Cats are wonderful animals but not everyone wants them in their garden – especially not scratching and peeing in the flower beds and growing boxes.
Do you have problems with cats in the garden? Here we have collected the tricks that can keep them at a distance.
Do you have a garden with a lot of nice flower beds where you plant and grow, you know that there are a lot of animals that can come and destroy. One of them is cats that can use both the flower beds as a toilet and your outdoor furniture as a bedroom. Here we have collected some harmless remedies and simple tricks to use against cats in the garden:
Plant plants that cats do not like
Plant plants with a strong scent that cats do not like. Lavender, rosemary, thyme and lemon verbena are some plants that can help keep them at a distance from the flower beds. But beware of growing catnip and other plants from the nepeta genus, which cats are attracted to.
Garlic cloves
Garlic is another strong scent that cats, just like deer, do not like. Either you crush garlic cloves in water and spray with a flower sprayer where cats usually are, or you let the garlic cloves germinate in the fridge and then plant them out among your plants.
Lemon and pepper
Pepper and lemon are other strong scents that cats do not like – above all they do not like to get the scent on their paws. Sprinkling freshly ground white pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon peel or orange peel can help keep them away – as long as the scent lingers and it does not rain. If you place peppercorns where cats have fulfilled their needs, it is also said that it should prevent them from coming back.
Cover bark and seashells
One way to prevent cats from scratching in flower beds is to cover bare ground with something that makes it harder to scratch. Mulch, crushed stone, seashells or potsherds are things that can also make the flowerbed look good and prevent the soil from drying out.
Nets and fences
An effective way to keep them away from the kitchen land is to cover the crops with nets. If there is a special place that is popular for the cats to be in, you can build a small fence around it. An easy way is to stick sticks into the ground, tight enough and high enough so that the cats do not get through or over.
Water spray and electronic scares
A simple and proven trick is to spray water with a flower sprayer, or water hose on the cat, but you have to be there right then as well. But there are also electronic scares to buy that both sound, flash and spray water and that can keep both cats and wildlife away from the garden.