Cat Faeces in the Garden – Detect, Remove, and Prevent

Do you have problems with cat feces or are you not sure if you recognize cat feces? Finding cat droppings in the garden is disgusting. The legacies are not only unpleasant for the eyes and nose: they can even be hazardous to health under certain circumstances. 

We explain how to recognize cat droppings in the garden and what risks they pose. In addition, we will inform you about the duties of cat owners and what measures you can take to keep a stray cat away. 

Cat droppings in the garden - recognize cat droppings

Before taking the first measures, you should first make sure that the faeces in the garden actually come from a cat. After all, it makes little sense to work with cat repellents if it is actually another four-legged friend who is secretly doing his mischief in the garden.

Cat feces are usually about two centimeters thick and up to five centimeters long. It can look very similar to the feces of martens. The color of cat feces is usually brown. Healthy cat feces have a smooth surface, which is not the case with marten feces. However, if the cat is sick, for example, the bowel movements may also look different. Dog faeces, on the other hand, are often larger than cat faeces and are therefore easier to detect.

Cats often bury their feces – under litter in the litter box, but also when they are outside. If you are looking for feces in the garden or in sandboxes, it can often be easily covered by soil or sand.

Cat droppings in the garden – harmful to health?

It is disgusting and annoying when foreign pets abuse their own garden as alitter box. Since cats are carnivores, the unpleasant smell of the landmines is already reason enough to do something about it. But can cat droppings in the garden also cause health problems? 

The sad answer is that it can even be very dangerous under certain circumstances if pregnant women, immunocompromised persons or small children come into contact with it. Cat feces can contain parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent oftoxoplasmosis. Infection can lead to serious health problems, including miscarriage in pregnant women.

In addition, other parasites such as roundworms, tapeworms and hookworms, as well as bacteria such as E. coli, giardia and salmonella can spread in thedigestive tract of cats. These pathogens can be transmitted to humans and pets through direct contact or through contact with contaminated soil. Infections can cause a variety of symptoms, from mild gastrointestinal discomfort to more serious health problems.

In addition, cat droppings can contaminate soil and plants in the garden. The pathogens contained in the feces can survive in the soil for a long time and represent a potential source of infection. Herbal gardens and vegetable gardens are particularly at risk, as the pathogens can be transmitted to the plants, which are then consumed.

In order to minimize these risks, the faeces in the garden must be removed regularly. In addition, measures should be taken to prevent cats from using the garden as a toilet.

Conflict Potential: The Duties of Cat Owners

Cats are generally known for having a strong will. It is sometimes very difficult forcat owners to control what their outdoor enthusiasts do when they are out and about. This circumstance is also the reason why cat owners can only be held liable for the behaviour of their animals with difficulty, unless property damage or extreme noise nuisance occurs. 

So you can't just make the owner liable for the legacies of a cat. Also, addressing the situation often does not lead to success, as cats are usually alone outside. To keep the cat from using foreign gardens as litter boxes, you can try different ways to keep cats away. 

Avoiding cat droppings in the garden – how to be animal-friendly?

If you are tired of constantly stepping on cat droppings in your own garden, you can take measures yourself to keep the cat away from the property. However, the intelligence of cats can become a problem. Because many a cat scare works very well for a while, until the cat sees through the game and ignores it.

Here are some methods of evicting cats, some of which have proven to be more effective and some of which have proven to be less effective: 

Cat Scare Plants

There are various home remedies that are said to have a deterrent effect on cats. These include plants such as the harp shrub, which smells of menthol. This smell is extremely unpleasant for dog and cat noses. By the way, catnip should not be planted under any circumstances, as it attracts cats magically. 

The big disadvantage of this solution is that cat-deterrent plants are best planted around the property, otherwise protection is not guaranteed. Many cats are also less sensitive to the smell, so the effort is often not worth it. 

Water as a deterrent 

With certain water systems, which are activated by a motion sensor, the cat is frightened when entering the garden, which should prevent it from venturing there again.

Here, too, there is the same problem that occurs with plants as a cat scare: the sprinklers are best installed anywhere. Cats are known to make their way through the smallest of loopholes. Although they are water-shy, they are also so clever that they can bypass the systems. 

Cat Repellent Fragrances

In addition to the possibility of using water as a cat scare, there are also various products on the market that release fragrances that deter cats. They are usually sold in the form of granules or sprays, which must then be distributed in the garden. 

In the event of a rainfall, the fragrance is often washed away and needs to be reapplied. In some cases, this can even damage the plants in the garden if the chemicals seep into the soil.

Dense hedges to lock out cats

It is also often recommended to plant a dense hedge. However, large hedges are quickly quite expensive. In addition, there is always the possibility that the cat is looking for another way to get onto the property.  

Ultrasound for cat defense

Ultrasonic devices that emit a certain frequency are one of the most effective solutions if you want to keep a cat away and permanently drive it out of your own garden. Since the sound is not perceived by humans, but is perceived as unpleasant by cats, you can rely on it so that there is no conflict with the neighbors and the garden remains free ofcat feces.

The animal will not be harmed in this way.

Prevent cat faeces in the garden – reliably and gently with IREPELL® 

Stray cats that leave feces in strange beds orsandboxes can take your last nerve. IREPELL ® is an animal-friendly way to effectively keep cats away and prevent cat feces in the garden. With the help of motion sensors and ultrasound, the device manages to effectively drive away and keep cats away – without the use of chemistry, violence or noise. In addition, the device has a strobe light: with bright flashes of light, it can effectively scare cats.

With a user-friendly app, IREPELL ® can be controlled intuitively and activated at the touch of a button. The 360° protective shield not only works against cats, but also offers several functions that repel a total of 16 different animal species. You can switch between different animal species in the app. In addition, the device continuously improves its defense mechanisms – thanks to different sensors and AI.

With IREPELL ®, you can drive away rats in the garden, but also keep unwanted dogs and raccoons away. In addition, the device is suitable for effective pest control: withIREPELL ® you can fight moths and ants or drive off cockroaches in the apartment. There is also a function for tick protection and natural mosquito repellent. Other predators such as the raccoon or marten can be effectively driven away, as can rats and mice or stray dogs.

In both mains and battery operation, IREPELL ® is a true all-rounder in gentle animal protection and can also be used on the move. In this way, you can effectively, gently and discreetly keep stray cats away from your property.

FAQs

What does cat droppings look like in the garden?

Cat faeces are usually about two centimeters thick and up to 5 centimeters long. The color of cat feces is usually brown. However, this can vary depending on whether the cat is ill or whatcat food it is given.

What can I do if my neighbor's cat goes into the garden? 

Cat owners cannot be held responsible for the legacies of their animals. If you want to keep the cat away, an ultrasound machine is a reliable solution to prevent the smart animals from entering the garden.

What helps to keep cats away?