Cats in the Garden

Neighborhood cats can be a problem in your garden. It’s almost impossible to keep them out once they have marked it as their territory. Here are a few tips that might help:

Wet down the areas that they use—cats don’t like soggy soil. Add cayenne pepper and black pepper to the wet areas

Put up barriers, especially in the back of flower beds. Use big rocks to make the space too tight for them to move around. Eliminate space by allowing plants to grow large.

Create smelly and prickly areas; cats dislike the citrus smells. If you mulch your beds, add a layer of orange potpourri--one that has lots of prickly dried flowers and dried orange peels. Or use fresh orange or lemon peels from the kitchen. Using pinecones may help detract cats, as they tend to be prickly.

Install a motion detector irrigation system—just don’t let yourself get soaked.

While cats are wonderful animals, you can make your garden less appealing for them…be sure not to plant any catnip!

The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.

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This page updated:  August 6, 2007