Humane Ways to Deal with Unwelcome Cats

If you don’t want feral or neighborhood cats wandering onto your property, here
are some humane ways to deter them or to make their presence more palatable:

• Do not feed birds on the ground – use feeders high enough that cats can’t get at them.

• Purchase outdoor (yard and garden) cat or dog repellent from a pet supply store.

• Purchase an ultra-sonic sound or water repeller, also available from pet supply stores.

• Sprinkle cayenne pepper or citrus peels around the perimeter of the garden.

• Create an alternative site for the cats to defecate (dig up and loosen soil or provide sand or mulch in an acceptable, out-of-the-way spot).

• If cats are coming to drink from a swimming pool or landscaped pond, provide an alternative water source away from the pool.

• Put up a six-foot fence that comes right to the ground.

• Purchase a car cover to protect the car from cat prints.

• Eliminate the smell of cat urine by rinsing the area thoroughly with white vinegar, which can be purchased inexpensively by the gallon at the supermarket, or with products available from pet supply stores.

Information provided by Best Friends Animal Society www.bestfriends.org