Even the best of cat lovers cannot deny the annoyance of discovering cat poop in your garden. Knowing how to effectively and safely deter cats is, therefore, vital. So let’s take a look at wild garlic: Does wild garlic deter cats?
Yes, wild garlic is an effective way to deter cats from pooping in your garden.
Plants like wild garlic can help keep the cats out of your garden. Cats have a strong sense of smell (up to 16 times stronger than humans). Therefore, they hate the smell of garlic.
Cats also do not like other plants similar to garlic, like chives. You can grow these plants in your garden or use wild garlic as an ingredient in making a cat deterrent spray.
Do Cats Like Wild Garlic?
A cat’s sense of smell is much stronger than that of a human. Therefore, the smells which come off as strong to us appear even stronger to cats. Hence, there are many smells that cats hate.
Some of the smells include wild garlic and other allium plants. It’s, therefore, safe to say that cats do not like wild garlic.
Should You Plant Wild Garlic?
Planting wild garlic is perfectly safe to do at home. It’s also very easy. You’ll find wild garlic usually in bulb form. Although it can be purchased in seed form these will take far longer to establish and grow.
There is a caveat, however: Wild garlic is a thug. It will spread rapidly, will take over your flower beds and will be hard to get control of once it becomes established. If you’re happy for this to happen, then plant away.
Grow Wild Garlic in Pots
Wild garlic will take over your flower beds. If you want to grow it at home then keep it in containers so it cannot spread too far.
Does Garlic Deter Cats?
One of the ingredients which work to deter cats is garlic. Even if you do not have access to wild garlic, you can always use normal bulb garlic. Cats, as aforementioned, have a remarkable sense of smell which is why they can smell anything from a distance.
Using garlic in your garden will be effective in keeping cats out, as they will smell it and avoid entering your premises.
Along with being a great cat-deterrent, other benefits are associated with using garlic to deter cats. Garlic will not harm your plants or the soil of your garden as it is a natural ingredient.
It is worth mentioning, however, that garlic can be toxic to cats to the extent that one clove can cause severe stomach issues if consumed. Therefore, it is essential to use garlic in such a manner that does not harm any cats.
Does Garlic Powder Deter Cats?
If the garlic plant deters cats, then garlic powder probably does, too, right? Yes, the garlic powder or granules you happily use in your recipes can also be a great cat deterrent.
The magic is in the scent of the ingredient you use. If it smells punchy then it’ll probably work. If your garlic powder has lost its smell because it’s been sitting in the cupboard for years then perhaps avoid using it.
Deterring cats using garlic powder is quite simple. You only have to sprinkle some of the garlic powder in your garden, on your pots and plants, and any place where cats often come to poop.
The smell of the garlic should be enough to keep cats out.
When it comes to using garlic powder, you do not have to worry about it affecting cats. While alliums like garlic are toxic to cats, the amount they consume from garlic powder is not enough to cause them any harm.
How to Make a Garlic Spray to Deter Cats
We do not like cats loitering in gardens, but we certainly do not wish to cause them harm. Therefore, it is essential to use garlic in the most humane way possible to keep cats out.
One such way you can use garlic is to make a spray out of it. However, you must not make the mistake of going all out with using garlic. It is best to use it in minimal amounts so you do not harm any cats or neighbouring pets.
How to Make a Garlic Spray
Crush a clove of garlic with the palm of your hand or bruise some wild garlic leaves if you’ve decided to go with wild garlic.
Next, boil the garlic in some water for a couple of minutes. It’s a good idea to add other ingredients which will deter cats like black pepper, cayenne pepper, or cinnamon. Turn it off the heat and allow it to cool.
Once your spray is cooled down, you can also add essential oils to the mixture – some of the essential oils that cats hate include lavender or citronella.
Decant the spray into a spray bottle. You can now easily go ahead and spray areas of your garden where cats are likely to enter and/or where they often can be found pooping.
Another great benefit you derive from using the spray is its natural qualities. You do not have to risk your garden by using any sort of chemical. Not only will your plants remain safe, but the spray will also get the job done of repelling cats.
However, it is important to remember that these methods need time and consistency to work. Rain, of course, can wash away the spray. Over time, the scent will dissipate too. So make sure you continually reapply the spray all around your garden until the cats get the message.
Summary
Being a gardener, you know what it is like to discover cat poop in the soil. Cat poop can be dangerous because of the parasites, which is why it is important to do something about it.
A way to deter cats from your garden is to use wild garlic. Cats do not like garlic, and many people use wild garlic to make a barrier for the plants in their garden to keep them safe.
Cats have a strong sense of smell which is why garlic throws them off and is great at repelling them.
A way you can use garlic to keep cats out is to use garlic powder. You can simply sprinkle the garlic powder in your garden and any place where cats come most often.
In addition, you can also create a garlic spray and incorporate ingredients like pepper to make it strong and less appealing to cats.
