18 Ways On How to Get Rid of Stray Cats

Take a good look around your yard or garden to spot any gaps, holes, or openings that cats might use to sneak in and block them as blocking entry points can work very effectively to keep stray cats off your property. 

You might need to pull up chicken wires, fix fences, or use other stuff to close off these access points. This ensures no stray cats can slip through without you noticing.

Removing raw food that stray cats may come looking for will help eliminate their presence around the house. Outdoor stray cats frequently seek food in these areas which can attract them and therefore they linger. 

Keeping all of your trash in bins with tight lids and not leaving any food outside can greatly decrease the attractiveness of your property for feral cats.

Cat repellents may be a good method to help deter stray cats from your property. It usually helps create an environment that stray cats don't like and will find somewhere else to go. 

Apart from commercially available cat repellent, these include vinegar, coffee grounds, or such essential oils as lavender or eucalyptus that cats usually detest. All these substances trace boundaries around your yard or garden that stray cats are not likely to cross if applied consistently.

Installing sprinklers that turn on in motion is a kind and effective way to keep stray cats out of your yard. A jet of water will be released upon detection of motion, which will scare the cat away and eventually stop it from returning. 

You may also place motion-activated sprinklers along your property lines in the problem spots where cats enter your yard. The erratic turning on of those sprinkles and the rather unpleasant environment they create will be reasons enough for stray cats to want to avoid hanging around such a place.

Adopting a dog will naturally deter stray cats because the presence of a dog usually deters cats from entering your yard. Since dogs are also territorial, they like to patrol the space and can keep stray cats away by merely barking or by physical presence.

Calling animal control is one of the most accountable and efficient approaches to addressing unwanted stray cats in your location. Animal control professionals have experience in picking stray animals.

Further, animal control can offer very good advice and resources for keeping stray cats off your property. They will enlighten you on local ordinances on the matter, trapping programs, and other resources available in the community to help keep stray cats away from your premises.

Setting humane traps is the kind act of catching stray cats, and then taking them to safe areas. Humane traps are designed to hold the cat firmly but without injury, in such a way that one may take the animal to a local shelter or rescue organization. 

Also, tuna or sardines for bait can be added to increase the chances of catching. The cat should be dealt with carefully once it is inside the trap and relocated following the regulations.

Conducting a humane trap will thus allow you to get rid of the problem of stray cats finally by ensuring the well-being of the animals by providing them with a chance for re-homing in a better place.

Trimming down your overgrowth in vegetation might be a surefire way to keep stray cats away. Normally, these animals like to stay among dense foliage to provide them with shelter and hideaway locations. Keeping your yard neat, with bushes, shrubs, and all plants trimmed at all times can deny strays places to conceal themselves, hence compelling the cats to find other areas to inhabit.

Applying citrus scents around your property will help deter stray cats since they usually detest the smell of citrus. You can use natural citrus peels, essential oils, or commercial citrus-scented sprays to create a barrier that stray cats are reluctant to cross.

To keep stray cats away, refresh the citrus scent from time to time to maintain its effect on keeping them at bay. What's good about this method is that it's a natural, humane way to keep stray cats away and adds a bit of fragrance outdoors, so you win, and your garden wins.

Making uncomfortable surfaces would be a good idea in keeping the stray cats away from areas that they frequent the most on your property. Since cats want to lie down and rest on soft and comfortable surfaces, planting chicken wire, plastic carpet runners with the spiky side up along fences, and other areas that cats seem to like best can make these areas less appealing for them.

You might even want to involve your neighbors by informing them how important it is to limit stray cat populations. By raising awareness about some of the most effective methods to repel stray cats, you can be sure that not just you but your whole community is equally striving to keep them away.

Moreover, by working with your neighbors, you can take more control of stray cats. If you coordinate efforts like covering your trash cans, eliminating food sources, and using deterrents, it will provide a larger space less welcoming to stray cats.

Providing alternative shelters for stray cats can be one compassionate way to do so while keeping the cats away from your property. The construction of certain kinds of shelters in other places, away from your own home, can easily allow cats a warm and safe place for overnight lodging, and reduce the extent to which they invade your property.

Sealing garbage dumpsters will greatly help in deterring the attraction of stray cats to the premises. Getting food from open or lightly tied dumpsters is relatively easy. Using refuse containers with tightly fitted covers and securing existing containers with bungee cords will give the unwanted stray cat no access to your trash.

Apart from covering your dustbins, collect food waste and never leave any pieces of food outside. Further, frequent cleaning of dustbins and surroundings can help a great deal in deterring stray cats. The steps undertaken by you shall make premises less inviting for stray cats, and you may not see their presence, which keeps the surroundings clean and free from filth.

Perhaps removing the bird feeders may be necessary to deter stray cats because these feeders mostly attract birds, and in turn, these birds are what may attract some cats to hunt. But despite their contribution to enjoyment for those enthusiasts who view birds, feeders may eventually create a stray cat hot spot.

You can reduce the attraction of stray cats by removing such feeders or maybe even just moving them into areas that are less accessible. You could also use so-called cat-proof feeders, like feeders with protective cages or set on high poles, out of access from easy climbing. 

Installing a fence around your property can be an effective barrier to keep stray cats out. Either choosing a type of fencing that has closely set pickets or adding a fine mesh to existing fences can prevent cats from squeezing through.

Also, a cat-proof fence topper can be added, such as a roller or an angled extension, to stop cats from climbing over the fence.

Placing cat deterrent plants around your property is a nice, natural way to enhance the landscape while keeping stray cats away. Lavender, rosemary, and rue are some of the fragrances that repel cats, as they give off potent odors.

By planting them along fences, in garden beds, and beside doorways, you might produce an aromatic barrier that cats would rather not cross.

These plants can also be used in your landscape design to beautify the yard for some purpose. Thus, growing some beautiful and efficient cat-repelling plants in your garden will make it less friendly to stray cats and more pleasing to you. 

Ultrasonic devices can be innovatively used to deter stray cats from entering your premises as these devices emit a high-pitched frequency, very disgusting and impractical to the cat's ears, yet incomprehensible to human beings. Placing the gadgets in a yard or garden around the house can help keep cats away without posing harm to the animals.

Sound deterrents are an innovative way to keep stray cats off your property. These devices, which suddenly make loud noises, will shock the cats and make them wary of coming again. These may also be positioned in places around your yard or garden, activating movement to create an unpredictable and uncomfortable environment for stray cats.

Other noise-making ornaments, like wind chimes, may also serve as natural sound repellents. The placement of these items in the most frequented areas by cats can create the effect of almost constant noise disturbance, which will make your property undesirable to intruders.