7 Ways to Keep Your Cat from Turning Your Garden into a Litter Box

If your cat, or even worse, a stranger's cat, is pooping in your garden, in your flowers, or on your lawn, and you'd like it to stop once and for all, there are at least a few ways that can effectively help you do so.

In this article we will present only such ways that will not harm cats and that you can easily prepare yourself based on what you have at home. Here are our suggestions:

The first thing you should do is get rid of the feces already there. Cats are hypersensitive to odors, so before you try to do anything else, make sure that you have removed everything that the cat in question has left behind so far when she pooped. Cats tend to poop in the same place where the smell of previous feces lingers. As long as you don't change this, cats will come back to answer the call of nature again and again...

For various reasons, cats have been known to dislike the scents of several common plants. These include:

● common rue

● lavender

● mint

● lemon thyme

● calendula

● geranium

● thorny roses

● Coleus canina (this plant is even called ‘a cat repellent’)

If you plant the above plants in strategic locations in your garden, you can be sure that it will be much less likely to be visited by cats, and possibly even eliminate the problem you are experiencing altogether.

You can make a simple spray that will repel cats. For this you will need:

● one teaspoon of cayenne pepper;

● one teaspoon of cinnamon;

● a single teaspoon of mustard;

● a crushed clove of garlic;

● 3 drops of lemon essential oil;

● water;

Put the cayenne pepper, cinnamon and mustard in a spray bottle, then add the garlic clove and essential oil. Shake the bottle to mix them together, then fill it with water. Shake it well to combine all the ingredients. The spray that you have prepared will effectively repel cats not only from your garden, but also from any other areas where you do not wish them to appear.

Another way to prevent cats from pooping in your garden is to use the right essential oil. Just a few drops at a time can keep cats away for a long time. Essential oils that cats don't like include:

● lavender

● peppermint

● lemongrass

● orange

● grapefruit

● lime

● citronella

Another way is to use citrus fruit peels. Cats definitely don't like the smell of these fruits, so even their peels are an excellent deterrent. Scatter them around your garden, in strategic places, and you should quickly notice a change for the better. It's also worth remembering that citrus peels are also great for deterring squirrels from potted plants.

This method will work especially well for cats that are familiar with your presence. Simply use the hair you leave on your brush when combing yourself and scatter it around the perimeter of your garden and in strategic places. If you don't have enough hair, those belonging to other family members work just as well. And as a last resort, you can ask your hairdresser to pick up the rest of your hair at your next haircut. Or even other people's hair.

The last method that is definitely worth mentioning is coffee grounds. Sprinkle them along the perimeter of your flower beds or scatter them between your plants and soon your cat poop problem will be solved. If you want to boost the deterrent potential of this method, add a dash of cayenne pepper to the grounds. With this mix, no cat will want to come into your garden to take care of their needs.