With spring less than a month away, many Britons will be spending lots of time perfecting their outdoor spaces for summer. This makes it frustrating when animals, typically cats and foxes, spoil all that hard work with a nasty surprise. Animal faeces in your garden is not only an unattractive nuisance, but they can be harmful to children or other animals on your property. To put a stop to it and keep your beloved garden protected from cats and foxes, the team at The Expert Gate have shared their top tips.
Cat and fox poo and urine smell awful and contain a lot of nasty germs, which makes it a particular worry for those with children and pets. It’s a blight on the garden and no doubt gardeners will want to do something about it, and here’s how.
1. Block access points and avoid overgrown bushes
According to the experts, the “first step” to preventing cats and foxes from defecating in your garden is to stop them from entering it in the first place.
They explained that this can be done by checking for access points to the garden and remedying these with fences and driveway gates to create a boundary between the garden and adventurous animals.
However, cats are known for their ability to climb fences, so gardeners will also want to stop their gardens from attracting foxes and cats.
The pros said: “The best way to do this is to keep bushes, grass, and hedges trimmed short.
“Foxes and cats want to feel safe and sheltered, so overgrown greenery is the perfect place to do their business.
“Not only will your garden look neater, but it’ll also effectively deter animals looking for a place to squat.”
2. Motion sensors
As mentioned, animals want to feel safe and undisturbed when roaming around, so they’ll often quickly leave when startled.
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Motion sensors come in handy for this, and can be used for lights or sprinklers.
The experts said: “As foxes are wild animals, sudden lights or splashes of water will startle them, ensuring they don’t stick around.
“A cat may be less threatened by artificial light, so a motion sensor sprinkler may be the best option if cat poo is your garden’s nemesis.”
Cats will also be less attracted to uncomfortable surfaces, such as rocky areas.
The pros suggested that gardeners who have a gravel driveway should “steer away” from fine gravel, as this may be mistaken by cats for a large litter tray.
3. Natural odour repellents
If the previous two detergents haven’t worked to stop cats and foxes from entering the garden, the experts suggested that gardeners use scents as a “fail-safe” option.
They said: “If all else fails, natural odour repellents can help to keep foxes and cats away, even though it may not smell the nicest to you, either.
“Once a cat or fox has marked their scent in your garden it needs to be removed so they won’t come back.
“So, try infusing garlic and chilli in hot water and spraying it around your garden to stave off foxes. For cats, scents such as lavender or peppermint work.”
“Vinegar is also effective for masking the scents of both cats and foxes in the garden.”
Additionally, gardeners should steer clear of scents that will attract animals to the garden.
This means keeping bins tightly closed and rubbish stored away so peckish animals won’t come rooting through the bins.
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