Keeping cats out of my flower bed

Question

My next door neighbor has cats that live outside, at my house generally!  They use the flower bed by my front door as a litter box and the most comfortable bed in the neighborhood.  Not only is the smell very offensive, they kill every plant either by their cat waste or by taking naps on them.  How can I keep them out of my flower beds without hurting them?

Heather · Answer

If you sprinkle some paprika , it should keep them away ..It does not harm plant but the cats` do not like it.

Mary Whitaker Howard · Answer

They also don't like orange peels.  So when you eat an orange throw the peels around your garden.

Cheryl Clark · Answer

Red pepper works better than paprika and it's cheaper. Moth balls will also work, but they stink.

MaryJVA · Answer

I am currently experimenting with the use of Milorganite to repel deer and moles. You might try that. Milorganite is an organic fertilizer. (Processed Milwaukee SEWAGE) Good feritilizer though. Lowe's has it this year. We were advised by a daylily hybridizer that Milorganite will repel deer. You will have to reapply it for awhile until you break the habit, but my dogs barked at it when my hubby put it on the daylilies. I wouldn't recommend it be used on veggies though.

DH · Answer

There is a gel substance that you can get from the pet shop and garden centre called Get off and that works very well, it contains citronella, I trained my cat to keep out of my borders with it. The orange peel works very well also.

Lisa · Answer

I have two out side cats. I use a layer of pinecones over the mulch. They don't like walking on them, so go elsewhere.

Barbara Ritchings · Answer

mothballs

Nancy Nesbitt · Answer

There are some very good suggestions posted. Cats do not like the smell of citrus, hence the lemon/orange rinds or oil usually works, but needs replaced regularly until the cats quit coming around. I have used citrus peels successfully.

Josh Joslin · Answer

Use golf tees. Place them in the ground about 4 inches apart. Place pointed end up. Cats avoid this area.

June Jaillet Robertson · Answer

i agree with nancy citrus does work very good I have use this on the mulch lemon and orange grapefruit oils it work wonders at keeping cats away but you do need the reapply

Deb · Answer

stop at DOG groomer get all dog hair spread that around, and chimes for noise

Duv310660 · Answer

I have 5 outdoors cats, and the first thing I would want is for my neighbours to request my assistance in resolving the problem! This would result in a google for discouraging cats on property and my consent and assistance with the action. There are a ton of things to try; when an aggressive tom is on my property, I use the hose. My neighbour throws gravel from her path (this is how they herded geese in the middle ages), and has kept them out successfully. But if you are not home during the day, you may need to negotiate roaming hours or resort to mechanised methods. We don't allow our cats out during the night due to coyotes and nesting birds; this helps pin down the behaviour that needs controlling.

Lee Cunningham Green · Answer

The best way to get rid of cats is to shoo them away, I have windchimes, They don't care about the noise after a while. But I do have a little jar with beads in it that I rattle when they jump over my fence and they leave, I also have a spray bottle on my porch, makes that nice hissing sound, Then of course there is water. Good old fashioned water, cats hate to get wet. See them in your yard and get your hose out. Spray them once or twice and you won't have a comfy flower bed anymore. When I moved in we had cats everywhere, now there are only two, and they don't go in my flowerbeds anymore. I don't mind them because they help with rodents but they are not my cats and I am not going to feed them. I have indoor cats 4 of them LOL that is enough. I spoke to all my neighbors about what I was doing with the cat situation, and they are all agreeable to it. I don't hurt the cats, I like animals, but I don't want my plants being murdered by un-neutered male cats making their mark everywhere. I spoke to them and while some of the cats belonged to one of my neighbors seems more than a few around here are feral.

Barb · Answer

Put chicken wire under your mulch! :)

Diane Baldwin · Answer

yes chicken wire. but lay it on top of the mulch and blend it around. i found the cats will still use the mulch

Rochelle DeFranco · Answer

the plastic chicken wire easy to cut around the flowers and u can match the color

Barbara Ritchings · Answer

MOTHBALLS ARE USED TO KEEP CATS AWAY. THEY DO NOT LIKE THE SCENT AND WILL NOT GO NEAR THEM AT ALL. THEY CANNOT BE POISONED. NO ANIMAL WILL EAT THEM.

Grady · Answer

What I would do is use some kind of repellent. Mothballs work, too.

Keeping cats out of my flower bed

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Keeping cats out of my flower bed

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