Are there any plants that repel cats?

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lamcarolyn Birmingham, AL Mar 24, 2008

My mom is violently allergic to cats, so she's already uncomfortable around them. Then she moved to this neighborhood where there's several homes that feed the stray cats, and the population is out of control.

This summer, I'm planting some things in her garden, and I'd love something to help repel the cats. The cats just love coming over to poop in our yard, and the fumes are overwhelming!

Any ideas?

Thanks :)

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critterologist Frederick, MD(Zone 6b) Mar 24, 2008

With the obvious exception of catnip, my cats seem to avoid any strong smelling herb... you might try creeping thymes as border plantings (not every variety is strongly fragrant, so brush/smell the plant before buying). Upright thyme, oregano, rosemary, lavender, sage, etc. can be mixed into a perennial border. Mint can also make a nice ground cover in places where you don't mind it running at will... you can even plant mint in place of grass (here, it'll die back in winter -- not sure about AL), and it smells wonderful when mowed (set the lawnmower blade high, if possible).

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Snug_As_Bug_Rug Sterling, VA(Zone 7a) Mar 28, 2008

I sympathize with your situation. I also have family members who are alergic to cats. We have a fenced-in yard, but our neighbor's cats can very easily climb up and over our fence and into our yard, not to mention the bird feeders that they like to sit under.

I don't know what plants will deter cats, but I know that www.gardeners.com offers cat scat mats that will help keep the cats from at least your most prized areas--this is a non-chemical way to say "no trespassing." Some nurseries also offer a product called Critter Ridder made by Havahart that repels by odor and taste. I know a person who has sprayed this product across the bottom of her doorway to prevent her cat from going outside, and she said this worked quite well. It lasts for about 30 days and has to be reapplied. It can also be applied as a border for a protected area like a vegetable garden. I hope this helps.

Sung

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