Even for cat lovers, the presence of a stray cat or the neighbor’s cat in their garden or yard is not always welcome. It is not necessarily that their visit is unpleasant, but a cat sees its environment differently from us, and if it considers your garden, your plantations, your vegetable patch or your planters only as its litter, that it makes its needs there. and spreads dirt all around, it’s obviously rather annoying.

The pride of having a beautiful, carefully maintained garden is not the only reason for wanting to keep stray cats away. The latter have not been socialized in the same way as domestic cats. Our pet cats might have altercations or fights resulting not only in injury, but also the potential spread of parasites and disease.

The first thing to know about how to keep cats away from your property is that it should be done safely. If the cat is owned by a neighbor, its owners will be very upset if something bad happens to it. If it is a wild or stray cat, it is only trying to survive in its environment and does not deserve to be assaulted. This is why we are looking for effective but safe ways to keep cats away from your property.

In order to prevent cats from entering our yard or property, we must first try to understand why they want to come. Cats are very active animals. Although they are territorial, they are always on the move in this territory. Each day, they can travel several kilometers to hunt, exercise or simply satisfy their curiosity. Male feral cats, who are unlikely to be spayed, are on the hunt for a cat in heat, often pushing boundaries, and traveling very far to meet their need.

Stray cats can come to you spontaneously and take advantage of your garden as a breeding ground. If you have a nice garden, it is also possible that a cat sees it as a nice place to take refuge. This is especially true if you are away from your property during the day. They can also rummage through your garbage for food to eat. Your garden can attract other animals such as birds or squirrels, which makes it a very interesting hunting ground for cats. If the cat is from a neighbor’s house, your official property line doesn’t mean much to the cat community, and they can see your yard as their home and come and go as they please.

If you have a cat, then their natural territoriality might mean that a stronger stray cat might want to challenge your pet in their area. This is one of the main reasons why we prefer to prevent other cats from entering our property. While it’s not always possible to know the exact reason why a cat is coming into your yard, there are a few general tips and tricks to help you prevent them from doing so.

Your best bet is to tackle the cause of the problem, not the presence of the animal itself. If you want to get rid of an intruder for good, then you need to do your best to tackle the causes that we have presented. The simple act of chasing the cat will only stop it temporarily. Removing what attracts him will be a more lasting solution.

Here are 8 helpful tips to keep cats out of your yard or property:

• Avoid leaving garbage bags open access and keep them in a closed container;
• Mice, rats and other small rodents are temptations for cats, so getting rid of them will help prevent cats from wanting to enter;
• If you like to feed birds, keep high feeders off the ground. This will make them more difficult targets for cats and reduce temptation;
• Explore the yard to find shelters or havens that cats like to use for safety;
• Use natural repellents to keep them out (see below);
• Thoroughly clean your property with enzymatic products to remove pheromones or other tempting scents;
• If you live in an urban area, contact local animal control services for capture (check their fate first);
• If you live in more rural areas or smaller towns, you may want to see if there is a local animal shelter ready to pick them up.

In the pet accessory market, you will find many feline repellent sprays. They are made from synthetic compounds designed to mimic urine or other predator scents. Unfortunately, they are not always effective and their safety for both the cat and your garden is not always guaranteed.

Your best option for keeping cats away from your property is to use a combination of the above tips with some of the natural products we’ll show you below.

If the cat that keeps coming to your house belongs to the neighbors, you should also talk to them directly about it. They may not be aware of the problem and can help keep the cat out. You can also combine your techniques with your neighbor to implement these tips in order to keep stray cats out of the general neighborhood.

There are many products that claim to be able to effectively keep a cat out of your yard, but their effectiveness is not always conclusive. Partly because there are no regulations for products like these. Also because not all cats will have the same reactions: some may be disgusted, others not. For this reason, do not hesitate to experiment several times to find the best home remedy to keep cats away.

While the effectiveness of these natural products and home remedies that we are about to present can be just as difficult to prove, they are some of the best and safest ways to keep cats away. They’re also a lot cheaper, so they won’t require you to spend money on something that might prove ineffective.

Citrus fruits to deter cats

The organic method that has been shown to be the most effective in deterring some cats is to drop citrus fruits. This can be in the form of peels, zest or fruit. Use lemons, tangerines, grapefruits, oranges or others. The easiest way is to use the leftovers from cooking or meals, arranging them on raised beds (which will also help the soil in the form of fertilizer). Likewise, you can cut citrus fruits and rub them on walls, garden fences or plant pots. This smell, however, will not last very long and will need to be renewed regularly, especially after heavy rains.

Herbal Cat Repellents

It is believed that the astringency and acidity of citrus fruits is the reason cats avoid them. Likewise, there are plants that produce oils and essences, which you can use to achieve the same results. This solution will work longer, as these plants do not come off as easily. However, they can stain more easily, so you need to be careful. Plants that are naturally repellent to cats are lavender, thyme, eucalyptus, geranium, basil, and Coleus Canina (also known as “terror of cats”).

Pepper to deter cats

A slightly more aggressive solution is to sprinkle ground pepper in strategic places in your garden. Indeed, they can irritate the nose of the cat, cling to the throat and even cause itching. However, it will not poison them and the result will only be annoying for the cat.

Coffee to repel cats

Like citrus or some of the other herbs mentioned above, coffee tends to provide an uncomfortable aroma for cats. This is usually because of its intensity. Like citrus peels, they can be distributed around areas of the garden and have a dual function of fertilizing planters. However, their effectiveness is questioned.

Vinegar to deter cats

As strong as other herbal or citrus repellents, the smell of vinegar can help prevent a cat from entering your property.

Garden fences to deter cats

Besides these organic methods, there are also architectural elements that can help deter cats from entering your property. Although cats are good climbers, there are specially designed fences to keep them out. At the top of the fence, a perpendicular outcrop that will make it very difficult for the cat to climb. While you will need to install it around the entire perimeter of the property, it is one of the most effective cat deterrents.

Aluminum foil to deter cats

If you have problems with cats in planters and flower beds, loose aluminum foil placed in front of them may be enough to deter them. It won’t work very well if the paper is laid flat as it is the uncertainty of soil stability that pushes them away.

Each cat is unique. Some will be easily scared and will not approach areas with these deterrents. Others may see the value of hunting and tasting a good sparrow as far superior to the repellency of the systems you have installed. For this reason, we have a few other specific methods for you to help keep cats out of your yard.

One of the most unpleasant concerns with cats entering your property is the damage they can cause. Cat droppings are smelly, but can also introduce parasites and disease. Urinating on plants can also affect their growth and stain carefully maintained items in your garden. That’s why we bring you some practical advice to prevent cats from defecating on your property:

• Get a gardening shovel;
• Whenever you see a deposit made by a cat in your garden, remove it, and cover it with soil (if possible);
• Sprinkle vinegar directly on the area or use one of the strong-smelling home remedies from our list;
• Avoid using ammonia or bleach.

Following these tips will not only help get rid of the smell, but also neutralize the pheromones that the cat has deposited. This means that when the cat returns to the area, it will not be able to smell its marks and will be less likely to come back due to the repellant.

Some people believe that cat droppings can be helpful in fertilizing planters and raised beds, but it isn’t. Feces from carnivores are not always beneficial and can spread disease and parasites.

While some of these tips and tricks may not work for the stray or neighbor cat that enters your property, none of them will cause serious harm. But other methods exist and are much more dangerous, so they should be avoided at all costs. These are :

• Cat poisons: Using poisons in the home can be very dangerous. While you shouldn’t want to kill a cat that comes your way in the first place, it’s important to remember that it’s not just stray and feral cats that can ingest the poison. Your beloved pet, your neighbor’s pet, or even playing children can be seriously ill if they touch or ingest it;
• Use of toxic repellents: Likewise, these can be very dangerous for any inhabitant of the garden. They can also cause serious damage to plant life;
• Scare the cat: If you try to scare or chase away the cat, it probably won’t understand why this is happening. With feral cats in particular, they can become aggressive and try to scratch you. It’s unpleasant, to say the least, and you could get sick. It can also harm the cat and is not an effective deterrent;
• Wet the cat: it’s cruel and unnecessary.

Avoid these methods to deter the cat and only use respectful methods. It will be better for the cat and more effective for you, your family and the garden itself.