How useful is a cat repellent and how do you use it?
It is understandable that people love their pet cats. But if you are also passionate about gardening, you might not be so thrilled about the neighborhood cats using your yard as their playground. The most convenient, yet cat-friendly solution is to use a repellent that keeps them away.
Table of Contents
- Cat repellent – Pros and cons
- Do natural cat repellents work?
- Alternative solutions for keeping cats away
Cats are curious, they like to wander to get to know the neighborhood and, why not, to mark their territory. They go hunting for prey, looking for food, looking for places to curl up, looking for a playmate, or perhaps even a new home. They are exceptional climbers and, thanks to their strong muscles, a healthy cat can jump about 6 times its body length in a single bound. So, what repellent and practical, effective measures can you take to chase cats out of your garden?
Cats have exceptional olfactory capabilities. They have about 200 million scent-sensitive cells, while humans have about 5 million. Cats mark their territories with urine and feces, using their keen sense of smell to detect and identify traces left by other cats. They can also detect pheromones released when a cat is in heat and ready to mate somewhere nearby. (Source)
1. Cat repellent – Pros and cons
While most commercial animal deterrents are designed to scare cats, cat repellent products work by making an area less attractive to felines, by emitting a smell or taste they do not like.
These are used on areas where the cat relieves itself to mark its territory, and this brings the first advantage when opting for a repellent spray – assuming it works, the cat simply chooses another place to relieve itself or to play.
However, if you have a lot of areas with loose soil in your yard (borders, raised beds, flower beds, etc.) that will be attractive to cats, you might end up doing more harm than good, spreading the problem throughout the garden instead of keeping it isolated in one place.
A disadvantage of a cat repellent could be the smell it gives off. In other words, you eliminate the problem of the cat urine odor, but, in exchange, you are forced to endure the smell of the repellent.
Another disadvantage could arise in the case of large yards and gardens. This is especially true if the animals do not have one particular, preferred place where they spend their time. Cat repellent sprays are good for cat owners who want to keep the cat away from a specific area in the yard, but for gardeners trying to keep their garden cat-free, spray solutions might not offer the most effective solution, because for large surfaces, considerable amounts of repellent would be needed. In this case, an electric device might be a better solution.
2. Do natural cat repellents work?
Citrus peels
It is assumed that cats are repelled by the sharp smell of citrus peels, such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit. Theoretically, all you need to do is place citrus peels around the plantings, and the strong smell should drive the animals away.
Does it work? This is a natural deterrent that keeps cats away, but it only works if applied constantly. Citrus peels decompose and lose their potency quite quickly, so they will need to be replaced frequently for continuous deterrence.
Also, it is not the most attractive option if your garden tends to be neat and tidy, and you might end up with more creatures in the yard that are attracted by fruit peels.
Strong-smelling herbs
The idea behind this is similar to citrus peels. Cats' noses are very sensitive and they hate to be overwhelmed by pungent odors. You can plant highly fragrant herbs around your crops or grow them in pots so they are portable and easy to move when you have a new cat problem. Effective herbs include rosemary, thyme, mint, and lavender.
Does it work? Yes, and these plants become bonus harvests for you. While we humans delight in their scent, cats are repelled by them, so it's a win-win situation. The downside here is that you will need space, so if you have a small yard, it will become very crowded.
Coleus canina
Known as a plant that disgusts cats, Coleus canina (Coleus caninus or Plectranthus caninus) smells so bad that it keeps all cats away. This unusual yet visually interesting flower (a plant from the mint family) is meant to smell like a skunk and only gets worse when it is brushed against, so it is a good repellent. So any cat might decide to turn back when it smells this plant. Whether it keeps cats away entirely is relative, but if you are desperate, it is a viable option. You just need to be aware that it might repel dogs and even other humans (so it's probably not wise to plant it near a patio or in areas where you usually spend your leisure time).
Ground coffee
The strong smell of coffee can be enough to keep cats out of your garden. Simply take fresh, damp coffee grounds and scatter them around borders and plants. The good part is that coffee grounds are entirely biodegradable, so they will decompose and enrich the soil. However, the look of your yard will be messy, as after drying, the coffee grounds could be scattered by the wind all over the yard.
Garlic, lavender, cinnamon, rosemary, pepper, and lemon
Garlic is well-known as an excellent animal repellent due to its strong smell. When used together with other natural, strong-smelling ingredients such as lavender or pepper, it forms a very effective aroma-based repellent that is entirely safe to spray on plants. As with previous solutions, frequent reapplication is mandatory, which is why you might want to look towards other solutions in the cat repellent category.
Klintensiv tip: To keep cats away from your plant or flower crops, use a spray-type repellent. Shake the product well before use, then apply by spraying directly onto surfaces frequented by dogs and cats. It can be applied on surfaces in areas accessed by people/animals, without endangering their health. The repellent is compatible with different types of surfaces (wood, metal, mineral composites, plastic, glass). Use a sufficient amount to moisten the area.
3. Alternative solutions for keeping cats away
Partially filled water bottles
An inexpensive and easy technique is using 2-liter clear plastic bottles. Add a small amount of water to each bottle (about a quarter of the volume) and then place the bottles among the flowers and plants.
The sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water can scare and chase cats away, causing them to stay at a distance. While many have reported success in using this technique, there are others who report that their problem cats simply ignore the water bottles and continue to be a nuisance, in which case a repellent is needed.
Ultrasonic repellents
Sonic devices, designed to irritate animals, emit sound waves at frequencies that are above the human hearing range. Although irritating to animals, the sound waves are completely harmless. Ultrasonic cat repellent devices are available that trigger upon nearby movement, so they can be placed around the garden perimeter or adjacent to the boundaries with neighbors who have pet cats. Never use ultrasonic devices if you have pets, as the sound is likely to scare them.
Rough terrain or plastic fencing
In addition to uniform soil, cats like to spend their time on firm, smooth ground. Plastic or wire fencing around plantings creates an uncomfortable surface, one that cats will avoid because they don't like the feeling of mesh under their feet. Also, animals avoid gritty soil, so any areas covered with stone and pebbles are good.
Instead of using the fence vertically, cut it to the right size and place it horizontally around your flower planting areas. The plants can grow around it, and the fence can be removed or rearranged when necessary.
You can also try to surround plantings with pea gravel or coarse stones (effectively creating a "trench" around the plants) or you can add decorative elements such as ceramic shards and shells on the soil to make the ground less hospitable to cats. For a guaranteed effect, you can combine this method with a repellent.
Conclusion
Although there are a number of solutions to keep cats at a distance, it is important to keep in mind that not all of them are universally effective. You will need to take into account the layout of your garden, the plants you grow, but also the habits of the animals that visit you. Although natural solutions can work, they require time and energy and, in addition, can create clutter and dirt in the yard. From this perspective, using a repellent is one of the most effective and fastest methods by which you can protect your garden.
Sources:
https://www.insight-security.com/cat-repellent-advice-and-tips
https://www.purrfectpost.com/cat-training-when-deterrents-are-necessary/
