Cats can get into all kinds of trouble in a modern yard. Whether you’re trying to ward off a friendly stray or keep your cat away from your flowers, there are several reasons why you might want to keep cats out of your yard. Here are five possible methods to keep stray cats out of your yard.
The 5 Methods to Keep Cats Out of Your Yard
1. Spray Cat Repellant
One way to try and keep cats out of your garden is to spray or lay cat repellant. There are various commercial repellants that you can buy to treat your yard with. The repellants should be made so that they are harmless to the cats, but they can’t stand how they smell and taste, so they stay away. There are indoor and outdoor repellants, so make sure you choose the right one for your needs.
An outdoor repellant will usually come in a more concentrated liquid form that you dilute to create a spray. Once you’ve mixed the repellant, you can apply it to most things you want to keep cats away from. However, do check if it’s harmful to plants and how often it should be reapplied, and keep in mind that it may not work for all cats.
Many sprays usually must be reapplied about once a week to maintain their effectiveness. Some repellant manufacturers make a granular version of their repellant that can be laid around the yard’s perimeter to act as a barrier. Some of these sprays are based on vinegar, while other homemade recipes include lemons and oranges, with some people even putting down orange peels.
2. Plant Cat-Deterring Plants
Some cats dislike the smell of rue, rosemary, pennyroyal, Coelus canina, and lemon thyme. Planting these plants might be another way to ward off the cats and pretty up your yard. Cats also hate citrus smells, so planting some citrus plants can improve the look of your yard and help ward off cats. However, keep in mind that some of these plants may be toxic to cats if ingested.
3. Put Up Chicken Wire or Other Barriers
If you’re dead set on it, you can always put up a fence. Cats are nimble and will get around a barrier that’s too short. A wall might have them walking on top of it and jumping down into your yard. Chicken wire is good since you can spray some cat repellant or set up an ultrasonic sensor at the top of the chicken wire to deter cats from taking the leap of faith into your yard.
Chicken wire also makes a great way to keep cats away from enticing plants that are poisonous or that you don’t want them to get into. You can also use it to fence off any other things that might attract cats, like a bird feeder.
4. Set Up a Motion Activated Sprinkler
A motion-activated sprinkler can keep cats away because most cats hate getting wet. You can get infrared sprinklers that activate when something moves within 30 or 40 feet of the sensor but isn’t sensitive enough to be triggered by leaves blowing by.
With a motion-activated sprinkler, you’ll want to be careful about where you put it. Putting it in a place where people walk often could have you blasting an unsuspecting neighbor in the face with water when they come too close to the property line. If you’re vigilant about the placement, the sprinkler will keep cats away from your yard without displeasing any people in the area.
5. Ultrasonic Barriers
Ultrasonic barriers have an infrared sensor similar to the sprinkler, but instead of water, the barrier emits ultrasonic sounds that cats don’t like. Some include strobe lights and predator calls to further deter cats from entering the protected area. A study on the barriers showed that the ultrasonic barriers reduced the frequency of visiting resident cats by 46%.
Ultrasonic barriers may also be an excellent choice for people with issues with wild animals such as rats and opossums, as the ultrasonic sounds may deter them as well. Some of the other pest animals hampered by ultrasonic barriers are prey animals frequently hunted by stray cats. So, it may be even more effective than one might think by reducing the reasons a stray or feral cat might want to enter your property in the first place.
Conclusion
It will take some time to figure out the exact mix of deterrents needed to keep your yard cat-free. After some tries, you’ll be able to figure out the perfect blend of barriers to ward off strays and keep your cats safely away from your plants. We hope this list gave you some good ideas for how to protect your yard or your cats from your yard!
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Featured Image Credit: katya-guseva0, Pixabay
