How To Keep Cats From Pooping In Your Yard
Kristin Hitchcock
We dont exactly know why cats decide to use the bathroom where they do. Sometimes, they pick a place in the neighborhood that they really like . To us, it can seem random.
If cats have decided that your yard is the community bathroom, things can get stinky very quickly. Cats may also decide to mark in the area, which can make things even smellier!
Luckily, you can do quite a few things to interrupt this trend and stop it in its tracks. Below, well discuss multiple ways to keep cats from pooping in your yard.
How To Keep Cats Out Of Your Garden
Cats make excellent pets and companions. Because of curiosity, mating, hunting, eating, and establishing territory, some of them may stray into your yard or garden. But seeing them destroy your garden can be very annoying. So, you are wondering how to prevent them from coming back into your garden.
How to keep cats out of your garden? The best method is to keep your garden as hostile as possible for cats. You can also spread pinecones, chicken wire, or other sharp-edged materials. Install a cat deterrent device or a motion-activated sprinkler. Place citrus peels and essential oils. You may also build a fence.
There are a lot of ways to deter the cat from destroying your garden. Some of them are natural, while others are harmful. If you dont want to harm your cat or your neighbors cat, learn about natural ways to keep cats out of your garden.
Build An Outdoor Litterbox
One way to stop cats from eliminating in one spot, like a flower garden, is to give them a more attractive place to go, preferably well off in a far corner of the yard. Inexpensive options include:
– A large pile of peat moss approximately 4 feet square and 8 inches deep.- A sandbox, using regular “kiddie sandbox” sand.- Fill a large storage bin with a few inches of kiddie sandbox sand. Cut a doorway 8 inches by 8 inches in the bin just above the level of the sand. For extra cleanliness, instead of sand, put a litterbox with regular litter inside the bin.
To attract the cats to their new bathroom, place a couple of pieces of the cats’ poop in the new digs To reduce odor, replace the peat moss, sand or litter regularly. Occasional scooping will also help.
Recommended Reading: Normal Heart Rate For Cat
Can Vinegar Keep Cats Away
You can spray diluted or full-strength vinegar outdoor on places like garden edges, fences, garden decor, posts, and even plants as a deterrent for cats. You can apply the spray every couple of days to repel your cats. Apply the spray again to areas that have been washed up by rain or areas just watered.
Peace With The Neighbors Is A Click Away
Not everyone wants cats playing in their yard or digging in their garden. Keeping the cats away from areas where they’re not welcome is an important way to maintain good relations with the neighbors. In the end, the cats are going to be better off if everyone is happy than if there is constant conflict. A number of tools and techniques, listed below, can be used to keep cats out of gardens and yards. Keep in mind that will make cats better neighbors, too. Neutering means dramatically less noise, no foul odors from unaltered males spraying, less roaming and so less visibility, and no kittens.
You May Like: Can Cats Have Lemon Pepper Tuna
Cat Repellents: How To Keep Cats Out Of Your Yard
Cats in the garden seem to be an issue this week while helping customers at the garden center this week, so lets cover the subject in detail. I am often asked how to keep cats out of the yard. Cats are unpredictable, so there are few sure-fire cat repellents. But below I consider some of the best approaches known to stop strays and other feline intruders from using your garden as their own personal litter box.
Broadly speaking, we can label all of these diverse approaches as cat repellents, since they are all designed to repel unwanted cats from a specific area.
But I will also provide an example of the commercial products more narrowly associated with the label, cat repellents, namely, products that come in a can and are sprinkled on the ground to keep cats away.
A Cat Repellent for Before You Even Begin
If you have not planted a flower bed yet, but you anticipate having trouble keeping cats out of your yard, be aware that one of the most effective cat repellents is readily available at most any hardware store: chicken wire.
No, I am not going to suggest you erect a chicken-wire fence. Instead, lay chicken wire down on top of your soil , across the planting bed, before you plant. Why? Because cats disdain walking on chicken wire. Using wire cutters, you will be able to open up pockets in the chicken wire sufficiently large for installing your plants.
After-the-Fact Methods: 10 Ways to Keep Cats Out of Your Yard
Water: The Ultimate Cat Repellent?
Scarecrow Water Spray Deterrent
A scarecrow spay deterrent is a motion-activated deterrent that sprays water to startle the animal away from the area. It can be used to deter all animals not just cats and is effective in larger gardens too.
This deterrent is especially good if the cat is using the same spot regularly as you can set up the detector and sprinkler to go off when the cat enters the area and water will be sprayed.
The cat will very quickly realise this area is out of bounds and wont return but you can keep the scarecrow set up just in case.
Advantages:
- Effective in deterring cats and other animals such as foxes and badgers
Disadvantages:
- Not ideal for smaller spaces
- Expensive solution
- Has the be connected to the mains water system via a hose
Also Check: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
Tested Examples Of How To Stop Felines From Pooping In Your Garden
There are some myths circulating the online space about chasing kitties away. Cats are protected by law in the UK, so you cant call the authorities if they simply poop in your garden.We, however, wanted to know what really works, so we gathered peoples experiences. Mentioned below are only successful real-life examples that have worked for someone in your situation. It should be noted that they may not always work for you as there are different types of cats and different gardens, as well as varying degrees of this problem. To stop cats from pooping and fouling your garden once and for all, you can:
Review The Types Of Cat Repellents
Cats can be discouraged from digging in your garden beds or pussyfooting around your property by employing a few tactics or products. Be sure to change your tactics regularly. A new cat in the neighborhood might not be as sensitive to your usual methods, so regularly switching them can lead to more success.
You May Like: Normal Tpr For Cats
Try Jerry Bakers Recipe
I got the following recipe from Jerry Baker on PBS:
2 1/2 parts Flour1 1/2 parts Dry Mustard Powder
Sprinkle around the area as needed. If it rains, it will have to be replaced
I have noticed that the cats do stay away from my deck. Am not sure how it will work with dogs, but Jerry Bakers ideas are usually very good.Carol D.
Sprinkle Essential Oils Around Your Garden
Another way to stop cats pooping your garden is to use the right essential oil. This again ties back to cats picky sense of smell. We like this option because essential oils are easy to find, smell great to humans, and only require a few drops at a time to keep cats away.
- Lime
The most effective way to use essential oils to keep cats from pooping in your yard is to make a simple spray. In a spray bottle, mix one part of your favorite essential oil to three parts water.
Walk around your yard spraying the areas where the cats poop most often, or any areas where you think they may be sneaking onto your property. Because essential oils smell so fresh, this is also a great solution to deter indoor cats from wandering in areas where you dont want them in the house.
Don’t Miss: Chewy.com Cat
Clean Up Whats Already There
If you leave cat feces lying around the yard, youre just putting a giant sign on it that says its the community bathroom. Cats can smell the poop and will assume thats where theyre supposed to be using the bathroom.
None of the methods below will work if cats can still smell the feces and urine in your yard. Your first step should be to clean up the yard as best you can. You may not be able to get everything, but you can get pretty close.
How To Keep Cats From Pooping In Your Mulch
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
People spend a lot of time out in their garden areas. You might find it peaceful to just pull weeds and water the plants in your flower beds.
It can be frustrating when youre doing a bit of work in the garden area and step on poop, though. Many people wind up having problems with stray cats coming by and pooping in their mulch.
Why is it that so many cats seem to be drawn to mulch when they need to poop? If this isnt an isolated incident and you seem to have cats pooping in your mulch all the time, then youre going to want to solve things swiftly.
The information below will teach you about why cats seem to like pooping in mulch. Youll then be able to learn about effective methods for keeping cats out of your garden areas.
Even if you have severe stray cat problems in your area, its going to be possible to turn things around. You just need to know the right approach to take to get good results.
Also Check: How Old Is A 12 Year Old Cat
Some Other Things To Consider
If you try some of the things I detailed above, Im sure youll be able to stop your cat from pooping or urinating in your house plant pots and bases.
This might not be enough to solve the issue of your cat not using their litter box though. You dont just want to redirect your cat to go somewhere else, you want them to use their box.
You might have to also find out why theyre not using their box, and so something to ensure they start doing so.
In summary, however, youll need to:
- Introduce them to their box and make sure they have easy access to it
- Place more than one box in the home while youre training them to use it
- Try a different litter if there seems to be a reason why they arent using it
- Make sure its super clean at all times
Im sure youre aware that litter feels very different from soil. Most notably, its not as soft as soil.
Your current brand of litter might be too rough for your cats sensitive paws if they went from their box to your plants.
Prepare A Litter Box Far Away From Your Yard
If you have extra space in your yard, you can also place a litter box outside of the house. To cut costs, create a sandy space in an area far away from your yard. Such sandy spaces can also be created behind your house or next to the drain to make it easier for you to dispose and clean off the poop. To attract cats to the sandy area, you can place a catnip there.
Read Also: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
How Do You Get Rid Of Cat Poop In Your Garden
There is no need to replace all of the soil. Simply remove feces along with the soil near it. Dispose of them properly by placing the poop in a plastic bag before throwing them in the garbage can. Getting rid of the soil close to the feces can reduce the chances of cats returning to this area to discharge.
How To Repel Cats From The Garden Naturally
- Spread natural materials such as citrus peels and essential oils.
- Scatter pinecones, mulch, chicken wire, or stones so they will have difficulty walking in your garden.
- Cats do not like the smell of certain plants such as rosemary, rue, scaredy cat plant, lavender, and others, so incorporate them in your garden.
- Make a cat-repellent spray using natural ingredients.
- Invest in a motion-activated sprinkler or spray them with water.
- Install fences with spikes.
You May Like: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
What Scents Do Cats Hate
Citrus: Just like their canine counterparts, cats hate oranges, lemons, limes and the like. Some cat repellents even use these smells to help keep cats away. Banana: We know the peels can be pungent and cats find this to be especially true. Leaving one out is a sure way to keep a cat out of the room.
Lay Down Chicken Wire To Keep Cats Away
Chicken wire is generally a great item to use when trying to keep small animals and other pests away from your garden. However, when you use it to keep cats away, youll have to set it up a little differently.
Instead of setting up a physical barrier surrounding the garden, lay down the chicken wire on top of the mulch in your garden. This will take planning, as you will have to do this before planting your flowers. Cats detest the feeling of the wire on their paws and will leave your flower beds right away.
Also Check: Cat Paw Swelling
How To Stop Cats Pooping In The Garden
Do you have a problem with cats pooping in your garden? For some of us, cats are our very best friends, but for others they can be a real nuisance.
Thankfully, surrounded by fields as we are, our own cats have found somewhere else to head off to do their business but it can be a real problem for urban gardeners.
Apart from the annoyance of finding cat mess among your plants, theres a health reason why you need to discourage them from using your soil as a toilet. Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease thats extremely dangerous for pregnant women or anyone with a suppressed immune system, can be carried in cat faeces or in garden soil.
Over the years Ive heard of many remedies for preventing cats pooping in gardens ranging from citrus fruit skins scattered around the veg, automatic water squirters, planting rue, moth balls, various essential oils and the more difficult for Irish gardeners to come bytiger poo. Im sure they all have their merits but one effective method we found to prevent our feline friends bopping down among the lettuce and radishes in a community garden was to scatter dried spices around the beds.
Have you a tried and tested cure for keeping cats away from your vegetable beds?
Animal Shapes With Reflective Or Glowing Eyes
Usually made from metal, the animal shapes are fitted with eyes that glow or are reflective giving the appearance of another animal in the garden. The eyes are either made from a reflective material like glass or may have eyes that light up using solar energy. They come in a variety of animal shapes and I think are most effective to stop cats pooping in the garden when they are moved on a regular basis. They are easy to install and move and require little to no maintenance. Unlike sprays and dried materials they are weatherproof. In the USA, try something like these cat repellents and in the UK, like these cat shapes. But like any of these ideas, they may not be effective and cats that are regular visitors to your garden might become used to it.
You May Like: Is Dried Lavender Safe For Cats
Make Your Own Cat Repellent Spray
If youre still asking how to keep cats from pooping in my yard, this homemade spray makes an excellent outdoor cat repellent. It is easy to make, and you probably already have all of the ingredients somewhere in your kitchen!
- 3 drops lemon essential oil
- Water
Put the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and dry mustard inside a two-ounce spray bottle before adding in the garlic clove and essential oil. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients and fill it with water. Shake well to combine.
If you dont have all the ingredients, substitute black pepper for cayenne pepper and use any essential oil that we listed earlier. This is another cat repelling solution that works great for indoor cats, as well.
Make An Area More Inviting For The Cat
Now weve talked about deterring the cat away from one area, lets look at how we can attract the cat to another spot in the garden.
This can be useful if the cat is always in the flower bed and you wouldnt mind it in other areas of the garden instead, or if your cat is going to your neighbours garden and you want to make your garden a more attractive option for your cat.
Recommended Reading: Umbrella Plant Toxic To Dogs