The school summer holidays are here and many families are spending much more time outdoors, in their gardens. If the garden is also used by foxes and cats there is a high likelihood these animals will be depositing excrement to mark their territories. Toxoplasmosis is a common infection that can be caught by coming into contact with poo from infected cats. And Toxocariasis is a more rare infection caused by roundworm parasites, that can be passed on to humans through handling soil or sand infected with animal faeces.
Garden Damage
In addition to the health risks associated with their excrement both cats and foxes can upset gardeners by their digging. Cats naturally like to bury their poo and in the process will sometimes dig up seedlings and smaller plants. And foxes like to feed on earthworms so they will dig up ground to reach them, especially after heavy rain when its soft and wet and the worms rise to the surface. Young fox cubs will also practise their digging skills on softer, wet ground.
Why Are They Coming to Your Garden?
When facing the challenge of keeping unwanted animal visitors out of your garden the first thing to determine is why they are visiting you. Cats from neighbouring properties, for example, may be coming to your garden simply to use it as a toilet. Or maybe a previous occupant used to feed them? Or maybe your garden offers secluded, safe areas in which they can snooze, which cats like to do.
Foxes may be coming to your garden for a variety of reasons. Open patches of soil, for example, is where they can find tasty earthworms. And food left outdoors for birds can be another attraction for foxes. Fox cubs love to play so if there are child toys or animal toys left in a garden these can attract naturally inquisitive foxes. Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs that live outdoors in hutches and pens are also attractive to foxes. And garden water features are also known to attract foxes who need a stable water supply. Foxes might also be seeking hiding places or somewhere to establish their den or earth, where they can raise their young.
By identifying the reasons why nuisance animals are coming to a garden, steps can be taken to deter them by removing food or protecting areas, such as vegetable patches or flower beds, from their unwanted attention.
How Are They Getting In?
When considering whether fence toppers are likely to keep these unwanted furry intruders out of a garden its important to identify exactly how they are getting in. Fence security toppers will have zero impact if the animals are simply gaining access by going under the fence or through a gateway.
Wherever possible, block the routes these animals have been taking to make it as difficult as possible for them to gain entry. If, for example, neighbouring cats have habitually accessed your garden by climbing the garden fence then safe but uncomfortable fence toppers can be useful in keeping them at bay.
Use Effective Deterrents
When considering effective ways to keep animals out of a garden its important to use humane, harmless techniques. Fence security toppers that make it uncomfortable for animals, such as cats and foxes, to walk on the fence tops, is just one of these deterrents. But it is unlikely to be effective if the attractions that bring the animals into a garden are still their and other deterrents aren’t also employed.
Removing access to food sources is a top priority. This means not leaving out scraps of food for birds and making certain bins and food recycling containers are inaccessible. Also, avoid using garden fertilisers that contain fish, meat, blood or bone products as these aromas are naturally attractive.
Pets and other animals such as chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, should be secured in enclosures that have impenetrable rooftops and ideally kept inside an appropriate, locked environment at night.
Planting prickly plants in the thoroughfares used by these unwanted intruders is another useful deterrent that makes a garden far less attractive.
Cats and foxes are incredibly sensitive to aromas and this can be exploited to keep them at bay. Distributing pepper (ground, black, white or cayenne) in areas where they like to poop is known to be very effective.
Also, male human urine will mask the male fox or cat’s pungent aroma so distributing urine around areas where these invaders enter or leave their mess can be effective.
Another surprisingly effective odour based deterrent is tea bags. Digging small holes around the garden, placing a few used tea bags in the holes and partially covering with some leaves, so that the aroma can still escape, can be effective. Tea bags might also be inserted into pierced plastic bottles that allow the smell to escape and then placing these bottles around the garden area is another simple technique.
White vinegar is another pungent yet harmless deterrent. Citrus smells, such as lemon and citronella, are also known to be very effective in letting unwanted furry intruders know they are not welcome.
Don’t Give Up
If you have removed the attractions, blocked the access routes and introduced deterrents but the unwanted animal visitors keep on coming, don’t give up. There are some ultrasonic animal deterrents, for example, that have worked in some situations. Also, both cats and foxes like to work at night, so installing motion triggered lighting is another deterrent option.
If animal intruders keep coming back and ignore your deterrents and barriers there must be a good reason. So its worth reassessing exactly what might be attracting them to your garden.