Wiki: Cat deterrent

[meow2222]

Input & feedback welcome...

Cats sometimes cause problems with flower beds and vegetable plantations, and are especially fond of digging in fresh seed beds.

Uk.d-i-y contributors have used the following approaches with some success.

==Sticks== Putting sticks in the ground, spaced 4" apart, makes it awkward and uncomfortable for cats to walk the area.

• works well

• can use garden litteer and prunings for the sticks

• only practical for small areas

==Sonic & Ultrasonic repellants==

• Cost high

• Effectiveness questioned

• sometimes triggered at the wrong times

==Electric fence==

• You'll lean on it sooner or later :)

==Pepper dust==

• Very irritating if the wind blows it

==Dog==

==Cat==

• Cats guard their territory, and usually do their business in someone else's garden - but no guarantees!

==Tiger turd==

• effective repellant for cats & several other species

• stinks though

• doesn't last well

• available from zoos, circuses and some garden centres.

==Mothballs==

• they whiff

• need occasional replacement

• will also deter many insects

==Electronic water spray== Electronic detector plus sprayer. A car windscreen sprayer can be used, or a solenoid on a mains pressure system.

• sometimes effective

==Hand held spray== Eg an empty washing up liquid bottle

• effective against the most nervous cats

• costs nothing

• a fair bit of hassle to train a cat though

==Bottles of water== Half fill some clear 2 litre plastic drink bottles. Place them on their side.

• the exact reason for deterrence is uncertain, maybe the sight of water is offputting, or perhaps the reflections.

==Toy snake== A plastic snake may look like a toy to us, but cats naturally regard them as dangerous.

• effective with some cats

==Diversion bed== Since cats love seed beds, they can sometimes be diverted from one area by raking over another area that acts as a diversion.

==See Also==

• [[Special:Allpages|Wiki Contents]]

• [[Special:Categories|Wiki Subject Categories]]

[[Category:Garden]] [[Category:Pests]]

[Peter Scott]

I had a cat that was terrified of a cardboard model owl that I made, hanging indoors. All cats are different but something hanging with big eyes might work. I am sure I have seen plastic models on sale for that purpose.

Peter Scott

[Bob Eager]

Talking about the snake ideas...we had a cat that was terrified of a cylinder vacuum cleaner - specifically the hose. We used to call it 'the vicious carpet snake'.

Pissed off my competitive sister-in-law when we were playing Pictionary

- my wife had to describe 'a snake' to me before SIL and husband guessed it. She drew a cat and a vacuum cleaner...

[Huge]

1oz of #9 lead shot travelling at 1200fps.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Cat crap is superb fertilizer. You want as much in your garden as you can get.

[Huge]

The olfactory burden is excessive.

[Rod]

Do you wish to come and collect? :-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Huh? Bury it then.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Spills indescriminately over many gardens, which isn't fair on cats or people who actually enjoy them in their garden (me!). Probably affects much wildlife too.

[Huge]

Not as much as being tortured to death by the cats.

[The Natural Philosopher]

,

As opposed to freezing to death, starving or dying of disease you mean? Or being slaughtered pointlessly by a fox?

[Paul Matthews]

You seem to have missed human urine. Seems effective, and the smell is not noticable for long to humans.

[Mark]

How do you hold them still whilst pissing on them?

[dennis]

I think you need a bucket with a lid and a funnel. However I think it cruel, it could take days to fill a bucket and the cat won't be happy while its in there. I suggest just filling it from a garden hose as it works in a few minutes and the cat suffers less. It also works with squirrels and rats.

[Jonathan]

I put hoops of chicken wire over my seed beds, until the seedlings are large enough to survive.

Jonathan