Table of contents
- Cats drive away with water
- water gun
- water bottles
- Cats drive away with smells
- pepper and chili
- citrus scents
- Vinegar
- Cinammon
- cloves or clove oil
- mint oil
- banana peels
- coffee grounds
- More home remedies to keep cats away
- Piss off plant
- mulching
- cat food
Although cats are among the most popular pets, they are not always welcome in your own garden. If you want to keep the velvet paws away from your home green, you may think primarily of a cat fright. However, there are also much cheaper alternatives, because a number of home remedies have also proven to be effective against cats. Below you will find a list of various home remedies and how they work.
Cats drive away with water
Most cats are averse to water and downright afraid of water. It is precisely this fear of the cool water that hobby gardeners can use to keep unwanted velvet paws out of the garden. There are different methods for doing this:
water gun
Anyone who is frequently visited by cats and regularly catches them in the act is well advised to use a water gun. Of course, this should be a conventional spray gun and not a water pump gun with a pressure booster. Because the aim is not to possibly hurt the cat, but merely to frighten it and keep it away.
- Advantage: mostly effective
- Disadvantage: requires presence
Tip:
It can happen that the cat cannot be kept away with a splash of water. This requires some patience and repetition.
water bottles
An alternative to the water gun is a water bottle, which can be used in two ways. On the one hand, it can be filled with water and then set up unclosed. With a bit of luck, the cat will knock it over as it passes by, frightening it. Alternatively, the bottle can be filled with water and then placed in the chosen area. Because many cats are afraid of the reflection, which is why a CD is also suitable for keeping cats away.
- Advantage: inexpensive
- Disadvantage: not always effective
Cats drive away with smells
Cats have a strong sense of smell and about three times as many olfactory cells as humans. The sense of smell helps the fur noses, among other things, in orientation and in recognizing other dogs. If you want to drive the velvet paws out of the garden, you can make use of their sense of smell. Because cats don't like a lot of rumors and avoid them accordingly.
pepper and chili
Sharp smells like pepper and chili are much too strong for a cat's nose. The smell of onions, ginger and garlic has also been shown to be effective against cats. As a rule, even the smallest amounts are sufficient to keep the velvet paws away from the bed. However, it should be noted that the effect is lost with the next rain. If you have a sandbox in your garden, you can simply mix in ground pepper or chili.
- Advantage: Almost everyone has pepper and co at home
- Disadvantage: Effect does not last long
citrus scents
The smell of lemons and oranges is particularly intense and cats usually perceive it as too strong. If you want to keep the velvet paws away with citrus scents, you can distribute sliced oranges or lemons in the bed. Grated orange or lemon peel and essential oils with a citrus scent are also suitable. However, it should be borne in mind that the effect does not last long outdoors. Alternatively, of course, a citrus plant can be planted in the garden.
- Advantage: inexpensive
- Disadvantage: only works to a limited extent outdoors
Vinegar
Vinegar has the same effect as citrus scents and is generally avoided by cats. The same applies to the disadvantages, because the vinegar smell also dissipates relatively quickly outdoors. However, with vinegar there is also a high acid content, which could damage the plants in the bed. If you want to use vinegar in the garden, you should do so primarily in the patio area.
- Advantage: very effective
- Disadvantage: may damage plants and soil
Cinammon
Many people find the smell of cinnamon particularly pleasant. With cats, however, the opposite is usually the case, because the velvet paws avoid the spicy smell. If you want to keep the furry noses away with cinnamon, simply place some cinnamon sticks in the appropriate places. Don't forget: outdoors, the scent dissipates relatively quickly and the cinnamon sticks have to be laid out again after the next rain at the latest.
- Advantage: pleasant smell
- Disadvantage: Limited effect outdoors
cloves or clove oil
The scent of cloves has also been shown to be effective against cats. To do this, whole cloves are simply stuck into the substrate, just as it is done with fertilizer sticks. Alternatively, some clove oil can be mixed into the irrigation water and the affected areas irrigated with it.
- Advantage: also keeps ants away
- Disadvantage: Toxic to cats in large quantities
mint oil
Mint also smells too strong for many cats, which is why they tend to avoid such areas. To keep the fur noses away with mint oil, you only have to mix a few drops into the irrigation water. The appropriate areas are then watered with the mixture. The same applies here: After rain, the mixture must be applied again.
- Advantage: pleasant smell
- Disadvantage: only partially effective outdoors
banana peels
Most people don't perceive the smell of banana peels as particularly strong. The situation is different with cats, because the smell of bananas is too strong for them. It is therefore worth not disposing of the banana peels in the compost, but laying them out in the bed. It is best to place them under leaf ornamental perennials, because this way they are least noticeable.
- Advantage: suitable as fertilizer
- Disadvantage: can look ugly
Tip:
Banana peels can also be dried and stored. It is important that the bowls are not kept in closed containers, otherwise there is a risk of mold.
coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are a natural fertilizer for many home gardeners, but they also keep cats away. But not only velvet paws avoid this smell, because ants and snails also avoid coffee grounds. However, those who enjoy the home remedy are earthworms, because they are really attracted by it. This in turn is beneficial for the plants in the bed, because earthworms loosen the soil.
- Advantage: natural fertilizer
- Disadvantage: only suitable for coffee drinkers
Tip:
Cats don't like coffee grounds either dry or wet.
More home remedies to keep cats away
You don't always have to raid the kitchen to find effective home remedies for cats. Because certain plants and care work can also ensure that the velvet paws make a detour around your own garden.
Piss off plant
The Piss-You-Plant hides nothing other than the harbor shrub. The plant is relatively small with a growth height of around 40 centimeters, but extremely effective against cats. Because the nettles of the harbor shrub contain essential oils such as menthol. Most cats find these annoying, which is why they avoid the area around the harbor shrub.
- Advantage: Plant is descriptive
- Disadvantage: usually several plants required
mulching
Mulching is an integral part of the care routine for most hobby gardeners. Because mulching not only helps to regulate the temperature of the soil, but also reduces moisture loss from the soil. On top of that, the mulch layer supplies the plants with important nutrients and at the same time inhibits weeds. Nice side effect: bark mulch also keeps many cats away.
- Advantage: long-lasting, organic fertilizer
- Disadvantage: can attract snails
cat food
Laying out cat food may sound misleading at first, after all, the four-legged friends are more attracted to the food than driven away. However, if you are constantly annoyed by cat droppings in the flower bed, cat food is a good idea. As a rule, cats keep their feeding place clean and do not defecate there.
- Advantage: effective against cat feces
- Disadvantage: is more suitable for cat owners
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