How to get rid of neighbors cats in my yard

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Cats may look cuddly and harmless, but they can cause undesirable problems when they choose to make your yard their lunch spot or playground. There are various reasons why you would want to keep cats away from your yard. For one, Stray cats are usually unkempt; that is they lack proper vaccinations and can bring fleas, harmful poop,  and other issues that can affect your pets. One of the biggest issues is wandering stray cats because they can cause havoc with your pets.

When your cats interact with cats that wander around, this may pose a problem to your cats and even to you. The feces of those cats can contain harmful microorganisms which could cause harm to your pets and yourself,  so you would want to know how to keep them away from your yard as much as possible.

Cats can also cause havoc to your yard when you’re not home. They can poop, destroy your plants, dig holes, scratch fences, and torment your cats. This is an ugly situation as it can be very stressful and annoying dealing with these little creatures. At other times, these wandering cats may want to establish a permanent home in your yard.

These are just some of the reasons why you would want to keep cats away from your yard. And of course, there is also the personal discretion as you may just not be interested in cats (even if you are interested in keeping a cat, trust me you don’t want to keep wandering cats). So, for many reasons you need to learn how to keep cats out of your yard. Below, you will be guided on various ways to do that.

1. Use cat repellents -This is a way of using repellent scent to drive away cats from your yard. This technology uses the scents of predators to drive the cats away. It deceives them into believing that a predator is around and so they will be scared away from your surroundings. You can purchase these cat repellents online or you should see them at pet stores.   There is something to note here. You should be careful with the toxicity of the repellent you decide to choose. If you have other pets or, perhaps, you have children around, then it would be good to choose a repellent that is not toxic. Here’s a cat repellent spray on Amazon with decent reviews

2. Utilize cat-repelling plants -These unique plants give off an odor that cats just hate. One plant called pennyroyal is a very effective plant for keeping cats out of your yard. This plant gives a smell that cats detest. Another plant that cats hate is lavender. When these plants are planted in your yard, then cats will most likely skip your yard and go somewhere else. You can plant these plants alongside other plants or you can plant them solely. These plants will even act as beautification, perhaps, for your surroundings. In case the plants are disturbed at the initial stage while growing, then use chicken wire to cover the plants so that they will be nurtured to grow and perform as needed

3. Use ultrasonic instruments -Another strong way on how to keep cats out of your yard is to use Ultrasonic instruments. Some effective ultrasonic devices can be used to scare off cats, these devices emit a small but piercing sound that can only be heard by cats and will not affect humans. These devices can be set in a way that they will be activated only when they detect the movement. A device like this will deter cats from playing around in your yard. Just ensure that you properly install this device in a strategic area of your garden. They can also come in handy for other kinds of animals as the ultrasonic sound can deter other animals like squirrels and rodents. Here’s a good ultrasound instrument with a flashlight on Amazon

Related Article: How To Get Rid Of Dogs in Your Yard

4. Put food in your trash can– Cats will be attracted to remains of food that’s in your yard. So, you will want to trash any type of food particles around your yard. This means that you will have to control the outdoor eating experience that you so much enjoy. Also, the smell of food is even enough to attract cats to your yard, so be aware of this if you like to grill. We are not saying don’t eat outside, just understand that if you leave any food particles in your yard then you make yourself an issue target for cats. You can also prevent food from being in your yard by feeding your other pets inside the house.   Moreover, your outside trashcans will also need to be largely kept away from food remains. You would not want to pour anything which would attract cats into your bin. The cats may be very disruptive in this regard as they may tend to scatter the bin and even drop the wastes on the ground. They would do this while trying to pick foods from the bin.

5. Keep female cats away– another way to keep wandering cats away from your yard is not to allow your female cats to play around your yard when they’re in heat. A male cat can pick up the scent of a female cat in heat from miles away, so it’s best to keep them inside around this time. Another thing is that continued interaction of such cats with your cats might pose a health threat. Bacteria and viruses could be passed on to your cat and much more could happen as a result of this.  When a female cat is spotted in your yard, male cats are almost sure to come around to mate with them. To also prevent this, get your female cats spayed.

6. Keep sandboxes away -Cats are attracted to sand because they use it to excrete their feces. Hence, put away any sandboxes whenever they are not used. Also, using sandboxes that have been littered by cats’ feces is dangerous as this will pose for the transfer of harmful microorganisms. Largely, children who play in the sandbox are at risk the most. Another even more harmful threat is when cats use those sandboxes as a resting place, your children would be susceptible to diseases.   Another way that would be discussed in detail later is to plant chicken wire around your sandboxes. Make sure the wires are so tight that it will prevent those wandering cats from getting into the sand.

7. Keep away birds feeders– Using any kind of bird feeder can attract cats to your yard. So if you plan on feeding birds in your back or front yard, we recommending placing your bird feeder in a tree or just get rid of it altogether. Many cats are attracted to bird food and will most likely try to make a habit of coming in your yard for a free snack. So, ensure to keep them away from the reach of cats.

8. Block all access that allows entry for cats – Apart from ensuring that food droppings are not found in your yard, you should also make sure that your yard does not have holes that can allow cats to creep in. When you discover a hole where cats enter through, then try to block it as best as you can by filling the hole with rocks, concrete, or wood.  Although cats can jump, they generally won’t venture into a concealed yard.

9. Let your neighbors know— You may need to let your neighbors know that you dislike cats in your yard. This is especially necessary if you know that they have cats. Also, your neighbors may not have cats but rather have means by which cats come to your yards. This is a big issue to tackle. However, you can protect your yard by taking- preventative measures. Moreover, you may need to let your neighbors know the measures to take in preventing cats from their surroundings. Suggest methods which are not costly or task for them. At other times, you may even need to go a step further by sacrificing your money to buy the necessary cat repellent equipment for your neighbors.

10. Drive cats away with sprinklers – Most cats hate water, so using a sprinkler will be one of your best weapons.  When you wet their bodies, they tend to flee rapidly. So, you can get a water sprinkler and set it so that you’d target cats that come wandering your yard. You can also get an automatic water sprinkler which you can set at designated places so that they spray the bodies of the cats whenever they wander into your yard. Here’s a great motion detection sprinkler with many reviews on Amazon

11. Call Animal Control– Let animal control come to your rescue when you know that you’ve tried all means to avoid cats. You don’t have to try all the different options before calling them. Just remember they can get rid of a cat, but they can’t keep them from coming into your yard.   animal control personnel will use methods that are accepted to remove cats from your yards. These are methods that you can use but you wouldn’t want to trespass the law so the need to alert authorities instead. The authorities can use traps or other means to remove cats from your yards.

12. Use a wire-You can use a wire fence to drive away cats from your yard. There are various kinds of wire you can employ. You can use an electric wire or you can choose to use chicken wire. An electric wire will cover a wide range of areas and serve a wider purpose. A chicken wire, on the other hand, can be very useful for your plants.  Some plants may need protection and chicken wires will help you protect them. Just place it around the plant. Also, you can use chicken wires to protect sandboxes or other cat attractions.

13. Keep mice out of your yard – Another way to attract cats to your yard is to keep away prey that cats love to eat such as mice. You can achieve this by ensuring maximum clearing of your yard. Any dirt or food that might attract such mice should be kept away to consequently drive cats away. Here’s a highly effective ultrasonic mice repellent on Amazon

14. Prevent cats from digging under your fence.  Cats can sure dig. Hence, you should also prevent digging in your yard by using special mats. When you do this, cats will not be able to dig the. Also, you can use small rocks which would make it unable for cats to dig the ground. Here’s a good Scat mat on Amazon

15. Keep your trash away– Let your trash be located away from your yard in case you can’t keep food particles away from your bin, then you should place it in a location that is far away from your yard where you know that your yard will not be disturbed in case cats invade the bin.

16. Wash away their scents -Cats tend to have a favorite place. They would have passed urine or left their scent in such an area. Therefore, try to wash away all these. Make sure you wash them well so that no remnants will remain. When you do this, cats will be automatically notified that they are not wanted in that place.

17. Analyze the cats -One thing to note is to analyze the behavior of those cats. Try to understand the reason why you think they are coming into your yard. Is it because of the food droppings? Is it because of female cats? These questions are what you need to provide solutions to so that you can curtail the cats as a whole. This will make you focus and will prevent you from spending a lot to control the wandering cats.

18. Alternate the methods-The methods mentioned above should be used alternately to ensure effectiveness. You wouldn’t let your cat get used to a method. Also, some methods are good for different places. Therefore, try different technological methods or different preventive methods to efficiently curb the invasion of cats.