Keep cats from pooping in my yard

How to Keep Cats from Pooping in My Yard

Finding cat poop in your yard isn’t a pleasant experience. The last thing you want is to host an outdoor gathering and have one of your guests step in cat excrement. So in this article, we’ll do a deep dive and discuss ways you can keep cats from pooping in your yard.

Scents Cats Hate

Orange cat on grass
  • Scatter either orange or lemon peels throughout your yard. Cats do not like the smell of citrus and will stay out of your yard. You can also use coffee grounds, lavender oil, or cayenne pepper.
  • You can also use citrus essential oils as a spray. Take a spray bottle and pour in one cup of water. Then add approximately fifteen drops of citrus essential oil. You need to spray lightly all over your yard, not just where you have found the cat poop.
  • Cats dislike the smell from. Spread a little tobacco around your yard to keep the cats away. This works exceptionally well if cats are pooping in your garden.
  • Mix a solution of half water and half vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray lightly all over your yard. Cats will stay away from this smell. You will need to continue spraying a couple of times each month.
  • Use enzymatic products to clean your yard thoroughly. This will eliminate any tempting scents or pheromones that may be attracting the cat.
  • Spread crushed red pepper around your yard. It is essential to do this every time it has stopped raining.
  • Cats dislike the scent of rue. Planting some rue will keep the cats away. Although this plant is poisonous to cats, they will not chew or eat it.
  • Purchase some lion dung online. This will keep cats away because they will believe there is a large predator nearby.
  • Go to your local gardening center and purchase an outdoor repellent. Cats dislike the smell and will stay away. Use the spray for smaller areas and granules for larger areas. When the cats eventually return, repeat this procedure.
  • You can also use pellets, but you will have to place them more often. Pellets are more effective for smaller areas in your yard.
  • There are commercial granular and powder repellents with the scent of a predator’s urine. Most of these repellents are organic and safe for your pets and children. The cat will stay away because they are afraid of the predator.

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  • There are specific plants that will naturally repel cats. This includes lavender, garlic, geranium, and lemon verbena. Plant them along your fence line and near your porches and decks.
  • If the poop is always at the base of your trees, surround your trees with wood chips. You can find a decorative border at your local garden shop to keep the wood chips in place. Cats do not like the feel of these chips under their feet.
  • The ultimate cat deterrent is a plant called Coleus Canina. Although this plant will keep cats away, it smells. Make sure you plant it away from the areas you and your family use for relaxation.
  • Ammonia has a similar smell to animal urine. Fill small glass containers with ammonia and place them around your yard. This will keep the cat away. You will need to fill the containers as they become low. Secure them by partially burying them in the dirt.

Home-Made Recipes to Keep Stray Cats Away

Cat near the fence

You can find a large assortment of cat repellents online you can make at home. Make sure to look at the reviews to ensure you’re using a recipe that works.

3 of the Most Effective Recipes

  1. Mix two cups of water with two teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, one cup of lemon, lime, tangerine or orange peels and three drops of dishwashing liquid with a lemon fragrance
  2. Three-quarters of a cup of water and twenty drops of citronella oil
  3. Mix one teaspoon of cinnamon, dry mustard, black pepper, four drops of citrus essential oil, one crushed clove of garlic and two cups of water

Placing Items to Repel Cats

  • Plant a few prickly bushes where you’re finding the cat poop. Cats do not like thorny bushes and will stay away.
  • Mulch your garden. Cats do not like the texture of big pieces of mulch. This also covers any dirt. A lot of cats will use soil as a litter box. Cover your soil, and the cats will stay away.
  • Place chicken wire with an outward slant on the top of your fence. The cats will still be able to climb your fence, but they will not be able to get over the chicken wire.
  • Cat proof fencing is expensive. If you can afford to have it installed, the cat will no longer be able to get into your yard.
  • Install a roll bar on top of your fence. When the cat tries to jump over the bar, it will spin. This will force the cat to jump onto the ground on the other side.
  • If the cat poop is confined to a specific area, place a carpet runner upside-down in this area. Sprinkle soil lightly over the runner. Cats do not like nubby surfaces and will leave your yard.
  • You can protect your plants and flowers by covering the surrounding soil with either rocks or pinecones.
  • Install water or ultrasonic motion detectors on your yard. A sensor is activated when a cat walks into your yard. This will either spray water over the area or use an ultrasonic sound you will be unable to hear. Both will keep the cats away.
  • Install a sprinkler system with a motion detector. Your sprinkler system will engage when there is a cat in your yard. The water will scare away the cat. After getting wet a few time, the cat will not come back.
  • If you are finding cat poop on the same plants, put spiked mats around them. These mats have little plastic spikes, which your cat won’t like, and which is safe.
  • Getting a dog will keep cats away. Cats do not like the sound of a dog barking. They will also realize a larger animal is living in the area.
  • Purchase an ultrasonic, automated scarecrow for your yard. You will not be able to hear this wavelength, but cats can. The device emits an extremely loud frequency that will disturb cats. Most of these devices run on a nine-volt battery.

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  • Purchase an infra-red sprinkler. This uses a spinning head activated by heat as opposed to motion. The device will sense heat from the cat and spray them with water. You can hook the device up to your outdoor water source.

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  • Purchase a stand in the shape of an animal with large glowing eyes. There are stands available with eyes made from a material that will reflect light or solar-powered devices using electricity to light up the eyes.

Contact the Authorities or the Owners

Orange tabby cat sitting on pavement

Research the leash laws for your county or city. The majority of areas have a leash law. This provides you with the authority necessary to contact the proper authorities. Animal control will come to pick up the cat.

Look to see if the cat is wearing a collar. Most collars have a tag with the phone number of the owner or the veterinarian. This will provide you with a way to contact the owner.

If the cat does not have a collar, watch where the cat goes when they leave your yard. If there does not appear to be a home, the cat is most likely a stray. Contact the proper authorities.

Speak with the owner about the cat poop. Numerous individuals will be understanding and take action willingly. If the owner refuses to do anything, tell them there is a leash law. Call animal control as a last resort.

Ask animal control to set traps in your yard. Once the cat has been caught, they will be given to the animal shelter. If the owner does not claim the cat, they will be put up for adoption.

If you know the cat belongs to one of your neighbors, speak with your other neighbors to see if they are having the same issue. Approaching the owner of the cat as a group may have a more significant impact than going alone.

Creating a Small Cat-Friendly Area in Your Yard

You can stop cats from pooping all over your yard by providing them with their little area.

Place a small pile of sand in your chosen area. You can attract the cat to this area by planting catnip or mint around the sand. You will have to clean up the poop regularly if you choose this method.

Most cats adore the sun. Choose an area that gets a lot of sun during the day. Spreading fine mulch over the area will also attract cats.

You can also plant wheat berries, oat grass, lemongrass, flax or barley grass to attract cats to this area.

Protect Your Yard from Cats: Consider these First

The cat may be entering your yard due to the smell of food. You can help prevent this by feeding your pets inside and making certain the lids on your trash cans are tightly closed.

Place any bird feeders well off the ground in an area the cat cannot reach. Hose down the area with the cat poop to remove the smell of the poop and any urine. The cat may be marking what they believe is their territory.

Throw away or store any boxes or general clutter in your yard. This can attract mice. If the cat senses mice, they will continue to come back to your yard.

Take an empty can and fill it using gravel or dried beans. Use strong tape to seal the opening shut. When you see the cat, shake the can. The noise will scare them. Repetitiveness will cause the cat to stay away.

Gently spray the cat with your hose every time you see them in your yard. Most cats do not like water and will stay away.

If you have a house cat that has not been spayed or neutered, the cat may be attracted to their scent. If at all possible, have your indoor cat fixed.

If the cat is friendly, pick them up before they can poop and place them in another spot. If you can do this a few times, the cat may stay away.

Use boards to cover up any openings in your garage, deck, patio, shed, or beneath your porch. The cat may be looking for shelter or for a place to have their kittens.

Spray the cat with a heavy-duty water sprayer every time you see them in your yard. The cat will run away. After a few times, the cat will not return.

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Conclusion

Keep grey cat from pooping in yard

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on practically every way imaginable to keep cats out of your yard, and other undesirable places. We love cats here, and I’m sure you do too, but not all cats play by the same rules. Some are unruly, dig through our trash, and, well, treat our private properly like toilets.

By safely applying what you’ve learned here you can regain control of your yard.

QUOTE:
"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."
-- Terry Pratchett

1 thought on “How to Keep Cats from Pooping in My Yard”

  1. We don’t mind the stray kitties and we often feed them. We don’t like that they use the entire yard as a toilet. If we spray ammonia around, will it hurt the grass? Will it keep the kitties away or just keep them from pooping and peeing on the grass?

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