Cat Deterrents for Gardens - What Should I Use?

I never used to suffer with cats and foxes in my garden, until recently when all manner of creatures seem to have decided that my yard is their playground. Not only do they leave deposits on my lawn and in the flower beds, they can also give me quite a fright late at night with their eerie screaming and shouting.

Leaving a security light on seems to keep some of the critters away, but I don't like leaving one on all night. As for other methods of deterring cats and foxes, I didn't know much about them, so I decided to do some research and find out what does, or doesn't, work. After many late nights browsing discussion forums and product reviews, and much experimentation with the various methods researched, here is what I've found out.

Cats, like foxes and other animals, will more often than not leave a reminder of their visit, which is especially annoying for us gardeners who take pride over our space.

Cats may leave visible deposits of faeces, which are left as a message to other felines about the boundaries of their territory. They can also spray urine against fences and walls to achieve the same result. More often than not however, they will bury their faeces - a primal defense against predators - letting you discover their gift next time you are tending your flower beds.

As soon as I began my quest to find the best cat deterrents, searching through those discussion boards for the experiences of others, I was reminded of my Grandmother, who in years gone by used to scatter the skin from citrus fruits around her flower beds. I've now tried everything in my pursuit of freedom from these pesky moggies, ranging from age-old techniques to the latest technology, so here are, in no particular order, the top methods for getting rid of cats from your garden.

Using lemon, orange or onion peel can be very effective at repelling cats.

Unfortunately, it only lasts for a few days before it needs to be replenished. It can also make tidy gardens look very messy!

Sprinkling pepper and chilli around your garden, or mixing it in with the soil itself, is a popular method, and can work to repel cats, having a similar effect to that it has upon humans.

Unfortunately it's not effective for long periods of time, as it is easily washed away by rain. It may have a longer lasting effect in particularly dry climates.

Out of all the methods I've researched, these are the best and mostly highly rated cat repellers around, with excellent reviews pretty much across the board. They work by emitting a high-frequency sound, inaudible to humans, which deters cats from entering your garden.

The only real drawback is replacing batteries, but with PIR activated operation meaning the device is on standby most of the time, battery life is generally excellent.

Do they work?

I've got one in my garden, which after all of this research, says it all.

To see for yourself, check out the video on the right, which shows exactly how effective these ultrasonic devices can be, and is pretty hilarious to watch too.

These off-the-shelf products are commonly regarded as a waste of time.

In the video on the right, a dog and cat repellent powder is put through it's paces.

Although this particular test was for its effectiveness against dogs, results are generally similar for cats. Take a look and see how effective it is for yourself.

A commonly used solution is to use actual Lion dung in the flower beds, which provides a clear signal to other cats to stay away with it's 'big cat' scent. Fresh dung can be sourced from the local Zoo if there is one nearby, and there is also an alternative product on the market called Silent Roar, which comes in as pellets that are soaked in real Lion dung extracts.

Whilst fresh dung is reportedly very effective, results with Silent Roar are mixed. In my personal experience they were reasonably effective, but less so over a period of time. Worth a try.

Using physical methods to scare cats away, like spraying them with water gun, shouting and 'shooing' them, or stamping feet to startle them, can obviously work instantly to get rid of cats that are actually present at the time.

The problem is cats will most likely associate these negative things with your personal presence, rather than your garden itself, and will just learn to avoid you!

Getting yourself a cat of your own will almost certainly rid your garden of neighbour's pets, as their scent and physical presence will deter rivals. Your cat will mark it's territory, providing a clear barrier for other moggies to observe.

Depending on your reasons for getting rid of garden intruders, this may or may not be a viable solution. No good if you hate cats, or are allergic.

One of the oldest methods around works by providing movement which frightens invaders away. Used drinks bottles, mirrors, compact discs and cake tins are placed around the garden to ward off pests.

Though this technique may work initially, cats soon become used to the distractions. The mess created around your garden is not particularly desireable either.

I've included this method for completeness only, as Jeyes Fluid is said to be harmful to cats. Jeyes Fluid is an outdoor cleaning product which can be applied to problem areas of the garden, and is said to be very effective at stopping cats urinating in these areas.

Whilst it may be very effective, it's a phenol based product, and as such toxic to any animal if not used properly, and at the right concentrations. It can quite easily be transferred from the paws to the mouth and ingested by cats that come into your garden. It's also obviously not recommended for use near flower beds, or anything else you may not want to kill for that matter.

A recently bred garden plant variety, Coleus canina, has recently appeared in garden centres, and produces a strong odour which is meant to repel cats from the garden.

The plant is also sometimes sold as Pee-off or Scaredy-cat, is now widely available from garden centres locally and online too.

I've not yet had a chance to try this method, but reports are good, so why not give it a go?

Please do let me know in the comments if you've tried it, and how successful it was.

Planting spiky plants and shrubs around the perimeter of your garden is a good way to stop cats from entering, though they always seem to find a way around in my experience!

The most effective are shrubs like Hawthorn and Holly, though spiky stemmed bedding plants can also be effective. Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments section.

Breaking up pine cones and scattering them around the perimeter of your garden is a totally natural option, which works very well. Cats seem to hate walking over the rough textured surface.

This is a method which works very well in flower beds, and has the added bonus of looking more natural than some of the other techniques above.

After researching all of these methods, and trying as many as possible, I came to one real conclusion.

If you want a cat deterrent that works faultlessly and consistently, get a sonic cat deterrent. The convenience and effectiveness of this type of product is unrivalled when it comes to the timeless conundrum of eliminating feline pests.