How to Keep Cats Away From Your House
While some homeowners welcome and enjoy caring for stray cats, others would prefer to keep them away, for several good reasons: cats can aggravate allergies, dig up dirt in the yard and destroy gardens. Cats feed on birds and vermin, which can discourage and upset birdwatchers and disturb or embarrass homeowners if carcasses are left around. Cats can also become a major burden if they use a yard as their breeding grounds. Ron Smith of the North Dakota State University Extension Service and Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont recommend several safe solutions for repelling cats. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hose
- Motion-detecting sprinkler
- Concrete-reinforcing wire
- Eucalyptus or anise oil or cat repellent
- Lavender
- Rue
- Geranium
- Absinthe
- Lemon thyme
- Crushed pepper
- Mustard powder
- Flour
- Tea leaves
- Predator baffle
Instructions
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Spray cats with a hose whenever you see them in your yard, or set up a motion-detecting sprinkler which sprays them when they enter your yard. Since most cats hate water, they run away once they get wet.
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Lay concrete-reinforcing wire across entry points to your yard, garden or wherever you don't want cats. For added reinforcement, spray the wire with eucalyptus or anise oil or a commercial cat-repelling product. Cats don't like the texture of the reinforcing wire on their paws, and the smells of the sprays also keep them away.
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3
Plant lavender, rue, geraniums, absinthe or lemon thyme in your garden. These plants are known to keep cats away. Avoid planting catnip or spider plants in your yard, as these plants attract cats.
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4
Mix two parts crushed pepper with three parts mustard powder and five parts flour. Spread the cat-repelling mixture in your yard wherever you don't want cats to tread. Spreading tea leaves around has the same effect.
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5
Install a predator baffle around birdhouses and feeders to keep cats away from birds.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
