Do n’t get me wrong : I like cats — particularly farm cats . They ’re super adept at catching mice , voles , groyne and other irritating critter . However , outside cat can be quite troublesome to the garden . They catch and kill good , pestilence - eat songbirds and love life to use freshly tilled garden soil as a litter box . Cat piddle certainly has a pestering odor , but more importantly , the salinity and nitrogen in it can well burn plant foliage and roots . Not to mention that their fecal matter can control nasties like tinea , leechlike nematodes andToxoplasma gondii(the parasite that causes the disease Toxoplasmosis ) .
Keeping kitty out of the garden whenever possible is a upright mind . However , this is a labor that ’s often easier said than done . There are , however , a few clever style to prevent khat from using your garden as a waste disposal site .
1. Motion-Activated Sprinklers
These gimmick , such as the Scarecrow by Contech ( available through Amazon.com , Petco.com and others ) , can be snitch up to your garden hosiery . They send a sharp burst of urine whenever motion is smell in the area , daunt away cat , dogs , cervid and even sneaky teenagers . The downside is that they do n’t work in the wintertime when water supply bloodline are frozen .
2. Motion-Activated Ultrasonic Device
These little gadgets give off a high - frequency speech sound whenever movement is sensed in the domain , direct cats elsewhere . hoi polloi ca n’t hear the strait , but cat-o'-nine-tails can . Most brands are barrage fire operated , so it ’s important to alter the bombardment every few months to keep the machine operational . CatStop is one common brand that ’s available from retail merchant , admit Amazon.com and others .
3. Physical Barrier
Because cat wish to dig before they “ go , ” place a sheet of chicken telegram or hiss netting over the soil will keep them from get the picture up the garden . Be sure to immobilise it in place with landscape peg to keep the cats from shuffling it out of their way . you may cut holes through the netting and flora right through it , or just lay strips of chicken wire around the margin of the garden . Most cats do n’t like walk over it either .
4. Natural Deterrents
Some folks say that citrus Robert Peel , black-market pepper gunpowder and crushed cayenne will eliminate cat trouble . They believe that diffuse these detail out in area haunt by cats , sends them packing . I have n’t had much success with these solutions myself , but I do recognize a few gardeners who depone by them . Be aware that you ’ll need to put back the items on a regular basis to aid in their effectiveness .
5. Spray or Granular Deterrents
There are numerous commercial ware available that are market as cat repellents ; some are labeled for use indoors and others for out . I prefer the coarse-grained formulations to the spray ace , as they tend to last longer and are , in my judgement , easier to employ . plainly sprinkle the granules either in the cats ’ preferred “ potty surface area ” or around the margin of the entire garden . Some are also labeled for repelling dogs and other animals . unlike firebrand have unlike ingredient . Some are made from essential oils and industrial plant products , such as live capsicum pepper plant , while others contain predator urine ( such as brush wolf or fox ) and other ingredients . Shake - Away is one pop blade , as are Critter Ridder , Boundary , Scram and Keep Off . Please be sure to follow all recording label instructions cautiously so no animate being are harmed . Also , keep poultry and livestock away from the country to keep inadvertent ingestion .
