How to keep dogs and cats out of my yard

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How to Keep Dogs and Cats Out of the Garden
Prevention and Control
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Things You'll Need
How do I keep dogs and cats from pooping in my yard?
What can I put in my yard to keep dogs away?
How do I keep the neighbor's cat out of my yard?
How do I keep the neighbor's dog out of my yard without a fence?

How to Keep Dogs and Cats Out of the Garden

Man's best friends can also be your garden's worst enemy. An untrained dog can maul plants or dig up freshly planted bulbs, flowers or your lawn. Cats won't do as much digging and damage in general, but they love to lie on freshly turned earth where your vegetable seeds were just planted. Both animals can use a garden and lawn as a litter box, making for dead spots in the lawn and very unpleasant surprises for you in the garden. Another concern is that male dogs need to "mark their turf". If your lettuce or greens have a strange ammonia smell, think twice about eating them. Dogs are usually responsible for brown spots on the lawn.

Prevention and Control

The best control is to give pets their own yard or train them well.
A patch of catnip planted at a distance may lure felines away from your yard.
To protect newly planted areas, lay down bramble stems, or prickly mats to prevent cats from using the area as a litter box.
Specially formulated repellents, sprayed on prized plants, may teach cats and plodding dogs to go elsewhere.
For sure-fire protection, erect a sturdy barrier or cage, anchored with stakes.

Last updated: 08/05/2021

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| Updated September 26, 2017

Things You'll Need

1 cup baking soda
1 gallon water
Watering can
Coffee grounds
Spray bottle
Vinegar
Mothballs
Orange peels
Water

Make your yard less attractive to your neighborhood cats and dogs if you're tired of them marking your lawn as their territory. You may need to use multiple strategies to achieve your goal -- what repels one animal may not deter another furry pest.

Mix 1 cup baking soda with 1 gallon of water. Water yellow spots on your lawn every three days. The animal will no longer recognize the marked area.

Sprinkle coffee grounds -- used or fresh, it doesn't matter what kind -- on any spots you want to protect from encroaching animals. Coffee grounds also fertilize your grass and plants.

Pour full-strength vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray it around your lawn. Apply it every few days to freshen the vinegar scent.

Scatter mothballs and orange peels around your yard.

Spritz invading cats with a water bottle.

Tips

Water your yard regularly so the soil maintains moisture; cats prefer dry soil.
Add rough mulch to your flower beds; this will make it an uncomfortable place for cats to walk or sleep.

References

Photo Credits

BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images

Writer Bio

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How do I keep dogs and cats from pooping in my yard?

Commercial dog-repellent sprays, which you can find online..

Citrus trees, fruits, or juices..

Rue plants..

Citronella plants or oil..

Garlic..

Vinegar..

Cayenne pepper..

Chili powder..

What can I put in my yard to keep dogs away?

Ammonia and vinegar are probably two of the most effective dog repellents you can find in your house. When spraying vinegar or ammonia, only spread them throughout your garden in strips and don't apply the mixture directly to your plants.

How do I keep the neighbor's cat out of my yard?

You can try orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus scents), the herb rue which can also be planted live, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco and various oils, including lavender, lemon grass, citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus and mustard.