Keeping cats out of the garden

Zaph

Over the last few days the local cats seem to have decided that they want to take up residence in our back garden. They've been hanging around for months, but they've definitely become a bit more brazen in the last week or so. Personally I don't like cats but I wouldn't want to harm one, so is there any non-harmful way of discouraging them from stopping off in our garden?

demanufactured

Water pistol...a few blasts and they won't come back.
Out down a few 2 Lt mineral bottles filled with water too.

Cherry Blossom

Motion activated sprinkler system will keep them out.

Zaph

Thanks guys. Unfortunately I've no need for a sprinkler system so I don't think I'd be investing in that. As for the water pistol idea, that would mean constantly catching them in the act and then tend to vanish pretty quickly as soon as a door or window is opened. I was more thinking of a passive solution that I could just put something out that would constantly deter them (like spraying mint oil to keep spiders away).

Kristopherus

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about813.html

DBB

Folks, let me make it abundantly clear that advocating anything that causes injury to deter cats will not be tolerated in this forum... I have deleted one post and I don't want to have to delete any more. Advocating injurious methods usually merits an automatic permanent ban from this forum.
As it stands, the use of water pistols is about the upper limit of what will be tolerated, and even at that, advocating their use to utterly soak a cat will not be tolerated.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks
DBB

Nody

Zaph wrote: »

Thanks guys. Unfortunately I've no need for a sprinkler system so I don't think I'd be investing in that. As for the water pistol idea, that would mean constantly catching them in the act and then tend to vanish pretty quickly as soon as a door or window is opened. I was more thinking of a passive solution that I could just put something out that would constantly deter them (like spraying mint oil to keep spiders away).

Well depending on if you got a small (and walled/fenced) garden you could go with a reversed Y net pointing out rather than in as per the below; that would stop them coming in over the wall/fence itself.



If the above is not practical then honestly a motion activated sprinkler system would be your best bet (around 20 to 30 EUR cost on Amazon); things such as lemon etc. may work but only for a day or two before needing refilling.

demanufactured

DBB wrote: »

Folks, let me make it abundantly clear that advocating anything that causes injury to deter cats will not be tolerated in this forum... I have deleted one post and I don't want to have to delete any more. Advocating injurious methods usually merits an automatic permanent ban from this forum.
As it stands, the use of water pistols is about the upper limit of what will be tolerated, and even at that, advocating their use to utterly soak a cat will not be tolerated.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks
DBB

I wouldn't mean use them to harm them at all.
I'm a cat owner..I would give them a quick blast of water that wouldn't hurt them if I was the op.

Riesen_Meal

Zaph wrote: »

(like spraying mint oil to keep spiders away)

Chances are that could be the problem right there!

Do you know the mint plant is from the same plant species as catnip?

If you all of a sudden have a load of cats hanging around, chances are they only want a sniff of your lovely mint oil...

Not all cats like catnip or mint either, I have 2 cats, one goes mental for it (eats polo mints out of the kids hands) and the other doesn't care for it at all...

Could possibly be why there is a sudden upsurge of moggies in the garden...

Zaph

No, I haven't actually used mint oil and there's no no mint planted in the garden, I was just using it as an example. Good to know that it could attract them if I ever did plant or use it though, so thanks for that.

jomalone14

I was plagued with cats doing their business in my garden a couple of years ago. I invested in an ultrasonic cat repeller via Amazon.
It is humane, it doesn't harm cats, it is motion activated and emits a high pitched sound which irritates them so they move away from the area. No moggie poo since!

Zaph

I actually saw them on Amazon when I checked out the sprinkler system. Might be worth considering as long as they don't hurt the cats.