PET PEEVE
The pretty £1.50 B&Q plant you need to add to your garden to stop cats pooing – they hate it and won’t come back
There's also 3 DIY sprays you can make to repel cats
IF you aren’t a cat owner, having someone else’s pet use your garden as their toilet is annoying.
There are many natural ways to repel cats from your back garden, from throwing citrus peel into flower borders and getting men to urinate in the corners.
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But a lot of them are only temporary measures.
Instead, why not plant a Coleus Canina that will not only add colour and interest to your garden but also repels cats?
This unusual plant, which is also known as the ‘Scaredy Cat’ plant, is said to “help deter cats and other unwanted pests from entering and fouling your garden”.
As for how it works, B&Q experts explained: “It emits an odour that cats in particular find incredibly offensive and therefore disappear back out of your gate or over the fence!
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“It will be at its most effective when planted in a sunny spot, because the odour gets stronger the hotter the leaves become - fortunately the odour is barely obvious to humans!”
As for whether it's a low or high maintenance plant, luckily it’s “incredibly easy to grow" and "thrives on a high degree of neglect because it is a naturally drought tolerant plant”.
“It even has the added bonus of producing attractive blue flowers during the summer months and into early autumn.”
B&Q recommends planting Coleus Canina between March and June - so now is the ideal time to add it to your garden.
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Gardeners can add it to their B&Q basket for £16.99 for 12 jumbo plug plants, meaning it works out to be less than £1.40 a plant.
As for how effective the plant is at repelling cats, thescaredycat.com said it “works on roughly 70 per cent of cats” and it also deters dogs.
The cat experts added: “The main problem with using the Scaredy Cat plant is that felines will often walk around them and go to another point in your garden.”
But for £1.50 it’s worth a try - especially when it adds colour and interest to your garden!
Cheap and easy ways to transform your garden including painting fences black
Other cat repellent hacks
Ground black pepper
Add ground black pepper to hot water in a spray bottle.
Shake it up and spray near plants when cool.
Cats are said to hate the smell of pepper and it’s safe to use on and around plants.
Vinegar spray
If ground black pepper spray doesn’t work, mix white vinegar with water.
Citronella Spray
Citronella oil is distilled from grasses but smells like lemons and it is well-known and widely respected as an effective insect and animal repellent.
To make an effective citronella spray all you need to do is add around 30 drops of citronella to a cup of water and apply using a spray bottle.
The really good thing about citronella is that it sticks around, even after it rains, and it smells great.
Coffee Grounds
The strong smell of coffee can be enough to keep cats off of your garden.
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Simply take your fresh, wet coffee grounds and distribute them around your borders and plants where you want to discourage feline attention.
What’s more, the coffee grounds are entirely biodegradable so they will decompose and enrich your soil.
The law around deterring cats
The RSPCA shared its advice for homeowners trying to stop cats coming into their garden.
"Cats are protected by law and are free to roam meaning they might go into other people's gardens or allotments," it said.
In attempting to prevent cats from entering a garden or an allotment it is important to make sure that any deterrent methods used are nonharmful and don't cause pain, suffering, injury or distress.
Causing unnecessary suffering to a cat is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA).
It may also be an offence to put down snares, poison or an unlicensed
deterrent.
The AWA also prohibits poisoning protected animals.
The maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of an offence under the AWA is up to six months imprisonment and/or a £20,000 fine.
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