Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Do you always have to deal with strange cats in your own garden? Do not worry. There are numerous means with which you can gently evict the velvet paws from your property.
In a nutshell
- Water and loud noises effectively protect your property from house tigers
- suitable home remedies should be non-toxic to the animals
- Fragrance barriers such as essential oils or plants work particularly well
3 suitable devices
heron scare
A heron scare is a classic means of chasing velvet paws off your own property. A heron deterrent is a device with a motion detector that is connected to the water supply of the garden. The motion detector sprays roaming free-roamers with water, which successfully drives them away. Set up the device so that it effectively recognizes and drives away the four-legged friends. You should pay special attention to the following points and compare them with your garden:
- water jet range
- spread
- detection angle of the sensor
- overall height
Notice: Instead of a special heron deterrent, you can use a circular sprinkler with a motion detector. Due to their function, the devices are also extremely well suited to keeping the velvet paws away from your garden.
ultrasonic devices
The use of an ultrasound device is just as effective and harmless for the velvet paws. This uses high-frequency sounds, which are uncomfortable to a cat's ears, instead of water. Nevertheless, the effect is extremely gentle, as the animals do not suffer any permanent damage. You also cannot get used to the method because the frequency range is too high. However, you have to be careful that you place the devices wisely so that the animals cannot simply walk around the covered area (usually 10 m). In this case you need more than one device.
Notice: If you have a dog or other pets that regularly frequent the garden, you should refrain from using the ultrasound device. The animals also pick up the sounds, which becomes unpleasant in the long run if they want to stay longer in the green.
whistle
If you don't mind spending your time in the garden, you can easily use a whistle. Although this variant involves a lot of effort with the use of a hand-held garden hose, it is still successful in the long run. This method is particularly recommended if you are short on cash.
7 scent barriers
Essential Oils
Devices are not the only effective way to keep cats away from your garden. Due to the sensitive nose of four-legged friends, scent barriers are one of the best home remedies that you can use as protection. Before you can use the home remedy, you have to make it yourself. Only then can you use it on high-traffic paths or as an uncrossable boundary for cats. Suitable oils are:
- mint
- lemon
- eucalyptus
- tea tree
Tea Tree Oil
These are then mixed into one medium as follows:
- Mix essential oil with water
- Mixing Ratio: 10ml/100ml
- Add 40% alcohol (1 shot max)
- mix well
- fill in spray bottle
- apply directly
From the kitchen
spices
You probably have some spices in the kitchen that you can use immediately as a scent barrier against strange cats in your garden. The fine noses cannot stand the smells in any form and will warp if you have distributed them correctly. Best of all: Like the use of essential oils, this method is gentle and non-toxic to the animals. There are three kitchen spices in particular that you just have to use regularly and thoroughly:
- Garlic (stick whole cloves into soil)
- chili powder
- pepper
Tip: Use specially made garlic or onion cat granules as a deterrent. To do this, chop them up into small pieces and distribute them in suitable places to prevent the velvet paws from visiting your property.
black peppercorns
coffee grounds
It is often sufficient if you spread dried coffee grounds on your property. The intense smell of coffee hits the cats' noses immediately and they give their garden a wide berth. Coffee grounds are therefore particularly suitable for areas such as beds or individual plants that you want to protect from the animals. You can also interrupt familiar walking paths so that the house tiger has to look for alternative routes or rather pay your neighbor a visit.
Cat Scare Spray
You can quickly make a spray that you can use as a home remedy with just a few ingredients. This is particularly effective either in frequently visited places, markings or your garden border if you make enough spray. It's easy to make, but like coffee grounds, it needs to be used regularly. The spray works as follows:
- Boil 500 g orange peels in 500 ml water
- stir constantly
- Simmer
- Duration: about 20 min
- Skim off the orange peel
- let cool down
- add a little apple cider vinegar
- shake well
- pour into spray bottle
- use
Notice: Due to the acetic acid it contains, you should never use the spray on your lawn or near sensitive plants. Irreparable damage could result.
plant
Piss off plant (Plectranthus ornatus)
A classic when it comes to the best plants against a cat. The plant got this name because the smell, reminiscent of menthol, has an extremely deterrent effect on velvet paws. It is a non-hardy plant that you can place in pots in the garden and are effective against cats.
Rue (Ruta graveolens)
The rue has an advantage over the animals due to its bushy growth and size. You can't really get past these as the entire bush smells of essential oils. In addition, the plant is a popular bee plant, which represents an additional defense against the fur noses. They will be planted directly in your green oasis.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
A classic kitchen herb that is particularly good for use in pots against cats in the garden. You can place the tubs in specific spots on your property to keep the animals away. Like the piss-you-plant, it even affects brave house cats.
frequently asked Questions
Why shouldn't dogs be used as a cat deterrent?Cats rarely venture into gardens where a dog is regularly present. The noise that man's best friend makes is enough. Of course, you can leave your dog in the yard, just don't train it specifically to repel cats. In the worst case, the cat dies when the dog has developed a predation instinct for it.
Can hedge plants be used to deter cats?Yes, use species that develop dense branches and numerous thorns or spines for this purpose. Holly (Ilex meserveae) or the evergreen cushion barberry 'Jytte' (Berberis candidula 'Jytte') are particularly suitable for this purpose, as they are wide enough. The height should be between 80 and 180 centimeters. Similar types to these can also be used.
How can the sandbox be protected from the animals?If you want to effectively protect your sandbox from the animals, simply use a cover. Even agile cats cannot open the lid and therefore cannot use the sandbox for their business. Just remember to cover the sandpit again after use so that the animals do not have free access.