How to Keep Cats Away

Cats can make great pets and be welcome company in or around the home. However, in some cases, having a stray cat or too many cats around your house can be a nuisance. If you have too many cats around your house or one bothersome one, using some simple techniques can help keep them away and let you reclaim your territory.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Taking Away Food And Shelter

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    Keep trash secured. Often times, stray cats will be attracted to your property in search of food. Although unappealing to humans, any trash or old garbage that a cat can find might be an attractive source of food. Always keep your trash bins secure to prevent cats from using them as a food source.[1]
    • Make sure the lid to your trash bin is secure and fits tightly.
    • Always make sure that all garbage is placed inside a secure trash bin.
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    Talk with your neighbors. If you have an issue with stray cats on your property, talking with your neighbor can help to resolve that issue. Talking with your neighbor can help you discover the reasons for your cat troubles and allow you to begin solving them together. Work with your neighbors to solve your stray cat problems.
    • If there are many cats in your neighborhood, work with your neighbors to make your neighborhood unappealing to cats.
    • Your neighbor may be leaving trash or other food sources for cats outside. Ask your neighbor if they can help reduce the problem of stray cats by keeping any trash secure and by not feeding the strays.
    • Ask your neighbor to look for and seal up any potential shelter that the stray cats might be using. They may have an old barn or open porch that the stray cats are using as shelter.
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    Block any access points to shelter. Like all animals, cats need shelter, and they can be attracted to your property as they look for this shelter. By blocking off any access points to sheltered areas you can help make your property look less attractive to any stray cats that might be passing by.[2]
    • Fence off any areas below a porch or deck.
    • Make sure any holes or narrow gaps in your house or garage are sealed up.
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    Use fencing around problem areas. If you notice any specific areas that a cat is causing problems in you can try putting up fencing to keep the cat out. Fencing can be difficult for a cat to climb over or under and can help keep them out of these problem areas.[3]
    • Try using chicken wire for an affordable and easy to build fence.
    • Free standing fences should be angled outwards to make it difficult for the cat to climb over.
    • Fence off any gardens that a cat might want to use as a litter box.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using Repellents

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    Install motion activated sprinklers. Cats have a serious dislike of water and will try to avoid getting wet. If you place motion activated sprinklers or running water features in your yard cats may be deterred from entering your yard in the first place.[4]
    • Motion activated sprinklers will spray water whenever a cat gets near, scaring it off.
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    Make use of ultrasonic devices. Ultrasonic devices emit a sound that is beyond the range of human hearing. However, cats are able to hear the tone and dislike it, causing them to avoid your yard. Try using an ultrasonic deterrent to keep stray cats off of your property.[5]
    • Place the ultrasonic devices near problem areas such as gardens or the usual places you catch the cats trespassing.
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    Protect flower and plant beds. Cats are likely to treat your plant or flower beds as litter boxes. This can cause problems for your garden, destroying any plants you may be trying to grow. Protecting your flower beds and gardens can help keep cats out and save your plants.[6]
    • You can install chicken wire over the gardens surface or just underneath the dirt.
    • Add pine cones, stone mulch, or ceder mulch to make the garden uncomfortable for a cat.
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    Apply commercial cat repellents. Commercial cat repellents work by leaving a scent that cats dislike around your property. You can purchase and apply commercial cat repellents to make your yard smell unappealing to any cats that might be passing through.
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    Try using natural scents to repel cats. If you are uncomfortable using commercial scent repellents you can try to use natural or homemade repellents. Try applying some of the following natural repellents around your house to keep cats away from your property. [7]
    • Lavender.
    • Citronella.
    • Citrus spray.
    • Garlic.
    • Dog urine.
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Expert Q&A
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  • Question
    Can vinegar keep cats away?
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Veterinarian
    Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Veterinarian
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    Vinegar might keep cats away, but you should use something stronger if you want to deter all cats.
  • Question
    How do you get rid of cats in your yard?
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Veterinarian
    Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Veterinarian
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    There are many ways to get rid of cats in the yard, but motion activated sprinklers work well for repelling nuisance cats.
  • Question
    Do moth balls repel cats?
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Veterinarian
    Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
    Veterinarian
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    The smell of moth balls can repel cats if you'r in an enclosed area, but outside moth balls probably won't work very well.
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.alleycat.org/Deterrents
  2. ↑ http://www.alleycat.org/Deterrents
  3. ↑ http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/catdeterrents.aspx
  4. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/keeping-cats-out-your-yard
  5. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/keeping-cats-out-your-yard
  6. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/keeping-cats-out-your-yard
  7. ↑ https://multcopets.org/keeping-cats-out-gardens

About This Article

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Co-authored by:
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 698,798 times.
52 votes - 63%
Co-authors: 16
Updated: March 29, 2019
Views: 698,798
Categories: Repelling Cats
Article SummaryX

To keep cats away, make sure your outdoor trash cans have tight lids on them to prevent strays from sniffing around the area. Block off any access points around your house where cats might try to take shelter, such as below a porch or deck. You can also implement harmless but effective deterrents like motion-activated sprinkler systems, ultra-sonic devices, and commercial cat repellent sprays to keep cats out of your space! For more tips on natural cat repellents, read on!

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