Cats will ‘keep off’ your flower beds with cheap kitchen scrap, expert claims

Keeping all animals out of the garden completely is impossible and not encouraged, but there are some ways to help protect plants and crops.

According to one expert, cats can be deterred by using tea bags placed in the garden after they have been used to prevent waste.

Gardening expert Richard Jackson said: “Cats will keep off seedlings and young plants with cheap tea bags.

“Spray old tea bags with deep heat type muscle treatment.

“Then place it in problematic parts of the garden and, if needed, cover it with a sprinkling of soil to disguise them.”

If you don’t have any of this to hand, peppermint or any strong oil can also be used such as eucalyptus.

The strong scents are thought to “deter” the animals and they will stay away for good, according to the pro.

Make sure to place a few around the garden and they should last for at least two weeks, even if it rains.

If the weather is particularly bad, a similar technique can be used with a plastic bottle. Pierce several holes into the sides, pack it full of tea bags and place them in the garden.

The scent will fill the area through the holes in the bottle and can even keep animals like foxes away too.

It is also encouraged to plant certain flowers in the garden to deter cats, including lavender, rosemary and basil.

Gardeners should also plant flowers close to one another. According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), densely populated gardens are “less appealing” toilet areas.

This is because there is likely to be less open soil in these areas for the cats to dig after they have finished.

The RHS also recommended using one or more of the cat deterrents on the market if you notice the felines messing up your garden.

They explained: “They fall into two groups: repellents that are supposed to offend the cat’s sense of smell or taste, and electronic scaring devices that produce a sound that may cause cats to move on or a motion sensor to release a spray of water.”

Foxes can be deterred from gardens by using a homemade repellent consisting of chilli peppers and garlic.

This can be sprayed around the garden and due to its strong scent, all animals will keep clear of the area.