How to keep cats out of my plants?

I put down chicken wire and covered it with a light covering of mulch. The cats don't like it because they can't scratch without getting their claws caught.

Hi Sharon, here are some ideas.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the leaves of houseplants and your cat will back away pretty quickly. Cats also hate the smell of citrus. Put orange and lemon peels in your pots along with the plants to help deter them. Another option is spraying the leaves directly with diluted lemon juice or orange oil.

They are not fond of strong odors, you could try cayenne powder generously sprinkled around the areas they use or perhaps grated Irish Spring bar soap.

Use scent to keep the cats away

1. Interplant in the garden. Cats dislike the smell of rue, lavender and pennyroyal, Coleus canina and lemon thyme — so plant a few of these throughout the garden space. ...
2. Cats steer clear of strong citrus scents. ...
3. The scent of human hair deters cats.