Gardens : How to discourage Unwanted Cats
It is possible to prevent cats soiling your garden without harming them but it does take a little effort. Here are some suggestions :
·
Water the
flower beds last thing at night. Cats
dislike wet soil.
·
Surround
your garden pond with boggy, marshy ground to discourage fishing.
Consider covering the pond with netting.
·
Twig-like
sticks pushed into the soil where new plants have been sown may discourage cats.
·
Cover
your flower beds with netting or chicken wire and the plants will grow through
it. Cover your compost heap as
well.
·
Prickly
plants, ground-cover roses, shrubs and the plant Rue (Ruta Graveoleus, sold
generally as the variety Jackmans Blue), which has a blue foliage, will help
deter cats from digging.
·
Old tea
bags or broken egg shells scattered around the flower beds may deter cats.
·
Diluted
surgical spirit sprayed onto fences, etc. Seems
to keep unwanted cats away.
·
Orange
and citrus smells. Oil of
peppermint and eucalyptus can be very effective in keeping a flower bed or
vegetable patch cat-free.
·
Cut out
some photos of cats’ faces from dried cat food boxes, cover with clingfilm to
protect them from the weather and fix to a length of cane.
Placed strategically around the garden, the photos should act as an
unharmful deterrent.
·
The
ultimate deterrent is to have a cat of your own. He will defend his own territory and other cats will be wary
of entering your garden.
·
Before jumping to conclusions, make sure it is a cat at fault.
Hedgehog faeces are often found on lawns; dog droppings are smooth,
whereas a cat’s are segmented.