Keeping cats off of your balcony is difficult enough. Keeping them out of your garden beds or any other part of your yard can be even more challenging. Whether you live in an apartment and have a small balcony or backyard, or you own a home with ample outdoor space, keeping cats away from those areas can be a challenge. Cats are stealthy creatures and they understand what it means when we erect fences to keep them out of our yards. They’ll figure out where the weak spots are, such as open windows or unsupervised gates, and find their way inside almost every time. Fortunately, there are ways you can keep cats away without feeling like some sort of crazy cat lady who’s afraid of her own backyard. There are also ways to make your garden less appealing to these roaming rodents without hurting them in any way. Here are 25 tips to help keep cats away from your railing:
How To Keep Cats Off Balcony Railing
Make your garden unappealing to cats
Cats are hunters by nature and prefer to eat small rodents. Unfortunately, if your yard is infested with mice or rats, your cats will likely feel right at home there as well. If you have a rodent infestation, you can try to trap them and remove them from the area. You can also keep cats out of your yard by making it less appealing to them. Keep your garden as clean as possible by removing any fallen leaves or other debris that could serve as shelter for rodents. Also, try planting herbs and flowers that cats don’t like, such as lavender or peppermint. If you notice that rodents have infested your yard, try using traps or poison to get rid of them. Keep your garden clean and free of potential cat food sources to make sure they stay out of your yard. If you have a large yard, you may need to keep cats out of other areas as well. If you’re dealing with an infestation, you may want to consider hiring a professional exterminator to handle the problem for you.
Install motion-activated sprinklers
If you have open flower beds or other outdoor areas where cats like to go to the bathroom, using motion-activated sprinklers can help keep cats out of those areas. Install sprinklers near your garden beds and adjust them so that they aren’t activated when the wind blows or rain falls. If you have a large yard, you may need to install sprinklers in a few places to make sure they cover your whole yard. Cats don’t particularly enjoy being sprayed with water, and many owners report that installing sprinklers keeps cats out of their gardens almost completely.
Use confining netting
Another way to keep cats out of your garden is to place netting over your garden beds. Some types of netting are designed to be left in place year-round and are very sturdy. Others are designed to be removed when you aren’t tending to your garden and can come in many different sizes to fit your specific needs. Cats aren’t very good climbers, so this is one method of keeping them out of your yard that doesn’t require a lot of effort or upkeep on your part.
Try a citrus repellent
Cats generally aren’t very fond of citrus scents, so citrus-based repellents can help keep them out of your garden. Many people report that spraying orange oil or citrus-scented cleaners around their gardens keeps cats away completely. If you don’t want to spray your garden with citrus-scented cleaners, you can also try spraying citrus essential oils on your garden edging to keep cats out of your yard.
Use scents that deter cats
One of the simplest ways to keep cats out of your yard is to use scents that repel them. You can spray scents such as peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender around your garden to keep cats away. Cats generally aren’t fond of strong scents, so these will help to drive them out of your yard without harming them. You can also try growing herbs such as rosemary and mint, which are also scents that cats don’t like.
Add fencing with sharp edges
Fencing is a great way to keep cats out of your yard and is especially useful if you have a large yard. You can try installing a fence made with wooden slats or pickets, but cats can climb over them or dig under them if they want to get into your yard. Instead, try installing picket fencing with sharp edges that cats won’t be able to jump over. You can also install fencing made with metal bars or chicken wire.
Install a cat fence
If you have a small yard, a cat fence may be a good option for keeping cats out of your yard. Cat fencing is designed to keep cats out of a certain area. They come in many different shapes and sizes, so you can choose the one that works best for your yard. Some are permanent, while others are retractable, allowing you to place them in certain parts of your yard when you aren’t trying to keep cats out of those areas. If you have a large yard, installing a cat fence may not be feasible. If you have a small yard, however, it may be worth looking into, especially if you don’t want to spray scents, use netting, or install a fence with sharp edges around your yard.
Rotating laser light device
This device uses rotating lasers to keep cats out of your yard. It emits a strong sound that keeps cats away from your yard without harming them. This device can be used on balconies or out in your yard. It can be wired to a wall outlet for power or batteries for use in your yard. This device can protect a large area up to 6,400 square feet.
Install a cat fence
This may seem like an odd suggestion, but if you have a small enough yard, you may be able to install a cat fence to keep cats out of your yard. This may be a good option if you don’t want to install any type of netting or other repellents in your yard. A cat fence is basically a fence used to keep cats out of your yard. They come in many different shapes and sizes, so you can choose the one that works best for your yard. These fences often have a curved top, which makes it difficult for cats to climb over them. They are normally made of metal or wooden slats and can be installed in any part of your yard. If you want to keep cats out of your garden, you can install a cat fence around the entire perimeter of the garden bed to keep them out.
Conclusion
Cats are territorial animals and they don’t like other animals invading their space. This can make it difficult to keep cats out of your yard, but there are many ways to do it. Make sure your yard is clean and free of potential food sources for rodents, such as fallen leaves. You can also try using scents that repel cats, installing fencing with sharp edges, or installing a cat fence. With these tips and a little bit of effort, you’ll be able to keep cats out of your yard without hurting them or stressing yourself out too much.