http://www.care2.com/greenliving/keeping-cats-out-of-the-garden.html
Keeping Cats Out of the Garden
By Cait Johnson, Assistant Producer, Healthy Living Channels
We love our next-door neighbor, but I think she’s trying to tell us something: She put moth balls all along the line between your yards, I guess to keep our kitties out of her garden. But moth balls are toxic!
Here are several easy, safe, and effective ways to deter cats from using your neighbor’s garden as a litter box, but, unlike moth balls, they don’t pose a health hazard to cats or humans. Or, heck, you could do what my boss suggested and try releasing a whole herd of gophers or mice. Then your kitties will be the guests of honor! (Just kidding!)
1. There are many herbs that cats don’t like to be around, including lavender, rue, geranium, absinthe, and lemon-thyme. Also, a German professional gardener, Dieter Stegmaier of Essingen, has created a hybrid so repulsive to cats, they stay a yard away from it. It smells like schnapps to us, and is actually a pretty and hardy plant with blue flowers that bloom throughout most of the summer. Its Latin name is Coleus canin. You can order it through various mail order services in Germany, for example here:
here.
2. This mixture is easy to make and can be used anywhere you want to repel cats (or groundhogs, for that matter):
2 parts cayenne pepper
3 parts dry mustard
5 parts flour
Simply mix together and sprinkle.
3. Use large flat river stones in your garden beds to make the soil less diggable, and so less attractive to cats. Besides, river stones are pretty. You can also use them in houseplant pots to keep the furry little darlings out of those.
4. Cats don’t like tea leaves, so empty your used ones onto the garden soil.
5. You could also try using a sprinkler that is activated by a motion-sensor. All it takes is a time or two of getting dowsed with water to deter any cat. It can work for intruders, too.
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30 comments
add your comment »Hi Roger W.
Using pepper and cayenne mixture is not a good idea which I have mentioned before as it could damage cats eyes. Unless of course you don't care about that!
Bob Newholm England.
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Two questions about the mustard-cayenne mixture: 1. How long is it effective? 2. What does rain do to it? I'd appreciate any feedback on this.
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Two questions about the mustard-cayenne mixture: 1. How long is it effective? 2. What does rain do to it? I'd appreciate any feedback on this.
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Hey, whats going on! We seem to have gone full circle. It was me suggesting that putting down cayenne pepper and mustard to deter cats from fouling the garden could damage their eyes when washing their faces. Does anybody think that this remedy is ok? Bob Newholm, England.
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The lavender and lemon-thyme suggestion does not work, of the four plots in my garden, the herb box which contains the two mentioned is her favorite area to play, dig and relieve herself in.
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The lavender and lemon-thyme suggestion does not work, of the four plots in my garden, the herb box which contains the two mentioned is her favorite area to play, dig and relieve herself in.
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Smallish twiggy prunings from trees and shrubs work very well to discourage cats. Just lay them down in the garden beds. The branches poke the cats when the walk around and they will prefer to go elsewhere. The plants will grow just fine up through the twigs and they can be easily removed for weeding and easily replaced. Once the cats get used to going elsewhere, you may not need the deterrent any longer.
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Twiggy prunings layed down in the beds works well. The cats get poked by the branches and go elsewhere.
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Thanks for the idea Ian. I can use chicken wire on some parts of the garden. Also, I can use the pecan mulch on top of the wire Brandy. That should do it.
Bob. England.
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Laying chicken wire down and partly covering it with soil seems to work fairly well, too. They can't dig in it, but it doesn't get in the way of growing plants.
Ian
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