Cats are magnificent creatures. Still, it’s frustrating when they use our garden as a toilet, when they dig into the borders and when they prey on each other. Some come here to walk out of curiosity, while others seek to mate or hunt. Whatever the reason for their visit, find a way to show them that the garden is not the place to poop. In our article, you will find out how to avoid cat droppings in the garden. We will also give you valuable advice on how to permanently remove the unpleasant smell of excrement.
Are cats invading your garden?
Water the soil regularly
You really don’t want cat poop in your floor? This is completely normal, especially if you are growing edibles. Be aware that cats do not like damp earth. So, keep your soil well watered to prevent them defecating in your garden and crushing your plants. According to the latest research, cats prefer dry, loose soil, mulch and compost. Take this fact into account when organizing the space in your garden and choosing your plants. For example, you can find a container with a good seal for your compost or favor plants that like humidity.
Wet floor against cats
Install an automatic sprayer
Designed for outdoor use, water repellents are a humane way to deter cats from coming to your garden. Safe and effective, they gently project water jets for a few seconds in the general direction of the animal. Cats hate water, it’s a well-known fact, so they’ll leave on the first spurt.
In addition, this automatic sprayer is very easy to install. Just hook it up to a standard garden hose and turn it on. It won’t spray water until the sensor is activated, which means you won’t waste water.
Cats don’t like water!
Want to see the cats run away?
Use an olfactory repellent
Cats are sensitive to odors in general. There are, however, a few aromatics they hate. These are accessible products that you certainly have in your kitchen. Put the lemon or orange peel, cayenne pepper and coffee grounds in the garden. Essential oils are also very effective. Try, for example, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil. You can either sprinkle drops directly on the floor or soak a cotton ball and place it at entry points. One sniff is enough to save you from cats.
Lemon peel can repel cats
Another good idea is to grow coleus canina in your garden. Marketed under the names Pee-off and Scaredy-cat, this plant gives off a pungent odor that is known to repel cats and other invasive animals.
Well, you have figured out how to avoid cat droppings in the garden. But what would you do with the droppings that are already there? They probably spread an unpleasant odor that attracts cats to always poop in the same place. Take the following steps to get rid of that stench fast!
Remove cat droppings
The only benefit of the bad smell is that it will help you quickly locate feces in order to pick them up and dispose of them. They can even be buried in the garden. You can collect them using a plastic bag which you can then seal and throw in the trash outside the house.
Rinse the area
Once the solid feces have been removed, spray the area with a hose to dilute the remaining waste. The water will help get rid of the smell, so rinse the smelly area well. Continue until you no longer smell poop.
Rinse the garden thoroughly!
Clean the area
After rinsing the entire water area, it’s time to clean it. To do this, put on a pair of cleaning gloves, grab a scrub brush, and fill a bucket with soapy water. Use the brush to scrub concrete, furniture and other dirty surfaces. Although the problem is the smell of poo, there is probably urine in the area as well. These may be marks of territory. Brushing will therefore eliminate all this so that the area becomes a cat-free zone again.
Standard soap is usually sufficient for this step, but you can choose a cleanser depending on the type of area to be cleaned.
Neutralize remaining odor
Does the bad smell persist? We offer you a last cleaning step that will neutralize it permanently! There are products that eliminate outdoor odors that are specifically designed to fight pet odors (including feces, urine, and vomit). Otherwise, you can use white vinegar diluted in pure water. The proper ratio is 1:2.
White vinegar – a natural cleanser
Sources:
House Beautiful
Tuxedo Cat
