For some people, cats are their very best friends, but for others, they can be a real pest. Cats, whether they are strays, feral, or neighbourhood pets, are known for their tendency to choose gardens as their preferred spot for fouling.
This behaviour can lead to several issues, and the first being cat faeces can emit strong odours that make spending time in your garden unpleasant. Additionally, there are sanitation concerns as cat faeces can contain parasites and pathogens that pose health risks to humans and other animals if not properly handled or cleaned. Cats digging and defecating in garden beds can also cause damage to plants, potentially hindering their growth or causing them to die. Lastly, the presence of unsightly cat faeces and disturbed soil can detract from the overall beauty of your garden.
When it comes to addressing the problem of cats in your garden, experts at garden retailer Primrose recommend whipping up a batch of homemade cat repellent that’s highly scented.
A cat’s sense of smell is 40 times more effective than a human’s, which is why scented options work so well.
They say to create a homemade spray using lemon juice, rosemary and white vinegar as these are “three things cats detest”.
For this solution, mix equal parts of those ingredients together and put the liquid in a spray bottle so it’s easy to use around the garden.
Simply spray near where the cats spend time – on planters, the patio, or even inside. Make sure to reapply the spray often to increase its effectiveness.
Alternatively, another natural method suggested by the experts is to lay out sandpaper in your garden.
Cats have incredibly sensitive paws and will avoid treading on uncomfortable surfaces like sandpaper.
The pros said: “Placing a few bits of sandpaper around your flowerbeds should keep cats from clambering around where they are not welcome.”
For those who want to keep their garden looking clean and natural, they can try planting some cat deterrent flowers.
Primrose recommends rosemary, lavender and the scaredy cat plant as their top three cat deterrent flowers.
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