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Sometimes Cats and Gardens Don't Mix
You've probably spent a lot of time growing and maintaining your garden and the last thing you need is a cat in there digging around using your garden as its own personal litter box. Below are some tips on how to keep your feline friend out of the garden.
The very first thing you can do when trying to keep cats out of your garden is to make sure that you have your garden boundaries secure. If there are any gaps in your fence (if you use one), you should make sure that you block them to prevent any low access. Cats are very agile animals, and can jump very high. Normally they can jump a fence, which is why you should also invest in string or taut wire across the top.
If a cat has found his way into your garden, it may be hard to get him out. Some people choose to employ the use of a dog, simply because dogs are known to dislike cats. There are several dog breeds out there that completely dislike cats, such as pit bulls and Dobermans. Cats are fearful of these breeds, and will flee if they see them around. Just remember, it may not be fair to fido to chain him up in the garden all day just to scare off a cat.
Cats are known to hate water as well. If you spy a cat in your garden, water almost always will get him out. All it takes is a bucket of water or a well aimed squirt with a garden hose to make him think twice about using your garden as his litter box. I have known the real dedicated cat chaser to keep a toy water gun nearby, fully filled for any cat problems.
Protecting your plants can be a different story. Mothballs are said to be very effective, as cats don't like the smell. You can use mothballs around your plants, garden borders, or even along the fence. There are other repellents that you can use as well, such as cayenne peppers, tobacco, lavender oil, citronella oil, mustard oil, and even lemon grass oil.
If you visit your local hardware or lawn store, you can find motion activated sprinklers. They work great in keeping cats out of your garden. Once you install the sprinkler system and a cat comes into the area, the detector will pick up the cat's presence and immediately shoot out a jet of water that will douse the cat. In most cases, all it takes is a few times of exposure to the sprinkler before a cat learns to stay out of that area.
Sound devices that feature high frequencies are also a great way to scare off cats, although they aren't annoying to humans. You can find several different models, such as those that stay on all the time, and those that are motion detected. To use this type of device, you'll need to make sure that the model you have is strong enough to cover the entire area. If you model you are using is strong enough to cover your entire garden, it should suffice in scaring off any unwanted animals.
You can also try commercial repellents. Commercial repellents use scents to keep cats away, and shouldn't be used near any food crops. Due to their high chemical content, commercial repellents can pollute the garden foods that you might eat. You can find them at your local hardware store, with several varieties to choose from, many of which will fend off other animals from your garden as well.
If you have a garden, it can be very annoying if cats and other animals decide to make your garden their home. If you stick to your guns and do your part, you can prevent them from bothering your garden or your crops. Once you have secured your boundaries around the garden, you should try using water first or a fence. If that doesn't seem to work, you can look into the other methods I have mentioned in this article.
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