Nuisance Mitigation

While community cats generally avoid people and mind their own business, they can become a nuisance if not well managed. Many people will turn to relocating the cats and while this may temporarily reduce the number of community cats in a given area, it is ultimately counterproductive, as the population of cats rebounds. Other cats move into the newly available territory and continue to breed, this phenomenon is called the Vacuum Effect. There are far more effective ways to deter the cats from their nuisance behavior so everyone can live in harmony.

5 Quick Tips to Help Keep Cats From Digging

1. Put out fragrances that keep cats away. Scatter fresh orange or lemon peels. Wet coffee grounds, and metal pans filled with vinegar also deter cats. Other fragrances that deter cats include garlic, ammonia, pipe tobacco, mustard, citronella, and eucalyptus. These smells will diminish over time so make sure to re-apply as needed.

2. Use plastic carpet runners, spike-side up, covered lightly in soil. They can be found at hardware or office supply stores. You can also set chicken wire firmly into the dirt (roll sharp edges under), arrange branches or sticks in a lattice pattern, or put wooden or plastic fencing over soil.

3. Get the Cat Scat Mat, a non-chemical cat deterrent consisting of plastic mats that are cut into smaller pieces and pressed into the soil. Each mat has flexible plastic spikes that are harmless to cats and other animals but discourage digging.

4. Cover exposed ground in flower beds with large river rocks to prevent cats from digging. Rocks have the added benefit of deterring weeds.

5. Get motion-activated sprinklers.

This video from Best Friends Animal Society gives some great ideas for ways to help deter cats from your garden and around your home.

5 Quick Tips to Help Keep Cats Out of Your Yard

1. Put out fragrances that keep cats away. Scatter fresh orange or lemon peels. Wet coffee grounds, which you may be able to get for free from coffee houses and fast food chains, and metal pans filled with vinegar also deter cats.

2. Install ultrasonic deterrents or motion activated sprinklers.

3. Block or seal the area where cats enter under the porch/house with chicken wire or lattice, but make sure there are not cats/kittens inside prior.

4. Put a tight lid on your trash can.

5. Find our if neighbors are feeding the cats. If they are, make sure they are following best practices.

Community Cats Brochure (3 MB)