Any suggestions on how to keep cats out of my garden?

Question

I'm not keen on cats at the best of times but now they're coming in my garden and leaving their mess. I wouldn't be so bothered if they used the flower beds and covered it up like cats usually do but they're doing it right in the middle of the lawn. I'd like my baby to be able to sit on the grass without worrying about her catching some hideous cat disease. I've tried Vapet cat & dog repellent but it didn't work. Any ideas?

Answer 1

get a dog  

Answer 2

put a two little bottle of water on the grass. worked for me:)

Answer 3

Put Lily's in the garden, cats don't respond to lily pollen very well y'see..

Answer 4

Try lemon essential oil or used lemons. They hate citrus smells. Orange can work too. Moth balls might work too.

Answer 5

sit outside in camoflauge.  with a bb gun . and night vision goggles. and snipe them down like metal gear solid 4

Answer 6

The orange peel suggested by Larry usually works - chop it up so that it isn't unsightly and scatter it around the grassed areas and any other which they might visit.

If they bother you, remember that where you have cats, you don't usually have rats which would probably be more of a threat to the little one.

The extreme solution would be to have your own boy cat - they are very territorial and would probably see off any intruders.

Answer 7

buy some lion poo.

Answer 8

Cats normally only fail to 'bury it' when there is no easy digging available or the ground is really wet after heavy rain.  Just shoo them or flick a little water at them. They are very sensitive creatures and more extreme measures are totally unnecessary. Dosing the area concerned with a citrus or other strong harmless smell is also a big turn off.

Answer 9

If you live near a zoo, ask if you can have some of the lions/ tigers urine.

Sprinkle it about on the borders and at the edges and it will give the impression to all the neighbourhood cats that a huge alpha predator now owns your garden and anything smaller will be in its territory.

Answer 10

Cat's don't like water so you could spray them lightly with water when you see them.

Maybe you could borrow a little dog

You could also place plastic over parts of the fence so the cats don't have anything to hold onto and can't climb over the fence. This is a bit like sometimes you see the trunk of trees with a big plastic ring to stop animals climbing up.

Answer 11

Get a big dog that hates cats. Worked like a charm for me.  

Answer 12

try anything with a strong  smell of lemons - cats hate this smell - or try putting a blanket down for the baby to sit on ..... shooting them is cruel, putting up fences is no barrier because they are great climbers....

Answer 13

Talk to the owners. If a cat does not cover it's stool than there is something wrong with it's training or it's health. It could be as simple as diet. If you cannot locate the owners take the cat to a no kill shelter where they can check it's microchip or adopt it out. If you have another animal than the cat could be attracted to it's smell or f***s as well.

The only way the baby could get sick is if she touches the stool or is bit or clawed by the cat. I would imagine if your baby is in the yard, you are with the child and can make sure she or he does not put anything in her mouth etc. so thats good.  Always remove the stool with a covered hand and toss it and wash up. Once a cat has picked a spot they are persistent about coming back to it because it's part of its territory. If the cat is acting funny or foaming call animal control.

Just don't hurt the cat. That could get you an animal abuse charge.  

Answer 14

apparently they don't like citrus fruits, so leave some lemon and orange peel around, the smell of it should keep them away.

Answer 15

shoot them?

Answer 16

Along the lines of what Mark suggested. There is a repellent in pellet form that is made from lions dung. Used for a short period it will deter the cats and then you would only need to use it every now and again when the cats decided there was no longer a threat. I know it seems stupid replacing cat faeces with lion faeces but it is treated and harmless.

http://www.silentroaronline.com/

The other thing to try, if you have one in your garden, is rosemary. Cats do not like it. You can chop it and sprinkle bits of it all over your lawn as a deterrent.

Last but not least an annual bedding plant called Coleus caninus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectranthu...

smells like dog wee. Buy several or take cuttings if you are greenfingered and plant around your garden. Cats will think you have a dog!

Answer 17

My daughter and I were walking past this elderly gentlemans garden one day, and we wondered what he was throwing about in his garden. We stopped and asked him what he was doing, and he said he was redoing his garden with his own cat repellant. He never had a cat in his garden since he had been soaking used teabags with Jeyes Fluid ( a strong disinfectant).

You can get Jeyes fluid in most hardware and DIY stores in the UK, and also Sainsbury's sell it.

Answer 18

Dogs are usually good tools to remove cats out of your sight.

Answer 19

put a fence