Natural cat repellant?

Question

There is a neighborhood cat who continues to traipse around our property. Our dog continually wants to go out, just to sniff the cat -- our dog likes the cat. Any ideas of natural cat repellants that will not hurt the cat, but keep the cat away from our property?

It's not that we don't like cats, it's that our dog has to be on a leash to be let out...So everytime the dog gets a glimpse of the cat, the dog wants out. Sometimes we cannot tell if the cat was there or not, so we end up having to take the dog out more than usual, in case the dog needs to void.

Answer 1

i got this from a website:

The first line of defence is to ensure that your yard boundaries are secure. Any gaps in your fence should be blocked to deny low level access. But cats can jump so fix a taut wire or string some six inches above the top of your fence to deter this approach.

Once inside your garden many people say that the best cat repellent is a dog who will soon see off any feline invader. If you are not a dog lover then you will have to resort to more passive methods. Since cats like to lie on freshly dug soil you should lay mulch on your borders so that no bare soil is left exposed. Seed beds should be covered with wire netting or twigs arranged as a barrier.
Young trees should have plastic guards fitted around their trunks to protect them against use as a scratching pole.
Your garden pond should be covered with netting to keep your fish safe.

Cats are generally known to dislike water so a well aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainly make an intruder run. After one or two dousings it may learn the lesson and stay away.

To protect plants and borders both mothballs and citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders. Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented air freshener and place the cloths around the plants you wish to protect. Other known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.

Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rue but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleus canina is another plant which is marketed by one merchant as a cat repellent.

If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.

Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.

Ultrasonic devices emit a high frequency sound which is annoying to cats (and dogs) but is not audible to humans. There are various different models some of which operate continuously and others which have an infra red detector and only emit a pulse of sound when the cat triggers the device. To be successful you need to ensure that the model is powerful enough to cover the area you wish to protect. In addition make sure that the sound frequency is designed for larger animals since some models are intended to deter insects and so would be no use for cats.

So, to recap, the first priority is to secure your boundary fences. Then you have the whole selection of suggested cat repellents ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets. I would suggest that you try the orange peel and prickly twigs for a start. If you are around when the intruder appears, try the bucket of water or hose. Even if you miss, the shock may be a sufficient deterrent. If these do not do the trick, then you may have to consider the commercial alternatives

Answer 2

why do need a repellent if the cutie kitty isn't doning any thing bad to your property? trust me, my neighbor's cat comes on our property all the time an does not cause any trouble. the cat just comes in and after a while goes home. if your dog likes the cat then obviously the dog sees the cat as no threat to your property.

Answer 3

I was going to say DOGS....until I finished reading your post... I know our cat keeps all the other neighborhood cats away...but then that would involve you getting a cat and it seems like you dislike cats for some reason... you should let the cat keep coming around, he'll keep away other varmints that are much more sinister (ie. RATS)

Answer 4

You could try scaring it. Put your dog on a leash when you see the cat in your yard and then run out with the dog. Probably not a good idea if you have traffic near by.....it might run out in the street.

Answer 5

get some plastic bottles and fill with water, place them around the garden the cat does not like its own reflection thinks its another cat with a wierd shape, usually works,

Answer 6

My dad used to put sliced oranges in his flower beds to keep cats from going in them. The acidic smell of the oranges didn't appeal to them at all, and they stayed away. The downside was that the ants loved the oranges. lol

Answer 7

I bought one from "Petsmart" it was cheap and not harmfull to any animals at all.

I am surprised the dog is not scaring her away...LOL...

Answer 8

moth balls will keep ALL critters away. put a few behind your garage and along the fence.