I had this problem years ago and strong smelling items like Cayenne Pepper and Coffee Grounds. I recall also throwing all our orange & lemon peel around the garden and that seemed to work. Good luck as it is so annoying. As another Mum said I’d see if your council will supply a cat trap.

I have not personally had this issue before, but there are a few things you could try. You could try getting some ‘scare cats’ or the like – there are products that are supposed to scare animals away from your yard- worth looking into. Or try spraying some citronella until the cat finds somewhere else to relieve itself. They had the smell of it. I wonder if you can get motion sensored sprinklers lol.

If it is indeed a stray then perhaps contact your local council and as for a cat trap. They will most often deliver one to you and show you how to set it up. You will be given a phone number to call once you have trapped the cat and they will remove it for you. If it is unable to be tamed they sadly put them down but if they can be tamed and become a pet they will take it to the local RSPCA or other shelter.

Along with plants we also have bells and wind chimes in our backyard which appear to keep away unwanted night time visitors to our backyard. We managed to stop the daytime visits to the front yard by planting lots of roses and and having ground cover that is prickly and not easy to leave smelly deposits!

Oh i feel like im in the same boat as you! They come even when I don’t have anything in my yard asides from rocks and a patch of fake grass. Even then they’ll still come every single time in the middle of the night! Im at my wits end over it as i have two little girls.

Aw that can be so annoying indeed !
Yes, there are certain plants that have a strong smell that are disliked by cats such as lavender, citrus plants, lemon thyme, rosemary and there is even a plant called ‘scaredy cat plant’ !
You can also throw other strong smelling things in your garden like citrus peels, garlic, vinegar and coffee ground. Or sprinkle pepper on the soil !
Some people throw prickly items like eggshells or pine cones on their soil to discourage cats from visiting their garden.

I was in the same situation and was getting so frustrated cleaning another cats poop up, and having my very mad indoor cat unhappy our yard was marked. The solution for me was coffee grounds. Scatter it around where the cat does it’s business, the scent from the coffee deters them from coming back. A lot of cafes give bags of used grounds for free, or I just saved my pucks from my coffee machine and sprinkled them every few days. Hope it works for you too

There are particular plants that cats do not like and we always get advice from a garden nursery about plants that might repel unwanted animals from a backyard. It is essential to check if plants are toxic and can cause any issues for other pets and children in the backyard. Getting professional advice and being careful is essential when purchasing plants that repel cats. We also get advice about plants that attract birds. Again; all advice and knowledge from a garden nursery. Also google and research online to ensure plants are safe to use in the backyard.