How to keep stray cats out of my yard

02/04/25 10:15pm

Hello wikiHow! I’ve read some of the guides you fine folks have written in the past and they were really helpful, so I figured this would be a good place to seek help with my current predicament. I live in an area that has developed quite the population of stray cats. They mess with my plants, they harass the other wildlife that hangs out in my yard, and they’re so loud. Does anyone have any guidance on how to get rid of these cats without doing anything harmful to them or hurting other animals on accident?

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For a complete guide to this topic, read the wikiHow article How to Keep Cats Out of Your Yard .

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wikiHow Editorial Team

02/05/25 9:38pm

Try catching any strays and taking them to a vet or nonprofit that specializes in neutering and spaying strays. This will keep your local problem from getting worse than it already is.

Additionally, you can try commercial cat repellents. However, some people have mixed feelings about them. Motion-activated sprinklers and ultrasound noise machines are also great options that shouldn’t be too disruptive to other wildlife in the area.

Cats don’t like the smell of lavender, citrus peels, coffee grounds, or cayenne pepper. Try sprinkling or spraying these scents around your yard and garden.

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Joey Lusvardi
Cat Training & Behavior Expert

09/13/25 12:39am

The first place to start is to make sure all cats are TNRed (trapped, neutered/spayed/released), as cats that are still intact will be much more vocal than cats that have been spayed/neutered. A better solution is to build a fence that doesn’t allow the cats to get in (there are toppers you can get to prevent that from happening that don’t hurt the cats, but block them from getting in). You can also remove whatever it is that is drawing the cats into the yard, such as food or a place to use the bathroom. River rocks (smooth ones, not sharp ones) can help make it less appealing to dig in dirt, and cats won’t be as likely to eliminate in your yard.

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VacuumAdvice

05/06/25 7:52am

Animal control. They usually require you to catch it in a live animal trap which costs >$50 + cat food/bait, and is reusable. You’ll likely get a couple of opossums in the process, but they aren’t harmful, just freaky.

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Anonymous WikiRiver

04/24/25 11:18pm

There is something called a scat mat which is a mat with little spikes on it to deter animals, like cats. The spikes are soft so they do not hurt the cats, just deter them. You can buy some and lay them at the entry points of your yard.

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WikiLionSeeker401

02/06/25 7:19pm

I also used to have a stray cat problem. It turned out that they liked using the sand and dirt in my yard as a giant litterbox. When I swapped out my substrate for wood chips and rocks, they found somewhere else to go to the bathroom and I didn't have a cat problem anymore.

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WikiCapybaraWhisperer764

02/06/25 7:12am

I put up a fence around my yard to keep cats out. If you don't want to build an entire fence you can try laying chicken wire over the parts of your yard or garden that you are most worried about. This should at least stop cats from digging into those specific areas.

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