This is some kind of cat chaos! Before I had time to prepare the bed for winter garlic, the neighbor’s cats immediately got into the habit and set up a public toilet there for themselves. Of course, this has happened before. I didn’t know what to do if a cat shits in the garden beds. I had to look for ways to solve the problem on the Internet. Perhaps someone has a similar situation, so I decided to share with you what ways it is possible to ward off the neighbor’s cats and preserve the beds and plantings on them.
How to keep cats away from your property
Nowadays, agents are used that irritate the sense of smell of tailed animals. Among the special preparations sold in specialized veterinary pharmacies and pet stores, spray preparations are used: Antigadin, Anti-cat, etc. They spray fences and beds with them. Their only drawback is that the preparations are quickly washed off by rain, which is why re-treatment is required every time after rain. The drugs are not cheap and many people may not like this method.
Cats are animals that walk on their own. It may make sense to direct them in the “right” direction, luring them with their favorite scents, for example, valerian. Select a small piece of land, away from your beds, and water it with diluted valerian tincture. You can plant valerian, cats will be happy to go there.
Smells to avoid
We have already found out that cats have a completely different sense of smell. It is stronger and more sensitive. In addition, cats have more irritable mucous membranes, which can cause unpleasant consequences - burns . And if all the smells listed above simply scare cats away, then there are those that can harm their fragile health. You should not use such smells to scare them away, because it is much easier to buy tangerines than to then spend large sums on a veterinarian.
Dirty tray
Smells are repellent.
But this is not always useful. If you don’t want to scare your cat away from her litter box, which you have worked so hard to get used to, you should always clean it thoroughly. These clean animals will simply never go near a dirty tray. But they can easily find another place for themselves - in slippers, in a corner or under the bed.
And it will be difficult to wean from this, even with constant punishment - the cat will simply look for another place for its business.
Alcohol
The smell of strong alcohol or alcohol irritates your cat's nose. And over time, it generally dulls the sensitivity of the receptors, which is why the animal’s sense of smell will significantly deteriorate. If you do not want this, as well as irritation of your pet’s nervous system, it is better not to try to scare off the cat with the smell of cognac. And especially not to poke it under her nose for the sake of interest.
Household chemicals
Sensitivity has both pros and cons. Of the minuses, for example, you can notice that the permissible concentration of harmful substances for a cat is much lower than for a person.
If you do not want to harm your pet, you should not use:
- acetone;
- colognes;
- perfume;
- soap;
- deodorants;
- bleach;
- and other strong-smelling harmful substances.
Folk remedies
Strong odors scare off uninvited guests; to do this, scatter and spray plants on the beds where seedlings are planted or the bed has just been dug up. Use:
- Finely chopped fresh citrus peels (orange, tangerine, lemon). You can cut fresh lemon into small pieces and scatter them over the beds;
- Use essential oils instead of citrus fruits. Apply essential oil of any citrus fruit, bergamot, fir, eucalyptus, cinnamon, peppermint to small pieces of fabric or sticks and place them along the beds. A small bottle will last you a long time;
- Sprinkle dry mustard and finely chopped dry bay leaves around the perimeter of the bed;
- Scatter fresh geranium (pelargonium) leaves over the ground;
- Cats cannot tolerate the strong smell of vinegar and ammonia. Apply the product to pieces of fabric and place them in the beds. Once a week, “renew” the scent;
- The smells of fresh garlic and onions repel. Peel them, chop them finely, scatter them on the garden bed;
- Sprinkle ground red and black pepper over the soil.
There are other folk methods of protecting garden lands from uninvited guests.
- Place spruce branches, dry branches of raspberries, gooseberries, and barberries on top of the plantings. The branches are prickly, and the cats’ paws are tender; once they get pricked, the cats won’t go there the next time;
- The beds where carrots, beets, parsley, etc. are sown, are covered on top with film, burlap, sponbond;
- Plant marigolds around the perimeter of the beds; their pungent smell will also scare away cats. In addition, marigolds will protect plantings from insect pests;
Cats love dry and loose soil. Soil that is abundantly watered is unlikely to attract cats to relieve themselves in the garden beds.
And although cats cause a lot of trouble in the garden, we still love them very much because they catch rodents, make the house more comfortable with them, and treat us. There is such a section of therapy - felinotherapy - treatment with cats. Follow the link and you will find out how cats help us heal.
I wish you success!
“Trouble” caused by a cat in the garden/dacha
A cat is a freedom-loving and playful animal that is very difficult to train.
Cats love everything new; they are especially attracted to exploring territories. Therefore, if your neighbors have a furry pet, then soon expect a “guest” in your garden. Don’t underestimate the problems that can arise when a cat appears on your property:
- Cats love to mark their “territory” and the neighbor’s garden definitely falls under this concept. Male cats use not only urine for these purposes, but also a special secretion, which, when it gets on garden plants and fruits and vegetables, simply burns them. In addition, they love to sharpen their claws on tree trunks, which causes them harm.
- Cats go to the toilet not only on the territory of their home, but also at their neighbors’ and also leave peculiar “marks” in the garden/vegetable garden in the form of holes dug in the ground.
Cats can cause a lot of trouble for garden owners
- Since a cat is a predatory animal by nature, it very often hunts mice and birds on its territory. And if getting rid of rodents is salvation for gardeners, then many, on the contrary, try to attract birds into their gardens. And cats can not only destroy them, but also proudly bring their half-dead prey home.
- Cats love to soak up the sun and very often choose flower beds and garden plants as a place to “relax,” eventually simply breaking them.
Types of repellers
Water devices can be used to repel cats in your yard. They are not suitable for the home, as they wet not only the uninvited guest, but also furniture, carpets, walls, and appliances. Ultrasound can be used to drive away cats both indoors and outdoors. But aerosol repellers are not suitable for open spaces (the smell quickly “dissolves” in the air); sprays are best used to limit cats’ access to rooms.
Water repellers
Such devices are sprinklers (water sprinklers). But unlike garden devices that turn on regularly and are intended for watering lawns and beds, repellers begin to accurately emit jets of water when motion sensors are triggered.
An example of a water repeller is Scare Crow. The device costs from 4800 rubles. The range is up to 10 meters. The sensor detects movement and sends a signal to the sprinkler, which is connected to a hose with water. The jet under strong pressure, moving from side to side, frightens a cat that has wandered into someone else's territory and forces it to hide.
The battery used is a 9 V battery, which is designed for 1000 sensor activations
The repeller works not only on cats. A device like Scare Crow is effective against raccoons, foxes, stray dogs, crows and other animals and birds. As a rule, after 1-2 “wet” attacks, the guest remembers that an unpleasant water procedure awaits him here, and no longer makes attempts to get into someone else’s yard.
Ultrasonic repellers
These devices, when triggered by a motion sensor, begin to emit sound at a high frequency. The human ear does not perceive it, but animals hear it well, and it is unpleasant for them. Ultrasonic repellers are suitable for the interior of houses, apartments, and for protecting yards. They protect not only from cats and stray dogs, they are also effective against rodents - mice, rats, moles.
Grad Duos S is an American model suitable for repelling animals less than 5 kg. The device's two speakers generate ultrasound, which is not perceptible to humans. For the animal, the sounds produced are perceived as a sudden clap of thunder. The cat hears acoustic signals at a distance of up to 20 meters. The price of the device is from 2900 rubles.
The device weighs only 120 grams and can be mounted on a wall or an inclined surface - for example, a door slope or an external cornice.
Weitech WK0055 is another example of an ultrasonic repeller. Cats do not like sound emitted with a frequency below 20 kilohertz (humans cannot hear it). Also affects rodents, foxes, small dogs, pigeons, crows. The device scans the space at a distance of 16 meters and with a coverage angle of 90° - as soon as an animal enters the zone, a sound signal is immediately triggered. The device stops “screaming” only when the animal leaves the area covered by the sensor. The advantage of the repeller is that it does not work from the mains, but from batteries, so it can be placed in any part of the apartment, house, or yard. Weitech WK0055 price - from 3500 rub.
The device has a durable, water-permeable body that is not afraid of rain, snow, sunlight and dust
Aerosol repellers
Deodorizing spray works by emitting a liquid with an unpleasant odor for the cat. It can be manual (when a person needs to “aim” at the animal and press the dispenser or treat surfaces) and automatic (the sensor detects the movement, transmits a signal to the sprayer and it sprays the uninvited guest with an aerosol).
An example of a simple repellent aerosol is BioVax. They can be used to treat rooms or individual pieces of furniture, flowers, wires so that the cat does not approach them. The base is essential oils of orange, cinnamon and pepper. The smell is quite persistent (one spray lasts for 3-4 days), but it is strong only for the first 30-40 minutes, then it becomes barely noticeable to humans, but the cat will continue to feel it.
This aerosol repeller costs from 150 rubles
Effective help
In some regions it is not possible to obtain an ultrasound device.
All that remains is to try all the listed methods in the hope that one of them will be effective. If the situation gets out of control, and the neighbor’s pets don’t want to leave you alone, you need to use something that scares cats away from your summer cottage with a 100% guarantee. Today there are a huge number of products on the market that are marketed as cat repellents. Some are designed for indoor use, others for outdoor use. There are two main forms of these products: granules and aerosol. The second one shows itself best if you need to solve the problem of cat litter in the apartment. The spray is sprayed in places chosen as a toilet. In other words, you will have to spray everything except the tray. This form is not very convenient for a garden, although some walk around the perimeter every day and cultivate bushes and hedges. But it would be better to use granular formulations. They create a longer lasting effect and are easier to use. Simply scatter the granules around the perimeter of the garden and beds, as well as in places that cats have already eyed as a toilet.
It's worth fighting
Many summer residents refuse to think about how to keep dogs away from their property, feeling sorry for the unfortunate animals. However, they should remember that stray flocks are dangerous for both people and pets. Moreover, the harm caused to homeless animals can be different.
In the first place, of course, are bodily injuries. Aggressive tramps sometimes attack completely spontaneously. At least for no apparent reason. And if a domestic dog is controlled by its owner (albeit often not fully), then a stray dog is uncontrollable. And his aggression is fueled by mental disorders - and they appear in the animal after a few months, or maximum after two years of homeless life. Dog attacks result in serious injuries.
Stray flocks cause no less harm to health. And everyone – from birds to humans. Even mice become infected with worms, rabies, and lichen, spreading the infection throughout the home. And skin diseases spread directly - they can be obtained by petting a sick dog (which kids love to do) or by contact with an object that he touched.
So you need to ward off someone else’s dog as quickly as possible, while there is not much chance of contracting an infection. And you need to do this before she attacks your Bobik or Murka.
