Thread: HELP: Plants that cats don't like

Ok, it seems there's a bit of a cat infestation in this area.. My main worry was always dogs and there's preciously few of those, but ... loads of cats.

Do plants/trees/shrubs/herbs exist that you can plant that cats don't like? I'd prefer plants that actually trap and eat cats, but failing that, just something that will make my garden less desirable to cats will do.

The last option would of course be to just get a dog, but then I'm not sure if the solution wouldn't be worse than the problem..

Plant 10 Panodol in a bowl of milk will fix your cat problem

chuck some catnip seeds over the wall into your neighbours gardens. Problem solved.

I was going to say the same thing about the catnip...lol

cut up herrings marinated in a bowl of anti freeze will make em go away...........far away..

Googled Cat repellent:

Cats are generally known to dislike water so a well aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainly make an intruder run. After one or two dousings it may learn the lesson and stay away.
To protect plants and borders both mothballs and citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders. Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented air freshener and place the cloths around the plants you wish to protect. Other known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.
Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rue but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleus canina is another plant which is marketed by one merchant as a cat repellent.
The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard with a tonic made from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and beer. A smallholder has reported success using dried rabbit blood but you may feel that the ingredients listed in the previous paragraph should be tried first.
If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.
Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.

And

* amonia soaked (corncobs, etc)
* aluminum foil
* bamboo skewers
* black pepper
* blood meal fertilizer
* bramble cuttings
* Carefresh - "recycled" wood pulp
* catnip - donated into your neighbor's yards (so they'll stay in their own yards)
* cedar compost
* chicken wire (metal or plastic)
* cinnamon
* citrus peels
* citrus spray
* cocoa bean shells
* coffee grounds -fresh & unbrewed, not just a light sprinkling (highly recommended by MANY Gardenwebbers!)
* dogs
* electric fence for animals
* essence of orange. essence of lemon, lime (citrus essential oils)
* fresh manure(ditto)
* garlic cloves
* gumballs from the Sweet Gum Tree
* gutter covers
* hardware cloth
* heavy bark mulch
* holly leaves
* keep the area damp, they like dry soil
* lavender
* liquid manure (good for your garden too)
* motion sensor sprinkler
* pennyroyal
* pinecones
* pipe tobacco
* plastic forks
* predator urine
* red wine vinegar
* river rocks over the exposed soil
* rocks, crushed
* rose bush clippings
* rue, an herb (Ruta graveolens) (highly recommended in plant form only)
* short twigs throughout the planted area about 6" apart
* six-inch bamboo skewers (pointy side up)
* Spray on your leaves (not the cat): fill a spray bottle with 1/2 t chili powder, 1/2 t cayenne pepper, 1 t dish soap and water
* squirt gun with water
* talk to your neighbors
* tansy
* thorny berry, lilac, hawthorn, rose clippings
* toothpicks
* upside down vinyl carpet
* vinegar sprayed on areas where they roam
* water bottle on "stream"

And so on...
Cat repellent - Google Search

they sell automatic water jets here; the cat gets into the PIR zone and the water jet lines up and shoots it

cute

I saw an ad in the paper for some plant that keeps cats away, can't remember the name, I'll try to find it

I am not automatic, Dr Andy.
Just plant dog trees, WLL.

Originally Posted by flash

I saw an ad in the paper for some plant that keeps cats away, can't remember the name, I'll try to find it

I can't find it, it was in thursdays Daily Star if anyone has a copy.

Found it, dont know if it works or not...........



Scaredy Cat, Scardy Cat (Plectranthus caninus) (Coleus Canina).
Attractive half-hardy plant with grey-green foliage which gives off a strong aroma especially when touched or in the sun. The aroma is disliked by most cats and dogs. Our resident cat reacts strongly to the smell!
In summer it produces heads of pale blue flowers which also give off a strong aroma.
If planted in a container this can be moved around the garden, thus protecting different areas of the garden from unwanted attention from cats. The pot can then be over-wintered in a frost free area.
Full sun or light shade. Any reasonable soil.

Thanks for that!!

(Now where am I going to find a frost free area.... )

Make a dog scarecrow.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

they sell automatic water jets here; the cat gets into the PIR zone and the water jet lines up and shoots it

cute

Dr. Andy,

Can you remeber where you saw the water jet thingies? I think one can also get an ultrasonic gizmos for the same purpose.