Once a cat has pooped in your garden, it will likely want to poop there again (Image: Getty)
There are many tools touted as deterrents that simply don’t work, said behaviourist Lucy Hoile.
These include ultrasonic motion detector and -shaped silhouettes with reflective eyes, which are likely to be ineffective at deterring from the garden.
Do bear in mind that once a defecates or urinates in your garden, its scent will remain in the area, which only encourages the to become a repeat offender.
To help deter a from pooping in your garden again, it’s important to eradicate the ‘s scent.
You do this by removing any faeces and rinsing the soil with water to dilute the smell.
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As cats have a stronger sense of smell than people, using citrus peels, for example, could be effective at deterring cats from the garden.
Strong repellents include citrus peels and coffee grounds, but while effective, you will need to reapply nearly every day, which can be inconvenient.
Simple weather changes, such as rain, could dampen the scent of a citrus peel, for example, which means cats won’t be put off by the smell anymore.
Instead, cat behaviourist Lucy recommended planting lavender trees, citrus plants, or even herbs to deter cats from pooping in the garden.
Lavender plants can deter cats from your garden (Image: Getty)
Plants can continue to grow in the garden, emitting strong odours all thought the year.
Do note that shingles, or littles stones, in the garden are “essentially a ginormous litter tray” in the eyes of a cat, so they’re not the best features to have.
Because Lucy is against any tool that may harm cats, such as spikes on the fence, her recommendation is to make the garden area uncomfortable for the cat.
For instance, in an area where they’ve pooped before, adding a few gnarly sticks – and getting creative with the design – could make the garden less hospitable to poop in.