How to Keep Cats Away

Cats are good companions and excellent mousers. As a gardener, you have nothing against them until you step in the evidence that they have been using your garden for their own private outdoor bathroom. Fortunately, there are humane ways to keep cats away from your flowers and vegetables.

Create a diversion

Plant a bed of catnip plants in a part of your yard away from the garden. Many cats are attracted by catnip and might be persuaded to leave the garden area alone. Think about building a sandbox for the cats, and locate it close to the catnip. Yes, you will create a giant litter box that demands cleaning, but you just might keep the cats away from your plants.

Work with wire

Make a trip to the hardware store, and buy some chicken wire. Chicken wire acts as a great deterrent to cats because they do not like to walk on it. Lay it over your gardening area before planting. Make the openings wider to accommodate your plants. Alternatively, try using wire to prevent entry to your yard. String a thin wire six inches above the height of your fence, and tighten it. The wire will prevent cats from balancing on the top of the fence before jumping down into your yard.

Try natural remedies

Cats dislike rue, a semi-woody perennial herb that grows to a height of two to three feet and is hardy in zones 4 to 9. Rue does well in full sun and repels cats from the place in which it grows. Try planting an herb from the mint family that is marketed as Coleus canina, an annual that is easily propagated. The smell of this plant, though undetectable to humans unless crushed, is reportedly unpleasant to the sensitive noses of cats. Plant every yard or two in dry soil. Some people also report positive results with orange and lemon peel because cats seem to dislike citrus scents.

Try using chicken wire to prevent entry to your yard