Q. A few of my neighbor’s cats are using my flower gardens as their personal litter box. They are also digging up some of the flowers and are being a real nuisance.
I tried talking to the neighbor with no luck. Some friends on social media suggested putting mothballs around and in the garden. Any suggestions?
A. Unfortunately, cats can cause real damage to garden areas with digging and burying waste, in particular. Their waste might contain parasites and disease organisms that can be harmful to humans.
I have also seen posts on social media that mention using mothballs to repel cats. This is absolutely the worst thing one can do to repel creatures from any garden area. Mothballs are extremely toxic, so anyone or anything that might eat the mothballs could become very sick or die. This includes animals or even small children that might eat the mothballs. It also is using a product against label directions since pest control is not listed on the label.
Exclusion is an effective strategy used to deter animals from visiting areas without using any chemicals.
One effective method is to use a motion-sensor device that sprays water when motion is detected within that area. There isn’t a cat in the world who likes being sprayed with cold water repeatably when trying to visit an area. There are many choices for motion-sensor devices on the internet.
Gardeners can also deter cats from an area by putting down chicken wire and covering it with mulch. Cats hate stepping on the wire, so placing it barbs up – either in or just in front of the garden – will deter cat visitation. Materials such as pine cones, large river rocks, crushed eggshells or wooden stakes spaced about eight inches apart can also deter cats by making the soil surface inhospitable.
Using aromatic plants can also help deter cats from an area. Experts say lavender is an effective cat deterrent so planting it close to the garden or in area where cats must pass through can help keep them out. Cats also do not like citronella (mosquito plant). Mint is also a good cat deterrent, but gardeners might have to plant the mint in containers to keep the mint from spreading rampantly in an area.
Essential oils can also be used as a cat deterrent. Mix one part essential oil (such as eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, peppermint or lemongrass) with three parts water in a spray bottle. Spray it on mulch or around the edges of your garden and reapply after rain.
Some experts also suggest using ultrasonic devices that emit high-frequency sounds cats can hear – but we cannot – as a way to keep them out of an area. Most experts say to use devices that have some research to support their claims of effectiveness.
The Plant Medic is written by Ricky Kemery, who retired as the extension educator for horticulture at the Allen County Purdue Extension Service. The column appears occasionally in The Journal Gazette. To submit a question, email Corey McMaken at cmcmaken@jg.net.
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