Cats can tear up a flower bed if they are given free rein. While some cats don’t seem to care much about flower beds, others seem to hone in on them and can do plenty of damage.
Luckily, there are quite a few ways to keep cats out of flower beds and prevent them from using your flower beds as a personal litter box. Most of these options are quite easy and accessible – they just take a bit of foresight and planning.
Furthermore, the methods we list below are humane and won’t harm your cat. They’ll just make the flower beds a not-so-fun place for your feline to be!
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.
Motion Sprinkler
One of the most certain ways to keep a cat out of a flower bed is to install motion sprinklers. These sprinklers stay off most of the time, but when they sense motion, they switch on. If your cat wanders over to the flower bed, it’ll get exposed to a cold spray.
Since cats don’t like water, this method is quite effective. It only takes a time or two before the cats realize that they should avoid the flowers. Plus, water doesn’t hurt flowers, so it won’t harm your garden at all.
Hot Pepper Spray
Hot pepper spray is a commercial deterrent that smells spicy—a scent that felines typically do not like very much. You can also make this spray yourself at home out of peppers. However, commercial options also contain wax, which helps them stick better to the surrounding surfaces.
Of course, this spray won’t harm your flowers or the cat. It just makes the area smell quite bad to a feline’s sensitive nose, hopefully keeping them away.
Bitter Apple
This type of commercial spray only works if your cat likes to munch on your flowers. It is a taste deterrent. Therefore, it doesn’t really work unless your cat tastes it.
While this method won’t work all the time, it does work sometimes depending on your cat and what they’re up to in the garden.
You can find this spray online and in many pet stores. It’s a common method to keep cats from eating things they shouldn’t be.
Stinky Plants
There are several plants that cats just don’t like the smell of. When felines are presented with these smelly plants, they typically avoid them at all costs. There are many different plants that fall into this category. For example, many cats do not like the smell of lavender and will stay away as much as possible.
Any plant with strong-smelling foliage, like Russian sage, can also deter cats.
Simply plant these plants around and in your flower beds to ensure that the fragrance is in the area. Hopefully, the stinky plants should keep any cats at bay.
Plant a Cat Garden
Some cats are so drawn to plants that simply deterring them from your garden won’t work. Instead, you also need to provide them with an alternative garden that they can frolic around in. In this case, we recommend planting a cat garden made with completely safe plants.
For instance, cat grass, catmint, and pansies are all great options. Cats love these plants, and they should help keep them away from the other plants in your garden. Preferably, you should plant these away from whatever plants you don’t want your cat to mess with.
Add Small Stakes
If your cat likes laying in your flower beds, then adding small stacks can make the area uncomfortable. It can also make cats not want to walk in the area since they may step on the small stakes.
You’ll want to find stakes large enough that your cat will not walk on them but that aren’t highly visible either. You still want your flower beds to look nice, after all.
You may need to experiment to get the stakes the correct distance apart and at the right angle. Plus, some cats just won’t care about the stakes. You’ll simply have to try them out and see. Because these stakes are often extremely inexpensive, you should be able to find enough to cover your flower bed.
Additional suggestion
Sticky Tape
Cats don’t like stepping on tape because it’s sticky
Use Coffee Grounds
Cats also dislike the smell of coffee grounds. Simply sprinkle your used coffee grounds into the soil and it should prevent your cat from entering the area. Don’t use too many, though, as acidic coffee grounds can mess with the pH of your soil, potentially preventing plants from growing.
Lay Chicken Wire
Try laying chicken wire about an inch underneath the surface of your flower beds. It should not be visible from above, but your cat should feel it if they walk in the area.
Use Citrus Peel
Cats hate the smell of citrus. In high amounts, citrus is toxic to cats, so it only makes sense that they would be built to avoid it. Luckily, it takes a lot of citrus to make cats sick, but it’s extremely fragrant.