How To Stop Cats Pooping In Your Garden

While cats are seen by many people as cute, they can be a menace to gardeners in the summer and spring which is why lots of people want to know ‘How to stop cats pooping in your garden’.

Indeed, the top tips included here will answer the question: ‘How to stop cats pooping in your garden naturally’ – and will help bring an end to what might be a problem for your property’s garden.

The issue is that felines tend to lead a carefree life of sleeping and eating and also for relieving themselves where you may not want them to.

Along with the inconvenience, their poop can also damage a local ecosystem and create havoc in gardens.

That’s because cats are carnivores so their faeces will contain pathogens or parasites – the type that is not present when you use herbivore manure.

The big issue is for those gardeners who are growing their own produce to eat so their food may become contaminated.

To help find a solution, this Property Road guide will show you how to effectively and safely stop a cat from pooping in your garden.

Change your environment to prevent cats pooping

Since you invest money, time as well as hard work into creating a garden you are proud of, it may be worth considering changing your environment.

And since you created a garden to enjoy, there’s no reason why they cannot enjoy your labours in a safe and undisturbed way.

One of the most effective ways to stop a cat pooping in your garden is to change the environment.

That’s because kitties prefer soft surfaces such as soft plants and loose soil so you can take steps to make these less attractive.

That means you could cover garden soil with chicken wire or twigs which need to be placed a couple of inches apart throughout any garden beds.

Twigs will effectively prevent cats from using a garden as a toilet so your plants will be undisturbed while growing.

Other prickly garden trimmings, including pinecones, can also be added to the soil around plants.

Among the other items to use are holly tree cuttings, eggshells, and stone mulch.

Change your garden smells and rid your garden of cat poop

As a gardener, you may be regularly pulling up weeds and planting flowers but having to deal with animal poop is an unwanted distraction.

Perhaps the best-known way to stop cats pooping in your garden is to change how your garden smells.

There are some smells that cats really do dislike, so you could plant a few of these in your garden to stop them from pooping there. These plants include:

• Lemon thyme;
• Rosemary;
• Lavender;
• Coleus canina (also known as ‘pee-off’!);
• Pennyroyal (a type of mint);
• Cinnamon;
• Rue;
• Anything with thorns.

You should also consider using fruit peelings because cats hate the smell of citrus fruits, including oranges.

It’s also possible to invest in a commercial repellent because these will imitate the smell of a predator’s urine.

However, you need to ensure that these commercial cat repellents are organic and non-toxic, so no other wildlife are hurt or your plants are damaged.

Be aware though that smells will fade over time so you will need to replenish them regularly.

How to use water to prevent cats pooping

Gardeners and homeowners can also consider water warfare though this is only really practical for your own pet – aiming water at a persistent culprit that belongs to a neighbour, for example, may lead to a falling out.

You should use a mist spray bottle that has been filled with water, and then spray the cat gently with it when you see them using your garden as a bathroom.

While this may appear to be cruel, you need to break the animals association with a particular area.

Indeed, should a cat be selecting the same spot in your garden, you could use eco-friendly soap or water to clean it regularly.

By doing so, you will eradicate the scent of the animal though this may also lead to them using another part of your garden.

You could also consider this water solution:

• Add water to a spray bottle;
• Mix drops of essential oil;
• Apply to your garden.

You can repeat this method as often as you need to replicate the smells that cats don’t like and to prevent them from fouling in your garden.

Under no circumstances should you use poison to prevent pets from pooping in your garden – the humane methods listed here will deliver the results without you seriously hurting a cat and facing prosecution.

Best repellents to stop cats pooping in a garden

Along with natural methods, there are some natural solutions you could consider helping prevent cats from pooping in your garden. These include:

Black cat silhouette

We’ve all seen these black silhouettes that will scare cats with their marble eyes. They also deter birds and repel rodents and foxes – and keep felines away from vegetable patches and flower beds. These black cat silhouettes are weatherproof, decorative, ecological, silent, and are certainly worth considering.

Cat repellent prickle strip

One effective way to prevent pets from digging in your garden as they prepare a toilet area is to consider a flat prickle strip. They also deter birds, foxes, squirrels as well as kitties and they are easy to place in a garden. They are also weather-resistant and can be bent or cut to fit the area you want to protect.

Cat and dog repellent crystals

This article highlights that an effective way to prevent cats from fouling your garden is to use strong scents that they don’t like. This is what the ‘Get off my garden’ cat and dog repellent does and uses jelly-like crystals with a very strong odour. These crystals can be used in all weather conditions on plant beds, around lawns, and on paving.

Motion-activated waterproof cat repellent

If everything else fails, you could consider using a motion-activated waterproof cat repellent. These are easy to fix – you simply stake them into the ground and these battery-operated devices use an ultrasonic motion sensor to detect body heat and movement and then emit a high-frequency noise that irritates a feline.

Humans cannot hear the sound and it can be used in all weathers. It’s also a pricier alternative to the other solutions listed here, but these are an effective and humane way of dealing with cats, and other animals including rodents, squirrels, and dogs, who may be fouling your garden regularly.

Other tips to prevent cats pooping in your garden

As mentioned earlier, if the cat that is fouling your garden belongs to a neighbour, you need to tread carefully because you do not want to upset them.

You also need to consider the health and safety of the cat concerned and you should not intentionally harm or attack directly one that intrudes into your garden.

And while they may be causing you stress because you have to clear up after them, they still deserve respect, but you could consider:

Fencing

You could install a new wooden fence or used chicken wire to block off the spaces where you think the cat is entering your garden. If you have a fence already, you could place something over-the-top of it to prevent it from climbing over, including string or taut wire.

Reflecting light

Not many people know that cats are sensitive to light, and this is a trick you can utilise. You may have seen some people using unwanted CDs on a string that will reflect light when there are strung across a flower bed, fencing, or even a tree. The CD reflects light that will then deter them from pooping in your garden. If you don’t have any unwanted CDs or DVDs, you could use half-filled plastic bottles to reflect light from its surface.

Motion-activated sprinkler

An effective way to prevent cats from pooping in your garden is to use a motion-activated sprinkler. The downside is that these are more expensive than other solutions, but they will fire a burst of water to surprise the feline intruder. It’s an effective and harmless way to prevent a cat from using your garden as a bathroom. It is also easy to install – and can run 24-hours a day.

Invest in a dog or cat

If it isn’t your pet using your garden as a toilet, you could consider investing in a cat – a male will see the garden as his domain and frighten off other animals by using his own urine smell. Dogs also frighten off unwanted cats from entering a garden. The downside to investing in a pet to stop other pets pooping in your garden is that they too need care and affection.

The RSPCA has a useful page on their website offering tips and advice on preventing cats from entering and pooping in your garden humanely.

Offer a peace offering

Alternatively, while this article has looked at how to stop cats pooping in your garden naturally, you could also introduce an outdoor litter tray.

This is considered to be a peace offering because you are coming to terms with the fact a feline has been using your garden as a toilet, so they might as well use something that you can easily clean and there’s no mess in other parts.

Solutions on ‘How to stop cats pooping in your garden’

There’s no doubt that for many homeowners and enthusiastic gardeners, having to deal with cat poo can cause stress and frustration.

However, with one or more of the strategies listed here, you will help create a garden that pets do not want to visit.

If a particular strategy does not work, then try something else, and eventually you’ll have a solution to stop cats pooping in your garden.