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How to keep cats away naturally

Seeing too much of your neighbor’s pet? Here’s how to repel cats with natural cat repelling methods!

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grey cat with blue in collar in garden

Key steps:

If you’re wondering how to get rid of cats in the garden, follow these steps:

  1. Make use of smells they don’t like, like lavender, rosemary, and citrus.

  2. Make the soil less comfortable to walk on by mulching with gravel.

  3. Lay down netting to make it harder for them to dig.

  4. Don’t do anything that will actually harm the cat.

If your neighbor’s cats are kicking over your flowerpots and rolling around in your birdbath, don’t worry! We’re going to walk you through how to keep cats away with natural, harmless tricks. Learn more about cat repellent plants and other tips for how to get rid of cats pooping in your yard and digging holes in your garden!

If you just want to know how to repel cats away from garden plants in a particular corner, try planting catnip in another area of your garden to attract the cats there instead.

How to get rid of cats in the garden: tips and tricks

If your neighbor’s cats make regular appearances in your garden, you’ll be needing cat repellent DIY hacks. Check out these tips and tricks for information on how to keep cats away:

  • Cats are great at scaling fences, but you can make it harder for them. To prevent cats from getting over your fence into your garden, try fitting a taut string about 10 cm above the fence. It’ll be tricky for them to balance on the fence with string in the way.

  • Did you know that there are a few plants cats hate? Try introducing plants to keep cats away, such as lavender and rosemary. Not only is lavender a great natural cat repellent, but it also adds a lovely touch of color to your garden and smells great!  

  • Another great cat repellent DIY idea is to scatter orange or lemon peels on the soil. Cats tend to not be the biggest fans of citrus, so you can keep them away from your flowerbeds with these leftover fruit peels.

  • Mulching with gravel is another effective natural cat repellent. Layer gravel or stone chips among your flowerbeds so that they’re much less appealing for cats to walk on.

  • If you want to know how to get rid of cats pooping in your yard or garden, make it difficult for them to dig holes. Try laying poultry netting over your soil to prevent the cat from digging.

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How to keep cats away safely

If the above cat repellent plants and tricks aren’t doing the job, there are products available specifically designed to help with how to get rid of cats in the garden:

  1. You can scatter cat repellent pellets or granules around your garden to put them off.

  2. You can also use ultrasonic cat repellent instead of those plants cats hate. These devices give off a high-pitched sound, generally inaudible to humans, which cats don’t enjoy being around.

Whatever you do, don’t take any measures that could actually endanger the cat. Whether you opt for different mulching techniques or one of the many plants to keep cats away, there are plenty of ways to repel these furry friends safely and naturally.

Do you want to learn which household cleaning tasks cause the most stress?  Then read our Heated Household data analysis. 

Frequently asked questions on keeping cats away naturally

How do you keep cats away from your indoor plants?

An indoor plant is a tempting plaything for a cat to scale, and it usually ends in disaster. However, you can learn how to keep cats away from indoor plants just as you keep them away from outdoor plants: scatter citrus peels in the soil, or display them alongside plants that repel cats, such as lavender and rosemary.

How do you keep cats off of your desk?

With more people working from home, it's more common for our furry friends to want to join us. So, how do you keep cats of your desk? Give them something more tempting! They may want your attention, but (for example) a well-placed cat tree nearby with a few of their favorite toys on it should satisfy their need to be near you, without being on top of you. If you have an old laptop lying around, placing it nearby might tempt them to sit on it, too.

Is catnip legal in the Philippines?

It's not unreasonable to ask 'is catnip legal in the Philippines'. In short, yes, it's legal. Its effects - whether mellowing or inducing activity in your cat - are temporary, though you should consult your vet if you are unsure if it is suitable for your cat. It can be bought in most large pet stores, or online.

How do you neutralize cat feces in soil?

Feces (poop, manure etc.) are a common fertiliser, so why do you need to know how to neutralize cat feces in soil? Essentially, cat feces isn't sterilised like cattle manure, for example, so it can contain parasitic pathogens that can easily transfer to gardeners. The best way to neutralize cat feces in soil is simply to remove it as soon as you notice it, and deter cats from returning.

Originally published