Cats are undoubtedly adorable, but we should face the fact that when a cat trespasses your yard and makes a mess there, it isn’t funny anymore.
Regardless, there are many ways to solve your problem, including but not limited to putting away food sources, using cat repellents, and scaring them away with water sprinklers.
In this article, we will answer the Reddit question, “How to get rid of neighbors cats in my yard?” and provide a variety of ways.
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Ways to Get Rid of Cats in Your Yard
You might be here because you want to deter cats from your house. Although your frustration is valid, we should not also forget that cats are loving animals. In this section, we enumerated ways to keep neighbors’ cats away—either harmful or non-harmful approaches.
How do you get rid of feral cats humanely? Here are ways to get rid of outsider cats in a non-harmful manner that won’t cost them their health:
1. Remove possible food sources
To prevent cats from coming to your yard, it’s best to put away all possible food sources and waste from the yard. So, try to feed your pets inside the house if you have any, and make sure that the trash can lid is closed tightly.
2. Put up a fence
It is a priority to build a fence and close up any holes that they can use to get in the yard. You might consider investing in cat-proof fencing. It’s an effective way to prevent cats from getting onto the lawn.
3. Block any potential shelters
When a cat starts to be comfortable in your yard, it is time to block them from any openings that help them in accessing these spots. The more they feel comfortable in the area, the more it will be hard to shoo them away.
4. Wipe off their favorite spot
Cats tend to mark their territory. So, it is most likely that a neighbor’s cat has sprayed on your yard without you noticing.
To keep them from continuously owning their spot in the yard, make sure to wipe off their urine scent.
5. Install a security system
A security device will help to scare cat away.
You can implement motion-activated water sprinklers that will splash water in its direction once the device has detected the cat or an ultrasonic device that will produce a high-frequency sound that will startle the cat and keep it away.
Alternatively, you can also install some traditional noise-producing tools such as wind chimes. The main goal is to produce a sound that will be perceived as annoying for the cats enough to keep them away from your yard.
6. Have a dog as a guard
The presence of a dog in your yard will be helpful to keep cats away. But, it shouldn’t be aggressive and endanger the cat’s life.
7. Keep your cats indoors
You might have both female and male cats wandering in your yard and then, your neighbor’s male cat joins them. This prompts you to ask, “how do I get rid of the neighbor’s cat attacking my cat?”
Due to the territorial nature of cats, it is best to keep them away from each other and get your female cat spayed. This will prevent the outsider cat from attacking your cats and roaming the yard to mate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reasons why you should keep away cats in your yard
There are several reasons why you should stop a cat from coming into your yard:
- Screwing up your yard
If you are someone who values an orderly garden, this is the reason why you should keep unwanted felines from invading your yard.
Cats, especially stray cats, are bold and risky. If they happen to have your yard as their spot, there is a high chance of digging out soil in your garden and tampering with garden pots and other plants.
- Attacking your cats
It might be dangerous for your cat when an outside cat starts to claim your yard as a territory. This will create tension between the cats and might hurt your pet in the process.
- Harmful poop
Aside from making it their lounge spot, it’s probable to have your yard as a pooping place too. And usually, their feces contain pathogens and parasites that could be harmful to humans.
- Cleaning up after them is a hassle
Instead of enjoying your Friday afternoon, you’d need to clean the mess that this cat has made on your property. And it is not even your cat, so it adds to that frustration.
Therefore, your decision to get rid of outsider cats from coming to your lawn is understandable. Not only could it spread harmful elements in your home but it causes a lot of nuisance and hassle too.
Why are neighbors’ cats on my property?
If your neighbor’s cat or a stray cat seems attracted to getting into your yard, there is probably a reason why. Here, we have listed possible reasons why:
- Food – Cats are attracted to the smell of food, so when you have food leftovers on your lawn, this most likely makes them trespass to your yard to get food. A trash can placed in your yard that is filled with food waste is a good example of this.
- Shelter – If you have a shed, porch, or even simple wood piles, this could attract outsider cats to make it their lounge spot.
- Hunting ground – Birds in your yard are probably the reason why cats tend to come to your yard. Cats are natural hunters and seeing many birds on your lawn lures them to hunt.
- Water – It may be that you have a fountain, water bowls for your pets, or a leaking hose in the yard. This could help them satisfy their thirst and might stay because of it.
How do you stop a cat from coming into your yard?
If you think that enough is enough and you just don’t care how you will get rid of unwanted cats in your yard, here are the ways to do it:
- Have strong-scented plants – There are certain plants that cats are not fond of smelling and will keep them from coming close such as lavender, geranium, and rue. You can add these to your garden plants to maintain your yard.
- Use a cat repellent – A cat repellent will be a great tool to keep cats away but it is advisable to use the safe ones. A mothball is effective to get rid of cats in your yard but it poses health effects, not just to the cat but to those who will be exposed to it.
As a safe alternative, you can use citrus, coffee grounds, or predator urine.
- Install uncomfortable barriers – Cats love soft surfaces to walk on. So, if you make your yard a bit thorny and rough, this might turn them off. You can use rocks, chicken wire, or twigs as covers for the yard or you can buy a scat mat.
How to keep cats from pooping in my yard?
To stop a cat from pooping in your yard, here are the following ways you can do:
- Keep away the sandboxes – Sand could be used by outside cats as litter. The pathogens and parasites from the poop might easily propagate and evade your toddler or any other pets causing some health problems.
- Remove their scent – Cats’ feces leave off a scent that will attract them to poop out in the same place. Washing away their scent using non-toxic fresheners or water will prevent them from doing the same over and over again.
How to get rid of cats in your yard for good?
If you have done almost all of these ways that we have mentioned and still outsider cats keep on coming into your yard, we listed as well means in keeping neighbor’s cats away permanently:
- Talking with your neighbor – To resolve this problem, make sure that your neighbor knows that their cat is pestering your yard. From here, you two can talk this out and come up with a good solution.
- Collaborating with animal shelters or animal care organizations– It doesn’t hurt to reach out to animal shelters or animal care organizations especially if it’s a stray cat. These organizations will help you and the cat to have a win-win situation.
- Implementing traps – You might be wondering, “is it okay for me to trap cats on my property?”.
The answer is yes. If it’s a feral cat that is invading your property, it is recommended to use traps. A spring-loaded trap is usually used to capture a wild cat and it is safe to use. Using this won’t harm the cat.
What will keep cats away from your property naturally?
There are several ways to stop cats from coming to your property:
- Taking off any food that can be found in the yard.
- Cleaning their smell on their favorite spots.
- Installing cat repellents such as citrus and coffee grounds.
- Setting up a security system like water sprinklers and noise-producing tools.
What scares cats out of your yard?
Cats dislike anything that will disrupt them. So, installing a water sprinkler and any noise-producing items will have a high possibility of scaring them.
A simple wind chime too will do since this tool will produce a sound that will disturb the cat and catch its attention.
Can I legally trap cats on my property?
Yes, you can legally trap cats that trespassed on your property as long as you treat them humanely. Cats that have gone in your yard multiple times without your permission is a valid reason for you to legally trap them.
An appropriate and humane method to trap a cat that’s supported by law is using a confinement or cage trap. Once trapped, you can now pass the cat to the pet patrol or authorized animal shelters.
Conclusion
How to get rid of neighbors cats in my yard? Hopefully, you have all the best methods in your hands to deal with this issue. The goal is to keep unwanted cats away and preserve your yard. What matters is no one gets harmed, and it’s mutually beneficial for all.
I am Amy Sawy, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduate from the University of Kansas. y husband, Dr. Plummer, and I own a veterinary clinic in Phillipsburg, Kansas. In addition to my professional background, I am a devoted pet owner myself, with a household that includes dogs, rodents, and most notably, cats – a total of five felines in my home.
In 2020, I joined an organization as a professional writer, leveraging my experience and collaborating with my team to deliver the most valuable information for your cat’s care.
