Will putting moth balls in my garden keep my neighbor's cat out of it?

Answer 1

I use crushed egg shells, cats don't like to get them on their paws. Beats having a moth ball smell!

Answer 2

Everyone seems to have advice regarding what sort of chemicals or herbs to use, however there is one question which needs to be addressed: What are your neighbor's cats doing in your garden? Have you spoken with your neighbor about this? The cats are not your responsibilty, and you shouldn't have to go through the extra expense and time to create a "cat-proof" garden. Your neighbor needs to keep his or her cats away from your property. "Oh, but cats need to be free, they're free creatures" blah blah blah. Yeah, well I could say the same thing for people in prison. They can be free if they can prove they aren't going to harm anybody or anybody's property. The trick is that you have to approach the situation with care- don't sound as if you're blaming the cats for anything, and don't sound as if you're issuing orders. Simply express that you've noticed the cats getting into your garden, and wouldn't mind if the owner kept them away. Communication is simple and effective. Much easier than planting herbs and cat nip and all that jazz.

Answer 3

Hi there...Many people believe mothballs work, however they are considered toxic 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.

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.

Answer 4

try:
There is a product on the market today called "Shake Away"
Cat Deterrent Granules. It is 100% organic.
www.shake-awayproducts.com Toll Free 1-800-517-9207
They also make products that will keep Deer, Rodents, Rabbits, Skunks, and Gophers away. The stuff really works.

Or, make friends with kitty. She won't hurt anything. It never hurts to have another friend in the world... happy to see you when you get home..... tail swishes to you my friend.

Answer 5

People have told me that moth balls will deter
a lot of things. Don't believe it because I put
moth balls in my barn to keep snakes away and
I think they ate the dang things.

Answer 6

You can grow a plant called "rue" - cats hate it and when I had a couple of them in a flower bed, the cats stayed out.

Answer 7

Yes it would but you'd have to smell that smell. Go to your local pet store or even a hardware store and they sell other products that don't smell as bad.

Answer 8

I dont know if mothballs will keep them out, but I know if you sprinkle some cayenne pepper there, they will stay far away!

Answer 9

it should do the trick