How To Keep Cats Out Of Your Yard Home Remedies

How To Make Homemade Cat Repellent

How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden

Making your repellent is an effective and natural way to deter the cat away from your garden. It is also very easy to make.

Step 1: Pour the essential oil into the spray bottle.

Step 2: Add water to the bottle. Be sure to shake it well so that it can be mixed thoroughly.

Step 3: Spray the mixture in your garden.

Indoor Repellents For Training Cats

Mix apple cider vinegar and water at a 1:1 ration. The vinegar can also be substituted for an essential oil such as citronella, lavender, peppermint or lemongrass . Either one will make a fantastic cat repellent spray. Just spray it where your cat likes to hang out. It will neutralize the area and your pet will become disinterested in returning. Always test homemade recipes like this on a piece of fabric to make sure it does not stain furniture.

You can also use aluminum foil or sandpaper to protect furniture, carpets and counter tops. These items provide an unpleasant surface to walk on. Double sided tape also works great as a cat repellent. They have a hard time tolerating the feel of these surfaces on their paws. This is an easy way to train them to stay away from certain areas of your home.

Finally, cats don’t like to get wet. You can’t always be on patrol but if you catch your pet in a restricted area, just spray them with a water bottle. This is the simplest home remedy of all. If you continue to repeat this process, it will deter them from returning to the area. This is not a sure-fire way to repel them but it will help aid the training process.

Home Remedies To Keep Cats Out Of Plants

Are Mint Leaves Bad for Dogs?

Whether it is your own loveable fur ball behaving impishly or a neighborhood stray, cats can cause real problems in the garden. Maybe you have intentionally planted plant varieties that attract birds only to find that you are providing the local cat population with a convenient food source. Or perhaps you have gone out to weed your well-manicured flower beds only to find that a cat has used the bed as a litter box and left you a surprise.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to keep cats out of your garden, there are several easy, inexpensive home remedies to keep cats away. Cats can be stubborn, however, so you may have to try several remedies or combinations until you find the formula that works.

Don’t Miss: Is Thieves Oil Safe For Cats

Install 1 Or More Automatic Motion

Motion-activated sprinklers arent made to water your lawn. They are made to emit a rapid burst of water when an animal crosses into an area.;

The water rarely hits the animal but does startle them away.;

Cats hate water.;

As a result, they usually learn very quickly to stay away from an area.;

If you use a motion sprinkler, then make sure to use it from the Spring to fall so that the cats in your area are trained when winter hits and you have to put the sprinkler away.;

Use Moth Balls To Keep Cats Away

Moth balls are great for their intended purpose of keeping moths from visiting your clothes and eating holes in your fabric. The scents that drive away moths can also drive cats from your garden.

Use moth balls as a quick and easy cat repellent solution when you dont have time to mix anything. Place moth balls along your fence and in spots in your yard and garden that attract furry visitors.

Check on the moth balls from time to time, and add additional ones as needed to keep your yard cat-free and happy. Pets wont like the way moth balls smell, so keep an eye on them, and remove the moth balls if they seem too unhappy.

Recommended Reading: How To Make A Shirt For A Cat

Whipping Up Citrus Cat Repellent

1Boil the water. Add 2 cups water to a medium pot. Heat the water over medium-high to high heat until it comes to a boil, which should take 5 to 7 minutes.XResearch source

Because youre boiling it, tap water is fine for the repellent.

2Mix in the citrus peels and simmer the mixture. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 cup of orange, lemon, lime, and/or tangerine peels to the pot. Lower the heat to medium, and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes.XResearch source

Cat dislike citrus scents, so any combination of orange, lemon, lime, and/or tangerine peels that totals a cup will work for the repellent.

If the mixture begins to boil again, lower the heat.

3Allow the mixture to cool and transfer the mixture to a spray bottle. After the mixture has simmered for 20 minutes, take the pot off the heat. Let the mixture cool completely, which should take approximately 30 minutes, before transferring it to a spray bottle.XResearch source

If the citrus peels are in large chunks, you can strain them out of the mixture so its easier to pour into the bottle.

4Add the lemon juice and dish soap and shake well to mix. When the mixture is in the spray bottle, pour 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and a squirt or two of lemon-scented dish soap. Shake the bottle well to ensure that all of the ingredients are well combined.XResearch source

You can substitute lime or orange juice for the lemon, but be sure to use freshly squeezed juice.

Diy Cat Repellent Spray

Sometimes you need to keep a spray handy to deter cats from going where they shouldnt. This DIY cat repellent spray discourages cats from returning to areas as it neutralizes the smells there. Its important to note that before spraying on furniture you should test the spray on a small piece of fabric to ensure it doesnt leave behind a stain.

Water

Combine equal parts apple cider vinegar and water. Pour mixture into a spray bottle. Spray the natural cat repellent on furniture or areas where you wish to prevent your cat from going.

Lemongrass, peppermint, lavender, or citronella oil can be used in place of the apple cider vinegar. All four of these essential oils make an excellent cat repellent. To substitute one of the essential oils mix 1 part oil to 3 parts water.

Also Check: How Much To Cremate A Cat

How Often Do Stray Cats Reproduce

A large population of stray cats might make you interested in knowing how often they reproduce. Stray cats can have litter all year round. They reproduce kittens every 4 months. Kittens are heavily dependent on their mothers for care during their early years.

They need to be hidden in a safe zone until when they can venture out.

Mixing Up Essential Oil Cat Repellent

How to keep cats out of your yard. Review on the Petsafe wireless containment system.

1Add the essential oil to a spray bottle. For the repellent, youll need a 2-ounce glass spray bottle. Squeeze 2 drops of lemon essential oil, 2 drops of wild orange essential oil, and 2 drops of lavender essential oil to the bottle.XResearch source

Cats are more sensitive to scents than humans, so essential oils with strong odors, such as citrus and lavender, can help repel them. You can substitute lime, peppermint, and/or eucalyptus for the lemon, wild orange, and lavender if you prefer.

Its important to use a glass bottle for the spray because essential oils degrade more easily in a plastic bottle.

2Fill the spray bottle with water and shake it well to mix. After youve added the essential oils to the spray bottle, pour enough water in to fill it. Close the bottle securely, and shake it well to ensure that the oils are blended with the water.XResearch source

It isnt necessary to use filtered or purified water for the spray. Regular tap water works fine.

3Spray the mixture on desired locations. Once the water and oils are mixed, apply the cat repellent to areas that you want to discourage cats from visiting. In particular, it works well if you have house plants that you want to keep cats away from.XResearch source

Be careful spraying the repellent on carpeting, curtains, or other fabrics because the oils may stain the material. Test it on an inconspicuous spot on the fabric to ensure that the spray wont damage it.

Read Also: Do Cats Drool When They Sleep

Spray Vinegar To Clean A Cats Scent And Repel Them

Vinegar works well as a dual-purpose solution. The strong odor is supposed to repel cats.;

But, vinegar is also a great disinfectant.;

It will eliminate the odor of the cats previous visits temporarily.; It will need to be reapplied to continue to be effective.;

Cats like to return to the same place. Their urine marks those familiar spots.;

Vinegar can eliminate the previous traces of feline visits and make the area less appealing for them.;

You will need to respray after it rains, and regularly.;

Vinegar doesnt work well on the dirt. It is best used on fences and other surfaces that can carry the scent of urine.;

Plus, you can spray vinegar on some plants to keep cats from going through them. Make sure to test a few leaves for a few days before.;

Make The Texture Of Your Garden Less Appealing

One of the reasons felines in your neighborhood are choosing your garden as their toilet or playing ground is due to the soft texture on its surface.

Basically:

If the surface is too hard for them to dig or too rough for their skin, then they will be forced to find alternatives.

You can make the surface sharp or hard by placing stones, pebbles, heavy buck mulch, or protruding toothpicks planted about 4-6 inches apart.

And one more thing:

Because cats hate wet surfaces, keeping your yard moist at all times will also do the magic.

Don’t Miss: How Old Is A 12 Year Old Cat

Scatter Citrus Peels Around Your Garden

Cats dont usually like the strong smell of citrus oils found in the peel. This includes lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes, and other citrus fruit.;

Scatter the peels in the areas you want cats to stay away.;

You will need to replace the pills regularly. As the peels dry, they will lose their effectiveness.;

That means that citrus peels will only be effective for a day or two.;

Because the outdoors tends to diffuse scents, make sure to have the peels concentrated enough for cats to smell.;

If they are spread across a wide area, cats will usually just find a place between the peels.;

This can also be an unsightly method so consider using them in specific areas you care more about.;

One way to fix the bad looks of orange peels is to grate them and scatter the grated peels.;

Cat Deterrents To Avoid

Please dont use these items to keep cats out of your garden:

Mothballs: mothballs are a pesticide and are toxic to pets, people, and wildlife. They dont belong in your garden or your closet.
Scat mat: this is a plastic mat full of spikes. They look awful in the garden, and there’s no space in between them to plant anything.
Coffee grounds: even a small amount of coffee grounds, if ingested, can kill a cat or dog. Please dont use coffee grounds in your garden. Put them in your compost pile instead.
Plastic forks: youve probably seen a picture with an army of forks sticking up from the soil. This is bad for several reasons: plastic silverware is bad for the environment; it looks tacky as all heck; and some plastics, when heated, can leach toxins into the soil.

Don’t Miss: Umbrella Plant Poisonous To Cats

Expert Tips On How To Keep Cats Out Of Your Yard

Many gardeners turn to be afraid when cats begin to show up and damage their garden. They want to get rid of them in the most friendly and natural ways.

We asked experts about keeping cats out of the yard. Some exciting ideas include:

Planting cat deterrent plants

Scattering eggshells or coffee grounds

Make A Scarecat With A Stake And Pan

We all know how nervous cats are; its one of their defining traits. Cats are prey animals as well as small predators, and any loud noise or sudden motion is a threat to be avoided. Use that against them to set up a noisemaker that frightens any cats away from your landscape. Its an excellent and safe natural cat repellent.

Large disposable aluminum baking pan
Screwdriver

Hammer the stake into the ground, and measure out a small length of the string. Tie the string around the top of the stake. Make a small hole on one side of the pan with the screwdriver, and tie the line through the hole.

Use enough string to keep the pan off the ground. Any breeze will stir the pan and make lots of noise, and any cat nearby will take off and never return.

Read Also: How Old Is A 12 Year Old Cat

Putting Together Garlic Pepper And Lemon Cat Repellent

1Combine the pepper, mustard, and cinnamon in a spray bottle. For the cat repellent, youll need a 2-ounce glass spray bottle. Add 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the bottle.XResearch source

You can substitute cayenne pepper for the black if you prefer.

2Add the essential oil and garlic. After youve added the spices to the spray bottle, toss in a crushed garlic clove. Next, squeeze in 3 to 4 drops of lemon essential oil, and swish the contents gently to combine them.XResearch source

You can substitute teaspoon of garlic powder for the clove.

Lime, wild orange, or grapefruit essential oil will work in place of the lemon.

3Fill the bottle with water and mix well. Once all of the spices and oil are in the bottle, add enough water to fill the container. Shake the bottle vigorously to completely blend all of the ingredients.XResearch source

Tap water will work well for the repellent.

4Apply the mixture to preferred outdoor areas. When the spray is fully mixed, spray it over any outdoor locations that you wish to keep cats away from. In particular, it works well for garden beds, bushes, and other plants.XResearch source

You can also use the repellent to keep cats away from indoor plants.

Why Do Cats Keep Coming In My Garden

How to Keep Cats Out of Your Yard

To help prevent cats from coming in to our yard or property, we can look at why they keep entering in the first place. Cats are very active animals. While they are also territorial, they are always on the move within this territory. On any given day, they can travel several miles to hunt, exercise or simply meet their curiosity. Feral cats often don’t have much human intervention in their lives, meaning they are unlikely to be sterilized. Male cats looking for a cat in heat will often push the boundaries and travel far and wide to meet their needs.

Stray cats may come to your house spontaneously or have taken advantage of your garden to use as a breeding space. If you have a nice idyllic garden, it is very possible a cat will see it as a nice place for refuge. This is particularly so if you are not on your property during the day. They may also be rooting through your trash to find some food to eat. Your garden may attract other animals such as birds and squirrels, making it a heady hunting ground for cats. If the cat is from a neighbour’s home, then your property’s zoning permit may not hold much water in the feline community. They may mark your garden as their territory and come and go as they please.

Read Also: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food

If You’re Struggling With Unwanted Gardening Buddies You Need To Know These Gentle Tactics To Keep Dogs And Cats Out Of Your Garden

Whether youre an avid gardener or are just getting into growing your own herbs and vegetables, you know there are a multitude of things to think about when it comes to keeping your garden safe and healthy. Thinking about how to keep cats out of the garden, or how to keep dogs out of the garden can seem like an afterthought. From pests to weeds, maintaining plant life is an ongoing struggle. But if you have pets, or there are free-roaming animals in your neighborhood, it adds a whole new set of complications. Cats and dogs might like to sleep on the cool earth under your leafy greens or dig in the soft soil. Some might even like to chew on your plants. But, apart from channeling your green thumb into indoor plants, how do you keep those cute critters out of your garden? We spoke to gardening and pet experts and identified some gentle but effective solutions to keep cats and dogs out of your garden.

Keep Cats Off Furniture And Countertops

Using aluminum foil or sandpaper helps keep your cat off furniture and countertops. Both of these options make the surface of these items uncomfortable to walk on.

Aluminum foil, sandpaper, and double-sided tape work as a natural cat repellent as they are unpleasant on your cats paws. Carpet runners flipped upside down also work to keep cats out of specific rooms.

You May Like: What Are Some Unique Cat Names

Use Natural Means To Scare The Cats

If you are looking for natural ways to get rid of cats, you can always get a dog to scare the cats off your property.

If you arent a dog person, you can also place rubber snakes around your property where the cats will see them. Just the presence of their natural enemies will be enough to keep the feral and stray cats from hanging out around your house.

How To Keep Cats Away

How Do You Get Rid Of Cats In Your Garden

This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 669,694 times.

Cats can make great pets and be welcome company in or around the home. However, in some cases, having a stray cat or too many cats around your house can be a nuisance. If you have too many cats around your house or one bothersome one, using some simple techniques can help keep them away and let you reclaim your territory.

You May Like: Pete The Cat Color Sheet