Garden beds are popular among pets for good reason. Here you can set up a toilet, leave a tag for a neighbor, or just take a sweet nap. What to do if the plantings suffer from cat attention, and you cannot protect them all day?
Of course, you can closely monitor your pet and, every time he approaches the forbidden territory, drag him back to his place or spray him with water, but this will take up all your time and turn the cat against you. There are simpler solutions, and designed for a wide range of budgets.
Conversation with the owner
Before using drastic remedies, you can try to talk with the owners of the cat that visits the site. You should talk about unnecessary visits from the animal, as well as explain the troubles caused.
You can recommend methods to the cat's owner to accustom the animal to his area. It is advisable to advise planting a plant, which is popularly called catnip. Cats really like the aroma of catnip and the taste of the leaves.
It is necessary to plant a plant and pour sand around it for the toilet. The animal will get used to this corner, and therefore, most likely, will not visit other gardens.
Choosing the right flowers for a house with a cat
Care should be taken to ensure that contact between the animal and flowers does not harm the health of the pet. We are talking about poisonous plants. Many beautiful house plants have poisonous sap.
If a cat chews such a plant, there is a high risk of food poisoning. At the first suspicious symptoms, the animal should be taken to the veterinarian.
If the owners doubt that they will be able to wean the animal from the habit of gnawing flowers, the following representatives of the flora should be especially carefully isolated:
- dieffenbachia;
- oleander;
- philodendron;
- calla;
- spurge;
- begonia;
- hydrangea;
- ivy, etc.
To completely guarantee the safety of your four-legged friend, you can completely abandon these varieties and give them to friends who do not have pets.
Repellent plants
A strong-smelling hedge frightens uninvited guests. You need to plant a couple of bushes around the perimeter. One plant can also fulfill its purpose - scaring animals away from the site.
A couple of sage bushes are enough for 4 acres. This plant is especially effective after rain. Sage is aromatic, and the aroma increases in humid weather. It is enough to plant several bushes, spraying them periodically, to forget about the problem with cats forever.
These animals also cannot tolerate:
- lavender;
- rue;
- flea mint.
Add-ons can be multi-functional. Basil found between tomatoes can act against cutworm caterpillars. Some crops repel other insects that harm the garden.
Flower protection frame
To give your cat less opportunity to come into contact with house plants, flowers can be hung on the walls in pots. If the cat is dexterous and persistent and gets plants even in hard-to-reach places, the flower can be placed in a bird cage.
This rather original solution will diversify the design of the room and solve the problem of a pet encroaching on its favorite flower.
Using repellents
If additional plantings cannot be placed on the site, spray substances or bookmarks are needed. Cats find it unpleasant when it smells:
- citrus fruits;
- garlic;
- cinnamon;
- pepper;
- eucalyptus;
- tobacco;
- essential oils.
All of these products are considered effective and safe for both people and cats. In addition, human hair repels animals. It’s enough to scatter them around the area so that the cats don’t come back.
Spraying is an excellent method of protecting your garden. Suitable for these procedures:
- ground pepper;
- cinnamon;
- mustard powder.
Any product should be used in an amount of 1 tsp. for 300-500 ml. You also need to add chopped garlic and a couple of drops of citrus oil. The mixture is poured into a spray bottle, and you can spray the ground.
Indications for protecting beds from animals
It would seem, why discourage the kitten from the garden beds? He will bask in the sun, dig in the loose soil and go about his business. But not everything is as harmless as it might seem at first glance. Representatives of the cat family are partial to soft, freshly dug soil, especially if it is fluffy, dry or slightly moist. They are ready to stay in the garden all day long, not suspecting that they are causing unique harm. Why is it necessary to scare cats away from plantings:
- they dig up beds, building a toilet for themselves;
- they shit and mark their territory with urine;
- laid on the seedlings, thereby crushing them;
- They gnaw on young leaves.
Many people think that cat poop is fertilizer, like chicken droppings or cow manure. However, this is not at all true. Their feces are even dangerous. Cats are a source of toxoplasmosis, a dangerous disease, especially for pregnant women. Children can become infected with worms from cats if they eat unwashed vegetables from the garden.
If cats dig up garden beds, they need to be protected.
In addition, cat urine has a sharp, specific odor of ammonia, which is strongly absorbed. It contains a huge amount of nitrogen salts that can destroy the roots and foliage of plants. In the place where the cat “gone” nothing will grow next year. All these reasons are good reasons to take care of the fate of your crop and keep your pet away from it.
Pharmacy products
Special sprays sold in veterinary pharmacies and stores will help cope with the problem. These include “Antigadin”, “Anti-cat”. These are just examples, in fact there are many of them. It is necessary to spray the area near the beds with the products. It is permissible to use a spot method for treating areas where the cat most often comes.
Fences are also coated with such products. First, you should read the instructions from the manufacturer, which indicate how and how much to use them. But they have a drawback - they are washed off by rain, so then treatment is required again. In addition, these drugs are not cheap.
Effective help
In some regions it is not possible to obtain an ultrasound device. All that remains is to try all the listed methods in the hope that one of them will be effective. If the situation gets out of control, and the neighbor’s pets don’t want to leave you alone, you need to use something that scares cats away from your summer cottage with a 100% guarantee. Today there are a huge number of products on the market that are marketed as cat repellents. Some are designed for indoor use, others for outdoor use.
There are two main forms of these products: granules and aerosol. The second one shows itself best if you need to solve the problem of cat litter in the apartment. The spray is sprayed in places chosen as a toilet. In other words, you will have to spray everything except the tray. This form is not very convenient for a garden, although some walk around the perimeter every day and cultivate bushes and hedges. But it would be better to use granular formulations. They create a longer lasting effect and are easier to use. Simply scatter the granules around the perimeter of the garden and beds, as well as in places that cats have already eyed as a toilet.
Tillage
When looking for a way to scare away animals, you need to choose the safest and most effective way to get rid of cats on your property. To prevent them from coming again, the ground must become unusual for the paws. Animals prefer smooth and soft surfaces.
Fine mesh metal mesh is not one of them. It needs to be placed around or on the beds themselves, before the planting process. Holes for plants are made with wire cutters. The mesh is fixed using pegs.
To scare away you should also use:
- twigs placed horizontally;
- pine cones, which are stuck with the ends up;
- gravel or pebbles;
- fragrant mulch.
Land owners should not have problems scaring away cats. When trees are pruned, they produce a lot of branches. There will also be stones. And if there is a pine forest nearby, then it will not be difficult to collect young cones.
Foil, gravel and other obstacles
Speaking about how to keep cats away from the area, it is worth mentioning the following means. Cats really don’t like to walk on sharp gravel or broken stones: their delicate paws simply cannot withstand this test. And if you sprinkle the ground around the plants with marble chips, this will not only repel cats, but will also become a unique decorative option. In addition, it protects the flower beds from weeds. Also, as an alternative, you can line your flower beds with large sea shells. The cat simply does not have the strength to dig them out, and she will move to another place.
Another way to scare them away is regular foil. These animals do not like smooth and rustling materials. Therefore, by wrapping the edges of the flowerbed with foil, you can protect it from cat attacks.
If all else fails, you can purchase a special plastic mesh with holes for plants. The cat will not be able to dig up the soil covered with it, and will stop crap in the garden bed.
Some summer residents advise placing thorny branches of spruce, rose hips or raspberries on the beds. The animal will develop a conditioned reflex to painful sensations during attempts to raid the area, and it will leave it alone.
You can stick dry twigs along the edges of the bed, making a small fence. Cats will not be able to get over it and will leave the vegetables alone.
There is another interesting way to keep other people’s cats away from your property. It is not to scare away, but rather to attract animals. True, in the right place. If you plant catnip or valerian somewhere in a free space away from the beds, all the cats will gather there, and the area will not suffer from their raids. This method is also suitable for your furry pet. If you choose a suitable place somewhere in the garden, put your pet’s favorite toys there, plant valerian, make a playground from stumps of different heights, then this corner will soon become the most attractive for your pet, and she will stop misbehaving in other places.
Fencing
There is another option for how to get rid of cats on your property. When using the most effective method, you also need to think about safety. The fence will be a reliable barrier. A physical barrier serves as a powerful defense. Cats can jump to a height of about 2.5 m.
But you don’t have to place just such a fence. The main thing is to make changes to its upper edge. Allowed installation:
- inclined element;
- array of tensioned wire;
- smooth, rotating tubes;
- strips with plastic spikes.
Fences are made on the basis of metal mesh, boards, and other materials. It is important that light passes through it. In addition to fences, aromatic products are needed. Citrus peels, aromatic herbs, and rags treated with essential oils are placed on the fence.
To prevent a cat from scratching its claws on trees
Sometimes the only problem is that the cat sharpens its claws anywhere. Trees especially suffer from this. To solve this problem, you need to cover the trunks about 50 centimeters from the ground with roofing material. By the way, this helps not only to repel cats, but also to protect trees from attacks by hares and rodents, who like to feast on the bark in winter. You can also wrap tree trunks with netting.
And in order to wean your furry pet from scratching furniture, you can purchase or make a special scratching post for it. This way she will get accustomed to a certain place and stop damaging trees and property. By the way, an ordinary stump or a dry sawn trunk will do an excellent job as a scratching post.
Dog or cat
Many owners use a dog to protect their property from cats. You should get yourself a four-legged barking friend to prevent cats from visiting the area. Moreover, it may not be a hunter dog. Even the presence of a small non-pedigreed dog scares away cats.
You can also get your own cat. Typically, animals like to protect their territory, preferring not to let strangers in. In this case, it will scare away the neighbor's cats.
Other people's cats come through the cat door
If you have pets, then such a door is a real lifesaver. Pets come and go at their own discretion, without causing inconvenience to the owners. And suddenly the latter begin to notice with surprise the unpleasant smell in the room. After observing the territory, they realize that the neighbors’ pets come to them through the small door at the bottom of the main one. At the same time, they eat the “aboriginals” and leave odorous marks. What to do in this case? It happens that pets do not want to chase strangers, and the owners themselves have to take on this. Consider installing modern devices.
Special tools
Many summer residents are interested in how to get rid of cats on their property. The most effective method is the one that quickly and safely solves the problem. To protect the site, special products are sold:
- Repellents in the form of a spray. They emit an aroma that is irritating to animals. They are applied to the ground, plants or fabric, which is hung on the fence.
- Ultrasonic devices.
- Sprinklers.
The main task of the presented means is to develop a reflex in animals. Thanks to this, they will not go into the fenced area.
Water is a great repellent for cats. Even a small trickle or cloud of water dust will discourage the animal from the garden. Sprinklers equipped with motion sensors have this method of operation. These are water sprinklers connected to running water. They accurately spray everyone who comes to the forbidden area.
When using any means of defense, animals may continue to be interested in the area. This may occur due to the presence of:
- garbage containers;
- compost pit, where small rodents live;
- bird feeders;
- bowls of food.
In this case, it is necessary to eliminate all factors that could attract cats. Then they will very soon wean themselves from visiting someone else’s summer cottage.
Method number one
You don’t have cats of your own, but other cats have taken a liking to your yard. Getting rid of them is quite simple. First, treat the “main penetration points” with the same repellent. Most often these are holes in the fence, the top of the same fence, an opening under a gate or gate. Of course, such treatment is quite expensive, but in this way you can get rid of an extraneous cat (cat or kittens) almost forever. There is an alternative and cheaper processing option.
If one of your friends has a dog, you can agree that the owner will take you for a walk with it a couple of times. Stock up on gloves, a scoop and a bucket, which you won’t mind throwing away later. During a morning or evening walk, the dog urinates from 3 to 7 times - you need to collect soil in a bucket with a shovel in the places where it urinated. Then scatter this earth in those very places of “penetration” - not a single cat will overcome such an obstacle!
Windmill
Cats have excellent hearing, so they will not like the sound of a windmill. You can make your own repellent device using a 2-liter plastic bottle. They retreat 8-10 cm from the neck, then make 3 vertical cuts, not reaching a couple of cm to the bottom of the container.
Using scissors, make cuts above and below the vertical ones. You get 3 cuts in the shape of a printed letter C. The plastic is bent along the lines of the cuts, you get 3 blades. The windmill is secured to reinforcement installed vertically in the ground. A wooden stick will also work.
To prevent the device from being blown away by the wind, a stone or other heavy object is placed at the bottom of the bottle. Even with a slight breeze, the device will rotate, producing a sound that irritates animals. If this device is made of foil and placed above the beds, then cats will not visit this garden.
How to get rid of a domestic cat
I do not approve of abandoning a pet if it is boring or does not live up to expectations, but there are situations when a beloved animal needs to be given into other hands: a serious illness, a child’s allergies, or moving to another country.
The best thing you can do is find a new family where he will definitely be loved. Believe me, parting with the owner is a huge stress for the pet, so the next owners must really want to show care.
Interview close relatives and friends, perhaps one of them can take the animal for themselves. When there were too many stray cats in our yard, we asked a relative to take one of them into her apartment, having previously sterilized it. This option is good because if circumstances change, you can take the animal back. Then this option of separate living can be considered foster care.
If no one you know can help you, turn to social networks for help. Write an attractive ad explaining the reason why you are giving away the animal. This will increase the chances of success of the business, because people will understand that the reason is not the animal (illness, bad character). But be prepared for a wave of indignation: without going through your path, commentators will condemn your decision.
If you are planning to get rid of your cat, take responsibility for caring for it and helping financially: paying for veterinarian visits, medications and food. This will increase your chances of finding new owners, and also show that you are serious about the animal, and people will be more willing to help you.
Creation of a “recreation area”
Animals have a developed sense of smell. To scare them away from the area, the problem of disinfecting tags should be solved. The area must be dug up and sprinkled with odorous agents, which can be fertilizers, citrus peels, and herbs.
If cats constantly shit on your property, you need to set up a special place for this. A small sandbox should be placed near the plantings. You can place containers with food and water nearby. It is important that they are not located very close to the toilet.
To attract animals you need to plant:
- catnip;
- lawn grass;
- wheat, oats.
To prevent cats from shitting on the property, they need their own territory. If you prepare it by creating the necessary conditions, the animals will lose interest in the plantings.
Remove cat tags
Cats regularly mark their territory, and cats also know how to leave “notes” to their furry comrades by rubbing their whiskers against different surfaces. Such tags attract animals, being an analogue of our social networks. And if your fence has been chosen as a chat, then getting rid of the influx of visitors will not be easy.
You will have to regularly remove cat odors, and then spray the area where the animals rub with substances that are unpleasant to them. Vinegar, lemon juice, iodine, etc. work well for this task. After the animal discovers something completely different from what it expected several times in a row, the “correspondence” will stop or move to another place.
Conditioned reflex
Cats cannot tolerate moisture. Only some breeds of animals love water treatments. And they prefer a warm bath. A simple spray can protect the area from cats. This procedure can develop a reflex.
You can entrust the protection of the garden to children or elderly people who do not participate in gardening activities. The presence of a person deters cats, especially if spraying is also used. Over time, the animal will stop visiting the garden.
When choosing the most effective way to get rid of cats on your property, you should remember humanity and not look for protection options related to animal cruelty.
Cats on your property
A cat is a cute and fluffy creature. If, of course, it is yours. Strange cats that regularly wander into the garden area cause a lot of trouble. Despite the benefits that cats bring, for example, they catch pests such as mice, they are considered to be the most dangerous creatures for the garden after rodents.
Cats are great at getting rid of pests, but they themselves also pose a danger to the garden.
Trouble in the garden
Among the troubles caused by cats in the garden are the following:
- Flowerbeds and beds are used by visiting cats as a toilet. Cat feces are not fertilizer at all; they can completely destroy your favorite flowers or vegetables. Cats are territorial animals, they instinctively mark their possessions with urine, and this will also not benefit the garden.
- Cats love to roll around in cool, lush greenery. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s carrot tops or a flower bed with gladioli.
It can be very difficult to drive a cheeky cat out of the area
- In addition, cats like to use the bark of fruit trees as a scratching post.
- Cats are excellent hunters of game birds. Summer residents who attract birds to their plots are unlikely to like this. Big cats wreak havoc in a chicken coop just as well as a fox.
How to remove urine stains and odor from various surfaces
When removing stains, do not forget to be careful; check the surface with the mark for a reaction with the product used.
From upholstered furniture
Stains and unpleasant odors from cat urine are best removed from sofas (furniture) using potassium permanganate (if the fabric is not dyed), lemon juice or a vinegar solution.
From the floor surface
To get rid of an unpleasant odor on linoleum, laminate or parquet (floor), the same products are suitable:
- vinegar diluted in water in equal proportions. You need to wipe the floor with the solution in such a way that its surface remains wet. After a few hours, simply wipe it dry.
- Use lemon juice from fresh fruit in the same way as vinegar.
From the mattress
In order to get rid of the unpleasant odor on the mattress, you will need sparkling water and salt. Fill the stain with soda, then sprinkle salt on top and leave for several hours. Then remove the salt and rinse off the residue with water. Instead of soda, you can use boric acid diluted with water.
From shoes
Eliminating odor from shoes is a little more difficult. If you witness a cat “crime”, the chance of saving your shoes is much higher. So, if you notice a “fresh puddle” in your shoes, immediately put a towel (crumpled up newspaper) in it to absorb the moisture. After this, wash the shoe in water using laundry soap.
If you do not notice the “mark” immediately, then eliminating the smell becomes more difficult. You will have to wash your shoes several times with laundry soap, after which you should wipe them with a vinegar solution and dry them. Repeat the procedure until the odor is completely eliminated. If the shoes are made of fabric (sneakers, sneakers), then washing them will be enough.
Nothing helps? Buy a urine odor eliminater (spray, liquid) at a pet store and wash your shoes with this product.
From the carpet
It will be easier to deal with stains and odors on carpet or hardwood floors if you notice a “fresh mark.” Use vinegar, lemon juice or laundry soap for cleaning, just remember to first absorb the moisture with a towel (napkin). If the stain is old, then make a solution of vinegar (1/1) in water, pour it on the spot, sprinkle baking soda on top and scrub thoroughly.
From clothes
If the cat left a mark on your clothes, then simply wash the clothes and rinse them in a vinegar solution (1 tablespoon per liter of water).
Prevention measures
To prevent the problem of cat marks from arising again and again, use our tips:
- Treat the areas where your cat likes to mark with one of the industrial deterrents sold in pet stores:
- "Antigadin";
- “Shit? No!";
- "Mr.Fresh." Unlearning to shit”;
- Beaphar Stop-it Cat;
- “Don’t shit! Don't tag!";
- Antipakostin "Happy Cat".
- Use folk remedies:
- Place a closed container with small drilled holes in the places of the marks, into which place ground coffee and pepper.
- Place citrus peels in places where the cat has marked - the smell will scare away the animal.
- Castration/sterilization surgery will help to radically solve the problem with urine odor and unwanted stains.
Causes of unpleasant odor
The unpleasant odor from a cat's mark appears for one main reason - the composition of the urine:
- Urochrome is what colors urine
- Urea is what makes urine sticky (after it dries)
- Uric acid is what causes cat urine to crystallize quickly. These “crystals” do not dissolve in water, making urine difficult to remove.
When you carefully try to wash away stains and eliminate the smell of urine, you only get rid of the first components of the “mark.”
That is why, after some time, the smell appears again.
The intensity of the odor depends not only on the presence of uric acid in the urine, but also on the surface on which the “tag” is located. It is very difficult to remove the smell of urine from surfaces that absorb moisture well.
It is important to know why the cat stopped going to the toilet.
A neighbor breeds cats and sells it illegally
In practice, sometimes there are situations where people illegally breed purebred cats at home or on the balcony, and then sell them to others. In this regard, the Law of the Russian Federation dated December 27, 2018 No. 498-FZ contains the following rules:
- Pets are prohibited from being used for business activities (except in certain cases).
- Trade in pets must take place in specially designated areas.
In addition, neighbors who breed cats in their apartment for sale can be held accountable for engaging in illegal business activities. (Article 171 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). In this case, she faces one of the following penalties:
- Fine up to 300,000 rubles.
- Mandatory work (up to 480 hours).
- Imprisonment (up to 6 months).
Alternative methods of protecting plants from cats
An alternative method of dealing with the problem is adjusting the cat's behavior. Your pet should be encouraged in every possible way for correct behavior. If a cat, who often spoiled a flower, passed by the pot indifferently, you should immediately praise him in a gentle voice and give him something tasty.
If the owner sees that the cat is approaching the flowers, he should switch his attention to another object. It is important to diversify your pets' leisure time. There are quite a few events in their lives. You should pay attention to playing with the animal, purchase interesting toys with which the cat can entertain itself.
You also need to give the animals the opportunity to sit on the windowsill and watch what is happening on the street.
Cat-safe houseplants
For those who love both animals and flowers, you should choose plants that will not harm your pet. All types of house cacti are safe for cats.
Of course, with close contact there is a risk of being pricked by a needle, but this will once again force the cat to avoid representatives of the flora. The same can be said about roses. A beautiful flower will decorate any apartment and take care of safety thanks to its thorns.
Also, animal lovers can safely plant coleus, arrowroot, violets, mint, chlorophytum, crassula and many others at home.