If possible, keep your trash in a more secure location indoors to keep cats (and other pests, like raccoons) from poking around for food. If you have a garage, that’s the perfect spot for your trash! Domesticated outdoor cats and feral cats like to roam through yards looking for food, mates, and places to use the bathroom. If you are having trouble with unwanted cats, see if you can spot a pattern with where the cats are hanging out in your yard. There may be something you’re overlooking in your yard!
If you have an existing fence with a flat top where cats can balance themselves, staple or tape some aluminum foil or plastic wrap to the top so cats won’t hang out up there. [4] X Research source
Since the hose line will freeze, you can’t use these sprinklers in the winter. Luckily, if you set them out in the spring or summer, the cats should have plenty of time to learn that they don’t want to hang out in your yard. As the cats keep getting sprayed, they’ll become conditioned to stay away from your home.
You can buy these products online or see if they’re available at big box home improvement stores. These devices do tend to be a little more expensive than the other options out there. The good news is that these devices may also keep other pests out of your yard as well!
The downsides here may seem obvious, but a lot of these products don’t smell particularly great. You do need to reapply them roughly every week and after any heavy rains. [8] X Research source If you don’t feel like spraying all around your yard periodically, there are granular versions of these products that resemble little stones. You just sprinkle them into your soil. [9] X Research source
Plastic carpet runners, with those little soft spikes on the bottom, are another great solution. Just keep them with the spike-side up and cover them lightly in soil at the threshold to your yard. [11] X Research source
Metal ribbon, sheet metal, and bubble wrap may work for this as well. This is an especially good option if you have a tall fence and you know the cats are sneaking in through an entrance to your yard, since you can just lay down a few layers of foil around that entrance.
If you come across any plants marketed as “pee-off” or “scardey-cat,” these are the same thing as coleus canina. [13] X Research source These plants are also occasionally labeled plectranthus caninus. [14] X Research source
Wet coffee grounds will have a similar effect. On top of that, coffee grounds make great compost if you’ve got a garden going![15] X Research source If you sprinkle pepper around or you make a pepper-based spray, you’ll need to reapply it whenever it rains.
Grapefruit rinds are another solid option if you don’t tend to go through a lot of lemons, oranges, or limes. [17] X Trustworthy Source University of Vermont Department of Plant and Soil Science Plant and Soil Department at University of Vermont’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Go to source
Citronella is another oil that cats tend to dislike. This is a great option if you want to keep bugs out at the same time![18] X Research source You’ll also need to reapply these oils whenever it rains. The good news is that it doesn’t take much of these oils to keep cats out.
