How Do I Keep Cats Away From My Yard And Off My Property.

First of all have you observed the cats to see why they are coming into your yard. Are they finding a food or water source in your yard. If they are tearing into garbage bags and eating from there you'll need to remove this food source. You need containers with lids to keep the garbage bags from being torn into. If the feral cats are eating from your pets food then you'll have to remove the food as soon as your pet or pets have finished eating.

You can if you wish provide a designated area of your yard for cats by planting a bed of cat nip plants off in one corner of your yard. But don't plant catnip unless you want cats there.

One of the best things to keep cats out of the yard is to cover the tops of all your flower or vegetable beds with chicken wire. Cats can not stand walking on the chicken wire and will avoid it. You can use wire snips to cut holes where you want holes for plants. When you need to add more mulch or etc just do it in the late fall after most of your out door plants have been killed by frost. You can then place the chicken wire back on the top of the bed and keep away the cats.

Water is the ultimate weapon you can use against cats. Cats despise water and getting wet so just purchase a super soaker water gun or two and every time you see a cat let them have it. And if that doesn't work buy some of the scarecrow sprinklers that turn on when movement is detected.

You would never believe how fast cats can move when the water comes on all at once. It won't be long before the cats will feel very unwelcome in your yard. You can check out the scare crow sprinklers just below there. You can also try plastic barn owls and rubber snakes but you'll have to move the owls or the snakes about once a week or so or the cat will catch on that the owl or snake isn't real.

You can also use plants like the scaredy cat plant which there is a picture of below along with a link to check out more information about this plant. Other plants that cats don't like include rue, lavender, and pennyroyal. Most of the plants that keep away cats will also keep away dogs and deer. You can also toss moth balls up under buildings or along fence rows but know that small children should also be kept away from moth balls as moth balls are poison. You can also use cayenne pepper flakes, and bone meal fertilizer. You will also find commercial products sold that are supposed to keep cats, rabbits and deer away. Just be sure to read what any of these products contain. Be sure that you read and pay careful attention to any warnings. Also keep in mind that mothballs are toxic. But you should be safe putting them under buildings as no human should be up under buildings. Moth balls will also keep away rodents and snakes.

You can use small stone mulch in your flower and vegetable beds because cats don't like having to dig through rock or other hard substances and they will go to places where it is easier to dig. Another great mulch that will keep cats away is pine cones.

You will now also find ultra sound devices that give off a sound that humans can't hear but cats can and it will chase them out of your yard or garden. These devices work very well and will keep the cats away. As the device is motion activated it will come on and scare away the cat or cats when they come onto your property.

If you have a lot of feral cats you can call your local humane society or animal control and ask them if they know what to do about your feral cat problem. They may come and set traps for the feral cats. I happen to like cats so I always ask what will happen to the cat or cats once they are caught in the live traps. I would not let them set the traps if the cat or cats were going to be destroyed once captured. I would have to look for other solutions.

In my garden I learned that the cats showed up usually right around day break so I set my sprinklers to come on right at day light and it really helped to keep the cats away. I have since purchased the scarecrow sprinklers and they will even chase deer out of your garden or yard.

I myself have also had great success with a heavy duty super soaker water gun I purchased. I just set quietly in the edge of my yard and soak down any cat that comes on my property. Water works better than anything to keep cats away. They hate water and getting wet worse than anything. Once you soak down a cat once or twice it won't be back. I set up one of the scarecrow sprinklers right beside where I park my vehicles and I rarely if ever have any cat tracks on my vehicles.

But you also need to think like a cat. Why is the cat coming on your property. Is it coming for food or water. If you have a outside pond that the cats are using as a water source and you don't want the cats there install either a motion activated ultra sound device or one of the scarecrow sprinklers and before you know it the cats will stay away. After all they are not dumb animals and they learn where they are welcome and where they are not. Be sure any and all trash put outside is stored only in tightly covered containers that cats can't get in. If you feed your pets outside remove the food once your pets have eaten. Most of the ideals used on this page will also keep raccoons and Possums out of your yard. Always keep in mind that food is one of the biggest reasons cats and other animals will come into your yard for. So practice keeping your yard and garden free of any food source and your garbage tightly covered and your cat problems should go away quickly.

I hope you find the information on this Hub Page helpful and if you have any questions feel free to post them. Thanks for taking the time to read my Hub Page on, " How To Keep Cats Away From My Yard".