Expert: Dear Tabbi - 5/23/2009

Question
Hi!
I just want to know what makes a good cat repellent
( organic or something that won't hurt the cat or other animals ) it's because i have some goats and there are also some cats and they're doing "their thing" on the goats area! ; ) any help?
gabriel

Answer
Gabriel,

I'm very sorry I didn't answer your question earlier but the hard drive in my computer died and I was just able to get it replaced.

That is a difficult problem to resolve because if the goats are in a dirt area cats will use dirt to do their business in. Cats do not have any reasoning ability and they can't comprehend why this area is OK but that area isn't...it's all the same to them.

I don't know how big your goat area is and it may be difficult in a large area but here are some options:

Cat do NOT like the smell of citrus. Put some orange or lemon peels mixed with some water and put in the blender. Sprinkle that along the path the cats are using. Refresh periodically. They should take another route.

Use a mesh bag with several moth balls inside, or a can with holes in the lid and mothballs inside. Put them around where the cats are going. Cats do not like the smell of mothballs. NOTE: They can be toxic to the cat if ingested which is why you put them in a container.

Add a small amount of Eucalyptus oil to the soil. Cats dislike the smell and will be less likely to dig in the soil.

You can spray a Scat Cat product outside the perimeter. I've never used it, but others have said it works to keep stray cats away from your home.

If you have the money to spend you can get motion activated sprinklers that act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cats will learn to avoid the area.

Tabbi