How can I stop cats from digging up my garden?

Question

Ive tried cat repellants bought from B&Q but they seem to love it

Answer 1

Cats dislike many smells - as others have offered this concept.

I buy cheap mothballs, less than £1, and put these around the affected areas. Clear away any of their mess first, so their smell is diminished too. Maybe wash down with some weakly diluted detergent.

You can break a few mothballs up, plus leave some whole ones around the affected parts, as well as near entry points. I've heard Tea Tree oil works, as someone suggested, but this may wash away - if it ever rains! Mothballs are quite enduring.

Don't plant Catnip - cats love it, and you'll get them even more!

But, there are some plants that cats don't like, such as the herb Rue - Ruta graveolens, as well as

Coleus canina - This plant really works, my neighbours use it.
I found this online offer for them-check validity 3 for £6.95 -
http://www.guardianoffers.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/Guardian/EASWGP055
http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/2131/1 Good prices.
Or check local nurseries.

Please don't harm animals, whether stray or otherwise. This is cruel and illegal.

Good luck! Rob

Answer 2

Cats like messing in soft soil and will always use that in preference to any other. When you chop your roses back, or any other prickly bush, spread a few twigs around the soft soil areas and they can't dig. Works every time. Just renew when the old ones are dry. Most repellants don't work after a day or two but you only have to use this method every few weeks.

Answer 3

Plant Merigolds at the corners of your garden. The colors of the merigolds distract all animals and they have a strong smell that animals do not like. Some of the remidies like pepper does not work. Think about it, chances are you have some peppers growing in your garden and the cats are still getting into it and digging it up. Trust me, I work at a greenhouse and all florist would probabally recommend planting merigolds at the corners of your garden. If you are still unsure, visit these sources that I am listing.

One other way is if you have an indoor cat, dump its cat litter box in the proxidity of your garden. That way, other cats will not go around your garden because they will think that it is another cats turf.

Answer 4

plant some lemon balm or get some orange oil & spray the area you don't want them in once a day. (the orange oil mix is 50% water, 50% orange oil. you can find orange oil online or in the cleaning section of your hardware store). the orange oil won't hurt your plants & it is pet safe. cats don't like citrus & citrus smells & they'll avoid the area if there is a citrus smell. (you can also cut up citrus rind & sprinkle it around the garden at the base of the plants & cover it a little w/ mulch. it will take it a while to decompose but it's good for the plants edit: as someone else pointed out, there are pepper sprays you can spray on your plants & in the general area once a day (& after rains) that will cause the cats to avoid the area. it doesn't hurt your plants if you spray it on them. & since you aren't spraying it on the cats it's not cruel (I just prefer the orange oil because it smells nicer & I like citrus smells.) and the person who suggested spraying dog piss is also correct. there are products available for you to spray around the perimeter of your yard that smell like a predator's urine (dog, coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, etc) that will cause the cats to avoid the area.

Answer 5

Orange peel can work. Also something I have done with my cats to stop them doing various things, scratching furniture, jumping on kitchen work tops etc..... get a mist spray like that used for misting houseplants with water and gently squirt them every time you see them committing the crime! They come to associate the action with getting an unpleasant misting so stop doing it! Takes time and effort but definitely works!

Good luck

Answer 6

scatter orange peel on the area - they can't stand the smell of it. We have 3 cats and it works to keep them off parts of the garden

Answer 7

I may have the answer - tea tree oil - my cats hate it! Dilute it in a spray bottle (probably 1 part oil to 10 parts water to start with - stronger if it doesn't work). You can buy it for around £1.49 here, might be cheaper for you. Its very healthy too, your plants may thrive!

Answer 8

I've found an accurate squirt from one of those super-soaker water pistols does the trick without permanent damage. Cats get extremely p*ssed off when they're soaked & they soon get the message.

Answer 9

thats a hard one all i do with my own cats if i catch them digging somewhere i just trow a little bit of water at them and after a while they get the message. mine are fine now.

Answer 10

Lay plastic lemonade bottles on their side filled with tap water around your garden, the old wives tale behind this is cats see their reflection and think its a resident cat and take off...... Worth a try!!!