Is a stray cat wreaking havoc in your flowerbed that you worked so hard to perfect? Perhaps you can’t even open the window because an outside cat is disturbing the peace with your indoor animals.
We love cats, but we understand why you might not want a cat roaming around your yard. Stray cats can carry diseases, and you don’t want them passing anything on to you or your pets. Fortunately, there are non-toxic, natural, and safe home remedies you can try.
Note: Home remedies are not an alternative to professional medical advice. If your pet has a serious issue, please consult your vet immediately.
The 10 Home Remedies to Keep Cats Away
1. Large Landscaping Rocks
Flower beds can be very enticing for cats, seeming like a large litter box. Pea gravel, dirt, and sand can be especially inviting. Adding some large landscaping rocks can help breakup a cat’s litter box perception so that they become uninterested and move on.
- Non-toxic
- Looks great in your landscaping
- Can be costly
- Doesn’t work for the entire yard
2. Chicken Wire
Chicken wire can be highly effective and an inexpensive fix. Chicken wire works well not only as a fence to enclose your yard or flower bed but also to lay on the ground around your plants because cats don’t like the feel of it on their feet, so it’ll prompt them to move on. This may take a little time, and you may have to cut the chicken wire in order to fit it around your plants.
- Effective
- No need to be replaced each year
- Can be pricey if you need a good amount
- Can be time-consuming
- May look unattractive to you
3. String
You’d think that having a fence alone would keep cats out, right? Wrong. Cats can leap pretty high, so you need something to scare them off your fence. Running string along the top can be a deterrent and worth a try.
- Inexpensive
- Easy to set up
- Needs to be strategically placed for effectiveness
4. Water
Anyone who’s seen a cat get wet knows that cats generally have a dislike for water. But how can you use water to be effective in keeping cats away? A motion detector sprinkler will turn on automatically when the unwanted cat strolls into your yard. Another way to use water is to spray away any cat urine. Watering a little bit daily can help keep unpleasant urine odors that may be drawing cats in at bay.
- Water is natural and safe for use as a deterrent
- Effective and easy
- May not always catch cat at the right time to spray
- Motion detector sprinklers can be costly
5. Cat-Repelling Plants
Some plants can be toxic to cats, so to keep unwanted cats out of your yard, you need to plant safe, non-toxic plants. Lavender, rue, and rosemary plants can make a cat turn their nose up and walk away.
- Natural and safe deterrent
- Cheap and easy to plant
- Can be excellent additions to your garden
- May need several plants depending on the size of the area
- Not all plants are safe for all animals or as effective
6. Sprinkle Coffee Grounds
That morning cup of joe serves more than the purpose of waking you up. It also can be used as a natural and safe way to keep cats away. Simply sprinkle your wet coffee grounds in the necessary areas around plants and borders. The caffeine in coffee grounds can be toxic if ingested, so make sure the cats aren’t consuming them, however unlikely that may be.
- Biodegradable
- Good enrichments for soil
- Good for your plants
- Needs applied regularly
- May not repel all cats
- Don’t allow cats to consume them
7. Double-Sided Tape
Cats tend to hate anything on their paws, and tape is one of them. If you’ve noticed cats walking along your fence, simply place the tape along the top. When the cat jumps on top of the fence, it will hate the stickiness and probably won’t try it again. You may also be able to place tape on flower bed borders or around other favorite cat hang-outs.
- Simple and cheap
- Effective
- May not stick to everything
- Needs to be replaced often
8. Keep Trash Lids Closed
A wandering feline will indeed be attracted to your yard if there’s trash. Keeping your yard clean and garbage can lids closed will help in keeping cats away. Another trick is to freeze certain smelly items before putting them in your trash to reduce the smell. For example, if you feasted on shrimp one night, freeze the discarded portions and wait until trash pick-up day to put them into your outdoor trash receptacle.
- Deters other animals as well
- Makes your home look better
- May not control the area in question
9. Remove Bird Feeders
We know this option is a drag for bird lovers, but having bird feeders may be what’s bringing in your unwanted guest(s). If this seems like a horrible concept to bear, try removing the feeders temporarily along with trying any of the above ideas to see if the cat goes away. If the cat moves on, then bring your feeders back out.
- Eliminates cat attraction
- Eliminates birds for the bird lover
10. Make Your Own Deterrent Spray
You can make your own spray at home, but take extreme caution to ensure what you put in the spray is non-toxic. Mixing a combination of rosemary extract and water is a safe option. Get in touch with a vet for other safe options you can try.
- Safe and natural
- Easy to make
- Need to spray often
- May not work as a standalone solution
Final Thoughts
Even though we love cats, we understand the nuisance and headache they can be when they come into our yards uninvited. Fortunately, there are several humane and safe natural home remedies to keep cats out of your yard. With persistence, patience, and dedication, you can get rid of the cats in your yard without causing them any harm.
- Related read: How High Can a Cat Jump? Average & Highest
Featured Image Credit: Georgil Shipin, Shutterstock
