In this article, Beltsville Community Cats (BCC) is going to suggest some easy, safe, and relatively inexpensive ways to keep unwanted animals out of your gardens and flowerbeds and off your porches.
1. Use plants that cats/foxes don’t like (lavender, penny royal, lemongrass, and marigolds). Whether in the ground or in pots, these plants dissuade cats from using the areas.
2. Cats, foxes and raccoons have seriously sensitive feet! Mulch and pinecones are natural items that bother testy toes. You can also lay chicken wire flat down before adding mulch/pinecones. This overloads their senses and keeps the animals away from the area.
3. Cat Scat Repellant Spray: Use with caution as this is pretty powerful. Mix 1 tsp. each of cinnamon, cayenne, and dried mustard. Add 1 clove crushed fresh garlic and 3 drops of lemon oil. Pour mixture into a 2-ounce spray bottle and fill with water. Shake well and spray the area you wish to protect. Reapply every couple of weeks and after it rains.
4. Cats DESPISE the smell of coffee! Place used coffee grounds in areas you want critter free.
5. The Yard Enforcer is a motion-activated cat control sprinkler. Position the sprinkler in the direction where cats enter your yard. It includes both day and night detection options. Protects up to 1,600 square feet. Both the duration of the spray and the sensitivity of the sensor are adjustable.
6. The Ultrasonic Cat Repellent emits a powerful burst of ultrasonic sound that startles cats, causing them to avoid the area in the future.
BCC’s goal is to reduce the feral cat population in Beltsville while ensuring their health and safety. For those who don’t care for feral cats, please be reminded that cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or imprisonment in Prince George’s County.