How to prevent cats from coming into my yard?

Question

a particular cat in my street has been coming into our yard at night. one morning we even found a dent in our car roof where the cat had jumped off our verandah onto the roof of the car!! last night i heard 2 cats in the yard fighting, so obviously they frequent quite often... does anyone know of some home type remedies that work for detering them? i dont want to spend a fortune on products just some stuff from around the home that i could use would be good. i dont have gardens that they are messing up its just more keeping them out of the yard altogether and away from my cars!

Answer 1

Try pepper, I used it a long time ago to drive away dogs that liked to poo and pee in front of my house and it worked first you need to clean the area to make sure that all the smell they leave is eliminated then sprinkle white pepper arround the area especially where they like to pee because that's how the locate their toritory.Just try it's cheap and has no side effect and above all it's save for children

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Answer 2

You can get a motion sensor water sprinkler and put it where they tend to frequent. You will want to put the sensor at their level to make sure it is effective.

Just make sure you turn it off if you will be out there. Otherwise,  using one of those water guns on steroids might make it a bit more fun. Even a garden hose. Cats unlike dogs are not prone to being effected by scent repellents as much> there are some types out there that actually work but i would think that using them outside would be very costly since you will need to reapply after each rain.  The movement type of scare crows may actually attract them.

I see no reason to actually kill the critters, I am not a cat lover myself but killing them is a bit extreme. If worse comes to worse you can contact your local animal control officer and they will usually come out and figure out whose cats they are and try to remedy the situation that way or live trap and remove them.

Answer 3

put out a dish of antifreeze cats are attracted to it... then bye bye kitty

Answer 4

MOTH BALLS AND COFFEE GROUNDS WORK YOU CAN BUY REPELLANTS ALSO YOU CAN PLANT RUE, PENNYROYAL AND LAVENDAR CATS DON'T LIKE THESE PLANTS

Answer 5

Cats dislike the smell of citrus: try putting orange and

lemon peels out; spray the area with citrus-scented sprays;

or sprinkle with orange-scented pet bedding like Citrafresh

Spray cat repellent (available at pet supply stores) around the

perimeter of your yard and along the top of the fences

Try growing the herb rue—cats dislike the smell. You may also be

able to buy it dried in health food stores.

Soak strips of old towels or rags with old perfume and hang them

near target plants.

A motion-activated sprinkler named the “Scarecrow” sprays

intruding animals. The Scarecrow is made by Contech (800-767-

8658). Real Goods Catalog (800-762-7325) sells the “Scarecrow”

for $89. Locally sold at Urban Farmer Store 2833 Vicente 415-661-

Answer 6

you should get a dog

Answer 7

feed them

Answer 8

get a dog or throw a mouse in the neighbors yard

Answer 9

You could try putting moth balls in your yard here and there.  Also, if you see the cat come into your yard, use a spray bottle with water in it and spray the cat.  It'll get the idea.  I know it's annoying, but please don't do the cat any harm.

Answer 10

Use a sprinkler, with the sound of it and the water spray. The cats are bound to p**s themselves and leave

Answer 11

Animal deterrent...I've used this to keep my dogs out of my flowerbed and the squirrles out of my flowerbulbs..

Natural spray works very well.

Answer 12

u could try a scarecrow and put some garden lights around it.

If you have determined that the cat is a stray or feral (not owned) then you should contact the Council to arrange for capture and removal.



If the cat is a pet, but you are unaware of the owner, try writing a friendly note describing the cat, and asking the owners to contact you. Drop this in the letterboxes of nearby neighbours.



If you can't determine the owners, you are entitled (In NSW) to remove the cat to a local pound.  You must treat the cat humanely, and can be fined if you injure or mistreat the cat.



If you know the owners, try a friendly chat explaining the situation, and ask them to restrain the cat from entering your property.



You may want to raise the possibility of the cat being kept indoors. The Humane Society (02 9973 1728) have fact sheets on the best approach.  Also see some of the other links on our domestic cats page for more hints and resources.



Spray visiting cats with a hose or water pistol.  They will soon get the message that they are not wanted. This deterrent is effective, harmless and quite therapeutic!



Make sure that any bird baths and bird feeders are well out of a cat's reach

  

Cat repellent sprays and gels are available from many plant nurseries, pet stores, and some hardware stores.  You can also try making up your own repellent using a number of scents that cats dislike.  We suggest trying the following:-  

A mix of ground black pepper & chili

Scatter citrus peel (oranges & lemons) around the garden

Place pine cones around near garden borders

Plant geraniums, marigolds and petunias, cats apparently dislike those plants

Grow spiky plants near areas you want to keep cats from (base of trees that attract birds)

Answer 13

try putting cayenne pepper around your house, i know it works for bunnies.