Animals are naturally very curious creatures, and a cat is also a creature that can be very curious. Cats love exploring and finding new places to investigate. Sometimes though, cats might explore the wrong areas, such as going into a neighbor’s lawn or garden. This is because of many different reasons. They may have found a scent somewhere warranting investigation, or they are just curious about this unexplored area. Because of this, people wonder how to keep cats out of a garden, especially if it is someone else’s garden. Here we will answer some of the most common questions people have about keeping cats out of a neighbor’s lawn or garden.
Why Do Cats Go into Other People’s Gardens?
People sometimes see animals go into their gardens. Sometimes these animals mean no harm, while others (like rabbits), might try to eat or destroy your garden plants. Cats are known to go into other people’s gardens. This isn’t because they want to eat your plants though, because cats are considered obligate carnivores, meaning they can only eat meat, and anything else can make them feel sick and unwell.
Cats might often go into your garden for a variety of reasons. One common reason is that they are just curious about the area they are in and want to explore it deeper. They are known to wander about throughout the area they live in because of their instincts and curiosity.
Another reason could be that they found the scent of something, perhaps another cat. If you own a cat, it is likely another cat might pick up on its scent and hang around within the area. This is because of how cats work in a group dynamic.
The last reason they could be in your garden is that they are hunting prey. This could be animals like mice, rats, birds, or other creatures cats are known to hunt.
Can You Train a Cat to Stay in Your Yard?
Cats are intelligent creatures, like dogs. Because of this people wonder if you can train your cat to stay in your own yard. This is because of what we mentioned earlier about cats going into other people’s lawns and gardens. They might accidentally destroy someone’s garden, but it should be noted that cats really don’t mean any harm when they do this. It is just their instinct to be curious.
But the answer you’re looking for, you won’t find. Because there really is no way of training a cat to stay within a specific area. This is because a cat is naturally curious, and you can’t really change its instinct to be curious. It would be like trying to train a dog to not be curious, because dogs are also curious and like to investigate new scents.
The cat wants to explore. The cat wants to see its own surroundings, so by trying to train it to stay in one area won’t work. This is especially true for punishing your cat. The cat won’t understand what it did wrong, because for starters, it is their natural instinct to explore, and also, cats cannot reason as humans do. So, by punishing a cat for doing what is natural for the cat to do, will just make it meaner and like you less. There are better ways to keep a cat out of a neighbor’s garden.
What Is the Most Effective Cat Repellent?
Cats are known for their sense of smell, but they are also known to explore and get into places they shouldn’t be. Because of this, people often wonder if cat repellent does work and what is the most effective cat repellent.
Oil extracts and pepper are proven to work. Pepper can actually repel a cat pretty easily. This is because pepper contains capsaicin, which is something found in pepper, and cats do not like the smell of capsaicin, and it is proven to be an effective way of repelling cats. Also, oil extracts usually contain citrus extracts, which could be another way to repel cats out of your garden. This is because, like capsaicin, cats don’t really like the smell of citrus. You’ll find that any cat won’t be coming around, especially if you use both. These could also help repel other animals too, and not just cats.
See Also: Do Domestic Cats Gather Together Socially?
And: Why Does My Cat Disappear for Days at a Time?
Does Cat Proof Fencing Work?
Cats are good jumpers and climbers as much as they are curious. Because they can jump and climb so easily, they can get to places they shouldn’t be able to get into. This could include getting into a neighbor’s garden. Because of this, people wonder if cat proof fencing does work and if it actually does stop a cat from climbing over it.
The answer is yes, cat-proof fencing can work too, especially if you want to keep a cat out of your neighbor’s garden, or if you want to keep a cat out of your garden, either way can work. This is because cats need a flat surface to land on when they jump, and since cat proof fences are often curved, cats cannot jump over them, or climb them, because it is curved and it will stop them in their tracks. This eventually will cause the cat to lose interest and stop it from trying to get in your neighbor’s garden. Though, just because they can’t climb over stuff doesn’t mean they can’t find other ways to get through the fencing and into your neighbor’s yard. Make sure there are no holes big enough in your fence that your cat can fit through, or gaps at ground level it can squeeze under.
Conclusion
We discussed cats going into your neighbor’s lawn or garden and why they do it. We discussed the reasons for them doing it. We then discussed if you could train your cat to stay in your yard, and we found that typically you can’t. We also discussed if cat proof fencing does work and if cat repellent works, and they both can work. We hope we answered your questions with trying to keep your cat out of a neighbor’s garden or yard. We hope you learned something new.
Featured image: Curious Cat Watching the Neighbor’s Garden
