How to Keep My Cat from Using the Garden as a Litter Box

Your garden should be a place of serenity where you can reap the rewards of the months of hard work it took to grow some beautiful flowers or delectable vegetables. Unfortunately if you have an outdoor cat, he or she may choose to use your garden as its own personal litter box. If you want to keep your garden free of your cat's own person brand of fertilizer, there are ways to deter it once and for all.

Things You'll Need

  • Chicken wire
  • Citrus fruit
  • Catnip
  • Garden hose
  • Lavender
  • Rosemary
  • Rue
  • Coleus canina
  • Fence
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a layer of chicken wire on the top of the soil in your garden. Cats naturally scratch and claw at the ground before they void, so they will be less likely to do so if they cannot perform this ritual.

    • 2

      Cut up several pieces of citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons and place them all over your garden. Cats are naturally deterred by this smell, and will stay away from the garden.

    • 3

      Place catnip in other areas of your lawn. This will attract to cats to this area and away from your garden.

    • 4

      Spray your cat lightly with a garden hose. Cats do not enjoy getting wet and they will eventually begin to associate entering the garden with getting wet. Do not spray the cat directly in the face. This could cause a violent reaction.

    • 5

      Plant lavender, rosemary, rue, or Coleus canina, also called the "scaredy-cat plant," in your garden. These are all natural cat deterrents and will be a lovely addition to your garden as well.

    • 6

      Install a fence around the garden. Make sure that the fence is high enough so your cat can not simply jump over it.