When you start considering how to landscape and design your yard, there is more to think about than flowers, trees, and water features. You may also need to consider what pests or animals that might be invading your new, beautiful space. While cats are not considered a pest, they can be an unwelcome guest. It helps to plan for cat deterrent methods when you are still working on your landscaping design. Here are safe and effective ways at preventing cats from making a new home in your yard.

Use Chicken Wire

If you have not yet planted your flower beds, you have the perfect opportunity for keeping cats away. You are not going to use the chicken wire as a fence around the flower beds, but placing it flat on top of the soil or mulch. Before planting the bulbs or seeds, lay the chicken wire over the top, making pockets in the wire for your flowers or plants. Then, plant your bulbs as you would have otherwise.

A cat may attempt to go into the flower bed once, but when the feel the chicken wire, they won't bother a second time.

Install a Motion-Detected Sprinkler System

When your landscaper from a company like NW Landscape Management Inc starts installing an automatic sprinkler systems for your lawn and plants, ask that they also install a sprinkler system that is motion detected. This type of sprinkler can detect the presence of a cat or other animal in your yard, then send a blast of water in the direction of the movement. Cats are very fast, but when they don't see the water coming, they often get hit by it. This is another great way to keep cats from coming back to your yard.

Plant Natural Cat Repellents

Every animal, pest and insect has certain smells and flavors that they don't like, which are known as natural repellents. For cats, there are a few plants that you can plant in your yard that will deter them from entering. There is actually a plant nicknamed the "scaredy cat plant," because of how much cats hate it. This plant is called the coleus canina. This can also be used to keep unwanted dogs out of your yard. Other plants to consider are lavender, pennyroyal, and rue.

Use Bristly Mulching Materials

Another thing cats don't like is the feeling of bristles or weird textures underneath their paws. If you are planning to mulch your yard, ask that your landscaper use stone mulch instead. They won't even bother in areas of your yard that have this kind of mulch. You can also try adding pieces of bristly items to the ground of your yard, such as pine cones.

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