Cats may look very nice, but they can also be quite the nuisance. Allergies to cat hair are unfortunately very real, but that’s not all of the problem.
Cats are incredibly territorial, and they like marking their territory, regardless of whether or not it actually is strictly their territory.
And the resultant smell can be nauseating.
If you’ve got neighbour’s cats coming into your garden to leave faeces, there’s absolutely no benefit to you, cat faeces are not suitable as a fertilizer, and they actually decrease the nutritional content of your garden’s soil, effectively harming your plants and vegetation.
But don’t worry – the solution is at hand! There are a plethora of cat deterrents out on the market today, and we’ve handpicked our top 5, and their product reviews are coming up shortly.
After that we’ve got a handy buying guide for you which outlines a few different things you might like to think about before you buy.
In a hurry? This is our winner!

Best Cat Deterrent – Comparison Table
Best Cat Deterrent – Reviews
Ultrasonic Cat Repellent, prabensei Cat Dog Scarer Repellant, Ultrasonic Scarer Deterrent, Solar Powered&Waterproof Cat Dog Fox Rat Scarer Repeller for Gardens Yard Farm,Unique Dad Present (2 Packs)





This is a great little cat deterrent from Prabensei. It’s got a great average customer rating so far, but hasn’t had that many ratings just yet as it’s such a new product.
It’s an electronic deterrent that works by emitting an ultrasonic sound or when set to do so, by flashing LED lights.
It comes packed with great features. Not least of which is its ability to drive away several different types of creatures, not just cats alone.
This is because of it’s 5 different settings or modes, which are as follows: mode 0 is Off, mode 1 is the lowest ultrasonic sound frequency designed to drive away mice dogs and cockroaches, mode 2 is the one for cats, but also works on badgers, mode 3 is for bats and birds, mode 4 is the LED flashing light setting, which is effective against cockroaches, and on mode 5, all the different ultrasonic sounds come on, and the lights too.
Once you’ve set the mode, you can then go ahead and adjust the sensitivity and frequency as you so wish using the little knobs on the back.
The ultrasonic sound is emitted via 2 horns, which has been proven to be more effective in deterring animals than using one horn alone.
What we love about it is that it’s solar-powered. No having to go back online again to buy more batteries. The solar panel is ideally situated, sitting directly on the top of the device. If you wanted to set up in the shade though, that shouldn’t be a problem, because you can charge it by USB.
It also comes with 6 AA rechargeable batteries. It will save charge by only coming on when it detects an animal within its range.
We think it’s great that you get two in the pack, you can have one at each end of your garden.
It’s designed to be durable, and is of a good solid build, with an IP44 waterproof rating, meaning it can stand up against British rainfall from all directions.
It’s super easy to assemble when the box arrives, and you can simply plant into some soil, either in the ground or in a plant pot, and it will start working straight away.
It’s not the cheapest cat deterrent around, but it’s still reasonably priced, and you get 2 in a pack, so we would argue that it’s good value for money.
- Great customer feedback so far
- 5 different settings or modes
- Drive away several different creatures
- Uses both ultrasonic sound and flashing lights
- Adjustable sensitivity and frequency
- Sound is emitted via 2 horns, not just 1
- Solar-powered
- Motion detection for switch-on
- You get two in the pack
- Durable, with an IP44 waterproof rating
- Super easy to assemble
- Reasonably priced
- Good value for money
- Not many peer reviews on this on the Amazon page just yet as it’s such a new product
STV International STV4I5 Defenders Jet-Spray Pond & Garden Protector (Motion-Activated, Heron, Fox and Wildlife Repellent) Black, 32.7x10.5x10 cm




Customers love this wildlife repellent from STV International! STV, if you didn’t already know, is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of pest control products.
It may have heron and fox in the title, but we can confirm that it works against cats as well.
This one causes absolutely no harm to the animal, but simply sprays water on it to make the cat go away. You hook it up to a standard size hose of water, the motion detector senses when an animal is near, and this activates the device to spray a jet of water in the area it’s facing.
This way you can keep pests such as cats away from your lawn, flowerbeds, or pond and water them at the same time! It only works when it detects motion, so it won’t waste power or water unnecessarily.
You can adjust the spray area up to a total of 10 meters in front of the device, and up to a 120 degree arc. This means you can create a protected zone area of over 100 square metres in total. If that’s too large for your garden you can adjust it down. The motion sensor can be adjusted up to 10 m too.
It’s very easy to assemble and use, and it runs off AA batteries, so you pick replacement batteries anywhere, or pick up rechargeable batteries.
It’s IP44 weatherproof, which means it can stand heavy downpours of rain.
It also comes with a 2 year warranty, so you can be sure to get a decent lifespan out of it.
- Customers love it
- Good brand
- Causes no harm to the cat
- Only comes on when it detects motion
- Can adjust the sensitivity
- Can adjust how far the jet sprays
- Can adjust the total angle of the spray
- Large protected zone
- Easy to assemble
- Runs off AA batteries
- IP44 weatherproof
- 2 year warranty
- You need a garden hose for it to work
- Some customers have been unhappy with it being too sensitive, going off when plants move in the breeze, however the sensitivity of the device can be adjusted
Pestbye® Waterproof Cat Repellent Ultrasonic Repeller Cat Scarer with Ground Stake (Battery Powered)






This cat deterrent from Pestbye is really flying off the shelves at Amazon, with over a whopping 5000 customer ratings – and it still comes out at a sterling 4 stars out of 5 on average!
Like our Number 1 product, this one becomes activated when it picks up a signal from its motion sensor, and then emits an ultrasonic sound that goes undetected to our ears but is very unpleasant and loud for the animal you’re trying to deter/repel.
You can adjust the frequency of the sound according to which category of animal you want to deter, scroll down the Amazon page for more details. In addition to working on cats, it can work on dogs, foxes, squirrels, rodents and insects.
The stand out feature of this device is that if you don’t want to plant it in your lawn, you can mount it to your wall.
The motion sensor covers a distance of up to 7m and up to a 80 degree arc. And the area covered by the ultrasonic sound is 184 square feet.
It’s easy to use, you can adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor and adjust the frequency of the ultrasonic sound by way of the 2 dials on the front of the device.
It runs off 4 AA batteries, but depending on how often the device is set off the batteries typically last 3 to 4 months at a time.
It’s completely waterproof and won’t get damaged in the British weather.
- Flying off the shelves at Amazon
- 4 stars out of 5 average customer rating
- Works on several different categories of animal
- Can be planted in ground or mounted on wall
- Large area covered by motion sensor
- Large area covered by the ultrasonic sound
- Adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor
- Adjust the frequency of the ultrasonic sound
- Runs off 4 AA batteries
- Completely waterproof
- If cats have a habit of fouling in your garden, it can take from 2 weeks to a month to deliver the full deterrent effect.
BESTINE Solar Cat Repellent Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Waterproof Cat Repellent Ultrasonic with LED Speakers Cat Deterrents for Gardens






This is a nifty little cat deterrent from Bestine!
It’s an electronic cat deterrent, which when it detects motion, can emit powerful ultrasonic solar sounds and flashing of LED lights to scare away Cats, Dogs, mice, and other unwanted animals.
There are 5 different ultrasonic frequencies to choose from, according to what animal you want to deter or repel. With regards to the lights, there are 12 white flashing lights and 4 red ones. It also features an audible sound for those animals not sensitive to ultrasound and light. You can adjust the sensitivity of it, and the ultrasonic frequency.
It comes in owl design.
You can also pick between planting the device in the ground or mounting it to a wall.
The real standout feature of this deterrent however is that the ultrasonic sound is emitted in a full circle around the deterrent, with an angle sensor of 120 degrees and a sensor distance up to 10m.
We love that it’s solar-powered, charging outdoors via its solar panels, but if you’re not getting a lot of direct sunlight, that won’t be a problem, you can charge it via USB too.
It’s got an excellent waterproof rating, coming in at IP66, this is better than most outdoor cat deterrents and can even handle melting snow.
- Emits powerful ultrasonic solar sounds
- 5 different ultrasonic frequencies to choose from
- 2 white flashing lights and 4 red ones
- Scares away Cats, Dogs, mice, and other pests
- Features an audible sound, when ultrasonic not enough
- Adjust the sensitivity of it, adjust the ultrasonic frequency
- Two different designs to choose from
- Plant in ground or mount to the wall
- Angle Sensor of 120 degrees and Sensor distance up to 10m
- Charge via its solar panels or by USB
- Excellent waterproof rating, coming in at IP66
- This product only became available on Amazon in May 2020, so there are not many customer reviews just jet
Get Off 2044406 Cat & Dog Gel Crystals - 640 g






This cat deterrent flies off the shelves at Amazon, with well over 1000 sales in the UK. And with good reason too!
It works not just on cats, but also on dogs too.
You pour the scented crystals where you want the pet to stop fouling and marking territory, regardless of whether it’s on grass or on hard surfaces such as a patio or decking.
This will confuse the pet’s sense of smell and it conditions them, deterring them from fouling in that area again. It’s an excellent training aid.
However please don’t be tempted to use the repellent indoors to train your pet, it is designed for outdoor use only.
It comes in a choice of different size bottles. The larger one, 640kg should last you considerably longer than the smaller ones.
- One of Amazon’s best sellers
- Works on both cats and dogs
- Easy to use, just pour/shake
- Confuse the pet’s sense of smell
- Deters cats from fouling
- Use on grass or hard surfaces
- Excellent training aid
- For outdoor use only
- Repeat purchase required
- Any rain will dampen the effect of the scent
- Works best when freshly laid, will gradually lose effectiveness as scent evaporates
Best Cat Deterrent – Buyer’s Guide
We’ll begin by talking about the different types of cat deterrents out on the market.
Different types of cat deterrents
There are essentially 3 different main types of cat deterrent you can buy, and they each have different ways of working. The most obvious is which is physical deterrents, such as placing sharp spikes along your garden wall. Another such deterrent, might include a 2D metal shape made to look like another cat, designed to make any cats retreat away, so as to avoid a fight.
There are also cat deterrents which emit smells that are undetectable or barely noticeable to us, but which cats find very unpleasant. This could be via sprays, pellets, or even gels.
Similarly, there are also ones which emit ultrasonic sounds that are undetectable to us but which cats find very unpleasant. These electronic cat deterrents can also work by frightening them with bright flashing lights (either LEDs or infrared lights).
Each type has it’s advantages and it’s drawbacks. Let’s walk you through.
Physical cat deterrents
If a cat tries to get in your garden over a spiked wall, you can bet it’s not going to try again in a hurry. The flip side of this however, is that the cat owner is not going to be very happy with you if it’s cat gets hurt.
This is not the same case for the other type of physical deterrent however, a 2D metal shape made to look like another cat, may keep cats in the distance away, but cats that live next door will soon grow wise to the notion that said cat is not in fact real and won’t put up much of a fight.
Electronic cat deterrents
Under the heading of electronic deterrents include those that emit lights and/or sounds that cats deem unpleasant. They are battery powered gadgets that can be placed in your garden (or home for that matter) to discourage cats from entering the area.
They are usually operated by way of motion sensors. Basically whenever motion is detected in the vicinity, either an infrared light or an ultrasonic sound is immediately emitted, or sometimes a combination of both. These lights and sounds will be undetectable to us humans, but very unpleasant to cats. Once cats become aware of this system they are very unlikely to return to the area, for fear of the same thing happening again.
Chemical cat deterrents
Perhaps the best example of a chemical cat deterrent is an odorless cat repellent spray. These sprays can be used both indoors and outdoors, and whilst cats find the smell extremely unpleasant, the smell goes completely unnoticed by our noses. The cats will then avoid the area at least for the duration of the smell.
This type of cat deterrent is slightly better for use indoors rather than outdoors however, since any rain that falls will diminish the strength of the scent. When used indoors however, the effect can last up to several weeks.
A similar example of cat deterrents is that of pellets that you can shake over your garden where the cat has previously marked its territory. The idea is that this confuses the cat’s sense of smell, tricking the cat into thinking that the area may in fact not be it’s territory, or maybe another animal’s territory. Again the scent of the pellet will go undetected to us humans.
Durability
At this point in the buying guide, you are likely to have deduced that the most dramatic difference between these different types of cat deterrent lies in how long they will last.
For example, spikes along a wall will deter a cat forever, whereas a 2D metal shape made to look like another cat is only likely to last long enough to keep cats out of your backyard while you have a family barbecue.
Similarly chemical deterrents used outdoors will only last until it starts to rain (which could be less than an hour in some areas of the country). How long an electronic deterrent will last meanwhile depends solely on its battery life, although this can sometimes be replaced.
Cost
The durability of the cat deterrent also has implications for it’s cost. If you go down the chemical deterrent route, you will find yourself making plenty of repeat purchases. Whereas spikes are a one off purchase, and electronic deterrents lie somewhere in between, costing further money only when the batteries need replacing.