Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Make your yard unattractive to cats
• Method 2 of 3: Create cat-friendly and cat-free zones
• Method 3 of 3: Using barriers and repellants

Outdoor cats prefer soft, loose soil to relieve themselves. Your own cat and other cats from the neighborhood can come to your garden for that very reason. This can be unpleasant and potentially dangerous, as cat feces can contain dangerous parasites and bacteria. However, there are methods of repelling cats so that they no longer use your yard as their personal litter box.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Make your yard unattractive to cats

1. Cover the soil with unpleasant material. Cats don't like to dig in raw materials. You can cover parts of your garden with a thin layer of safe materials, such as:
   • Mulch with a rough texture
   • Prickly pine cones
   • Pebbles and stones
2. Place sticks in the soil in your garden. If cats don't have enough space to move or scratch and dig, they will find another place to relieve themselves. Sticking plant sticks, chopsticks, or similar materials about 10 inches long into the soil every 8 inches will help repel cats.
   • Make sure to stick the sticks or similar materials into the soil a few inches so they stay upright.
3. Use smells that cats find unpleasant. There is some evidence that cats don't like certain smells and avoid places they find odorous. Choose safe material that is preferably organic and sprinkle this in your garden to discourage cats from relieving themselves there (if necessary, sprinkle new material in your garden every week). Do not use substances such as mothballs or poisons as they are toxic to cats, dogs, children, etc. Good non-toxic agents include:
   • Citrus peels (lemons, oranges, grapefruits, etc.)
   • Garlic
   • Onions
   • Anise oil
   • Eucalyptus Oil
   • Tea leaves
   • A mixture of two parts cayenne pepper, three parts dry mustard, and five parts flour. You can also add some lion poo (you can buy lion manure). The lion is an apex predator (aka a predator at the top of the food pyramid) and cats are afraid of it. Cats will not come into your yard because they are afraid of running into a lion.
4. Place chicken wire on the soil. If there is a particular area in your yard where cats relieve themselves, you can ward them off by covering that area with regular chicken wire (available at hardware stores). The chicken wire will be soft enough not to hurt the cats, but strong enough to discourage them from digging.
   • An alternative to chicken wire is to lay down sheets of plastic garden foil.
   • This method works best if there are only a few areas in your yard where cats relieve themselves. It is not very practical to cover large parts of your garden with chicken wire.

Method 2 of 3: Create cat-friendly and cat-free zones

1. Lure cats to a cat garden. If you want to keep cats away from certain areas of your yard, but you don't mind seeing them in other areas, you can try creating a cat-friendly area. Cats are attracted to places where certain plants grow and will hopefully leave the rest of your yard alone. Prepare a small plot of soil and grow one or more of the following non-toxic plants there:
   • Wild catnip (Nepeta cataria)
   • Blue catnip (Nepeta mussinii)
   • Amber herb (Teucrium marum)
   • Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
   • Grass Lily (Chlorophytum comosum)
2. Use plants to keep cats away from certain areas. There are plants that cats don't like and won't get close to. Try to grow one or more of these plants in the places in your garden where you don't want cats to do their business there:
   • Lavender
   • Rue
   • Geraniums
   • Absinthe wormwood
   • Lemon thyme
   • Thorny roses
3. Make a sandbox for cats. You can make an alternative outdoor cat litter box by using a new or old sandbox that is at least the size of a large litter box. Fill the sandbox with soft, fine-grained sand (available in bags at hardware stores or garden centers) that cats find particularly attractive. With luck, the cats will be attracted to the sandbox and use it just as much as a litter box.
   • Make sure to scoop the feces out of the sandbox regularly. If the sandbox is too full, the cats may start using your garden again.
   • Keep children away from the cat sandbox and make sure they understand not to play in it.

Method 3 of 3: Using barriers and repellants

1. Set up a fence as a barrier. Cats are tenacious and can squeeze through many openings. Mesh fencing measuring 180 cm high with openings of 5 by 5 cm can work effectively to keep cats out of your garden. A sloping section of 60 centimeters at the top can provide even more protection.
2. Use a garden sprinkler with a motion sensor. You can buy these at hardware stores. When a cat walks by, the movement will start the sprayer, causing a jet of water to be sprayed on the cat. Most cats don't like to get wet, so a sprayer is often an effective repellent. Use several of these garden sprinklers to delineate your yard or areas where you don't want cats to go to the bathroom.
   • You can install these garden sprinklers either permanently or temporarily, depending on your preferences and needs.
3. Use an ultrasonic device to repel cats. These devices give off a high frequency sound that cats don't like. However, people cannot hear these sounds. These devices have a motion sensor, so if a cat walks by it will be startled by the high-pitched noise and should leave the area. Search your pet store or hardware store for ultrasonic devices and use them to create barriers around your yard or around areas you don't want cats to use.
4. Use a low voltage electric fence. Electric fences can be effective at keeping cats out of your yard or away from certain areas. The electric fence is not dangerous for cats, as long as it has a low voltage. It will only scare the cats away. The fence can be 10 inches off the ground and still discourage cats from using your yard as a litter box.
   • Look for electric fences at hardware stores or garden centers. Carefully follow all installation instructions and adhere to safety warnings.
   • Keep children away from electric fences.
5. Spray cats with a garden hose. If you keep a close eye on your yard, you may be able to just spray the cats with a garden hose when they try to relieve themselves in your yard. Cats can be trained, so persistence may ultimately be enough to permanently discourage them from using your yard as a litter box.
   • Use caution when spraying cats with a garden hose. Most cats don't like water, so it is usually enough to just spray them quickly and lightly. You really don't need to point a powerful jet of water at the cats entering your yard or spray them soaking wet.
6. Get a dog. Cats won't linger in places where they don't feel safe from predators. A dog that repels cats can therefore work effectively to prevent cats from relieving themselves in your garden.