STOP CATS POOING IN GARDENS WITH 2 KITCHEN ITEMS THEY ‘HATE THE SMELL’ OF – NOT VINEGAR
Source: Express (Extract)
Posted: August 20, 2024
In the summer, it can be particularly frustrating when cats use your garden as a toilet.
This unpleasant behavior can leave a strong odor in your garden, making gardening, outdoor meals, and enjoying your outdoor space difficult.
Facebook user Glenis Keeling, frustrated with cats using her garden pots as a litter box, sought advice from the social media group ‘Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips.’ She posted: “How can I stop cats from using my garden pots as their toilet? I read that sprinkling cinnamon on the pots might help.”
While some gardeners suggested using spices, the most suggested solution was to use citrus fruit such as lemons and oranges.
Mallows Sally shared, “I use citrus fruit peels since cats dislike the smell. It’s been working for me, and my garden has been free of cat poo for weeks.”
Lyndsey Wells agreed, commenting, “I use lemon juice from those little plastic lemons. Cats don’t like citrus, so I squirt it around my garden.”
Marian Walker added, “A cat lover advised me to spray lemon juice because they dislike the citrus scent. It works for me.”
Sue Willoughby suggested, “Orange peel works too—cats hate the smell, and it’s environmentally friendly.”
Lesley Fawcett posted, “I read that placing halved oranges around the garden helps. I do that, and it works.”
Cats generally dislike strong citrus scents, as they are too intense for their sensitive noses. They also tend to avoid other strong odors like garlic, ammonia, vinegar, and coffee.
You can purchase a four-pack of lemons from Tesco or Aldi for as little as 65p, which comes out to 16p per lemon.
Additional suggestions from Mrs Hinch fans for keeping cats out of gardens include using chili powder, spices like curry powder, and broken twigs.
Pam Gardner said: “Pepper, paprika, curry powder, I’ve used all of these and they all work.”
Amanda Jane replied: “Broken twigs stacked upright in the soil work really well.”
Jacqueline Swan commented: “I used extra hot chilli powder and it keeps the foxes, snails and slugs away too.”
