Stray cats in a garden can be a problem.
If you are having a problem with stray cats in your garden, there are a few tricks you can use to keep them out. First off, try to make sure there are no gaps in your fence where a cat can squeeze through. However, as cats can jump or climb fences or trees next to a fence, just plugging the gaps won’t necessarily stop them. You could also invest in string or taut wire across the top. Someone in Australia has developed a roller bar to place on top of fences. As the cat jumps onto it, it rolls and the cat loses its balance. Doing this a few times will discourage all but the most determined cat from trying again.
It is a well-known fact that cats don’t like water. There are a few ways you can put this to good use. You could try using a water pistol or spray bottle if you are close by, or you could try turning the hose on them. Most local hardware stores sell motion activated sprinklers. This is a little more expensive, but it doesn’t require you to actually be in your yard with the cats. These sprinklers will detect the cat’s movement and automatically turn on. It shouldn’t take long before the strays get the message. An added advantage of using motion activated sprinklers is that your garden is automatically watered for you. However, this could end up costing you in excess water bills and use up a precious resource.
There are also many devices available that send out high frequency sounds undetectable by human ears. These are designed to deter animals (cats, dogs, mice, rats etc) from coming within range. It’s a bit like you hearing a screeching noise. You’d want to move away from that I’m sure. Just make sure that whatever type you buy is strong enough to cover your garden area. Again, you can find models that only work when they detect motion so you are not always sending out that high pitched noise.
Many people choose to keep a dogs as a deterrent, simply because cats are known to to be frightened of dogs. This is fine if you want to have a dog as a pet but possibly overkill if you are only trying to keep the neighborhood cats out!
Protecting your plants is a different story though there are some tricks that you can use. Try sprinkling mothballs around your plants or borders. You can even sprinkle some along the fence or on your lawn. Cats don’t like that smell.
Just make sure than no young children could pick them up and eat them. There are many other repellents that you can use as well such as cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, lavender oil, citronella oil, mustard oil, and even lemon grass oil. Why not try sprinkling some curry or mustard powder around the plants. Of course you need to replace this after watering or rain. Experiment and see what works best for you.
You can also use commercial repellents as well though these will be more expensive than what you can find in your pantry. Commercial repellents also use scents to keep cats away, and shouldn’t be used near any food crops because of their high chemical content. You can probably find several varieties at your local department store. Many of these will fend off other animals from your garden as well. Please, if you are using chemical repellants, make sure young children won’t be exposed to them or possibly eat them. All chemical products can be lethal for young children. Try to find natural repellants in your hardware store.
Why not invest in *Kingdom of Pets: Complete Cat Training. You can learn more about ways to prevent stray cats coming into your garden plus a lot more as well. I’m sure it will become a well used resource.
If you have a garden, it can be very frustrating if the neighborhood cats and other animals decide to make your garden their home and fight with your own cat. Remember it will take some time to train these intruders to stay away. But if you stick with it, you can prevent them from hassling your cat or messing in your garden or crops.
Cats are wonderful creatures and bring much joy to their owners – from small children to the elderly living on their own. They quickly become part of our family, in fact they think they own us! However, there are times when they have a problem that can’t be resolved immediately, when we, as responsible owners, need some advice.
Cat Problems Resolved contains a growing library of articles on various problems that I or others have had with our cats or kittens. Some of the more common problems are listed below.
Cat Psychology or Understanding Your Cat
It can be very hard for us humans to understand just what goes on in our cat’s mind. They seem to remain a mystery and this is exactly what the cat wants. Because they can be totally independent and even solitary, they are hard to ‘read’. Cat Psychology is like trying to understand the human mind without being able to ask questions.
Normally a cat hiss is a defensive reaction. You may have moved suddenly and your cat is frightened by this so it hisses. A loud or unexpected noise will often produce a hiss. Sometimes children may have played too roughly. You need to understand why cats hiss and what to do about it so everyone remains safe.
If Your Cat Is Not Eating or Drinking
There can be many reasons why your cat won’t eat or drink. The first thing I would check is to make sure she isn’t sick. If your cat has been vomiting or regurgitating its food, a trip to the vet is advised. If a medical reason has been ruled out, you need to investigate further to find out why your cat doesn’t want to eat or drink. Find out some of the common causes as to why your cat is not eating or drinking.
Older cats, just like us, can run into incontinence problems. If we are female and have had children, these problems can be embarrassing. It is harder for cats when they face incontinence problems. Because cats are such fastidious creatures, they are highly embarrassed. They feel they have ‘let the family down’ and will even withdraw from being around them. You need to find the reason your cat has incontinence so you can treat it properly.
Walking Dandruff is a very contagious skin condition and is passed from cat to cat. It can also spread to humans. The symptoms are severe itching and scaling or flaking of the skin. You might wonder if your cat has dandruff, hence the name walking dandruff and if you do see this, a trip to the vet is advisable.
Cat Urinating Problems – Does Your Cat Urinate in the Wrong Place?
Cat urine problems and sometimes constipation seems to be something that many cat owners face at one time or another. It could be that your cat is no longer using the litter box or, if your cat usually goes outside, it is now urinating inside for some reason. This can become quite unpleasant quickly if allowed to continue. Follow these easy tips to stop your cat urinating where it shouldn’t.
There seems to be an epidemic of cat ear mites at the moment judging on the number of questions I’m asked about them. You need to be able to recognize cat ear mites and how to go about treating them. Find out here.
Cat Urinating Problems – Is Your Cat Having Trouble Passing Urine?
There are a number of ailments that are shared by cats and humans and problems urinating is one of them. These are usually caused by urinary tract infections. If you have ever had a UTI you will know just how painful they can be. Left untreated, they can become serious for your cat. If your cat has problem urinating, read this article to find out what to do.
Remember, if you have specific questions or problems, leave a comment and I will answer them personally.
