how can you stop cats going into your garden?

Question

I have a rabbit and I want to stop cats coming into the garden as it is upsetting the rabbit and making him thumb during the early hours of the morning - can anyone suggest anything

Answer 1

Hi Louila...Common odours that are effective deterrents for cats are:

Citronella works best for cats as well as citrus scents such as orange or lemon (primarily towards cats), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil.

"Havahart's Cat Repellent" uses capsaicin pepper and oil of mustard as its active ingredients. It repels by both taste and odor, has a lemon scent.

Every animal responds differently to each of these. Some will not be phased by them and others will be quite revolting.

For training purposes they are applied on items that are to encourage avoidance behaviours and not for use with a squirt bottle as they could harm the eyes or respiratory system. Test each substance and observe to see which works as a deterrent so that accidental injestion does not occur as some could then be fatal.

Coleus plants can be effective, but every cat responds differently so it is uncertain without experimenting.

Many people believe mothballs work, however they are considered toxic to all animals and should NOT be used. Here's more information on this:
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ope/enotes/showarticle.cfm?id=89
MOTHBALLS are toxic to cats which contains the ingredient Naphthalene. Mothballs are approximately twice as toxic as paradichlorobenzene, and cats are especially sensitive to naphthalene. Signs of ingestion of naphthalene mothballs include emesis, weakness, lethargy, brown-colored mucous membranes and collapses. Paradichlorobenzene mothballs may cause GI upset, ataxia, disorientation, and depression. Elevations in liver serum biochemical values may occur within 72 hours of indigestion.

Answer 2

Try half filling empty 5 litre pop bottles with water and laying them on their sides around the garden boundaries ... I have heard it said that cats dont like this.

Answer 3

A company called " catmines.com" sells units that can be placed in gardens and they will explode upon remote activation. Blows the little bastards right apart.

Answer 4

Start shooting the cats... It is legal where I live as long as they are a nuisance... Check your local laws first though...

Answer 5

get a dog

Answer 6

get a dog

Answer 7

cyan pepper works very well,sprinkle it where they come in at and they'll stay out.