peppermint citrus cinnamon, coffee grounds, citronella, eucalyptus and pine. You can purchase these scents as sprays or essential oils. Dilute the essential oils in water and spray them around the areas of your garden where the cat goes to the bathroom.
You can also scatter things like citrus peels, pinecones or coffee grounds in your garden beds. The strong scent will be unappealing to cats. Just reapply these scents frequently, especially after it rains, to keep cats away.
Use Physical Barriers
Another option is to make it physically uncomfortable for a cat to be in your garden space. There are several types of physical barriers you can use:
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Lay sticks, twigs or pruned rose bush stems in your garden beds. Cats dislike walking on prickly surfaces.
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Place egg shells, pine cones or gravel/pebbles in areas the cat frequents. This creates an uneven and unpleasant texture.
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Lay chicken wire or plastic carpet runners spike-side up on top of the soil. The spikes will deter cats.
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Use a motion-activated sprinkler. When the cat enters the garden, it will get sprayed with water and learn to avoid that area.
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Plant bushes and shrubs close together or use ground cover plants to eliminate bare dirt areas that resemble a litter box.
Use Deterrent Devices
There are several devices designed to deter cats through the use of sound or vibration:
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Ultrasonic devices emit high-frequency sounds when they detect motion. The sounds annoy cats but are inaudible to humans.
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Battery-operated motion detectors emit a startling noise when triggered. Some also spray water.
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Vibration or static mats give a safe but unexpected zap when stepped on, startling the cat.
Place these devices strategically around your garden, especially in frequented bathroom areas. The sudden sounds or zaps will condition the cat to avoid your garden. Just be sure any electronic device is kept dry and under cover.
Try Natural Cat Repellents
Look for natural cat repellent sprays made using essential oils, citrus extracts or garlic derivatives. Apply these sprays around the perimeter of your garden and anywhere the cat likes to go. Reapply after rain.
You can also make DIY cat repellent spray using citrus peels. Simply boil lemon, lime or orange peels in water to release the oils. Let cool, then strain and pour into a spray bottle. The strong citrus scent of these sprays discourages cats.
Block Access Points
Cats are great climbers and can squeeze through small spaces. Make sure your fence does not have any gaps or holes. Bury chicken wire at the base of fences to prevent digging underneath. Keep any gates closed.
Trim back tree branches and shrubs near the fence line that provide a stepping stone into your yard. Install screened covers over vents or drains that a cat could sneak through. The goal is to eliminate all possible entry points.
Use an Outdoor Litter Box
If the cat seems intent on using your garden as a bathroom, place a litter box in a tucked away corner of your garden. Use scents and deterrents to encourage the cat to use the proper litter box instead of your garden beds. Just be sure to remind neighbors that the litter box is not your responsibility to clean.
Keep Things Clean
Scoop any cat poop promptly and dispose of it securely in the trash. Hose down any soiled areas thoroughly with a diluted bleach solution to remove odors and bacteria. Keeping things clean and free of smells may discourage the cat from returning.
With a combination of deterrents, barriers and prevention tactics, you can stop cats from seeing your garden as their own personal litter box. Be patient and consistent, and kitty will get the message that they need to go elsewhere!
How to Stop Cats From Pooping in the Garden
Cats often go to the bathroom in the garden because it looks like a big litter box. Parents who have had a sandbox in their garden will understand what I mean.
To make your garden look more like a garden, you should leave as little exposed (ready-to-dig) soil as possible. Here are a few ideas for how to do just that.
Ground cover plants are those that grow quite low to the ground, covering bare soil. These are great to use if you want to keep cats from pooping in a large area of your garden.
Popular ground cover plants include:
- Heather
- Creeping thyme
- Creeping juniper
- St. John’s wort
- Cotoneaster
- Salal
- Wintergreen
- Ajuga
- Sedum
- Oregano
- Lamb’s ear
- Sweet alyssum
Top Off With Mulch
Putting down a thick layer of mulch over bare soil is another great way to keep cats from pooping in your garden.
For cat-friendly mulch, use a lot of big wood chips or sticks. Cats don’t like to walk on rough or pointy things. Add this layer, and the cats should stay completely clear of your garden.
Anything that covers loose soil will work. This could also include chicken wire, egg shells, or spiky mats.
If your yard has a lot of empty space, try planting some plants to fill it up. Fill large sections with low-maintenance shrubs. Otherwise, fill in spaces with the idea that the more greenery, the better!.
You can even choose a plant with sharp points that scares animals away, like a blackberry, holly, rose, or barberry.
In the same way that you can add plants that cats don’t like, like lavender, lemon thyme, nasturtium, Coleus canina, and more, you can do companion planting.
Cats really don’t like rue, but this is a toxic plant to cats and should be avoided altogether.
Being very smelly and cats having a strong sense of smell, vinegar can help keep cats away. White vinegar works best, as opposed to sweeter vinegar like apple cider vinegar. To make a spray, dilute the vinegar with water (1:1 ratio). Be mindful that vinegar can kill plants, so careful where you spray it!.
Pesky things like tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms can be found in cat poop, along with bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella. It can be potentially dangerous in the vegetable garden. It’s one of the reasons why we shouldn’t flush their feces down the toilet, either. But you are much less likely to get an infection if you wear gloves, wash your hands well, and scrub and rinse any vegetables well with a veggie wash.
Cats really dislike citrus scents. Adding citrus-smelling plants, smatterings of lemon or orange peels, or drops of essential oil may help deter cats. Some people have also reported luck with coffee grounds, citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and pine.
How To Stop Cats From Pooping In The Garden??Super Easy & Safe Methods
FAQ
How to deter cats from pooping in the garden?
How to neutralize cat feces in soil?
What is the best deterrent for cats in your garden?
How do you stop a cat from pooping in a certain area?
How do you stop cats pooping in the garden?
One natural way to stop cats pooping in the garden is by scattering scents they don’t like. Cats are incredibly sensitive to smell so strong scents such as lavender, peppermint or cinnamon are great for keeping them away. Choose one of these scents, mix it with water and spray it around the garden.
How do I keep my yard cat-free?
One of the most critical factors in keeping your yard cat-free is to deter them by smell. Cats will mark areas and territories using scent markers. Removing “their” odors is part of preventing cats from your yard, so they don’t claim your yard as a specific part of their territory. Just removing the cat poop when you see it isn’t enough.
How do you keep cats away from your garden?
Cats aren’t fond of prickly ground underfoot, so placing twigs or rough leaves on flower beds will help to keep them away. While it might not make your garden look pretty, it’s a simple solution to keep them at bay. Other options to consider also include placing down stone mulch, eggshells, holly cuttings or repurposed plastic carpet runners. 6.
How can I keep cats from using my garden as a toilet?
“Using natural scents as a deterrent can help to prevent cats from using the garden as a toilet,” an expert from Pets4Homes tells us. “The chopped-up peel of citrus fruits is a good place to start, as the citrus oils in the peel will keep cats away from flower beds.
How to keep cats away from flower beds?
“The chopped-up peel of citrus fruits is a good place to start, as the citrus oils in the peel will keep cats away from flower beds. Using organic matter also means that the peel will turn into compost, so there is no clean up required.” 3. Install a motion-activated sprinkler
How do I make my garden cat-proof?
There are many options for cat-proof fencing for your garden. You can use a small privacy fence or wire fence with an angled top or net that cats can’t jump over easily. Vinyl is a good choice since cats can’t get a good claw grip to climb. The downside of a fence is that it obstructs the view of your garden, however. 3. Use Scent Deterrents