Cats are mischievous creatures that enjoy exploring their surroundings, but even if you are an animal lover, it can be frustrating if they decide to dig up plants in your garden. Sometimes, having neighbourhood cats hanging out on your property can be useful as they will keep mice and rats away, but no one wants to clean up after someone else’s pet if they begin defecating in your flowerbeds. 

If you are getting fed up, then Pam Farley, a gardener and founder of Brown Thumb Mama, has shared that there is a very effective yet safe way to keep cats away for good: pine cones. Pam said: “Cats don’t like pokey things in their bathroom, because they need room to scratch the soil. Covering the soil with pine cones doesn’t give them room to ‘do their business.’” 

There are many natural remedies for stopping cats from defecating in gardens, but they are often very laborious and do not guarantee success in keeping these curious creatures away. 

However, pine cones tend to work, as cats have highly sensitive noses, and strong scents are 10 times more potent to them than they would be to humans. 

The strong pine scent will greatly irritate their noses and cause discomfort without harming them, making them more likely to avoid an area.

Pinecones are also spikey, and the rough texture is unpleasant for cats to walk on, so they are unlikely to make the effort to do their business.

Scatter pinecones along the edges of your garden or in areas where cats tend to frequent. The scent, texture, and crunch of the pinecones will help deter them from entering your property. Cats also do not like unexpected noises. 

Pinecones are one of the best ways to keep cats away, but it should be noted that there are many common misconceptions about natural remedies online, and many can be harmful. 

Essential oils are usually recommended as a deterrent as they also have a strong scent that cats will hate, but most are highly poisonous to cats and can cause them a great deal of harm. 

Some of the most toxic essential oils for cats are tea tree, cinnamon, and citrus oils such as lemon or orange. 

It is also very common advice online to throw coffee grounds or citrus peels in your garden, as the strong smell will deter cats. However, these leftovers are also poisonous to cats and could kill them if they decide to eat them.

Pam said: “Even a small amount of coffee grounds, if ingested, can kill a cat or dog. Please don’t use coffee grounds in your garden. Put them in your compost pile instead.” 

Please always do your research when using homemade pest deterrents, and as a last resort, you can always use a motion-activated sprinkler that is guaranteed to chase cats out of the garden without harming them.