# Non-Toxic, Natural Deterrents.....For neighbor cats too!



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I did some reading up on natural deterrents for different bugs (I noticed yesterday there were ants suddenly in my rat cages, which are very clean but are outside near the plum tree, where the plums are giving the ants a huge daily banquet!!). I came across some interesting things I hadn't known before and thought might be helpful to you guys too. Of course these are non-toxic remedies and don't hurt any animals (even the bugs  ). There's even some stuff for keeping neighbor's cats away, which I know someone was having a problem with on here (can't think of who it was, but the feral cats were bothering their new aviary).

ANTS

Pour a line of any of the following around where you don't want ants to enter.... cinnamon, garlic, toothpaste, vinegar, cayenne pepper, baby powder, citrus oil soaked into a piece of string, coffee grounds, or cedar shavings. Around areas to keep them out of, place any of the following: mint leaves, fresh cucumber peels, bay leaves, cloves, garlic, peppermint, or oil of clove. These are supposed to be non-toxic, natural, and non-killing methods (I don't condone killing anything, even ants.  )

FLIES

Supposedly fresh mint leaves are something flies just hate. I will let you know how this works, as I just picked a bunch of mint from the garden and hung it all over the patio lol. It's so hot here and for some reason the flies are really bad, even in newly-cleaned areas. (That's what's nice about the tent, no flies get in there at all!!) They also dislike bay leaves, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, peppermint, or cloves, which you can (like the mint) place in a muslin bag and hang around the house and patio. Sweet basil in a small container in the kitchen or near pet foods will repel flies as well, or planted around doorways. A cotton ball with eucalyptus oil on it in a shallow container in the kitchen should also work. DE (Diatomaceous earth) is also recommended for both these pests, and it says in "Critter Ridder" that it can even be fed to the dog to keep flies away from their fecal matter. Crushing up fresh mint and rubbing it on your pet (dogs, horses, etc) will keep flies from bothering them. 

CATS

Calm down, I love cats, I have nine of them in my house right now.  Someone was asking about keeping feral/neighbor cats away from their aviary. I read in Critter Ridder that there are a few non-toxic remedies to keep cats away from certain areas/yards. _"Mix together 2 tbsps of cayenne pepper, 3 tbsps of powdered chinese mustard, 4 tbsps of all-purpose flour in two quarts of warm tap water. Let it stand for one hour before straining and placing the mixture in to a squirt bottle. This will repel a mountain lion as well!_" Two ounces of white vinegar in a small sprayer bottle can be used to spray around bird baths, plants, and of course, aviaries. Now this I HIGHLY doubt, but it says cats are afraid of snakes, and a piece of old garden hose will deter them. Uh-huh. Our puppy has some toy snakes (that look too real for some of us lol) and the cats play with them. So I don't know about this one.  Cats also do not like the herb "rue", and this can be sprinkled or planted near the area to keep them away from.

Now for a good laugh......it says to keep pigeons out of your yard (and this was the only suggestion other than a fake owl they have, otherwise I would not be condoning this book, rest assured), they say to put around mirrors as "birds, and especially pigeons, hate to see their reflection in a mirror". Well, no one told Gonzo this apparently, as he loves the mirror.  

And if all else fails, of course, it recommends going to buy yourself none other than a ferret. Don't ask me, I don't know. Apparently ferrets are good mousers. I don't personally recommend buying a ferret to control pests lol. That would just be silly. (Though ferrets do make wonderful, wily, busy little pets!)

Hope some of this helps, *please remember to double-check the toxicity of any herbs you may be placing around your pets or children,* just because this info I read SAYS it's non-toxic, it's always best to be double sure. Happy pest deterring!


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

I know the vinegar and talcum powder work for ants, we have tried both but at the same time so i'm not sure wich one or both worked. I know talc doesn;t kill them they just wnt cross a talc line but I think the vinegar kills them, I read inegar and washing up liquid would kill them, I don't know about just plain vinegar though.

I also read somwhere to put vaseline around the botton of cages left oudoors we done this with the guinea pig hutch and never had any problems, it's supposed to be too slippy for them to walk in.

Thanks for the tips on keeping cats away i'll try some of them out tomorrow, hope they work!


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi Maryjane I do know for a fact that ferrets will kill birds as the neighbor across the street had ferrets and they killed and ate 3 of their birds inside. They may be cool but I would suggest not around birds. 

Cindy


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Okay, everyone.....NO vinegar and NO ferrets!! Good to know. That's awful about the poor birds.  I know the ferret is a relative of the mongoose and the weasel, and both of those creatures eat all kinds of animals. Ferrets are illegal in CA so I've only seen one in real life once, otherwise just on TV. I was actually making fun of the idea about using a ferret for pest control.


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