What’s the best cat scarer available?

While it would be helpful if there was one solution to fit all with regards to cat scarers which work to keep those pesky felines out of your garden, unfortunately there are some cat repellent products that will work better for you than others. This is because there are various breeds of cats with varying levels of intelligence, age and health so you need to experiment to find the one that works.

It is important to highlight that all the cat repellents that we discuss will never cause any harm to a cat who happens to stray into your garden -they simply act as cat scarers to ensure your garden remains how you want it – free from cat mess!

Perhaps the best solution to keeping cats away from your garden or outdoor space is a combination of ultrasonic sound devices, water sprinklers, repellent pellets and herbs planted in the garden. None of these cat repellents are expensive, so a combination of the suggestions below is a realistic option.

Ultrasonic cat repellents

An ultrasonic cat repellent is a device which will activate when it detects movement. It works by projecting a very high-pitched frequency that cats dislike. The sound is supposedly inaudible to the human ear, although many people report that they can hear it and it bothers them when they are near it.

Ultrasonic cat repellent devices are more effective than powder or gel granules, but not as fully featured as water repellent devices. Gardeners like them because they are affordable, effective and a completely safe way of deterring cats from straying into your garden.

Independent testing on ultrasonic cat repellers

RSPB research showed that CATWatch – an ultrasonic cat deterrent – reduced cat visits into gardens by a third.

One hundred and fifty volunteers across the UK took part in a two-year scientific trial to determine the effectiveness of CATWatch in reducing cat intrusions into gardens.

Results show that the device reduced the probability of a cat visit into a garden by 32 per cent. The deterrent effect also appeared to increase with time, suggesting cats were learning to avoid gardens with active devices.

Marketed by Concept Research, CATWatch works by detecting movement and body heat within a range of 12m, through an angle of 100 degrees and triggering an ultrasonic alarm. This means that the cats were always caught, even if they tried to venture around an obstruction in a garden.

Cat repellent pellets

If you find that there are still areas where cats can escape an ultrasonic cat repeller then it is worth combining these devices with repellent pellets. Silent Roar Lion Manure gets plenty of thumbs up reviews online from those that have tried it as a means of deterring cats.

It is a form of pellet cat repellent used to border gardens. While cats are territorial creatures, even the bravest will cower when faced with a lion! The pellets themselves have been soaked in real lion dung, which has been dried and sterilised. They are scent free for humans, but very pungent for cats. The pellets are environmentally friendly and contain no artificial chemicals that can be damaging to plants or other animals.

One application of these pellets can last for up to three months.

Repellent herbs and spices

Repelling cats with plants is another alternative to add to the all-powerful deterrent combination. You can choose to incorporate plants that cats are known to avoid. Some plants emit odours that cats find offensive, such as the scaredy-cat plant (coleus canina), but this one doesn’t make our best scarer list simply as its smell is also offensive to humans.

Excellent plants often recommended for keeping cats away include lavender and rosemary, which are the best natural cat scarers in our opinion.

Lavender and rosemary are particularly beneficial as:

• Cats hate the smell and this will deter them
• The smell is pleasant to humans
• They can both be grown in pots and moved around to areas cats are pooping
• They grow even in poor soil
• They grow despite drought
• They are evergreen for all year round cat scaring
• They have multiple purposes – as well as using them to deter cats from your garden you can use both herbs in cooking and baking. You can also cut and dry lavender for use in aromatherapy

Cat repellent water sprinkler system

This cat repeller uses the best motion activated technology to sense when a cat enters a certain area.  It then produces a quick burst of water and noise which will guarantee no cat will stay around for a wash! A very effective device which simply connects to your hose and can even be used as a water sprinkler for watering your garden plants, these cat repellent devices work day or night.

Do motion sensor sprinklers work? Absolutely. The cats will run away and they quickly learn that your property is no longer their territory. Using a motion sensor sprinkler for a short period of time may be enough to provide you with long term results.

Take a look at the top rated motion sensor sprinklers available online. There are a variety of brands, each with unique features and benefits. Make sure that you read the customer reviews before you buy to ensure you get the best result for your garden.

The upshot

The combination of ultrasonic and sprinkler car scarers, pellets and plants is inexpensive and a small price to pay to keep your garden undisturbed and free from cat mess. Battery powered ultrasonic cat scarers are the biggest expense, but a device that could cover an entire small garden can cost as little at £25 online.

Read through all the online product reviews of each design to make sure you buy the best cat scarer for your needs. Repellent pellets, herbs and plants can be found for just a few pounds at virtually every local garden centre or online, so you can stock up with relatively minimal expense to ensure you achieve the best results.