Whether they belong to you or someone else, cats can be a nuisance in your yard. Not only can they dig up plants and eat your favorite flowers, they can even get into your herb garden and leave behind feces containing parasites that can be quite dangerous to humans. So, how to keep cats away from the flower bed? Here are some friendly and easy steps you can take!
How to keep cats away from the flower bed
Here are some friendly ways to keep cats away from flower beds by making them less comfortable!
Add cones & eggshells to the mulch
Mulch is the material you put on flower beds to improve moisture and support soil health. It can improve moisture levels and allows you to control soil conditions. It can also keep cats away from the flower bed if it contains sharp particles. They have soft paws and therefore prefer to walk on soft soil and grass, as it doesn’t cause them any pain. You shouldn’t add anything to the mulch that will actually harm your pet, but consider pinecones, rocks, and even eggshells.
Keep cats away from the flower bed – Use small wooden stakes
You can stick small pieces of wood into the ground a few centimeters apart, with the top centimeter showing. These serve a similar purpose to harsh mulch in that they make it uncomfortable and impractical for your cat to walk on the flower beds. You may need to experiment a little to find the right spacing, but the goal is to make it difficult or impossible for a cat to turn around comfortably.
Avoid cat visits through smells
Add lavender: There are numerous smells that cats dislike. Lavender is one of them. Plant lavender in a slightly exposed spot. This ensures that it will be blown away by the wind. When this happens, the scent of lavender wafts throughout the garden.
- Top: Other plants that cats dislike are lemon, thyme, geranium and rue.
Use citrus peels: Citrus peel is very strong and most cats don’t like the tart smell of it. Place orange and lemon peels at the borders of your yard to deter them. You don’t have to do anything special, just throw the rings into the ground.
throw coffee grounds: Cats don’t like the smell of coffee. If you have your own coffee maker or coffee grinder, save the coffee grounds. Alternatively, you can also ask at a local coffee shop if you can have a bag of coffee grounds that are left over. Again, all you have to do is spread the coffee grounds on the floor.
Cat repellent can be useful to you
You can buy cat repellent. These can contain ingredients like lavender and citrus, but also hormones that smell like predator urine and discourage all but the bravest cats from visiting a garden.
- Notice: Make sure the spray is non-toxic and won’t harm your cat or your plants.
Remove cat odor with garden hose
If the neighborhood cats use your yard as a meeting place or as a litter box, you can eliminate the odor-laden traces of their visits. Get out the garden hose and wash the areas where they are. If you get rid of the smell, they’ll lose their claim to a favorite spot and, if they’re lucky, they’ll find another spot.
Keep cats away from the flower bed with sprinklers & sounds
How to keep cats off the flowerbed – These don’t like being sprayed with water, and we’re not suggesting you hit them with a jet of water, but you can set motion-activated sprinklers to go off when something gets in your flowerbeds approaches.
Sounds: Visiting cats can also be distracted by loud or sudden noises. Use motion-activated devices that play a sound. These should discourage cats from coming by again.
Summary – How to keep cats away from the flower bed? The steps above can help you prevent cats from becoming a nuisance in your life, but remember that these animals are independent and unique. One cat may hate the smell of lavender while another may like it. Experiment to find the method that works best for your situation and garden.
You can find more harmless tips against cats visiting the garden here!