A clear plastic bottle filled with water, placed on the ground, has been highlighted as the “easiest and cheapest” way to stop cats from pooing in your garden, according to gardener Roger Crookes, who shares tips on his YouTube channel.
Cats are legally permitted to roam into other people's gardens or allotments, and while they can occasionally help gardeners battling pest problems with large insects or rodents, it is reasonable for gardeners to want to protect their flowers and plants from feline visitors.
Gardener's three-part method that stopped working
In his mission to stop cats fouling beside his prized garden plants, Crookes first tried removing the faeces, replacing the smell with a strong-smelling plant called the scaredy-cat plant, and putting down small thorny twigs on the ground.
Officially named Coleus caninus, the scaredy-cat plant is an herb from the mint family with green leaves and blue and purple spire flowers, similar to lavender. It is said to deter cats because of a smell cats find unpleasant. Cats also prefer soft, loose soil and avoid prickly surfaces, making thorny twigs a deterrent.
Crookes noted that this three-part method worked for a while, then became ineffective. He repeated the process another time, and “unfortunately, they came back”.
The bottle of water hack
Then Crookes remembered a hack involving an old clear plastic bottle filled with water, placed on the ground near areas where cats tend to do their business.
He said, “So I just put the bottle of water down; that was five weeks ago, maybe six weeks ago. Haven’t seen a cat since. Don’t know why it worked or how it works, but it does seem to work.”
One user in the comments section claimed that this bottle trick “keeps the cats away”, as felines are left “frightened by the mirror effect” the bottle of water gives off.
Other deterrents for cats
Ultrasonic repellents can be effective. Strategically placed, they sense when an animal is in the area, emit a high-pitched sound only audible to animals, and flash a light, spooking the cat.
Citrus peels, such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit, are also said to turn cats away with their sharp smell. Toss the peels around raised beds and plantings, but they decompose and lose potency quickly, so they need frequent replacement.
Cats avoid rough ground and plastic fencing or chicken wire around garden beds, as they dislike the feeling of mesh under their feet. They also stay away from gravel and areas covered in stones and pebbles.
