Here’s How To Keep Stray Cats Out Of Your Garden And Protect Your Precious Plants
Like anything in life, there are both pros and cons to having cats in your garden.
Felines can benefit your yard by keeping mice, voles, and other rodents out of your property.
However, feisty felines can still pose a risk. They may dig holes in your garden beds, prey on songbirds and small frogs that serve as natural pest control, or even leave waste around your crops.
This isn’t just unpleasant but also a health hazard, as cat (or dog) waste may contain bacteria and parasites that are unsafe around edible crops.
That’s why many gardeners prefer to keep stray cats out of their gardens. If you fall in the same boat, here are some tried-and-true methods for protecting your yard from these kitties.
Say Goodbye To Stray Cats In Your Garden
It only takes a couple of small tweaks to make your outdoor space less inviting to feline friends.
First, you can grow some strongly scented plants in your garden to serve as deterrents. These might include herbs like lemon thyme, rosemary, Russian sage, or rue. You may also opt to grow globe thistle, sea holly, or squash.
Planting them as close together as possible, and even adding some groundcover plants, can deter cats even more. If you ensure your soil is covered, cats won’t be able to dig.
alatielin – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual cat
There are other products that often keep cats away, too, like cayenne powder, citrus peels, vinegar, dog hair, and garlic spray.
For the best results, try combining a few deterrents and using them at the same time. But don’t forget to swap out some on occasion to prevent stray cats from getting used to your current deterrent combination.
On the flip side, you may want to create a cat-friendly space in another designated area of your yard, away from your precious plants. To do this, plant either catnip or cat grass in a spot far from your garden where you don’t mind felines hanging out.
Maintaining a clean garden is a great technique as well. Cats are territorial, meaning they mark areas with their scent and tend to return to those regions repeatedly. By using soap and a garden hose to clean the areas, you may be able to stop the kitties from coming back to your yard.
Next, barriers can come in handy, particularly if you want to protect your veggies. Chicken wire or hardware cloth that’s anchored with landscape staples can be used to cover your growing beds.
Your plants will probably grow through whatever barrier you choose, yet cats still won’t be able to leave behind waste or dig up your garden beds. And that’s the most important part.
In more severe cases, in which you have a persistent stray cat issue, fencing is an option. This is obviously a more expensive method, but if you choose to go this route, just be sure to select a fence that’s at least eight feet tall.
Additionally, it should be made of wobbly or loose material so the kitties won’t be able to jump or climb over it easily.
Last but not least, if you’re sure that the strays in your backyard aren’t a neighbor’s pet, you may want to contact an animal shelter. They might be able to help find a home for the cats that keep visiting your garden.
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