Cats are known to be independent and like to explore vast areas of their territory. This isn’t usually a problem unless your garden is their preferred toilet choice. It is unpleasant to find poop in your garden, especially if you don’t have a pet, but dogs are known to eat cat poop. Poop can also attract unwanted rodents onto your property.
There’s no need to despair; several options are available to deter cats from using your garden as their toilet. These deterrents range from cheap humane options to more expensive, robust options. Your choice will depend if you have pets that may be affected and how much you are willing to spend cat-proofing your garden.
Does Dog Poop Stop Cats Coming Into Your Garden
There is no proof that dog poop will stop cats from coming into your garden. Cats have a keen sense of smell, which may put them off. However, dog poop contains high levels of nitrate, which will destroy your grass if left.
I have a dog and a cat, which doesn’t deter other cats from visiting my garden. I tend to pick up any poops my dog does, but I haven’t had to pick up any cat poops. So it’s more likely that other cats don’t linger in my garden because of my dog and cat.
How Can I Stop Cats Pooping In My Garden
There are some low-tech ways to stop cats pooping in your garden that won’t cost a lot of money. These are also relatively humane options, especially if you have a dog. As I mentioned previously, cats have a keen sense of smell, so one of the best ways to deter them is to spread some of their least favorite odors around your garden. You can mix this with water to spray around your garden or get some plants and place them around your garden, especially around the perimeter.
Cats are also very sensitive to changes in their environment and will move on if your garden is no longer attractive to them.
- Peppermint.
- Cinnamon.
- Lavender (dogs don’t like lavender much either).
- Lemon.
- Lime.
- Pennyroyal.
- Coleus Canina.
- Finely chopped banana.
- Finely chopped citrus peels.
As well as being odor sensitive, cats also don’t like to walk on prickly surfaces. Scattering things along the perimeter of your garden and in flower beds may also deter them from using your garden as a litterbox. Things like:
- Twigs.
- Rough leaves.
- Holly cuttings.
- Eggshells.
- Stone mulch.
- Old plastic carpet runners.
These options will make your garden a less appealing litterbox for cats. Most of them are eco-friendly and relatively humane.
How Can I Stop Cats Coming Into My Garden
There are other options if you prefer to have no feline visitors in your garden. These deterrents do come with a price tag, though. Something else to consider is that some deterrents emit high-frequency noise, which may adversely affect neighborhood cats and dogs.
- Sound motion detectors – you may need a few depending on their range. Not advisable if you have other pets.
- Motion-activated water sprinkler.
- Cat Scat Mat – depending on the area you need to cover, you may need a few packs.
The bonus with these options is that they don’t just stop cats; they also prevent other animals from visiting your garden.
Final Thoughts on Deterring Cats from Using Your Garden As A Toilet
Cats are wanderers and love to patrol their territory and will return to a safe area to toilet. However, if you are unlucky enough to have your garden selected as their preferred toilet, you do have options to prevent this. I would first opt for the odor deterrent and see if that works simply because it’s more humane, cost-effective, and less likely to affect my neighbors’ pets unintentionally.
We hope you found this article helpful.
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