Use scent to keep the cats away

 

Interplant in the garden. Cats dislike the smell of rue, lavender, marigolds, pennyroyal, Coleus canina, and lemon thyme — so plant a few of these throughout the garden space. As a bonus, interplanting will attract pollinators and can help to avoid pests too. 

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Cats dislike the smell of vinegar and the smell of citrus peel. Because of this, it's easy to keep cats out of your garden by putting bowls of vinegar or citrus peel in several places around the yard (in particular those places the cat prefers to visit). Cats are guaranteed to stay away from those particular spots.

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The scent of human hair deters cats. Empty your brushes onto the garden and reclaim your territory! (Stay away from moth balls though — this is a commonly cited suggestion — they are toxic to cats and humans).

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Cats detest is cayenne pepper. So, it may be a good idea to scatter a good amount of cayenne pepper around the spots the cats like to visit. Then again, this may cause the cat to start sneezing violently, which make us feel a bit guilty. Also try using garlic, ground coffee or chilli pepper.

Use lion poo on your garden, available on the Internet - cats will think they're in the lion's territory!

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Add some texture

 

Cats prefer to walk on soft soil and will avoid prickly surfaces. Make your garden beds into a less inviting litter box with the following prickly solutions:

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• Cover the garden in twigs, placed a couple of inches apart throughout the bed.

• Push pine cones or other prickly yard trimmings down into the soil around your plants.

• Lay chicken wire over the beds. Alternatively, upcycle the mesh produce bags from onions or potatoes by spreading them on the garden and anchoring them with twigs. Increase the hole size around your budding plants if necessary.
   

Cats hate water

 

Wash well to deter garden cats. If your visitor has a favourite location, try washing the area well with a hose (or water from your rain barrel!) to remove the scent or urine spray. Cats tend to choose the same spot repeatedly — removing their previous stake on your garden will go a long way towards preventing reoccurrences.

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Use a motion-sensor for your sprinkler from the hardware shop. The sprinkler is activated by a motion sensor when the cat gets to close. As the sprinkler is enabled, the cat is greeted with an alarm and a quick squirt of water.

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One of the most natural ways to keep cats away from your house or from being in your yard is with plain old water. Most cats don’t like to get wet, which is why a spray bottle filled with tap water works well, both indoors and out. Just fill the spray bottle and spray your cat when you catch them in areas you want to be off-limits.

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Create an outdoor litter box

 

Cats love mint, honeysuckle and catnip. Why not plant a small, separate, cat-friendly garden that includes a variety of these plants? Place a small sand box nearby. You’ll still have to clean up and properly dispose of your cat’s waste, but it might help keep kitty — and her business — out of your veggies.