How useful is cat repellent and how to use it?

Understandably, people love their pet cats. But if you’re also a gardening enthusiast, you might not be so thrilled that the neighborhood cats are using your yard as a play space. The handy feline-friendly solution is to use a repellent to keep them away.

Cats are curious, they like to walk around to get to know their neighborhood and, why not, to mark their territory. They go hunting for prey, foraging for food, looking for places to curl up, looking for a playmate or maybe even a new home. They are exceptional climbers and, thanks to their strong muscles, a healthy cat can jump about 6 times its length in a single leap. So what practical and effective repellents and measures can you take to keep cats out of your garden?

Cats have exceptional olfactory capabilities. They have about 200 million odor-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 tracks left by other cats. They can also detect pheromones released when a cat is in heat and ready to mate somewhere nearby. (Source)

Cat repellent – pros and cons

While most commercial animal deterrents are designed to scare cats, products like cat repellent work by making an area less attractive to cats by emitting an odor or taste that they don’t like.

They are used on the areas where the cat poops to mark its territory and this is the first advantage when opting for a spray repellent – assuming it works, the cat simply chooses another place to poop or play.

However, if you have a lot of areas in your yard with loose soil (curbs, raised beds, flower beds, etc.) that will be attractive to cats, then you could end up doing more harm than good by spreading the problem throughout your yard instead of keeping it isolated in one spot.

One disadvantage of a cat repellent might be the odor it gives off. In other words, you eliminate the problem of the smell of cat urine, but instead, you have to put up with the smell of repellent.

Another disadvantage could arise in large yards and gardens. This is especially the case if animals don’t have a specific, favorite place to hang out. Cat repellent sprays are good for cat owners who want to keep cats away from a particular area of the yard, but for gardeners trying to keep their garden cat-free, spray solutions may not offer the most effective solution, as large areas would require considerable amounts of repellent. In this case, an electric device may be a better solution.

Do natural cat repellents work?

Citrus peel

Cats are supposed to be put off by the pungent odor of citrus peels such as lemon, orange and grapefruit. Theoretically, all you need to do is put citrus peels around the plantings, and the strong odor should drive the animals away.

Does it work? This is a natural deterrent that keeps cats away, but it only works if applied consistently. Citrus peels break down and lose their potency quite quickly, so they will need to be replaced frequently for continued deterrence.

It’s also not the most attractive option if your garden tends to be neat and tidy, and you might end up with more critters in your yard that are attracted to the fruit peels.

Strong-smelling herbs

The idea behind this is similar to citrus peels. Cats’ noses are very sensitive and hate being overwhelmed by pungent odors. You can plant highly scented 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.

Do they work? Yes, and these herbs become bonus crops for you. While we humans revel in their fragrance, cats are repelled by them, so it’s a win-win. The downside here is that you’ll need space, so if you have a small yard, it will get very crowded.

Coleus canina

Known as a cat-disgusting plant, Coleus canina (Coleus caninus or Plectranthus caninus) smells so bad that it keeps all cats away. This unusual but visually interesting flower (a plant in the mint family) is meant to smell like a skunk and only gets worse when brushed, so it’s a good repellent. So any cat may decide to turn away when it smells this plant. If it totally keeps cats at bay aside, it’s relative, but if you’re desperate, it’s a viable option. Just be aware that it might repel dogs and even other people (so it’s probably not wise to plant near a patio or in areas where you usually spend your free time).

Ground coffee

The strong smell of coffee may be enough to keep cats away from your garden. Simply take fresh, damp coffee grounds and sprinkle them around borders and plants. The good thing is that coffee grounds are entirely biodegradable, so they will break down and enrich the soil. However, the look of your yard will be messy because after drying, the coffee grounds could be scattered by the wind all over your yard.

Garlic, lavender, cinnamon, rosemary, pepper and lemon

Garlic is well known as an excellent repellent for animals because of its strong odor. When used together with other strong-smelling natural ingredients such as lavender or pepper, it forms a very effective scent-based repellent that is entirely safe to spray on plants. As with the previous solutions, frequent reapplication is mandatory, which is why you may want to consider other solutions in the cat repellent.

Klintensiv Tip: To keep cats away from your plant or flower crops, use a spray repellent. Shake well before use, then spray directly onto areas frequented by dogs and cats. It can be applied to surfaces in areas frequented by people/animals without endangering their health. The repellent is compatible with different types of surfaces (wood, metal, mineral composites, plastic, glass). Use sufficient quantity to wet the area.

Alternative solutions for repelling cats

Partially filled water bottles

An inexpensive and easy technique is to use 2-liter clear plastic bottles. Add a small amount of water to each bottle (about a quarter of the amount) and then place the bottles among the flowers and plants.

Sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water can frighten and chase cats away, causing them to stay away. While many have reported success in using this technique, others report that their problem cats simply ignore the water bottles and continue to be a nuisance, in which case a repellent.

Ultrasonic repellents

Sonic devices, which are designed to irritate animals, emit sound waves at frequencies above the range of human hearing. Although irritating to animals, the sound waves are completely harmless. Ultrasonic cat-repellent devices are available, which are triggered by close movements, so they can be placed around the perimeter of the garden or adjacent to the boundary with neighbors who have pet cats. Never use ultrasonic devices if you have pets as the sound is likely to frighten them.

Uneven ground or plastic fencing

As well as even ground, cats like to spend time on firm, smooth ground. Plastic or wire fencing around plantings creates an uncomfortable surface, one that cats will avoid, as they don’t like the feeling of getting underfoot. They also avoid rough ground, so any areas are covered with stones and pebbles.

Instead of using a vertical fence, cut it to the right size and place it horizontally around areas with flower beds. Plants can also grow around it, and the fence can be removed or rearranged when necessary.

You could also try surrounding the planting with pea gravel or coarse stones (effectively creating a ‘moat’ around the plants) or add decorative elements such as pottery shards and shells to the soil to make the ground less hospitable to cats. For guaranteed effect, combine this method with a repellent.

Conclusion

Although there are several solutions to keep cats away, it’s important to bear in mind that not all are universally effective. You’ll need to take into account the layout of your garden, the plants you grow and the habits of the animals that visit. While natural solutions may work, they require time and energy and can also create clutter and mess in your yard. From this perspective, using a repellent is one of the quickest and most effective ways to protect your garden.

Source:

https://www.insight-security.com/cat-repellent-advice-and-tips

https://www.purrfectpost.com/cat-training-when-deterrents-are-necessary