Best products to stop cats messing in your garden

How to stop cats pooping in your garden is an ethical dilemma, as the product must be humane. Training cats to poop outside is one of the best ways to avoid using a litter tray; however, sometimes, it can mean bad business even if you are following all the lawn care tips. If you have surrounding neighbours with cats that love to explore or have cats of your own, you may find that they start to use your plants and bushes as their own personal litter tray. Nobody likes that.

Garden projects can take years to tailor, and kitty litter is never something you want to be picking up on top of your best weed-killer and lawnmowing routines. You don't need to get annoyed at these kitty cats, though, because there are some things you can add to your garden that will warn off these pesky intruders.

Black Friday deals to prevent cats pooping in the garden

We interrupt the regularly scheduled content to let you know that although Black Friday is over, there's still time to grab some last chance Black Friday deals on cat deterrents. These are the retailers that still have deals available or keep scrolling to continue reading our buyer’s guide.

Shop the best Black Friday cat repellent deals: Amazon UK | Argos | Homebase | Robert Dyas | Pets at Home | Viovet | B&Q

10% off: The Big Cheese Cat and Dog Scatter Granules WAS £8.99, NOW £8.14
14% off: Medipaq Garden Scare Cat with Reflective Marble Eyes WAS £10.50, NOW £9.05
18% off: KOEPUO Ultrasonic Cat Scarer WAS £16.99, NOW £13.99
Save £10.50: Rentokil Pestfree Cat and Fox Deterrent WAS £35, NOW £24.50
12% off: The Big Cheese Jet Spray Pond and Garden Protector WAS £27.90, NOW £24.60

If you're struggling with unwanted cats in your garden, there are some easy remedies you can use to deter them. These include natural deterrent scents, repellent pellets, sprinklers, sound devices and grounding that's uncomfortable for cats' paws. Just remember, according to Cats Protection the Animal Welfare Act 2006 gives cats the legal right to roam in your garden. Using a deterrent that causes harm to an animal is an illegal offence, therefore, it's essential to use a humane deterrent.

So with all of this in mind, we've found the best things on the market right now to stop cats pooping in your garden. And if you'd like our top tips on deterring cats from your garden scroll to the FAQs below.

How to stop cats pooping in garden at a glance

• Best motion-activated cat repellent: Pestbye Motion Activated Cat Repellent - View on Amazon UK
• Best plant to deter cats: Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' - View offer on Crocus
• Best mega-sonic cat repeller: Defenders Mega-Sonic Cat Repeller - View offer on Amazon UK

Best cat repellent products to stop them pooping in your garden

Our Verdict: best product to stop cats pooping in your garden

Ideal for large gardens, the Pestbye Motion Activated Cat Repellent gives wide coverage and is cheap enough to buy multiple devices to cover every angle. This sound-based deterrent has five sensitivity modes and works in all weathers. This cat scarer particularly impressed us because it relies on solar power rather than mains or standard batteries. In addition, it can be mounted anywhere around the garden, including walls, which makes it a lot more flexible than deterrents that require a water source.

FAQs:

Best five ways to deter cats from your garden

Here are some of our top tips:

Natural deterrent scents: Cats have an amazing sense of smell and citrus, lavender, peppermint, and cinnamon are particularly uncomfortable for cats. If you start to plant some of these scents (invest in a lavender plant!) it will naturally warn them off.

Repellent pellets: If the natural scents don't work, you can get a similar option through repellents, pellets, and granules. Don't worry, they're humane and all you need to do is shake them all across your garden.

Motion-detection sprinklers: As it says in the name, investing in some sprinklers that are motion-detected will simply give any naughty trespassers an unexpected squirt of water when it senses them on your lawn. Easy and efficient.

Sound-motion detectors: These detectors will spot any movement and let out a high-pitched sound inaudible to humans to deter any kitties. They're slightly smaller than the sprinklers so may be a better option if you want something unnoticeable.

Uncomfortable grounding: If all your plants and flowers are feeling the brunt of cats coming into your garden, you can secure off the area with a different grounding. Using things like chicken wire or twigs around your plants will make it hard for cats to walk on and will stop them from going there for some relief.

How do I keep cats out of my garden?

There are natural ways to stop cats from coming into your garden. Firstly, don't get into the habit of feeding neighbourhood cats. Also, make sure lids on bins are secure to contain smells and food waste that cats might find appetising. Keep bird food off the ground to make it difficult for cats to stalk bird prey.

In terms of planting, strong-smelling plants like lavender is unpleasant to cats. Leaving orange or lemon peels out will also deter them as they dislike the smell of citrus. High fences will also make it more difficult for cats to enter your garden. Closely planted shrubs or placing twigs and branches between plants will make it difficult for cats to walk over flower beds. Also, wire mesh can be used to keep cats off delicate borders. Surfaces that are uncomfortable to walk on, such as gravel or even crushed eggshells will keep cats off flower beds too.

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Caitlin Casey is a Senior Writer for Modern Gardens, heat, Closer, and Grazia. She covers shopping, women’s lifestyle, popular culture as well as all things trending.