5 Best Outdoor Cat Repellents in 2024 (Top Picks & Reviews)

Cats roaming in your yard are likely to spray on your grass and tear up your gardens as they play or hunt. Investing in a good cat repellent will help in keeping cats out of your yard, garden, and lawn for good.

I have tested a few cat repellents and for sure I can tell you that they worked. I decided to create this guide which may be helpful if you are looking for the best outdoor cat repellent for your yard.

The Best Outdoor Cat Repellents

There are various types of cat repellents and deterrents you can use to keep cats out of your garden or property. Animal deterrents range from sprays, granule powder, motion-activated sprinklers, ultrasonic devices, and even prickling scram mats.

In this guide, we have picked the safest products that will keep cats and other wild animals out of your property.

1. Orbit Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler – Best for Yard/Garden

Yard Enforcer is a highly effective and safe animal and pest repellent for protecting your yard and gardens from pesky animals. This device produces a powerful blast of spray, motion, and noise that scare off animals keeping them to stay away from the enforced area. It is powered by 4-AA-type batteries and uses only 2 cups of water per activation.

Orbit Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler has a heat and motion-activated sensor that detects movement from up to 40 ft away and automatically triggers the valve to spray a burst of water. The Yard Enforcer also includes a flow-through outlet above the valve where you can attach more sprinklers for wider coverage which will still be controlled by the sensor.

With a heavy-duty metal dual-step spike, Orbit Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler can be positioned anywhere you need it in the garden. Also available in Garden Enforcer design with a tripod stand. Its 30-minute timed watering setting allows you to water your yard.

Out Verdict

Unlike other pest and animal-repellent methods, Yard Enforcer provides simplicity, effectiveness, and control. Sprays wear off quickly and some may affect your family members and pets.

Orbit Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler is thus our top best repellent for Keeping cats out of your flower beds, deer away from vegetable gardens, birds from porches, and dogs away from lawns without the use of harmful methods.

2. CLEANRTH Advanced Ultrasonic Animal Repeller – Best Ultrasonic

This is an advanced ultrasonic animal repeller that keeps animals out of your garden including cats, dogs, deer, rabbits, rats, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, ducks, and many more. The repeller uses infrared sensors to detect animals up to 52ft away then automatically triggers a disgusting sound frequency that scares away animals.

The sound travels beyond 52ft to a range of 70ft from the device covering 5000 square feet. This is a great area coverage not possible with many animal repellers on the market. While the sound frequency is horrible to animals, it is almost inaudible to humans.

CLEANRTH Advanced Ultrasonic Animal Repeller is a water-resistant device that can be placed anywhere in the garden. It has a 38-foot plug-in code and can also be powered by 2 9V batteries. This freestanding device can also be hung from the ceiling or wall.

Our Verdict

Ultrasonic animal-repellent devices are eco-friendly and effective at scaring away animals. CLEANRTH Ultrasonic Repeller offers great animal detection and large area coverage thus a highly recommended product for your garden.

3. 3-in-1 Cat & Kitten Training Aid with Bitter – Best for Furniture

This is a cat and kitten training aid spray that uses a scent and taste that is unpleasant to cats. With consistent spraying, every 24 hours in affected areas, 3-in-1 Cat & Kitten Training Aid with Bitter will keep cats out of your property for good. You may stop using when the cats have completely stopped or changed their habit of scratching and chewing household items.

To prevent chewing, this product has added some bitters that are still not harmful to your feline friend. The spray simply makes any surface taste awful. 3-in-1 Cat spray can be used on furniture, fabrics, wood, baseboards, plants, carpet, walls, rugs, carpets,s and many more surfaces without causing stains.

3-in-1 Cat & Kitten spray is a long-lasting and safe formula made with sustainable animal cruelty-free ingredients. The spray is intended as a training aid and cat deterrent. It is important to note that, the spray may be too strong for humans although not harmful.

Our Verdict

Cats will notoriously scratch your lawn, fabrics, and even walls. This is the best product to train and deter cats from these areas. Many customers who used this product have expressed full satisfaction in keeping cats out of certain areas in a home. We highly recommend it for anyone facing these cat problems.

4. SSSCAT Motion Activated Pet Repellent Spay – Best for domestic pets

Pet Safe SSSCAT Spray Deterrent is another great option for limiting your dogs and cats from certain areas in your home including kitchen countertops and trash cans. While it best work indoors, this product can also be strategically placed to keep away felines roaming in your garden.

SSSCAT spray deterrent has a motion-activated sensor that detects pet movement within 3 feet and releases a burst of spray that startles your pet and discourages them from accessing the off-limits area. The spray is odorless, and harmless, and does not stain or leave residue on surfaces.

Each SSSCAT spray can contain approximately 80-100 bursts of spray. It is battery operated with 4-AAA batteries required. There are replacement cans for SSSCAT when you run out of spray. Use the product according to the user manual.

Our Verdict

This is a great solution for banning your pets from furniture and some areas in your home. Although not highly effective for stray cats and wild animals, this product has shown effectiveness in deterring dogs and cats from areas you don’t want them to enter. We recommend it for domestic pet training.

5. One Sight Scat Mat with Spikes – Best Budget

This mat offers a simple, safe and effective animal barrier that prevents cats, dogs, and other animals from digging into your garden and destroying vegetables and flowers. One Sight Scat Mat can also be used indoors to protect your sofa or couch from cats. It can be freely cut and spliced as needed.

The scary plastic spikes mat offers an excellent deterrent to intruding cats without causing harm or affecting other pets. The spikes create an uncomfortable feeling when stepped on without causing physical injury to the animals.

The mat comes in a large roll which you can cut into smaller pieces to place at the edge of your patio, or around your garden. The mat is also flexible and you can easily wrap it around furniture or other objects. It is made from high-quality non-toxic material that guarantees years of service.

Our Verdict

This is an inexpensive method of deterring cats from specific areas in your garden or indoors. It is eco-friendly and a safe method you should use to keep cats out of your yard.

What to look for in a Cat Repellent

Before you buy a cat deterrent, consider the following:

Where to use

Where you want to use your product is an important factor to look at. Find out if the product is designed for outdoor or indoor cat control. There are some products that work best only when used indoors and vice versa.

Animals in question

While you are targeting cats, other animals can be a reason for the menace in your garden. If you are not sure, go for the animal-repellent product that targets several types of animals that are likely to be tearing apart your lawn and flower beds.

Animal safety

When keeping animals from some areas in your home, you should do it in a humane manner without causing them any harm. Use a product that has pet-safe ingredients or an animal-friendly method

Coverage

Always consider the size of the area where you want to limit animal access. Some methods or products work for small areas while others can offer large coverage.

Durability

Automated animal deterrents should be made of durable weather-resistant materials. If you intend to use it outdoors, the electronic device should be able to withstand rain, sun, and dusty conditions.

Purpose of restriction

Cats or pets can be restricted from an area for various reasons including, their safety, training, or to protect the property from animal-related damages. Some products are formulated for cat training while others are for purely deterrents.

Product cost

Prices for various deterrent products vary based on their technology. Sophisticated methods such as automated sprinklers are expensive as compared to sprays or cat mats.

Type of repellent

Cat repellents come in various forms including sprays, powdered granules, motion-activated sprinklers, ultrasonic high-pitched sound devices, and physical barriers. Sprays and powdered granules are applied manually on the target areas while the ultrasonic sound and motion-activated devices are installed once and they operate without being controlled manually. Although effective, their cost is also high.

Sprays – Contain pet-safe ingredients that deter pets or cats through odor or smell. They are formulated with scents that cats dislike or fear and packaged in a can. Cat repellent sprays can be used both indoors and outdoors but their effectiveness is likely to take a short period of time thus needing a frequent application for continuous protection.

Powdered granules – This type of animal repellent is applied directly on the soil and will emit a scent or taste that cats and other animals dislike. They are usually weather resistant and can last many days. Powdered or granulated animal deterrents are best for outdoor use.

Motion-activated sprinklers – These are advanced animal repellents that automatically release a blast of water to scare away animals from the yard. They are automatically activated when an animal approaches. Motion-activated sprinkler deterrents are naturally safe for plants and animals thus best for gardens.

Ultrasonic sound repellents – an eco-friendly and safe way to keep animals out of an area through a high-pitched sound inaudible to humans. The devices are usually automatically activated when they detect an animal through an infrared sensor. Ultrasonic sound deterrents are best for both indoor and outdoor.

Physical Barriers – There are also physical barriers such as chicken wire fences and cat mats that feel uncomfortable when stepped on by felines. They are less expensive and their installation is one-time if you don’t mind their physical appearance.

Conclusion

Stray cats and other animals can wreak havoc in your garden or on your lawn. It is therefore justified to limit their access to such areas. Always use safe ways for keeping animals out of your garden without causing harm.

Before you use any deterrent product or method, read, understand and follow installation or use instructions. A product may fail simply because you have not followed user manual instructions. This should also help in preventing any injury to the animals or family members.