Gardening expert gives tips on deterring pets and pests
There’s nothing worse than finding cat poop in flower beds, vegetable patches or plant pots.
Not only does it smell but it can also contaminate the soil. Any animal waste can contaminate the soil with parasites such as roundworm and hookworm.
Some animal faeces can also contain bacteria such as e.coli and salmonella. People can also be infected with toxoplasma.
Toxoplasmosis can infect people when they eat food, drink water or swallow soil that’s been contaminated with cat faeces.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, swollen glands and muscle aches.
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This is why it’s so important that vegetable patches and any part of the garden where crops are grown should remain free of cat faeces.
Rather than resorting to chemicals or expensive deterrents, there are natural ways to deter cats from pooping in gardens.
Paul Trott from Catit has shared exclusively with Express.co.uk how to get cats to stop pooping in gardens.
Paul explained the reason why cats use people’s gardens as toilets. He said: “The main reason that cats go into a garden is to mark it as their territory over another cat that is in the area or simply out of curiosity.
“To stop other cats entering your garden, you can cover certain areas of your garden with chicken wire and keeping lids tightly on your bins means it is less enticing for cats who are hungry or like to rummage around.”
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The cat expert also said if your own cat is using the garden as a toilet then it could be because it’s scared, especially if it’s an indoor cat.
He said: “If your cat is an indoor cat that is free to wander every so often then it can also be because they are scared and are not used to being out and left to their own devices.
“It is only after they have been taught to come back in that they know to do their business in their litter tray.
“However, it still depends on the cat as to whether they come back or not.
“It’s a good idea to encourage your cat to use their litter tray by having a hooded litter box to provide privacy and using a good quality litter, along with regular litter scooping to keep the tray hygienic.”
If neither of these methods is helping then it’s time to deploy some repellent methods like citrus fruits.
Paul added: “Cats dislike orange and lemon peel so popping this down on the ground means they have to walk around it as they don’t like the touch of it on their paws.
“Citrus scents can be used in sprays as well for a repellent.”
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