How To Get Rid of Cats? Easy 5 Methods

How to get rid of cats? I get this question quite often. Cats are undoubtedly cute and harmless fellows. But the increasing number of homeless, stray, or feral cats is starting to affect our lives. I am not talking about all the places, but some particular areas. 

Stray cats come in the garden, destroy plants, raid the birds nest, and, most importantly, give infections to the indoor pet cats. I am not telling you to punish the abandoned cats, but some little steps can keep them away from your yard. 

If you are looking for the tricks of keeping stray cats away, this is the article for you.

How To Get Rid of Cats 

I bet you want a permanent solution to this problem. So, I will share the top tricks for keeping the feral cats away from your home. 

1. Manage the house trash cans 

The stray cats mainly live on the leftover foods from the trash cans. They roam from alley to alley in search of food. If the cats find any source, they will come back over and over again. 

So, make sure that your trash can is not overflowing. The cat will get easy access to food if the leftovers are sitting around the can. Also, dump the organic leftovers in the trash, maintaining the proper way. Try to secure the trash container with a tight-fitting lid. 

Cats can live on minimal eating. So, managing the trash will not completely remove the stray cats from your area, but the number will be reduced. However, many owners find it inhuman not to let the stray cats eat the leftovers. 

2. Remove shelters from your yard 

Stray cats do not have any place to stay. So, they move from block to block and search for a place to crash for the night. If your yard has piles of woods, boxes, or any other source that can be a cat shelter, remove them immediately. The stray cats find these places warm and safe to take shelter. 

However, you need to block any openings in your fence to discourage the cats from coming to your garden. You can use chicken wire and plywood to cover openings. If you notice cats are taking shelter in your yard, garden, or house, look for the reason and remove it. 

3. Install cat repellent for yard 

Cat repellents are an effective way to get rid of cats. There are many types of repellents available. Such as: 

♦ Motion sensing sprinkler: You can install a motion-sensing sprinkler that sprays water. The sensor sprinkles water if it can detect any motion. So, if a cat comes to the garden at night, the sensing machine will wet him with water. Everybody knows that cats and water do not mix very well. 

This will keep the cat out of the water range. Set the sprinkler only for a night. Install the machine in such a way that it only covers the lawn, and the passers-by do not get wet. 

♦ Commercial sprays: You can use commercial cat repellent sprays to keep the cats away from the garden. These commercial sprays contain such ingredients and smell that are unpleasant to the cats. So, they stay away from the garden. 

You need to spray the ingredients following the instructions given on the products. You will find these cat repellent sprays in pet stores or local home stores. Before buying the products, make sure they are non-toxic and harmless to the cats. 

♦ Fruit circuits: How to get rid of cats using fruit circuits? I get this question a lot. Yes, indeed, the cats do not like the taste and smell of certain fruit items. For example, lemon, orange, banana, grape, lime, etc. 

So, throw the peels of these circuit fruits in the garden. The stray cats will start avoiding your front porch. However, planting the orange or lemon trees in the garden will not be much effective. It is because the smell is not as strong as the peels. 

♦ Cat repellent trees: Cats find few plants very unpleasant. They try to avoid those plants as much as they can. So, planting those herbs in your garden will help you get rid of the stray cats. 

Pennyroyal, lavender, lemon thyme, and rue work similar to the circuit peels. Cats can not stand the smell and will not come to your garden. Also, the stray cats will not dig the soil. To get the best result, plant at least 3 to 4 of these cat deterrent plants. 

♦ Chicken wires: Stray cats have a tendency to dig garden soil. They destroy small plants and vegetables. You can use the chicken wires to block the cats. Building a fence will also help you keep the stray cats away. 

♦ Black pepper: Using black pepper is one of the best home remedies to keep the cats away. The cats do not like having spicy paws. So, sprinkling the black pepper every night in the garden will work eventually. 

4. Use a motion-sensitive bell 

Wind charms or pebbles in a jar can make certain sounds that keep the kitty away from the house. However, there is an advanced motion-sensitive ultrasonic sound device available, especially for cats. Whenever the device detects motion, it creates a sound that can only be heard by cats. And the felines can not stand the sound and run away. 

5. Build an outside litter box

If you think running the stray cats off is inhuman, this is the best option. Build an outside shelter for the stray cats. They will take shelter there, and you can have peace of mind. 

How to get rid of stray cats 

Basically, I have discussed most of the effective ideas of getting rid of cats. Here are some additional things you can do: 

♦ Call animal control if you failed to get rid of the cats. 

♦ Trap the stray cats and take them to the vet to neuter. This is the long term solution. 

Now you know how to get rid of cats. Remember, cats are harmless animals. So, no matter what, do not hurt them while running them off.

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