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Fans of cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch have shared their natural method for deterring cats from gardens.
Cats may be cute and fluffy but they are also known to use other people’s gardens as litter trays which can be unpleasant.
If you’ve noticed some of your neighbour’s felines pooping in your garden and want to deter them, gardeners have shared their natural method.
Emma Harper posted on the Facebook group, ‘Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips’: “Looking for help/advice… cats seem to be using my yard as a litter tray.
“I’ve tried some citronella-style granules they did nothing. They keep coming into my yard and I’m sick of cleaning up the poo! Any ideas on how to get them to stay out?”
The post was inundated with responses but the most popular suggestion was to use a curry plant.
Julie Webb said: “Curry plants. I had a problem with cats but since I have put a couple of curry plants around my garden, they no longer come in my garden.”
Beverley Torode replied: “Plant a curry plant, cats hate it.”
Jean Quinn also said, “cats don’t like curry plants”.
According to Anna Sharples at Sloane & Sons, curry plants are “one of the best plants to deter cats”.
They said: “Like the majority of plants that cats hate, curry herb plant releases a horrible odour when brushed against, which attacks their sense of smell.”
Curry plants, also known as Helichrysum italicum, have silvery-grey leaves and smell strongly of curry.
The plant blooms with pretty bright yellow flowers in July and August.
Other suggestions from Mrs Hinch fans included using chicken manure pellets, orange peel, mothballs, mustard powder and ground coffee.
Jenny Saville said: “I’ve been putting down chicken manure pellets and orange peel, both seem to be working.”
Amanda O’Donovan replied: “Mothballs – they hate the smell.”
Milvia Pearce commented: “Sprinkle some mustard powder. I don’t have any cats coming into my garden now.”
Wendy Richmond wrote: “Apparently ground coffee. You get it from coffee shops. It’s free and sprinkle it on your soil and around your plants. They don’t like the smell.”
