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How to Keep Cats out of Garden

One of the best ways to cat pooping in your garden is to stop them from coming into your yard in the first place. If this is impossible, then the next question is “How to stop cats pooping in your garden?”  As we are firm believers in the gardening ethos that prevention is always better than cure, we will give some practical advice on how to keep cats out of your garden.

To tackle this problem, much will depend upon the use and structure of you garden and in particular the perimeter fence material – or shrub screen. This page deals with the physical barriers that can be used to keep cats out of your garden. It is also possible to use perimeter plants in the fight against cats!

Ground Level Action against Cats

The first line of attack will be to ensure that cats cannot simply walk into your garden through a gap in the fence, under the gate or crawl under a gap in your fence. It may mean that you will have to delve behind your shrub or perennial plants to ensure no gaps. It might sound a simple task but often yields insight as to how the cats are getting in.

Soil erodes and compacts over time, so fence panels can often have a slight gap – enough for cats – where they once rested on the soil. Another problem can be that the timber gravel board at the base may have warped or rotted – leaving a gap.

High Level Cat Access to your Garden

Cat awaiting on top of fenceTimber Fences and Walls

Cats are very agile and can easily jump to the top of a 6ft solid fence or wall and then find a way to clamber down into your garden. It’s a relevant factor that whilst cats are happy jumping upwards to the top of a fence, their preferred method of getting to your garden from the fence top, is by clambering at least part of the way down – normally backwards.

Most timber fences and walls  supply a good support for cats to jump to by way of the top rail or individual fence posts. There are several ways to make these areas a no-go for jumping cats.



Trellis tops are often suggested, but present problems both in fixing and possibly annoying neighbours by increasing the height of your fence. For sturdy fixing of trellis top panels, it will invariably need ‘extensions’ to the fence support posts – usually meaning a metal go-between extension bracket. The other option is a sturdy additional batten fixed to and protruding above the exiting post.

Climbing plants which are trained to grow along the top of a fence can be a good way to prevent a cat from using that method of access to your garden. Again – with the proviso that the fence is sturdy enough to cope with the added weight – especially in heavy snow and strong winds – also that such climbers can be an annoyance to a neighbour.

Trumpet Vine on top of wallBe aware that there are planning restrictions to the overall height of any boundary fence.  Also be aware that any additional height will cause greater wind resistance in the event of a windy storm. A 4ft fence that may be stable in such winds, could act as a sail and be responsible for bringing the fence crashing down in high winds.

Try also to attach a new 'skin' by way of timber trellis, straining wires or chain link fencing to the face of your fencing panels. This will often be enough to thwart a cat wanting to climb down into your garden. Suitable plants trained to such a skin will be a further deterrent.

This Campsis Trumpet Vine growing along the top of a wall will certainly deter a leaping cat!

Wire Mesh Fences.

Essentially they need a solid ‘landing platform’ which is normally supplied by the top capping rail of the fence. Wire fences – such as chain link – do not offer this firm landing edge – but the fence posts might! A factor that is often overlooked.

Chicken wire mesh can be a useful deterrent at the base of any fence – provided that it is secured top and bottom – preferably buried into the ground and pegged down. If it is not secured properly it will be easy for a cat to push it away or to find a way round or over it.

Wire mesh may be an answer atop a lower fence – or even strands of strong straining wires which can then also be further embellished by climbing plants running though them.






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